Here's a sweet little two-shot that I've been working on after losing my muse on Fires Rekindling (which I do plan on finishing... sorry!). I really took my time on this one. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Warnings: Possible spoilers for Naruto manga ch 455, so it's best to be caught up, just in case. Some angst. And if you squint, this can be a sort of narusasunaru.
Waking Blind
'Beep'... 'Beep'… 'Beep'… The high-pitched, incessant noise brought Uchiha Sasuke slowly back to consciousness. He struggled against it at first, longing to creep back into that quiet, gray world of his mind. In its emptiness was peace, and somehow the Uchiha knew he would find no such peace in the waking world.
But it was too late. The pull on his mind strengthened as his other senses slowly began to awaken, dragging him away from his silent, apathetic world. At first he felt nothing, aware only of the steady beeping somewhere to his right. The pain came next. It seared along his right side like fire, burning through the last dregs of unconsciousness.
Sasuke clenched his fists, his breath catching in his throat. He was fully awake now, taking note of every sensation in his body, trying to gather where he was and what had happened. It wasn't just his right side. Sasuke's eyes burned behind closed lids, and his head throbbed with such intensity, that he had to fight down the urge to be sick.
Doing his best to ignore the pain, Sasuke began to feel out his surroundings. He was lying on a bed – no, a hospital bed. Those were clean, starchy sheets that smelled of disinfectant. And that noise… it was a heart monitor. It had sped up somewhat, betraying Sasuke's wakefulness. Realizing this, the Uchiha forced himself to relax again, slowing down his heart rate. After years as a shinobi, he knew better than to give himself away before he was ready. He had to be patient. Completely certain of his surroundings before acting. Naruto never did understand that.
That last thought caught Sasuke by surprise. Naruto? He hadn't thought about his old teammate in a long time, always forcing such thoughts to the back of his mind before they had a chance to form. To think of him now, that could only mean Sasuke had seen him recently. He cursed inwardly, trying to remember what had happened. But he might as well try to capture smoke. The memories faded before he had the chance to understand them. But his instincts told him that Naruto was somehow involved. And the Uchiha's instincts were never wrong.
Yes, that was something he could depend on. His abilities as a shinobi. Concentrating, Sasuke used one of these abilities; feeling out chakra in the area in his search for anyone else – especially other shinobi – nearby.
There was someone else in the room with him, somewhere to his left. Their chakra was faint and weak. They had a heart monitor too, he realized. He couldn't be sure of who it was, but Sasuke could tell they were unconscious. No one could stay awake with such depleted chakra. The Uchiha stretched his senses further, but there was no one else nearby.
Reassured, Sasuke cautiously tried to move, feeling out any damage that could hinder him should he need to run or fight. His limbs seemed fine, but that searing pain along his right overwhelmed him at the smallest movement. And worse… Sasuke couldn't open his eyes. No way. Alarmed, he reached up, his shaking hands touching the rough, tight bandage wrapped around his head, covering his eyes.
Sasuke swallowed, trying to suppress the rising panic bubbling up in his chest. He could handle just about everything, but if he lost his eyes, his precious bloodline limit… Sasuke sucked in a deep breath. Calm down. Nothing was certain yet. And besides, his eyes seemed fine. They burned, but Sasuke could move them from beneath his eyelids. More than likely, he had overused the Sharingan. He could only hope then that he hadn't caused his eyes permanent damage. But even so, something else bothered him. Sasuke had known for some time what the Sharingan did to him. He avoided using it whenever possible. And even when he did, his eyes weren't ever put in this bad condition. So what the hell happened to make him resort to using his Sharingan so much? He must have been desperate.
The Uchiha's thoughts were interrupted as he sensed someone approaching. Carefully, he placed his arms back at his sides, easily feigning sleep before the sound of footsteps could even be heard.
For a few moments, all Sasuke could hear were footsteps growing steadily closer and the continuous beeping of two heart monitors. Then the door to the room opened and not even Sasuke could stop the brief jump in his heart as he felt surprise and confusion at the familiar chakra.
It was Sakura.
She entered quietly and shut the door softly behind her. Sasuke could hear the gentle click as it closed. She moved first to the bed on Sasuke's left. He could tell she was moving cautiously, as though afraid of waking them. There was the sound of a tray being set on something, and then of liquid being poured into glass. After that, Sasuke could only guess at the various taps and clinks as Sakura worked. The Uchiha wondered at first what she was doing, but then he sensed something else that surprised him: medical ninjustu. There was no doubting it. The chakra control involved is distinct, and difficult to perform. But Sakura was clearly very skilled.
