A Strange Connection

by: Yidkirkin of the Warhammer

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Okay, I know that I should be working on my other story, but good lord, Naruto has just not been good to me lately. So, I hope you all will at least find this a little bit interesting, and I definitely recommend checking out the other two WorstxE21 fics on FFnet. Both of them are absolutely hilarious even if you don't know all the characters.

WARNING: SPOILERS ARE PROBABLY AHEAD.

vvv

Everyone's running… Aiming for the top… Sakuraba watched as Shin ran into the forest in front of him, the strong back of his teammate never faltering even in the thick and treacherous underbrush of the 'Suicide forest'*. Beside him, Takami was fretting about Shin's lack of a GPS, and suddenly Sakuraba was seized by a powerful feeling of desperation.

Sakuraba had been feeling left out lately. He had just come out of the hospital and had been trying to get back into the sing of things, but what with still being swarmed by fangirls, the lingering depression that not even Torakichi's wrist band could completely wipe out and the faint feelings of inadequacy at every sight of Shin, Sakuraba was finding it increasingly common to just sit on the sidelines of any situation he encountered. Sakuraba wanted to be included, wanted to support his team at his best and be supported in return, and most of all he wanted to be acknowledged by Shin.

He wanted to walk side by side with the best linebacker, and his best friend. He wanted to be worthy of the praise that was heaped upon him by the media and he wanted to show Torakichi that he could be a true role model. He wanted… he wanted…

"I'll catch up to him!" He exclaimed, and Sakuraba began running after Shin at his top speed, leaving behind Takami, Wakana and Otawara without a second glance. All that was on his mind was Shin. If Shin is going to train up here in these mountains… Sakuraba thought, then I'll train just as much! Anywhere you go, I'll chase after you, even with my mediocre ability!

Shin was also running at his top speed, but for the next two hours Sakuraba was able to keep Shin within his sights. The desperation he still held close urged him on, making him ignore his aching muscles and ruined clothing in the sudden rush of adrenaline. Panting, drenched in sweat and fighting exhaustion, Sakuraba kept running even after the other teen vanished into the dark forest. He kept running even after he could no longer hear the sound of the other's running, and even still after he started to see black spots in his vision. It was only after realizing that now he too was lost did the receiver slow down, his entire body shivering and covered in scratches and sweat, his feet coming to an unsteady stop.

All around him the sounds of the forest filled the air, but the only thing Sakuraba could hear was the pounding of his overworked heart. Even running with all of his might, was this as far as he could go? Is this the most I can amount to? Sakuraba drew in several shuddering breaths, trying to calm himself, and then surreptitiously wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. Looking around at last, he found that he was unable to recognize a single landmark, and the bottom of his stomach dropped out. Sakuraba felt his breath quicken again for an entirely different reason, acutely aware of the emptiness of the woods around him, and so he turned around and began to try and make his way back to the road in the darkness.

The teen wandered for another hour, unknowingly going far off course with every stumbling step he took. His tired mind fizzled and spat as it kept going only enough to ensure his continued movement. When the last of his energy left him, Sakuraba's legs buckled and he fell sideways, tripping over a branch as he did. The last thing he remembered before he passed out was the sensation of falling, and a horrible, sickening feeling of dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

vvv

When Sakuraba awoke, it was to a painful light shining in his eyes and a widespread throbbing over his entire body. He was far too warm and felt very constricted, though he was also thankfully devoid of sweat. His ears rang as his eyes adjusted, and as he blinked the sleep away he turned his head to try and ascertain just where in the world he was.

The first thing he truly registered seeing was the dresser on the opposite wall from him, so high up from his perspective that he must have been on a futon* and not a bed. The second thing he saw was the intimidating man sitting against the dresser, fast asleep but almost completely straight in his posture. He had unkempt black hair that fell into his eyes and a rather large scar down the right side of his face, and was making a pained expression that only accentuated the scar. Sakuraba jerked back unconsciously at the fact that he had not noticed him right away, but this action only caused him to groan in pain.

The throbbing that up until now had been ignorable was now at the forefront of his mind, most prominently in his skull where it pressed up against his forehead and refused to dim back down. Chancing a look downwards, Sakuraba was alarmed at the amount of bandages he could see just on his upper arms, and realized then that he would likely find more if he was inclined to check. His arms felt like lead and his legs weren't much better, not to mention that even the act of titling his head made his headache grow. Another groan escaped him as he lowered it back onto the pillow, and this time it seemed to be enough noise to wake his host.

The man's eyes snapped open, the pained look changing instantly into one of terror before the man caught sight of Sakuraba staring at him. He immediately looked concerned, and reached up to brush the hair out of his eyes as if he were unused to it being there. Sakuraba waited patiently for the man to come back to himself.

"How are you feeling?" The man's first sentence revealed a deep voice, but monotonous, as if all the feeling had been drained from it. Sakuraba coughed minutely to try and clear his throat, but the man reached over to the low table and grabbed a glass of water. He helped Sakuraba drink it before settling back to wait for Sakuraba to speak.

"I feel awful. What happened? Where am I?" The man sighed and rested his arms on his knees, looking immensely tired as he spoke.

"You should feel awful. You fell down a hill at the edge of a forest; you have a mild concussion I think, and a whole lot of bruises, scrapes and cuts all over. Luckily you don't have any broken bones, or I would have taken you to the hospital. Regardless, you are in my house, in Yokohama*." The man nodded in lieu of a hand shake. "My name is Murata Shougo."

