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Chapter One?
You Really Suck, you know that, right?
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It all started one December morning.
The whole village was in a commotion and nobody knew why, but the events of that night would mark the next events for what should've taken years to come. Why did Sasuke get in the way of everything?
--
"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto kept his eyes on the road as the two walked beside each other on their way to their houses, kicking a loose pebble out of place and into the grass on the banks where it'd stay alone.
They had just finished another friendly spar with one another… It was slowly getting to be like how they were when they were twelve, before the hunt to bring Sasuke back took forever and a day to finally complete. The raven was found knocked out beside his brother's body and taken home. When he woke up to Naruto's worried face (Sasuke looked exhausted) he sighed mutely and stayed very still in his bed. Naruto had smiled at this and pulled the raven into a big hug saying how much of an idiot Sasuke was but none of that had processed in his mind at all. He was just strangely happy to be back, finally finished and ready to die a peaceful death at last. But somehow he was now content with just being somewhere close to Naruto.
Over a period of time he had spoken to no one else freely. Still really didn't.
"What, dobe?" Sasuke asked; his answer short but he was curious. His nickname for the blonde somehow made it through the years of separation despite all that had changed between them. It was amazing to the village that the two were getting along like they used to.
"Do you ever wonder what you'll be doing when we're twenty?" Naruto asked kicking another small rock to be near the one he had displaced earlier.
The casual form of talking was all Sasuke wanted to hear. All the suppressed memories of his life in Konoha were all that he had when he was with Orochimaru and now he could live them through once more with gratitude for the experience.
Sasuke's nose scrunched up and he stared at the blonde's back with scrutiny as he wondered what the blonde was getting at.
"What kind of a question is that?"
Naruto turned to look over his shoulder and blinked as if confused, but, "I know it's a random question, but I wanna know."
It was just like the old days. They were just a little taller and better fighters.
Sasuke squinted his eyes and snorted. "I'll be living with my wife and son in the Uchiha compound."
Naruto's bright eyes dimmed and he looked away with a stubborn smile. "Oh…"
"'Oh'?" Sasuke questioned. "What do you mean 'oh'? Where are you going to be when you're twenty?" he asked feeling insulted by Naruto's lack of a comeback.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Dead maybe…" he said stopping. "I'll see you later, Sasuke." He said without looking at him and turning down the road that would lead to his apartment.
The answer had stopped Sasuke n his tracks. It wasn't something he'd ever expect to hear from that optimistic mouth.
Sasuke stopped and watched his
friend's back with mild concern. Something didn't settle right in
the pit of his gut but he decided to ignore it. It couldn't have
been important anyway, but maybe he'd visit the dobe later in the
night to see if he was doing okay.
To be quite honest, Naruto had
been acting strangely ever since the last d-ranked mission they went
on; chasing after a lost cat yet again. Had something happened on the
way home from that?
The Uchiha's concerns didn't waver as he continued his way home with his hands shoved in his pockets as he felt they should've. Naruto's answer hadn't been one he expected to hear from the loud mouthed idiot. He had honestly expected him to say something along the lines of, 'I'll be sitting in the Hokage tower!' or something of the like…but dead? Why would Naruto be dead? He couldn't die. It was just completely out of the question really. There was no way Naruto would ever simply give up on everything and die. Hell, the blonde never even backed down from a life threatening fight! So why would he be dead?
Something was definitely wrong. There was no denying that.
Sasuke heaved out an annoyed sigh and stopped in his tracks.
Fine.
He'd go back now and settle this feeling before it got any worse.
With that decided, the raven was headed back towards the apartments.
But it was here when the calamity started.
The sun was already well set by the
time Sasuke reached an empty apartment room with everything in
shambles. He was stunned when he saw everything like it was; a
complete wreck. The bed was in ruins, the sheets and pillows ripped
open and torn, the window was broken, the door knob bent and on the
floor amongst fragments of splintered wood and shattered glass. There
was one thing left untouched and it sent a chill up Sasuke's
spine.
The picture of team seven was placed neatly on the remnants
of the bed. Dead and center.
He swallowed the uncomfortable emotions that were bubbling up.
"Naruto!" he called and his voice echoed in the empty rooms. "Naruto!" he tried again desperately.
