Naruto sat still. Not fidgeting or even blinking it seemed. He'd been in the empty classroom all day. It wasn't as though he had a reason to be there; it just seemed convenient.
It was late at night, the doors had already been locked, not that that stopped Naruto of course. He hardly seemed to realize where he was, but it seemed somehow very unimportant. He'd come here only to think, to clear his head, but he wasn't in a rush to leave. The world seemed millions of miles away to the ninja.
'I can't believe how insane this is…' Naruto thought bleakly, looking back at the days events.
/FLASHBACK/
"Hey! Naruto?" Whispered Sakura, who had sat down.
"Yeah?" Naruto replied, tearing his eyes away from Sasuke.
Sakura looked nervous. Her eyes glanced to Sasuke, making sure he wasn't listening, then to Kakashi who seemed absorbed in whatever book he was reading now. "Umm… I wanted to ask you something…" She began, still not looking at Naruto. 'How do I say this…' She thought.
Naruto, lost as to what to say and whether he should be worried or not, merely replied "Sure thing! So what do you want to ask me about?"
"Don't get mad at me 'kay? Well I just thought… well… you spend a lot of your time watching Sasuke so I was thinking maybe… you had a crush on him or something!" Sakura blurted the rest out, looking very uneasy. Her cheeks blushed violently as she peered at Sasuke who was working out.
'Me? Naruto? Have a crush on Sasuke? I can't he's my friend, my rival.' Naruto sat, shocked, looking wide eyed at Sakura.
Finally Sakura turned, taking in Naruto's expression.
"You aren't going to deny it, are you?"
/FLASHBACK/
Cold rain fell against the window Naruto was looking out. Not that he could see anything out it anyways.
'I couldn't deny it because it was true… a part of me knew that.' Naruto couldn't bring himself to think about it anymore.
He felt as though he'd betrayed Sasuke as a friend… but he also felt as though he'd betrayed himself. He was Naruto, Konoha's biggest disaster since the Kyuubi… and to most, the same disaster as the Kyuubi. To make matters worst, it was Sasuke he'd fallen in love with. A man and the last Uchiha on this side of the planet, or anywhere for that matter!
'Not like I'd stand a chance under normal circumstances anyways…'
He squeezed his eyes shut as the thought of rejection passed through him. "I've ruined things for myself now, haven't I? I can't possibly have him so I'll never be happy. I'll never have a family. I can't believe I didn't realize!" A tiny tear managed to form and role down his cheek as he pressed his forehead to the cold glass of the window. "I love him… I really do… and I'll never have him will I?" Starting to let tiny tear drops follow the first, he banged a fist to the window. 'It isn't fair… it isn't fair… Life isn't fair!'
Pulling himself together and casting a light glare to the reflection looking back at him, he headed home. Maybe he could catch some sleep before tomorrow's mission…
…Maybe he'd dream of Sasuke…
Sakura lay upon her bed, fully clothed, thinking about all that had happened today.
"You aren't going to deny it, are you?"
She brought a hand to her head, laying it over her eyes, and tried to remember the first time she thought Naruto had a crush of some sort on Sasuke. Glimpses of the little things she saw him do, even just the way he watched Sasuke. 'Maybe I shouldn't have asked… I just thought that if I asked he'd trust me enough to confide in me but he didn't even look like he'd thought of it before. Maybe I shouldn't have cornered him like that but it would have been weird to ask to talk somewhere else and someone might have come looking for us. I just don't know what I was supposed to do!'
/FLASHBACK/
They were at a pond waiting for Kakashi to show up with the details of their next mission when Sasuke stood up and declared he was going for a walk to see if he might bump into Kakashi-sensei. Sakura nodded her approval but Naruto didn't even glance at him.
It had only been around ten minutes when Naruto started fidgeting and mumbling something about Sasuke being slow. Which soon turned into a grumble about him possibly getting hurt or into trouble? In a total absence of fifteen minutes tops, Naruto had turned into the biggest worrywart ever! So by the time Sasuke had come back with Kakashi Naruto's imagination had thought up the possibility that he just might have been kidnapped or ate or arrested or raped or fallen into a lake and drown or fallen into a black hole and brought to another world and who knew what else! It seemed as though he would go crazy in the end had Sasuke not returned when he had.