Sakuraba felt his jaw drop. Fuck. "Yokohama?! How on Earth did I get to Yokohama from the Jukai?!" Also, how had he managed to get himself injured again? He was supposed to train with the others, now he was going to be out of commission for at least a week-

"Uh, Murata-san, how long have I been out?"

"Two days since I found you. It's Wednesday, if that helps." FUCK.

Groaning, Sakuraba sat up; using all his willpower in order to withstand the protests his body gave him. Shougo looked briefly as if he was going to intervene, but didn't move when he saw Sakuraba falter about standing. Ignoring his audience for the moment, Sakuraba covered his eyes with his hands and swore vehemently, hissing when this action aggravated his left shoulder. Sakuraba swore again.

"You really shouldn't be moving." Shougo said, his toneless voice making Sakuraba feel guilty. "You're just going to make it worse. Now lay back down and rest, I'll have food for you when you wake up again." Shougo gently forced the blonde back down onto the mat and placed a cool facecloth on his forehead. Sakuraba protested initially, but backed down when Shougo gave him a blank glare. "Rest." Against his wishes, his body it seemed was intent on following that order, and so within minutes Sakuraba was dead to the world, leaving his host to sigh and leave the room.

vvv

Sakuraba woke up for the second time in much the same manner as the first, only this time the light outside was decidedly placed in the late afternoon. His head felt marginally less like it was full of barbed wire, and he sat up with less difficulty, though his body still protested against him. Shougo was not in the room this time, but Sakuraba could hear movement coming from deeper inside the residence. Spotting another glass of water on the bedside table, Sakuraba drank it gratefully and set it aside just as the door to the room slid open.

"Good, you're awake." Shougo stated, placing one plate on the table and sitting against the dresser with the second. Sakuraba's stomach growled traitorously and he began eating the food with a burning face, Shougo only showing he heard it with the faintest ghost of a smirk. "It's Thursday now, by the way. I have never seen someone as injured as you sleep so well."

"Thank you?" Sakuraba said hesitantly, not quite knowing how to respond. "Oh, uhm, I haven't introduced myself have I?" Gingerly, Sakuraba extended a hand for Shougo to shake once the man had put down his plate. "I'm Sakuraba Haruto. Thank you so much for a-all you've done for me." As Shougo released his hand, he scrutinized the blonde with an unreadable expression, and Sakuraba quickly went back to his food if only to avoid what he was sure was going to be an awkward questioning of his identity. But the scarred man said nothing, indeed he barely moved at all except to pile his utensils securely on his plate.

It was only after Sakuraba had cleared his plate as well that Shougo spoke. "You're going to be out of commission for at least another week or two*. I'm not sure why you were passed out on the side of the road, nor why you thought you were still in the 'suicide forest'-" At this, Sakuraba turned red again and ducked his head. "-but if you need to… you can stay here until you recover. Sometimes a break from your usual surroundings can do a lot of good." Sakuraba looked up to see Shougo staring out the window, his face twisted up as if he were thinking of something unpleasant.

Sakuraba stared out of the window too, thinking about his team back home. Takami and Wakana would be worried sick by now, Shogun probably even more so as he was something like their guardian while they were training. Sakuraba didn't know how Shin would be feeling right now, but he suspected the stoic boy wouldn't let it get in the way of his training. Thinking about that made Sakuraba both sad and relieved; he wanted his best friend to worry, but at the same time he'd feel incredibly guilty if Shin was distracted.

"If it's not too much trouble, I think I'll take you up on that offer, Murata-san." The other man glanced over; apparently having been somewhat distracted himself. "Though, if you have one, would you mind if I used your phone?"

Shougo nodded and grabbed their dishes before he left the room, returning shortly after to drop off the cordless before disappearing again. Sakuraba dialed Takami's number with trembling fingers; he was quickly losing what little energy he had left, and he was nervous about Takami's reaction. The ringer sounded for several seconds before Takami answered with his usual curt greeting.

"Takami? It's Sakuraba." The line was silent, which only caused Sakuraba's nerves to grow, before Takami let out a choking sound and immediately began speaking.

"Sakuraba, where on Earth are you?!" Sakuraba winced at the volume; it made his tender skull act up again. "We've all been worried sick, we didn't know what happened to you after you went running after Shin like that! What were you thinking, what happened!?-"

Sakuraba drew in a breath. "I'm sorry, Takami." The quarterback fell silent rather abruptly. "I-I fell and kind of… knocked myself out. Some guy found me and brought me to the- uh- hospital, but I'm alright now." Sakuraba was not going to go into it with Takami right now. "I'm staying at a relative's house in- Setagaya-ku* to recover. I won't be back for another week, at the earliest. I'm sorry I didn't call, but I didn't wake up until yesterday."

Sakuraba waited for Takami to come up with a response, all the while only feeling slightly guilty for lying. Maybe I do need some time to myself…

"Thank god you're fine." Sakuraba could hear the relief in Takami's voice, but he stayed quiet. "A week you say? Do you need me to bring anything to you?"

Sakuraba's first instinct was to say yes, but he quashed it down fairly quickly. "No, it's fine, I'm all set. But it could be two weeks, depending on… on how serious my concussion is. Please tell everyone that I'll be back soon." They talked for another minute about his health before the call ended, and Sakuraba lowered himself back onto the futon while putting the phone on the bedside table. He could feel his eyes drooping again and wondered fleetingly about why he was so tired.

vvv

The third time Sakuraba woke up, it was in the early morning and his body was painfully letting him know of a few basic necessities he had ignored the past few days. Struggling into a sitting position, Sakuraba removed the blankets from his person and found that he was indeed covered in many more bandages as well as a foreign pair of sweat pants. Disregarding this for the moment, Sakuraba used the wall to prop his right knee up, and proceeded to shimmy himself to his feet. He felt heavy and unnatural in his own body, but wobbled to the door successfully by using the wall as a support.