He could hear running water and dismissed it as it being the kitchen sinks alone, but when he turned it off and continued to hear the sound he felt his heart skip a beat. Panicked he ran, nearly slipping, for the bathroom finding the door closed tight. The cold wind from the December air outside hit him like a brick as he forced the door open.
Nothing.
Just the shower and sink running and flooding the floors, but still no sign of Naruto…
He growled this time in frustration. "Naruto!"
No response.
Again, he thought. Try again.
"Naru-!!" a window across the street shattered, the noise alone stopping Sasuke. He ran to the window of the apartment and looked outside; looking down when screaming reached his ears.
The Anbu were jumping from the rooftops and racing all in one direction. He followed their path and his eyes widened when he met with the night sky being dyed red with dancing flames.
The Hokage tower… Sasuke threw himself out of the window and hit the neighboring roof top running in the tower's direction.
"The Hokage's been murdered!" A man shouted from the streets below.
"Lady fifth is dead!"
Sasuke snapped his eyes away from the man with a snarl as he pushed his legs to carry him faster, activating his Sharingan.
That night…
That night ended in confusion, anger, pain and grief…
"What do you mean Naruto's gone?" Sasuke snapped at Kakashi the next day. He felt his heart pounding in his chest in disbelief.
"He burned to death last night. He was protecting Tsunade but apparently was knocked unconscious…No one got out him out in time so he burned to death without even realizing it."
Sasuke felt his knees buckle under his weight.
"Impossible." He murmured shell shocked.
"He'll be buried as a hero tonight." Kakashi said almost mechanically. His voice was slow and dead as if he didn't quite believe what he was saying either. "He tried to protect her after all."
--
On that December night everything in Naruto's world ended.
The whole village was in pain and everybody knew why, but the events of that night would mark the next events for what should've taken years to come. Why did Sasuke get in the way of everything?
--
Five years drifted by and suffocated
the raven into a heavy submission. He refused to believe that Naruto
had died in the manner he had, or even that Naruto had died at all,
but with no evidence to prove that he wasn't dead what was he to
do?
The first year was utter chaos for the village; with no Hokage
or even a Rokudaime to train the village had no leader and no one to
turn to. They were lost. Now they were even without Naruto to act as
their beacon of light when these times came around… Everything had
gone wrong all in one night. The whole design of things went up in
smoke and now Sasuke felt hopelessly alone.
By the time three
years had passed Sasuke had shut himself down and the village had
begged for Jiraiya to take the place of Hokage and search for a
suitable replacement as well. Unfortunately, that put Sasuke as the
first choice.
"It's what Naruto would've
wanted, and you know it." Jiraiya had stated, but his own pain of
the loss was showing through on his features.
And as much as
Sasuke had wanted to refuse he knew that deep down, Naruto wouldn't
have wanted anyone else… So without much argumentation the Uchiha
nodded his head once and sealed the deal.
Five years gone and Sasuke was now twenty…with no wife and no child… just a broken heart and no will to go on any further.
He stared now at the grave marker of
his beloved friend, scanning the name he cherished so much for as
long as an hour each time he would visit and today was no different.
He closed his eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of the spark Naruto had
always held with him, but when none came once more he opened his eyes
again.
Weeks he had spent crying over this loss. Crying like he
had when he defeated his brother but this hurt more if not just as
much. But now…years later he couldn't muster the tears anymore
for his deeply missed love.
The pain continued to sting him,
making his chest close around his heart as if to crush it every time
he let his mind stay on Naruto for too long.
A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned down and placed the single white flower he would always leave when he visited Naruto's grave, it was to symbolize the purity he still continued to see Naruto as dead or not and he wondered if…maybe somewhere his dobe was watching him. Maybe here with him right now, smiling sadly and saying comforting words that he couldn't hear.
That night left too many unanswered questions in his mind but no one had a clue and he had spent a whole year trying to find any sort answers to those questions but there was nothing. Nothing left of his beautiful Naruto to find.
He took two small steps back taking in one last look of the grave before he turned to leave.
He'd leave his beloved to rest for yet another day.
--
His walk home was slow. Dragging out like it did ever since that night. His pace had no one's to match with or beat. His eyes saw no one in front of him and his ears heard no one walking behind him anymore. Everything was so different yet the same in some ways. His heart felt numbed over with no sunlight to melt away the ice that was left behind.