So she's a medical ninja. Sasuke mulled over the thought for a while, and suddenly felt a heavy, sinking feeling in his chest. If Sakura was here… that meant he had failed. Everything that Sasuke had come to Konoha for – its destruction, his revenge – must have all been for nothing. Unless… Was Sakura helping him?
Sasuke shook the thought away. He had broken those bonds with his old team a long time ago. They would have no reason to help him now – at least, as far as he could tell. Either way, the Uchiha needed answers. Before long, however, he found himself drifting off again. Soft, gray fog clouded his mind, and he gladly embraced the loss of thought and feeling. Just before he lost himself completely, however, Sakura's whisper to her patient drifted across the room.
"I'm so sorry… Naruto."
It was the pain that woke Sasuke up this time. It pounded inside his skull and throbbed along his side, engulfing him completely before he even remembered where he was. This time, Sasuke couldn't help but groan softly as he shifted under the sheets, trying to make his stiff body more comfortable. He hated this. The Uchiha was rarely so injured that he could barely move. It made him feel horribly vulnerable.
"Sasuke…?"
Sakura's soft, nervous voice made him stiffen. He hadn't even realized she was there. Sakura walked over to his bedside, dragging what sounded like a chair with her. There was a pause, but then Sasuke heard her sit down beside him.
The hand on his forehead was cool. But Sasuke's nerves were so raw that it hurt. He clenched his teeth, but didn't move.
"Sasuke-kun, can you hear me?"
He nodded, once. He was shivering now, trembling from pain and weakness. But through the pain, Sasuke's senses were picking up on someone else approaching, and sure enough, he could hear the clacking of heels echoing quickly in the hallway. Beside him, Sasuke heard Sakura stand up respectfully. She removed her hand, much to his relief.
The door swung open as someone entered the room. The Uchiha could sense their power as a shinobi. But that didn't surprise him. He already knew who it was.
"Awake already, is he?" Tsunade, Konoha's fifth Hokage, sounded the same. Blunt and to the point.
"Yes he is, but…" Sakura's voice sounded strained, as though she was under a lot of pressure.
The footsteps drew closer, and Sasuke felt a warm rush of chakra centered around his torso as Tsunade began her examination. The medical ninjustu was almost soothing as it numbed some of his pain. He began to relax again, though his body was covered in a cold sweat and still shivering uncontrollably. Dimly, Sasuke noticed the faint smell of sake on the lady's breath as she leaned in closer over him. Even in his state, Sasuke grimaced. The thought of being taken care of by a doctor who drank was doing nothing to comfort him.
At last, Tsunade drew back with a heavy sigh.
"He's still suffering from shock," she murmured quietly. "How he's awake already, I have no idea." She paused. When she spoke again, Sasuke could tell she was smiling, though she sounded sad. "He's even worse than our Naruto."
Sakura took in a shaking breath, and the softly falling tears were evident in her voice.
"They're both so damn reckless…"
Their voices began to drift away as Sasuke again gave into his pain and exhaustion and lapsed into unconsciousness. By the time Sakura inserted the needle into his forearm, he was so far gone that he barely felt it. One thought bothered the Uchiha: They spoke of Naruto again. Naruto had to be the other patient in the room with him. But why? Why Naruto? What the hell happened?
"…Not sure yet --"
"--never done before, but…"
"…no choice."
Urgent, whispered voices finally held Sasuke's attention. He had been laying there for hours at least, in that strange state between waking and sleeping. Where dreams and reality blend in a careless and smoky haze. Sasuke longed for full sleep, but something was urging him to wake up completely. It gnawed at his mind, reminding him of his aching side and unknown surroundings. Reluctantly, Sasuke let the last dregs of sleep drift away. It was dark, or at least it seemed to be. Sasuke had a feeling that it was very late at night. He concentrated on keeping his heart rate down, and listened in on the conversation about 5 feet to his left, at Naruto's bed.
"You know this is not my area of expertise," murmured a low voice. Sasuke recognized it at once: it was Kakashi's, his sensei from a long time ago. "I'm nothing at all like Jiraiya, or the Fourth for that matter."
"But you're the best we've got," whispered Tsunade fiercely. "Between the two of us, we should pull it off." She didn't sound convincing.
There was a tense pause. "And if we fail?"
"Then we'd get the same result as we would if we did nothing," Tsunade hissed. "The seal is far too weak to hold back the demon as it is. I don't know how long Naruto's body can handle the strain. If we wait too long…" She trailed off, too upset and nervous to finish say what could happen out loud.