When he entered the hallway, he was unsure about which way to go, this being a stranger's home after all. Hearing ruffling sounds from a doorway to his left, Sakuraba decided that that was his best bet, and so he made his way towards the noise. It took far more effort than he had expected, but eventually he reached his destination, and could only stand staring at the sight he had come upon.

Shougo was slumped at the kotatsu, asleep and looking more rumpled that he had previously. Around his head were more than half a dozen beer cans (and a strong brand at that), and more than a couple of cigarette butts. The rustling sound had been made by the drapes above the open window, and in the corner was a small family shrine* with the incense still burning, filling the air with a sweet, soft smell. Sakuraba stayed frozen for a good minute before he stepped forward and tentatively shook Shougo awake.

"Murata-san? Murata-san, you shouldn't sleep here. You'll get sick." The man stirred and blinked blearily at Sakuraba before hissing lightly at the intruding light from the window. He brushed the hair out of his eyes again but kept his hand resting on his forehead, a faraway look coming into his eyes momentarily before he truly registered Sakuraba's presence.

"Sakuraba? You shouldn't be up." The blonde frowned gently.

"I need to use the washroom, Murata-san. I didn't want to snoop." Shougo nodded, and told him where it was without further prompting. By the time Sakuraba was finished, the living room had been cleared and Shougo was making breakfast. He gestured for Sakuraba to sit down, and soon the two were eating as if the receiver hadn't just found Shougo passed out and hung over.

"So, Murata-san… uh, why don't you tell me about yourself? I'd like to know a bit about my, uhm, savior. Heh." Shougo raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't react much beyond nodding.

"If you'll do the same." Sakuraba readily agreed, anything to spare himself awkward silences, and so Shougo started.

"Well, I'm 17, so if I were still in school I would be a sophomore. I have a motorcycle license and dabble in boxing. I live by myself in Toarushi*; this is my late grandparent's home." Sakuraba listened intently. "I have an older brother, Juuzou, and several good comra… friends. I'm only here to sort out a few personal problems. Other than that, I really can't think of much to tell you. Though I suppose I must say that I won't be the best of company."

Sakuraba waved the self-deprecating warning away easily. "I think you're alright, Murata-san."

"Hm."

Sakuraba scratched his cheek in thought. "I suppose I should tell you about myself now too. Well, I live in Tokyo by myself, in Arakawa-ku* and I have a job at a modeling agency. I'm also 17, though I still go to school, Oujou High. I also play receiver for the Oujou White Knights, the American Football team, I wouldn't say I'm very good though. I have a few good friends who're all on the team too. Most of my life revolves around Amefuto, so I don't have much to talk about either." Sakuraba smiled embarrassedly and munched on his curry in the resulting silence.

Shougo, despite his lackluster behavior, turned out to be a competent host, giving Sakuraba a tour of his home so that he wouldn't go somewhere he wasn't supposed to. He lent Sakuraba a spare toothbrush and some clothes; they were a bit big but Sakuraba would manage. When that was taken care of, Shougo insisted they change his bandages, so for the first time the blonde was able to see what his injuries really looked like.

It was worse than he had thought. Sakuraba stared down at himself in quiet horror during the small absence of his host; after all the soiled bandages had been removed, Shougo had to go to the store to buy more. Without the other man there, Sakuraba was free to inspect himself, and he had to wonder just how big of a hill he had fallen down. His ribs, thighs and arms were practically coated in bruises, and interspersed with the discolorations were deep and stinging scrapes probably caused by either rocks or branches. Even worse, his upper arms were quite chewed up, he must have unconsciously protected his face during the fall, and he had a large gash just above his left temple. Thankfully, his throwing arm had not bore the brunt of the damage, and was only truly burdened by a slightly twisted elbow; that, at least, would heal relatively quickly.

Shougo came back inside just as Sakuraba was attempting to prod at a bad bruise on his back, and looked for a moment as if he had seen a ghost. Sakuraba spotted the other in the mirror before he could recover.

"Are you alright, Murata-san?" This was apparently the right thing to ask, as Shougo snapped out of his trance and pushed Sakuraba down to sit on the toilet seat.

"I'm fine. Let's get these wrapped." Shougo pulled out some peroxide along with the bandages, and proceeded to swipe at the still healing lacerations and such before deftly putting the wrappings in place. Sakuraba was still slightly hesitant on overstaying his welcome, so while Shougo did this, he scrambled for something to fill the silence.

"Oh, uhm, now that I think on it, how exactly did I get from the Jukai to here, Murata-san? It's a bit far…" Shougo moved on from his head to his left arm, and looked far more tired than he really should, given the amount of time he had presumably had to himself.

"I was out riding. I took the road near the Jukai because I- like the scenery. You weren't anywhere near it though. I came upon you in Asahigaoka*." Wow, I wandered so far off course it isn't even funny. "It was the middle of the night, so I strapped you on and brought you here." Sakuraba could only thank the other man again, and after a few minutes decided to speak about something else.

"Have you ever watched any Amefuto, Murata-san? Maybe played?"

"No, I only know of it from a senpai of mine back in middle school." Sakuraba nodded in understanding; it wasn't uncommon in Japan to have little knowledge of the still foreign sport. So Sakuraba changed the subject again, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to carry on a one sided talk about Amefuto, no matter how much he could ramble.