He shifted his eyes in the direction of what used to be Naruto's apartment. The window had been fixed and old friends cleaned up the mess. The room no longer held the charm of belonging to a teen-aged boy that couldn't keep his house clean, it was spot less. A bed was bought, the floors were polished, the bathroom and kitchen redone to look brand new…but the posters were left, the calendar were switched out, the cabinets held purely ramen, the fridge had bad milk, and the picture of team seven was placed on the bed stand beside the bed… not a speck of dust on any piece of furniture.
But the lights weren't on. They never were. Naruto wasn't poking his head out of the window and waving wildly to him like he used to when he saw him passing by. There was just…nothing.
--
Sasuke sighed heavily as he pressed his back against the wall listlessly. He could do it now. He could kill himself and just…stop.
Everything could go away.
But he couldn't. Something wouldn't let. Something inside said that Naruto would be frowning deeply right now. He closed his eyes and the mental image came in clearly. A tiny smile graced his lips at the sight of Naruto leaning down and staring at him with disapproving eyes.
"You shouldn't think like this, Sasuke." He'd say taking a hold of both his wrists. "You know I don't like it."
"Sorry." Sasuke muttered, only half aware he was talking to himself. "But I don't want to go on anymore."
Naruto's expression softened as he held one hand to his face. "But you have to…because I can't. Please, Sasuke. For me?"
"…For you." And Sasuke smiles as a tear falls onto his chest followed by another, and another… And Naruto lets go and Sasuke can't fight the tears that begin to fall faster. Naruto slips away from his vision and leaves Sasuke there alone…
Completely alone just like everyone else.
--
"Hey, there." Kakashi called as Sasuke neared the Hokage tower with his tiger mask on.
"Nice weather we're having." He continued but Sasuke wasn't responding. He stopped beside his facing the opposite direction.
"What's the mission you summoned me for?" he asked in an annoyed tone.
Kakashi sighed seeing that small talk was out of the question.
"Jiraiya got a rather disturbing message from a scout the other day. His spies within the Akatsuki reported seeing a boy a while back with a description fitting Naruto's to a t."
Sasuke's eyes widened behind the mask and his heart stopped for a moment. "But he's…"
"There was never any proof of that."
"What?!" Sasuke snapped throwing his mask off to show his Sharingan spinning wildly and his face scrunched up in an animalistic manner.
"There was never a body in his casket; we assumed he burned to ash, but…"
"What do you mean he's in the Akatsuki? Has he been captured? We have to go-!"
"Sasuke!" Kakashi cut him off sharply. "We don't have any information other than he might be there."
Sasuke forced his emotions back into check but it didn't stop them from running a rampage inside his mind.
"We're going to look for a friendly negotiation."
Sasuke sneered at this almost as if he didn't believe what he was hearing. "Friendly?" he repeated.
"Yes." Kakashi nodded.
"You've got to be joking. That'll never work. We'll be killed on sight."
"Not necessarily. If Naruto is within their headquarters then they'll have no reason to attack us."
Unless we're pulling a search and rescue! How stupid can you idiots be?!" Sasuke snarled. "I've fought with the Akatsuki! They're not the type to lay back and watch what happens. I was attacked for no reason by some bombing ninja!"
"Sasuke… You need to calm down. I know it doesn't make sense but what options do we have?"
"How about sending Jiraiya's spy back with a bug? Anything other than friendly negotiating!"
"We lost our connections to the remaining spies after that report was received."
Sasuke took a step back.
"What?" His heart was racing but he tried desperately to keep his facial expressions under control. "Are they dead?"
"We don't know. We're out of options and if it weren't for Jiraiya's personal interest in this affair we'd be over looking it right now. This is a seriously risky mission for just hearing that someone looks like Naruto."
"But we have to do something." Sasuke was adamant.
Kakashi sighed.
"We'll be leaving tonight with three others of the rookie nine and Yamato."
"Why not now?" Sasuke asked narrowing his eyes.
Kakashi looked away and picked up Sasuke's abused mask. He looked it over before handing it to him.
"To give the Hokage time to reconsider the mission."
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END CHAPTER UNO!
((Like it so far? Should I continue it further?))