Another pause. Kakashi sighed. "Alright. I'll do what I can."
"Good!" Tsunade's heartfelt whisper drifted across the room. "Good."
"So you're really going to do it then?" Kakashi and Tsunade jumped at the sound of Sakura's voice. It sounded like she was standing in the doorway. There were a few hurried steps, the sound of the door closing. "You're going to reform the seal? I thought you said it couldn't be done!"
"Sakura --" Kakashi started.
Sakura interrupted him. "But—but this procedure could kill Naruto, right? We don't even know how the Fourth's seal works!"
"Do you think we really have a choice?" Tsunade's voice was very quiet. "If there were another alternative, I would gladly take it… But right now, Naruto's dying. Reforming the seal, however impossible it may seem, is the only way we can save him!"
Silence followed, broken only by the continuous beeping of Sasuke and Naruto's heart monitors. Sasuke's head was reeling from what he had just heard. The seal broken? How? Sasuke had seen the design himself: it was flawless. But the sinking feeling in his chest told the Uchiha that, somehow, he already knew. The seal had been broken. It filled him with a strange feeling of fear and something else that he couldn't place. Bits and pieces of memory floated past his mind: blinding red chakra… Naruto's empty, slitted eyes… a leering demon… a towering, broken cage…
After a few, tense moments, the sounds of people shuffling to their feet snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts.
"We'll meet here, tomorrow morning at dawn," stated Tsunade. "Here is a list of other shinobi that I'll need. Don't be late."
"Of course," Kakashi murmured quietly. "Thank you."
"Sensei?" Sakura's voice was timid. Kakashi's retreating footsteps paused. "Do you – Do you think he'll be alright?"
Kakashi paused, gathering his thoughts. "Naruto can get through just about anything. If anyone can survive, it's him… Or at least, him and Sasuke."
Sasuke almost flinched as he felt a hand against his forehead.
"Tsk, we'd better hope so." Tsunade murmured thoughtfully right above him. "This guy's not much better off. But after that stunt he pulled…" She sighed. "I've never seen anything like it."
A hush fell over everyone in the room. Sasuke could sense the fear in their thoughts.
"We owe him Naruto's life," Sakura whispered. "I'd hate to think what would happen if either of them…"
"They'll be fine." Kakashi sounded confident, but Sasuke could still hear the tremor in his voice. "After all, they're rivals in the strongest sense of the word. They need each other to survive."
The room fell quiet again.
"Well," Tsunade sighed at last, straightening up, "We'd better hope they pull through this time. But right now, we need our rest as well."
Sasuke heard quiet murmurs of agreement. Soon the door shut behind fading footsteps, and Sasuke was left alone.
For several minutes, the Uchiha lay still, trying desperately to remember what had happened in the battle that had landed him and Naruto here in the hospital. But the memories still eluded him. They were only fragments, and Sasuke just couldn't seem to put the pieces together.
And then there was Naruto… Sasuke frowned, listening to the slow rhythm of the heart monitor to his left. Whatever had happened, the blonde had unhinged him somehow. Again. Because suddenly, the Uchiha couldn't quell those feelings of guilt, worry, and contempt whenever Naruto's name was mentioned. He couldn't block out the memories from long ago that he thought he'd forgotten. Those cold, emotionless walls that Sasuke had so carefully built around himself had collapsed. It pissed him off. And as usual, it was all the dead-last idiot's fault.
"Dobe," Sasuke muttered.
"…Teme."
Naruto's whisper was so quiet it could barely be heard. But Sasuke heard it, and his breath caught in his throat at the familiar insult. He listened for more movement, but it seemed Naruto had drifted off again, still too weak to stay awake.
After a tense, breathless pause, Sasuke reached up and, very carefully, peeled back the bandage and gauze that covered his eyes. He opened them slowly, squinting at the rush of light that assaulted him. It took a few seconds, but finally the Uchiha's watering eyes were able to make out the ceiling above him. Slowly, Sasuke turned his head to his left, looking at the dim figure on the bed next to him, illuminated only by the moonlight outside and the light seeping under the door.
He looked the same, Sasuke thought. Bright blonde hair, whisker marks on his cheeks… And when Sasuke looked closer, he could see that Naruto was smiling slightly, even in his sleep. Sasuke scowled. It was a confident, cocky smile, as though the blonde was very proud of himself. Typical Naruto.
The Uchiha watched him thoughtfully for a while, but soon his vision blurred and his eyes began to burn again. Reluctantly, he turned back to the ceiling above him, and replaced the bandages.