"Have you ever played any other sports?" A less than gently applied peroxide swipe had him hissing as the other was presumably not expecting the question. Shougo let out an odd rumbling sound as he finished preparing Sakuraba's right arm.

"I… I used to play baseball. But I suffered from a shoulder injury during my final year of middle school. I haven't played since." Sakuraba got the distinct impression that Shougo wasn't too terribly bothered by it, even so he tried to say something comforting.

"That's awful. It's always bad when things like that happen, no matter what sport." Shougo hummed in acknowledgement, but once again the conversation fizzled out fairly quickly. Shougo patted Sakuraba's shoulder once he was done with all the re-bandaging, and then helped him back to the living room.

vvv

The rest of the week was very quiet, neither speaking much despite the fact that they stayed in each other's company for the majority of the time. Sakuraba alternated between sleeping and doing a few household tasks that weren't too strenuous on him. He was still hesitant that he hadn't overstayed his welcome, and so to pacify him Shougo had begun to give him things to do to let him 'earn his keep' so to speak. Shougo himself was kept occupied by his puttering around the small apartment, never in one place for very long, except for when he sat in front of his shrine in the evenings. He spent hours sitting there every night, and once Sakuraba had woken to find him slumped in the same sitting position that he had been in when the blonde had gone to bed the night before.

Sakuraba wasn't about to intervene, he knew people dealt with grief in different ways; if Shougo wanted help he would most likely ask for it. He himself, while not grieving the loss of someone, was attempting to work through his own issues during this impromptu break he'd been given. He had already devised the training program he would follow once he got back on his feet, keeping in mind his still healing injuries of course. Sakuraba was determined to give the training his all in order to catch up to Shin, even though in the back of his mind he couldn't help but feel that whatever he did was going to be a waste.

Therefore he was unprepared for any sort of action on his part when he had fallen asleep on Monday night, one week after he had gotten lost.

It was quite late when Sakuraba was startled awake by a loud clatter from the living room. Worried, Sakuraba shuffled to the door, careful of his path in the darkness, and headed to investigate the noise. Similar to earlier, Sakuraba was quite unprepared for what he came upon in the room, but unlike previously, he did not freeze when he saw it.

Shougo was lying in the middle of the room, a lamp smashed on the floor and blood seeping from the crown of his head. Beer cans were everywhere, and Sakuraba experienced the sudden dreadful feeling he had come to associate with someone close to him being hurt. Despite their almost nonexistent relationship, Sakuraba had found himself growing fond of the other man, the knowledge that they both were suffering from some sort of internal conflict becoming reassuring in the absence of more familiar surroundings.

So seeing this so suddenly without any warning, Sakuraba immediately rushed forward to try and do something. Rolling Shougo onto his side so he wouldn't choke if he threw up, Sakuraba grabbed the nearest cloth and dabbed at the thankfully shallow cut on Shougo's head, placing a bit of pressure on it when it didn't show any signs of slowing it's bleeding. After a few minutes of fretful waiting, Sakuraba deemed it safe to remove the napkin, and left Shougo briefly to rinse the cloth and grab another one as well as a dish for the vomit.

Sakuraba had never cared for a drunken person before, but Takami had; he had often complained about his older brother's escapades when he was frustrated, and so the receiver had picked up a few things. Nevertheless, it was quite nerve-wracking for Sakuraba, and once he had settled Shougo in a secure position, he began to clear up the room to take his mind off of things. Shougo had most likely stumbled and hit his head on the smashed lamp; there was no saving the now blood stained porcelain, so Sakuraba transferred it all to an empty beer box while trailing one eye on the collapsed man feet away from him.

He kept cleaning for over an hour, taking care of the dishes after the beer cans and then wiping up the spilled liquid near the shrine, as well as dabbing at the new blood stain on the carpet. Sakuraba had just stood the picture of a young blonde man back up on the shrine when Shougo's waking groan drew his attention. Sakuraba hurried over and helped his host sit up, taking the now dry cloth from him before it could be forgotten on the floor. When he returned, Shougo was staring at his hands; a now familiar faraway look in his eyes, and Sakuraba bit his lip as he waited for the man to say something.

Instead of speaking, Shougo ignored the receiver and cradled his head in his hands. Sakuraba sat down a few feet away, momentarily wondered what to do, and then started talking.

"I wasn't in the Jukai to kill myself y'know." Shougo flinched minutely, but didn't tell Sakuraba to shut up, so he continued. "I was there to find my teammate. He broke his GPS, so we were worried. But when he left to train, all my insecurities came to the forefront of my mind. 'I'm not good enough', 'I'll never catch up to him', 'If only I could measure up'. So I ran after him; I ran until I was hopelessly lost and then I passed out. I don't think I'll ever be good enough to catch him. But I'm going to try anyways; I'll work towards him until I can't anymore. And you remind me a lot of my friend, Murata-san."

Sakuraba could see his teeth clench, but kept on going. "You're both pretty quiet, and you look similar. I've seen you keep it together around me, so you're strong like he is too. And I know you aren't him, but I was really worried about you when I saw you drunk to the point of unconsciousness and bleeding out on the floor. I've started thinking of you as a friend, Murata-san. I know you've got stuff going on and it's none of my business, but if you-if you need someone to talk to, you can come to me. Or at least wait until I've gone home to get piss drunk, if only so that I don't freak out."

Shougo stared at him, tired and out of it but visibly surprised at what Sakuraba had said. In his daze, Sakuraba ushered him up and to his bedroom, making him lie down on his side so Sakuraba could keep an easier watch over him. Just before Shougo fell asleep, he seemed to regain a bit of feeling in his expression as he fixed his eyes onto Sakuraba.