/FLASHBACK/
'And then there was that time when…'
/FLASHBACK/
"NARUTO! NARUTO!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs, calling him. "Naruto come quick!"
"Sakura? Don't worry I'm here!" Naruto hurriedly replied, leaping to her.
"It's Sasuke!" She answered while gripping his hand tightly in her own. "He's was nicked with a weapon that was poisoned! I can't carry him back to the village, can you!"
Naruto's brows were furrowed. He looked upset, unable to register what was happening, and shocked to see his friend and rival in such a state. When he finally worked through the thoughts he was processing, he grabbed Sasuke and placed him on his back to carry him. Sasuke, who by that time had nearly lost consciousness from the poison, wrapped his legs around Naruto's waist. Even as he ran off, as fast as he could, one could catch a glimpse of a slight blush working its way across his cheeks.
/FLASHBACK/
'All that makes it seem so obvious right about now… maybe if I'd been a little more obsessed with Sasuke I would have noticed!' Sakura couldn't help but chuckle at the last part. She'd gotten over her 'obsession' when she realized that it had been more of an 'I can't have him. That's why I want him.' feeling. Yeah, Sasuke was a great guy but after finding out some things about Sasuke she realized he'd need someone who could relate to him more on an emotional level. Sakura admitted to herself that she couldn't do that… and probably never would. At first it had been hard but later she began to notice that Sasuke started treating her as more of a person than another fan girl who was out to bloody Naruto if he started fighting with Sasuke again. 'Besides, Naruto and Sasuke make a hotter couple anyways!' Laughing again, she removed her shirt and was about to put on some proper pajamas when the door bell rang.
Sakura couldn't help but chuckle at the last part. She'd gotten over her 'obsession' when she realized that it had been more of an 'I can't have him. That's why I want him.' feeling. Yeah, Sasuke was a great guy but after finding out some things about Sasuke she realized he'd need someone who could relate to him more on an emotional level. Sakura admitted to herself that she couldn't do that… and probably never would. At first it had been hard but later she began to notice that Sasuke started treating her as more of a person than another fan girl who was out to bloody Naruto if he started fighting with Sasuke again. Laughing again, she removed her shirt and was about to put on some proper pajamas when the door bell rang.Slipping into her pajama top quickly, she headed for the door of her four room apartment; which she had picked because it was the farthest from home and her annoying parents.
Only slightly confused she opened the door to find a soaking wet Iruka on her threshold.
"My! Iruka… whatever is the matter! You're trembling!"
"It's Naruto…" That was all Iruka had to say before Sakura grabbed a jacket, ready to go to wherever she was needed… and wherever Naruto was…
Sasuke had been sleeping peacefully when the dream he was having started to get… icy.
/DREAM/
Sasuke had been swimming in the lake that bordered the edge of a forest he didn't recognize when he finally realized that Naruto had sat at the edge of the lake to watch him. At first it didn't quite make sense. Yes, they were friends but they never spent much time together. Figuring Naruto probably needed to talk to him, Sasuke stepped from the water. He could instantly feel the slightly chilly air wrap around him. Not unpleasant… almost comforting, but it instantly reminded him of the feeling of loneliness. Swift and distant… expressionless.
Wiping the water from his bare torso and watching the blond he realized Naruto had yet to look up at him. As he stepped closer he pushed his hand past the spiky blond hair and tugged gently, unmistakably meaning for Naruto to look up. To look at him. He could feel the movement under his hand as Naruto looked up.
His gaze was like ice and fire. It mixed to form a feeling that one couldn't overlook. It brought him in. To focus on Naruto and Naruto only… only those blue, pleading, eyes.
"Please. Please, Sasuke. Save me… help me." Tears began to slowly flow from his eyes. He choked on a sob but didn't look away.