It was some time before Sasuke's whirling thoughts and emotions let him completely relax. Just before drifting off, however, his fierce whisper drifted through the quiet room.
"Naruto… don't you dare die."
The dreams had little substance to them at first. Typical of exhausted, drug-induced sleep, they were like soft swirls of clouds, constantly shifting, moving in and out of the mind's grasp before gaining any real form. But then a hot, evil wind rushed in, scattering the bits of dreams into nothing as it brought something else to fill Sasuke's mind. It happened suddenly, throwing the Uchiha into a terrifying nightmare of cruel eyes and red chakra. Lost to the confines of his own sleeping mind, Sasuke had no choice but to allow it.
He was enveloped completely by the Kyuubi's chakra. It surrounded him, suffocating him, and Sasuke couldn't even struggle. He instead glared up at its source, activating the Sharingan, the only weapon at his disposal.
Through a thick veil of crimson, the demon's glare met his own. Lips pulled back into a menacing snarl, he pinned Sasuke with the force of his hateful gaze. His power, so much more close and raw then the Uchiha had ever seen it, caused the very air to hum and tremble. And Sasuke could tell, in that moment, why the Kyuubi had been considered more of a force of nature than any sort of being. The demon was simply beyond human comprehension.
"Back again, Uchiha?" The fox-demon's voice sounded somewhere between a deep growl and a hiss. Full of rage and contempt as he tilted his massive head and studied Sasuke through one cruel, slitted eye. "I assure you, you will accomplish nothing this time." He grinned wildly then, revealing a towering row of fangs.
Despite the fear that threatened to overwhelm him, Sasuke said nothing, and instead began to fight back, throwing all of his energy into suppressing the demon's chakra. It was instinct. Somehow, the Uchiha prodigy knew he had to push back. He had to stop that chakra. If it got too far…
There was a deafening roar that shook Sasuke's nightmare world, almost breaking his concentration. Desperate, he kept on pushing… and the more he pushed, the more frantic he became. And the more angry and terrifying the Kyuubi grew.
It felt like he was drowning in a sea of abrasive, red chakra. His chest was constricted as he locked eyes with the demon's own – like a small mouse staring down the snake.
"Get back in your damn cage!" Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth. Even in this hellish dream he could feel the blood from his eyes running down his face. He was running out of time.
"Why?" the Kyuubi growled. He was grinning again, though his eyes blazed in surprise and anger. "Think you pathetic humans can keep me there?"
Sasuke smirked. "Don't underestimate us."
More chakra, this time blue and white, rushed in, pure and ice cold. It filled the void surrounding the Kyuubi, illuminating the massive chamber holding him. With a roar that was almost a shriek, the demon whirled around at the intrusion, tails lashing. It was just what Sasuke needed. With a final heave, the Uchiha threw everything he had in pushing the distracted demon's power back into the cage behind him.
Rising on the wave of unpredictable energy, Sasuke gritted his teeth, trying desperately to stay in control. There was a moment of resistance, and then the balance shifted. Slowly at first, but with rising momentum, the Kyuubi's red chakra gave in to Sasuke's own. It retreated into the darkness, bending to the will of the Sharingan.
"Uchiha," the demon spat in disgust. Then he was gone, hidden behind the broken bars of the cage.
The new chakra moved in now, as did several figures. They held the demon in place, working on the seal. But Sasuke hardly noticed. His vision dimmed, and his body felt strangely light, as though he was fading away. Shaking legs could no longer hold him, and Sasuke began to collapse. Just before he hit the cold water on the floor, however, a pair of arms, warm and strong, caught him and held him up.
Dazed, Sasuke managed to turn his head, only to have his vision assaulted by bright gold hair and equally bright blue eyes.
"Teme," whispered a voice. "Will you quit trying to kill yourself for me?" Not about to let Naruto have the last word, Sasuke managed a smirk.
"Moron… my body just moved… on its own."
Sasuke thought he heard a choked sob and the words 'bastard' and 'idiot,' but he was already gone, disappearing into the cool, distant fog of his mind. Back into calm, relaxed sleep at last.
Glowing red eyes haunted Sasuke's dreams. Not a strong presence, they nevertheless were present; hiding in the dark fog in the corners of his mind, always menacing and wary.
So when Sasuke finally woke up the next day, during a dreary midmorning storm, he was still very much on edge, sitting up and ready to attack before he even realized why. It took only a moment to remember. Naruto!
Heightened senses immediately honed in on the blonde's signature, searching for his presence in the room.
Naruto wasn't there.