"Thank you."

vvv

The next day Shougo had a horrible hang over and an even worse headache than normal because of his head injury, but Sakuraba was relieved to see that he didn't have a concussion. As soon as he had puked his guts out, Shougo had barged over to the fridge and had taken all the rest of his alcohol to his neighbor, and then proceeded to sit down at his shrine again. Sakuraba occupied himself with one of the few books Shougo owned, and it was only after several hours of reading that Shougo came up to him again.

"Can I talk to you?"

Of course Sakuraba agreed, and they settled down at the kotatsu with a pot of tea to keep them company while Shougo tried to figure out how to begin.

"I left school after I received my shoulder injury, as I'm sure you've deduced." Shougo started, not quite meeting Sakuraba's eyes. "My parents supported me living alone, but the one I kept in contact with the most was my older brother. Juuzou-nii was the vice-head of a gang, The Front of Armament's fourth generation. He had retired to work in Tokyo at the start of my third year of middle school. It was him who formally introduced me to Kousei-san, the fifth generation boss, after my injury had healed. I joined the Armament as a prospect during it's fifth generation." Sakuraba was very surprised that Shougo was a gang member; he looked the part, sort of, but weren't gang members supposed to be angry and belligerent like Zokugaku? "When Te-Tesshou-aniki became the 6th boss, he took me under his wing. He was my role model, my idol, the man I wanted to serve under and emulate… and then he got hit by a car. I was out riding with him and that was the last I saw of him alive."

Sakuraba lowered his head in the ensuing silence, until Shougo has collected himself. "I left Toarushi because I couldn't handle being there. I kept having nightmares and quickly became depressed. I- every night since I've sat at that shrine and drank." Shougo paused to swallow thickly, and then lowered his upper body in a deep bow. "Thank you for your words, Sakuraba-san. I think they've done me more good than anything I've been doing on my own. I'm eternally grateful."

Sakuraba was quick to school his shocked expression into one of outright embarrassment. "No, no, I didn't really do anything, Murata-san. I was just really worried about you-"

"Even so, you did me a great favour, even if it was only letting me talk to you. Thank you." Shougo raised his head and smiled at the blonde for the first time since they'd met. "And please, call me Shougo. I think it's only fair." Sakuraba only now noticed the change in the other's voice; where before it had been monotonous, now the blonde could practically hear every emotion Shougo was feeling, and so Sakuraba smiled back.

"Then call me Haruto."

vvv

The week following that conversation was far easier on both of them than the previous one had been. Though both of them spoke often about their respective problems, neither offered the other any advice and neither progressed much towards resolution. They were just glad to have someone else to talk to about what was bothering them, someone who would just listen*.

Sakuraba began to regain most of his movement a couple of days later; all of his injuries had scabbed over and his bruises were turning yellow. Shougo had determined that his concussion had passed, having suffered from a few in the past himself, and when Sakuraba asked, he agreed to let him help out around the house more. The Amefuto player was relegated to laundry and dish-washing duties, tasks which he completed with relish; he was happy that he was finally doing something, never mind how menial.

When Sakuraba's perpetual tiredness disappeared, he and Shougo spent the evenings outside; Shougo had repairs to make on his bike that he had been putting off, and Sakuraba really only needed someone to sit with him. As opposed to during the day, there was not much talking when they were in the adjoined garage. Sakuraba was content to chip away at a pot of tea, idly doodling Amefuto plays on the notepad he had borrowed, and Shougo focused on his motorcycle, the accident had left several small issues which were supposed to have been addressed far earlier.

Each day that passed did so comfortably, both of the men able to relax somewhat now that they had aired their respective grievances. As the second week drew to a close, Shougo helped Sakuraba take off his bandages for the last time, and whistled lowly as he placed a layer of scar-healing lotion onto the finally fading injuries. This was the last day Sakuraba would stay at the Murata household.

"You sure do heal fast Haruto-kun. Most of my injuries take another week more to fade than yours do." The receiver laughed shakily, wincing slightly as Shougo swiped over one of the worse bruises on his back. Once Shougo had finished, he reached underneath the top cabinet and handed Sakuraba the clothes he had been wearing in the Jukai. While the blonde inspected the torn and now pinkish fabric, Shougo placed the balm back in the cupboard and turned back to address his guest.

"You can keep the clothes you're wearing now, if you want. They're actually my older brother's; he gave them to me but I've never worn them. Your training clothes aren't very suitable anymore, as I'm sure you can see." Sakuraba started to protest, but Shougo waved it off. Several minutes later, the training clothes were sitting in the trash and Shougo was jotting down his contact information onto a piece of paper, Sakuraba doing the same.

"Feel free to call, Haruto-kun, anytime. I've enjoyed your company." They exchanged papers and then set off for the nearest train station, Sakuraba getting his first good look at the neighborhood since he had arrived and Shougo checking his watch, having looked up the train schedule beforehand. They arrived with five minutes to spare, and as they waited Shougo extended his hand for the other to shake.

"I think I'll be here until the end of summer. Visit if you start to miss me." Shougo teased, stepping back as the train pulled up.

"Of course, how will I survive without you, Shougo-san?" Sakuraba waved as he boarded the train, and soon enough it departed, bringing the receiver back to Arakawa-ku and his teammates.

vvv

When Sakuraba showed up at the Amefuto practice the day after he had returned from Yokohama, dressed in his extra set of training clothes and smiling nervously, most of his teammates simply stared. His forehead gash had left no scar, but the skin visible on his arms and neck still held traces of the fall that had done him so much damage two weeks ago. He jumped three feet as Wakana and Takami, one shrieking with relief and the other ready to fret over the blonde, rushed him without a second thought. Otawara, Shogun and Shin were the next to come over, with the coach taking precedent in the greetings.