Sasuke couldn't move. Naruto was cold. A freezing cold that made your blood slow and your pulse die down… a cold that felt like death…
"Guess it's too late to say I love…" Naruto couldn't finish. As Naruto's head fell back and his eyes closed Sasuke could feel himself turn to ice. The fire was gone. Maybe it had never been there… maybe it was just the sensations of all that ice flowing through his veins. And then he knew… the cold…
…Was the cold, drugging, feeling of death…
/DREAM/
Sasuke just sat on the edge of his bed and ran his thumb over his forefinger, remembering the hold he'd had on Naruto but lost. His body shivered. The cold reminded him of the poison that had entered his system where in the end Naruto had carried him to the village, even sucked some of the poison from his open wound. Of course Naruto had probably suspected that he was unconscious by then but he was very much awake.
It had been a changing point for them. Sasuke knew he owed his life to Naruto but never mentioned it. Naruto had never asked for payment or bragged about it like someone might expect.
'It's not like I have much to give him in return. Naruto lives for enjoyment not status that money could buy him. Of course he could be the richest person in Konoha and people would still be harsh to him.' Sasuke thought bitterly, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
Knock, knock!
"Oh! For goodness sakes! What NOW! At-" Sasuke glanced to the clock to see it was -"two twenty in the morning! I give you fair WARNING! This better be good!" He shouted as he approached the door; hoping whoever was on the other side of it would get the picture and just go away. Only when he opened the door Lee, whom he hadn't spoken to in ages, grasped his arm and pulled him out into the pouring rain, shouting.
"Sakura sent me to get you! It seems as though Naruto's-"
/Dream/
"Naruto…"
"Yeah?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to say it."
"What? My name?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"It's unique. It's only yours."
"So? Sasuke is your only name."
"Hmm… Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust at that.
"What?"
"Uchiha. People hear that and know that it's me. They expect me to be the best or something."
"Oh… well it is just a name, you know?"
"A name has a lot to do with who you are."
"No. A name's just a title. It's unimportant."
Sasuke turned his head, his eyes a cold black, and said firmly "I'm Sasuke. You're Naruto. That's all we are. That's all we can be. It's all in our name. Opposites."
'Yeah, 'cause I'm Naruto. The demon holder. I can't have Sasuke but just once I wish I'd said I love…
… Oh. I guess it's too late…"
/DREAM/
That was all Naruto dreamt in his state…
… But any dream with Sasuke is bitter sweet…
Just like the drugs they were currently shoving down his throat.
"How long has he been out?" Iruka's voice sounded fearful.
"About four or five hours. Under normal situations, for Naruto that is, this illness should not have affected him in such a manner. The demon properties he's obtained should have protected him but we think that stress and fatigue had lessened his defense until he was unable to protect himself and fainted as the virus overpowered his sinuses. As a whole it means that we have no idea what caused this or even what type of virus it is." Replied a medical nurse, who was attempting to pour some sickly smelling liquid down Naruto's throat.
"So you can't determine the results?"
"No. Of course I'm sure he'll pull through. No need to worry Iruka." As the nurse left the room Iruka felt almost like replying 'No need to worry! This isn't an experimental frog you're messing with! It's a person!' Obviously yelling at a woman, who was trying her hardest, wouldn't help, so he kept his mouth shut.
"It's my fault…"
"What? Sakura?"
"I asked about his feelings towards Sasuke! That's the stress she mentioned!" Sakura's sobs filled the small room as she collapsed onto a bench, the only thing that wasn't white other than themselves in the room, and buried her face into her hands.
Stepping forward, Iruka pulled Sakura to himself and hushed her. 'So… She was talking to Naruto about his feelings toward Sasuke but that shouldn't mean anything… unless… Naruto couldn't answer and not being able to answer scared him. Or maybe-'
Crash!
"Okay Sakura! I've got Sasuke and told him the deal. I also ran into Gaara, he hasn't gone home yet, and I told him about the symptoms and he said there's something similar where he's from so he's trying to see if he can find the herbs he needs here. If he can he might be able to speed up Naruto's recovery and if he can't he says don't worry, it hits quickly then leaves quickly." Lee's entrance was priceless. Him talking a mile a minute with Sasuke shaking; with what, no one really could identify specifically.
His thumb was rubbing his index finger…
… Hard…
'Kit? You okay?'