Panic seized Sasuke like a cold fist, catching his breath and turning his blood to ice. How long had he been asleep? Where was Naruto?
Memories of his nightmare, the all-too real struggle and the pain, flashed through Sasuke's mind, leaving him with no doubt that Naruto's procedure had been a near disaster. And now that he thought about it… something could still go wrong, couldn't it? Sasuke bit his lip, listening to the sound of rain hitting the window. If they screwed anything up, he had no doubt of what the demon would do.
Sasuke had known for some time that the ultimate Sharingan could wield enough power to control the Kyuubi. Well, he didn't have the ability to control it yet, but the Uchiha's eyes had already proven strong enough to suppress the demon if nothing else.
Sasuke slowly crawled out of the hospital bed to stand on shaky legs. Outside, a clap of thunder shook the room. Damn. He was much weaker than he thought he'd be. Was finding Naruto even worth it? Sasuke had hardly any logic to follow; he was just doing what felt right. Somehow, the blonde had a way of making him act like that: abandon all rationale and move before he had time to think.
Frowning, he sat back down on the bed, pulling absently at the bandage that still covered his badly burning eyes. They hurt worse today. And his right side still ached and throbbed like hell. Sasuke was amazed that he hadn't bled to death from such a deep wound.
How had he wound up like this? Injured and broken in a village that he had meant to destroy? He hated not knowing: the memories were still stubbornly out of reach. The last thing Sasuke could remember was heading straight to Konoha, rushing through the trees, taking out every ANBU that stood in his way. All he thought about, all he cared about, was carrying out his revenge… 'It's not worth it.'
Sasuke held his breath. The image of Naruto, standing between him and Konoha, was sudden and clear in his mind.
It was evening. Somewhere to the east, a powerful storm began to build and rage. The massive anvil-head reared above the forest, reflecting the sunset in shades of orange and pink before turning an angry dark purple beneath. It created a strong wind that howled through the trees, blowing their green leaves all around a motionless figure with crimson eyes.
Sasuke stood still, waiting. He had known Naruto would show up sooner or later to intercept him. But he hadn't been expecting this. The blonde was quiet, and worse, calm. Naruto was never calm.
'Give it up already.' Naruto's voice was quiet and sad. There were no endless, angry tirades, no big gestures, nothing. 'Revenge,' he continued, 'It's not worth it.'
Despite his impatience and rising fury, Sasuke looked closely at his ex-teammate. Cerulean blue eyes, always so full of emotion, were pleading with him. They showed fear, anger, but most of all, empathy. Someone very important had been taken from Naruto. Sasuke could see it there, a sort of emptiness behind his eyes. It made him hesitate, but only for a moment.
'Too late,' Sasuke whispered, narrowing his eyes.
Getting around Naruto took a transportation technique. It drained Sasuke's precious chakra considerably, but it was far better than the alternative. Fighting Naruto would not only drain him physically, but – as much as Sasuke wanted to deny it – emotionally as well. And he simply couldn't afford either. Not when he was so close to his goal.
'Sasuke, wait!' Naruto's voice echoed through the trees. 'Sasuke!'
Another clap of thunder jerked Sasuke out of his reverie, leaving his mind reeling from the memory. Overcome with a chill that had nothing to do with the room's temperature, Sasuke ran his hands roughly through his hair. He was now biting his lip so hard that it bled.
Nothing had turned out the way it should have. He should be long gone by now, finished at last with avenging his clan. Either that, or he should be dead. When Sasuke had made the decision to destroy Konoha, he had been fully prepared to die, if that's what it took. But, somehow, his priorities had changed. He had fought with the Kyuubi, saved Naruto's life…
"Shit!" Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth. Speculating was getting him nowhere. Something happened to make him change his mind about what was most important, and Naruto had to be the person responsible.
For several long, silent seconds, the Uchiha didn't move. Head bowed, hands gripping jet-black hair, he was a perfect statue, tortured by indecision and confusion. He would find out everything he needed to know eventually, but could he really wait that long? Being so physically weak – blind and drained by constant pain – was bad enough. But combined with the thick fog of uncertainty and amnesia, it was one of the worst states that Sasuke had ever been in. He was left far too vulnerable, and he couldn't bear it.
"Damn it, enough already," he growled, getting back to his feet. Forget waiting and healing. Sasuke had had enough. There was only one person who could tell him everything he needed to know. Finding Naruto just became his top priority.
To be continued... Part II coming soon!
AN: Thanks for reading! I'm trying out a slower, more detailed writing style. Let me know what you think please! :)