"All healed up?" Shogun demanded, his expression stern and disapproving but his tone concerned. Shin silently swept his eyes over his friend, stoic as ever, the only indication of his concern being the slight crease in his forehead.

"Yes. I'm ready to train, sir." Takami looked proud, and made sure to restrain Otawara before he injured the blonde further with a good-natured pat to the back.

vvv

"Sakuraba looks a little shaky." Shogun observed from his position next to Takami, watching said receiver stumble through another drill. Takami adjusted his glasses and glanced between his friend and the clipboard.

"It makes sense…" He said quietly. "He's been doing the same amount of training as Shin, even with his injuries and weaker body- no, now it might even be more so than Shin." The coach and captain moved to the 40 yard dash, where Takami snagged the stopwatch from Wakana for Sakuraba's run. "But… 4.92 seconds!"

"He finally got past the 5 second barrier!" Someone yelled gleefully from behind them, and Takami looked on as Sakuraba collapsed, panting and exhausted.

"The results are showing little by little." The quarterback concluded, and Shogun grinned ruefully.

"Was it worth waiting for him?" Takami smiled proudly.

"Of course."

vvv

Sakuraba entered the weight room, tired and discouraged but holding on for the bench press test to see if he had improved. Dimly, he registered that Otawara had reached 140 kg (308 lbs.) and had caught up to Shin, but it wasn't until he was set up and ready that he saw how little he had achieved.

70 kg (154 lbs.). Only half of what Shin could bench, and Takami seemed to think that it was an accomplishment? Otawara kept going on about defeating Kurita, but all Sakuraba could think of was Ikkyu from Shinryuji. How am I ever going to catch up to him, let alone Shin? Takami tried to console him, but it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

He really should have stopped talking, but all his insecurities came to the forefront of his mind at that moment. Led by their ace, Sakuraba Haruto- Ace? He was no ace, not with scores like these, not with how hard he worked and how little he had accomplished! Takami just made it worse, interrupting his self loathsome rambles to tell him not to pay attention to the media, but Sakuraba wouldn't listen.

He had tried to live up to everyone's expectations, he had worked himself until he was sick, he fell down and picked himself up so many times in order to try and catch up to genius, but he had never even gotten close!

"I should never have joined up just because I was tall!" Sakuraba told himself, all but oblivious to Takami standing beside him. "There's no need for a weak person like me! I wasted these past 5 years, they were all meaningless!"

SLAM!

Takami towered over him, his fist raised aloft from where it had collided with Sakuraba's cheek. The receiver felt his throbbing face, shocked at his normally calm friend's show of violence, and stunned into silence. Takami had a horrible expression on his face, half anguished and half rage, and he was shaking with all the anger flooding through him.

"How-How dare you say that." Sakuraba stared up at his captain, still cradling his cheek and still sprawled on the floor. "These past 5 years… do you know how much I've…" Takami lowered his fist; his expression smoothing to one that was only pained. "…I'm sorry. I apologize for hitting you." The quarterback began to leave the room, everyone on the team watching him go. "I'm a failure as an upperclassman. I'll be back after I cool down."

Murmurs spread through the room at the unexpected outburst, not many having heard what Sakuraba had said to the older teen. The receiver himself stared at nothing for almost a full minute before getting up and leaving the room, muttering something to Wakana in passing.

Sakuraba eventually settled on a concreted divider outside the field. Now that he had cooled down, he realized what he had said, and needless to say he had never felt worse in his life. Takami had only been trying to help, and how did he repay him?

Unfortunately, Sakuraba's musing was cut off when a black BMW rolled up, and he was suddenly pulled inside. It was Ito, and it was quickly apparent that he was quite irked about Sakuraba skipping work this past month, no matter if he was injured for half that time. The car sped away faster than Sakuraba had expected, and it only made it feel like more of a kidnapping when Ito's bodyguard muffled Sakuraba's startled scream with his hand.

Several minutes later they were stuck in traffic on their way back to Shibuya, and Ito was dabbing none too gently at his swollen cheek with a cotton swab. He was talking all the while, something about how he should be thanking him for getting him out of training, but Sakuraba wasn't listening.

"Tell me the truth. If I had been there, could we have won a little more easily?" Shin paused on his walk out of the hospital room.

"No. Nothing would have changed."

The throbbing in Sakuraba's cheek only worsened. God, he should have just stayed in Yokohama, he should have never come back to Oujou in the first place. He stared out the window, at least now he wouldn't bring the team down…

"-t's this? A wristband? 'Christmas'… what?" Sakuraba jerked his gaze towards his boss, suddenly remembering the wristband Torakichi had given him after he was discharged from the hospital.

"It's a touch football wristband!" The wheel chair bound boy said proudly, handing it to Sakuraba. "Since I can't use it anymore, I want you to take it to the finals!"

So focused on the memory, Sakuraba was unable to stop Ito from throwing it in the bag of trash, but he frantically rescued it. He stared at the messages, a little obscured by the new stains but still as legible as ever, and tuned Ito out.

"Alright, I'll take it to the Christmas bowl after we win, I promise!"