'…'
'I think the humans are worried about you…'
'…'
'I think the Sasuke boy is worried too…'
'…mn…'
'Well I'm just a demon so how would I know!'
'Kyuubi…not now, please…'
'I suppose this is something humans don't like to discuss.'
'What don't we like to discuss?'
'Love…'
'It isn't as though we even try to talk about. Sure, they talk about it in fairy tales but that doesn't count. It's not like those stories are true. Didn't Cinderella love the prince but was poor and unloved? But in the end everyone's happy… that's not how it works in real life. In real like it's more like the Little Mermaid. Two completely different people may love each other but one can't understand the other. Then doesn't the mermaid get into some mishap and have a choice between killing the prince and dying if he doesn't return her love? In the end she dies, turning into the sea foam of the ocean and the prince married another. I think that's more like love.
Maybe the tragic ending is a little over doing it but still; to die for the one you love instead of killing them. You wouldn't have been able to live with out them anyways but then they move on… to another. Maybe that is the tragic part but it's the faithfulness that so resembles love.
I can't live without Sasuke…
… Maybe I won't have to…
"Sakura? Are you okay?" Lee's voice held concern and in the white room concern was running pretty thick.
Sakura looked up, wiping the last of her tears away, and smiled a bitter smile mumbling "Yep. You know me. A little… over emotional at times but that's okay."
Nothing was said for the next hour or so. The only time anyone even seemed conscious was when Sasuke walked over to the small bed, sat on the side, and whispered soft word as he dragged his hand through Naruto's hair. Sometimes he held a strand between his fingers; the same fingers he'd been fidgeting with before. Once or twice he tugged gently, as though expecting Naruto to yelp and tell him to cut it out. Sometimes he'd check Naruto's temperature, which kept dropping till he was shivering in the warm night. Then at some point the pressed his own hand to his lips then laid his hand against Naruto's cheek, like a kiss from lips to hand to cheek.
'My! Is this the relationship the two rivals share now! I can't believe it! That must be why Sakura was talking about Naruto's feelings. They're together? Or maybe that's the problem, maybe they aren't together.' Iruka's thought continued to switch from detail to detail, trying to take it all in.
'Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun? Seems as though it's finally happened. I wish Sakura would relax though. This'll pass. Bad situations always pass by quickly… or else they're no longer bad, they're awful.' Lee seemed to take things well, still worried about Sakura though. Even though he no longer chased after her, in a manner of speaking, he'd still become good friends with her.
'It's my entire fault. It's my entire fault. At least Sasuke loves Naruto. Well he acts like he does and-'
"Are you guys lovers or what?"
"Ah! Who! Ah, Ga… Gaara?" Gasped Sakura as Gaara stepped from the shadows he'd been hiding in.
"Wha- Gaara! Don't do that! You know it scares people!" Yelled Lee to the Sand Ninja.
"Who's scared?" He replied coolly, furrowing what would be eyebrows.
"Me." Muttered Lee, looking at the ground.
"Sorry…" Said Gaara as he took in the scene. Sasuke hadn't even flinched, Iruka had jumped but realized that the speaker held no threat, Sakura had leapt from the bench she'd been standing on and prepared to attack but calmed when she realized it was Gaara, Lee had jumped, probably a foot high, then spun around only to find his friend looking past him towards Sasuke.
"Yes… no… maybe so…?" Murmured Gaara.
At first it didn't sink in. Then they remembered the original question and looked at Sasuke, expecting some proof… some input…
Sasuke never turned around. Didn't even glance at them.
"I love him. Always have… always will…"
'Kit! Did you hear what the human said to the other humans? KIT!'
'… Go away… I don't want to think about it…'
'What! Why not! Isn't this that boy you-'
'Don't Kyuubi! I don't want to talk about it! I'm exhausted and sick and… and… WHY AREN'T YOU MAKING ME HEAL!'
'So now we're talking? Oh, but please remember not to yell… it tends to hurt my sensitive ears, little human. And about the healing part, well, I AM healing you! Do you think this virus is a piece of cake! No, it hurts me more than you because it targets and attacks large quantities of unused chakra. So now that I've answered your questions why don't you tell me about this Sasuke who says he loves you.'