So out of it that he was, Sakuraba barely noticed it was raining as he jumped out of the car, running off of the road and back into the streets before Ito could stop him. He ran, much like how he had run after Shin at the beginning of the summer, but unlike that time he didn't entirely know what he was looking for. After an hour of running in the rain, drenched from water and sweat and stumbling along, he made it back to Oujou. He stood for a minute, scanning, and soon he saw him; Shin was running even in this weather, but he hadn't noticed him. Sakuraba moved towards his friend and spoke loudly over the downpour, only getting louder when Shin stopped running.

"Why? Why are you always working so hard? How is a normal person supposed to compete with a genius that works as much as you do?" Sakuraba gasped, trying to catch his breath, and Shin didn't respond. "I can't give up easily like Unsui. I'm not a good enough person to accept the fact that I have no talent at the age of 17." Shin stayed silent, and, exhausted, Sakuraba fell to his knees. "I want to win! Against you!"

Sakuraba felt himself starting to cry, but he couldn't care less. He wanted Shin to acknowledge him, to look at him; didn't he see that he was here? "I just can't give up, I still want to be top class! JUST WHAT IS A MAN WHO WAS BORN ORDINARY SUPPOSED TO DO!?"

vvv

Three days later, after the Oujou Silver Knights had come back to reprimand their underclassmen, Sakuraba and Takami still hadn't spoken. The blonde felt like trash; he had continued training, but the damage had been done, and now he felt he was even less worthy of any praise he had ever acquired.

It was during a lull in the night, when Shogun and Otawara were restraining Ikari that Sakuraba went out into the hallway to get a drink from the vending machine. He was about to leave to go back to the weight room, when he heard Shogun mention his name.

"Sakuraba has finally become a real athlete."

Initially Sakuraba stopped, if only to scoff, frustrated. Real athletes didn't goad their team captains with self-loathing garbage into punching them. But then Takami began speaking, and Sakuraba paused again to listen.

"If it wasn't for Sakuraba and all the others giving me strength, I would never have been a first string player." What? Takami briefly told Ikari about his leg injury, and that even though he was an old fashioned quarterback who couldn't run, it had always been his dream to be on Oujou's team. "After I was put on the first string, I kept hearing those same words. 'Even though he's relatively faultless, he's a second rate quarterback who doesn't stand out.' But this year, my final chance has come."

"Because Sakuraba has improved bit by bit, and has taken the starting receiver position. I am an average player who's just a bit taller than normal. I can't avoid the opponent's tackles or make a touchdown by myself. By myself, I can't beat anybody. So I kept on waiting for a partner who could compliment my height."

"I wasted these past 5 years!"

"Do you know how much I've…"

"For the partner named Sakuraba Haruto. Who would enable me to fight on the level of top class players, I waited for 6 years."

Sakuraba sat there crying long after Takami had fallen silent.

vvv

The Oujou White Knights had returned to Mt. Fuji, thankfully closer to Asagizuka* as opposed to the 'suicide forest' this time around. Despite his tired limbs, Sakuraba managed to overtake the majority of his fellows to come up beside Takami.

"Takami-san." The captain looked surprised that Sakuraba had approached him, but nodded for him to continue. "Yesterday, I contacted the Jari Productions office and resigned."

Takami gaped at his, and Sakuraba pulled ahead, determined to finish before all others. He and Takami were the first ones there, and as they stared out from the highest point in Japan, Sakuraba felt an enormous weight settle itself down onto his shoulders. Now, he thought, I cannot lose. Now I have to propel Takami-san to the top, he'll do the same with me, and we'll both support the rest of the team in turn. But…

Takami passed a football over to him, and smirked triumphantly. "That ball you just caught is the highest pass in Japan. Our average height is 1.90 m (6'2"). Not even Ikkyu can stop this super high pass. Let's beat them together, the top class geniuses!"

But can I really do it as I am now?

vvv

The final week of summer passed in a blur for Sakuraba; the only thing on his mind was training and getting ready for the autumn tournament. His new resolve seemed to seep into the minds of all of his teammates, and soon Shogun was practically forcing breaks on them so that they didn't overwork themselves and collapse. It was the best period of time Sakuraba had ever experienced for his training; with the amount of freedom he had gained from quitting Jari Productions, he now dedicated all his spare time to bettering himself.

But even as he ran and tackled and threw his heart into his passes, he couldn't help but find that something was eating away at the back of his mind, he was forgetting something… something was missing. It was as if there was still some small, superficial block that he had to get past in order to fully dedicate himself, but it wasn't until he was going through his training bag that he remembered.

He stared at the piece of paper in his hands and felt like a goddamn idiot. How had he completely forgotten to call Shougo back after all the other man had done for him? With that in mind, Sakuraba immediately called Takami and asked to be let off of training for the day to go visit family; he was still unsure whether or not he should reveal his friendship with a gangster to his worry-prone captain.

Then after an hour spent getting ready, Sakuraba found himself on a train heading to Yokohama, fully intending to visit with his friend after the near three weeks of silence. He hoped that Shougo had been able to accept Kawachi-san's* death during the time they were out of contact, but knew that such things couldn't just be overcome that easily. It was likely that Shougo would have a long road ahead of him when it came to his late boss.

Sakuraba was also hoping that Shougo could help him figure out what this last piece of the puzzle was. During his stay, the gang member had proven to be remarkably intelligent when it came to such things, and Sakuraba could really use the friendly advice.

And who knows, maybe Sakuraba could finally start to repay Shougo for his stay by giving the other man some advice as well?

It was because of this train of thought that Sakuraba failed to realize that he had not called Shougo beforehand to make sure that he would indeed be home, and so he found himself sitting on a bench opposite the apartment complex. While not mad per say, Sakuraba was definitely irritated, though more so at his own stupidity that for any fault of Shougo's.

All of Sakuraba's annoyance left him however, when he caught sight of a silhouette approaching from the direction of the station. He was positive that it was Shougo, but the man looked different from a few weeks ago. As he came closer, Sakuraba saw that he had gelled his hair back into a pompadour-esque hairstyle, and instead of the standard t-shirt and sweats Sakuraba had grown used to, he was dressed in a pair of jeans and a leather jacket. Now that Shougo had shown up like this, Sakuraba could see how the other was a member of a gang (though he still didn't look like a typical bosozoku*).

"Haruto-kun?" Shougo sounded surprised, but happy to see him, and stopped just to the left of the receiver. "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't live without my dear savior." Sakuraba grinned cheekily up at the man and received a rough chuckle in reply. "Do you want me to grab something, Shougo-san?" Shougo was carrying a bag of rice in one hand and three grocery bags in the other.

"Please."

The two eventually got everything settled, Sakuraba finding it rather easy to remember the placement of most of the food. As the blonde put things in their place, Shougo started a pot of tea and lit the incense on the shrine, spending a minute next to it before joining Sakuraba in the kitchen again. Within minutes the pair was at the kotatsu, and Shougo picked up the conversation again without missing a beat.

"What have you been up to? Training I suppose?" Sakuraba nodded and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Yes. There were a few snags on my way back in… but now I think I can truly do my best." Shougo smiled confidently, as if Sakuraba's words were also referring to him as well. "We went up Mt. Fuji again, by the way, though I stayed well away from the Jukai." Shougo laughed and shook his head.

"Did you at least have a GPS this time?" Sakuraba was the one to laugh now.

"Funny. Have you been… doing fine since I left?" Shougo's gaze didn't waver for a second.

"Better than fine. I still think your words may have saved me Haruto-kun." Sakuraba blushed. "I think… that I may be ready to return to Toarushi. Return to my responsibilities. I know that I'll never be able to forget Tesshou-aniki, nor do I want to, but I believe I have finally accepted his death." Shougo fiddled with his tea cup absentmindedly. "Are you still going to try and catch up with your friend?"

Sakuraba frowned in thought, sitting back and gazing up at the ceiling. "I am. I quit my job and have been dedicating all I can to getting stronger." Shougo nodded, satisfied, but Sakuraba went on. "But there should be something else I can do, some final change that will solidify my determination, but I can't think of what it could be. That's part of the reason I came today; I was hoping for some advice."

Shougo scrutinized him for a minute. "You don't think a mental resolve is enough." When Sakuraba agreed, Shougo let out a loud laugh. "I know exactly what to do, Haruto-kun. Wait here."

Sakuraba watched as his friend exited the room swiftly, an amused expression painting his face as he did. The gang member quickly returned, a black box in one hand and a plastic sheet in the other, and opened the box with a grin to show Sakuraba what he had in mind.

"That's… that's it." Sakuraba lifted the electric shaver from the confines of it's packaging and ran a hand through his- admittedly- quite long hair. "I can't believe I didn't think of this." Shougo laid the plastic down and gestured for Sakuraba to sit down, snatching the shaver from him and chuckling.

"For some reason, it's extremely common for delinquents in Toarushi to have outrageous haircuts. Tesshou-aniki had more hairstyles in six months than I've had in 6 years, and you should what some of the guys at Suzuran think is cool." Sakuraba laughed, and to his credit only tensed minutely as the shaver was switched on, and then Shougo tipped his head forward and got to work.

By the end of the impromptu haircut, Sakuraba's head felt slightly lighter and very odd; he would have to get used to feeling a breeze, though that was a small price to pay. It was nice to not have to push any bangs out of his face, and the absence of ever tickling strands down the back of his neck was probably making Sakuraba a little too happy. Shougo surveyed his handiwork as he cleared away the mess, a smug look on his face as Sakuraba kept making appreciative comments under his breath.

"This is so different. I've never had my hair like this before." Sakuraba told Shougo as he sat back down.

"It suits you." The pair sat in a comfortable silence for a while, before Shougo spoke once again. "Hey, Haruto-kun, I have something to ask of you." Sakuraba ceased feeling the sides of his head and gave Shougo his full attention.

"Would you join the Front of Armament?"

vvv

Hopefully the second chapter will come to me. Hope anyone who reads this enjoys it!

*the Jukai or suicide forest, is a part of the forest around Mt. Fuji that is famous for having several fresh skeletons turn up in it each year

*Japanese futons, as opposed to American futons (and there is a difference), are actually rather good for your back

*Yokohama is to the Southwest of Tokyo and to the Southeast of Mt. Fuji

*don't know if the healing timeframe is accurate or not

*Setagaya-ku is a prefecture in Tokyo, and Sakuraba lies about being there so Takami doesn't worry as much

*family shrines for departed loved ones are common in Japan

*for this fic, Toarushi is located in roughly the same area as Toride (Toarutshi is a fictional town btw)

*Arakawa-ku is a prefecture in Tokyo, and my headcanon for where Oujou is located

*Asahigaoka is to the Northeast of Mt. Fuji, whereas the Jukai is to the Northwest

*Shougo and Sakuraba don't try and give advice or the like because sometimes you just need someone to listen and not say a word

*Asagizuka is where the White Knights may have started their hike up Mt. Fuji

*Kawachi-san is Tesshou-aniki. His full name is Kawachi Tesshou, sometimes known as Tetsu

*a bosozoku is a biker delinquent who stereotypically wears a kind of jumpsuit