'… We used to fight, then we got stuck together in Kakashi-sensei's group so it got to the point of friendship and now… I love him… it's strange, I never thought about it but it seems…'
'Right. It seems right…'
'Yes… am I insane?'
'You're asking a demon, who's sealed inside your navel after attacking your entire village and weakening the Hokage to the point of death, whether your insane or not? Well I hope that answers that question.'
'Yeah I guess it did…'
'I wasn't serious so cheer up. At least you have a life to live.'
'I am insane! We're talking about Uchiha Sasuke here! Nothing makes this right or okay or normal-'
'Normality is extremely over-rated. Don't worry. Sasuke doesn't seem to be.'
'It's okay for him. I'm the one who'll be blamed for corrupting him so he has nothing to worry about!'
'… Except his lover's safety. Kit, our conversation is over. The virus is dying so wake up and do what you need to do.'
'Like what?'
'…'
'Kyuubi? Kyuubi! I'm not ready to see him! I'm not!'
'Too late'
"Hey! Hey you guys he's waking!" Cried Sasuke, who had seemed dead only a minute ago.
"Huh?"
"Wait, WHAT!"
"NARUTO!"
"Good thing he's awake. I was starting to get worried." Sighed Gaara, who displayed the least enthusiasm but was as happy as everyone else. "Don't cut off his oxygen!" He yelled, only to have Lee pull him into the group surrounding Naruto.
"You okay? Naruto?" Sasuke still sounded terrified of Naruto's condition, still worried that something may be wrong.
"Mmn… Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes opened, searching, praying for Sasuke's black ones.
"Yes? Naruto! Do you need something? Water? Food? Ramen even?" Sasuke asked sounding slightly panicked.
"No… just… it's only a name right? Just a title? It doesn't mean that I can't… can't…"
"Can't what, Naruto?" asked Sasuke sitting down after leaping to do whatever might be asked of him.
"It doesn't mean I can't love you, right?" Naruto flinched, shutting his eyes tight. Blocking out the surprised faces.
"No it doesn't. I'm only Sasuke and you're just Naruto."
"So I'm not too late?" Naruto's eyes opened.
"No."
"I love you, Sasuke. I wish I'd realized it sooner… I really do…" Naruto began to cry.
Wiping the tears way, Sasuke whispered. "I love you to, Naruto…"
Silently, smirking, giggling, crying tears of happiness, and ignoring the others, four ninjas made their way into the hall leaving the couple that had begun to kiss passionately behind.
Stifling her giggles, Sakura asked "Anyone surprised by the outcome?"
"Nope."
"Not a bit."
"…"
Beginning to walk down the hall to the waiting room, where she could rest till she was ready to see Naruto, Sakura couldn't help but add another comment.
"And it's all because of me!"
"Mmn… Sasuke, wait!" Naruto placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulder, not yet pushing him or pulling away from the kiss. "What if someone comes in!"
"Then they can walk right back out again!"
"And you don't care if someone sees us?"
"Please. Gaara could be standing right next to us and we'd never notice!"
"This is still a hospital!"
"Fine then! Your stay is over. We're going home!" Sasuke picked up Naruto, who still couldn't register what was happening, and jumped from the window.
"I don't even want to know what those two are up to in 'who knows where' land." Muttered Gaara, who had returned to the room to grab a small pouch that he'd dropped beside the hospital bed. In the pouch he kept several herbs that helped fight off several viruses.
Including the cure for the virus that had plagued Naruto.
"Oh, well. It was more interesting this way."
END
A/N: This is my first fic. Please be nice! It was hard for me to continue, and I spent only a day on it. Then my POV breaker, that I've always used and is unique to me, didn't work then it did and I just said: "Fine be that way! See if I care! Even if it is strangely important to me!" Origanally it was:
I LOVE MY PAGE BREAKER THINGY! I've never seen anyone use it and I hope it stays unique! But yeah! This fanfic is for Sesshomaru-Sara whose story, Finally The Attention, is one of my favourites. Thanks for being an awesome friend!
She's got an awesome gallery at deviantART too!
PLEEAASEEE REVIEW! Reviews are fuel for the authors soul!