Disclaimer: This fanfic is based upon the Naruto series, which I have no hand in whatsoever, and further more I do not own any characters participating in this… fantasy of sorts, in fact they belong to the honorable Matsuri Hino, who currently has me confined within a… confined space of great pleasure. This fic is rated M due to definite Graphic Content, whether it be straight, yaoi, yuri, S&M, M&M, Skittles, Reese's Pieces, or Milk Duds. (Whichever you prefer… personal fav is the milk duds :P) I also do not own any musical theme's affiliated with this fanfiction as they belong to their respective owners.
Of Senbon and Silk
Part 1: Diva Hidden in the Leaves
Theme: I Hate Everything About You- Three Days Grace
Chapter 2: Eaten Away
"So what was you're relationship like?" Sasuke questioned.
"Well I basically tried my best to make her happy, I mean isn't that how a relationship is supposed to go? I centered my life around her. If she was hungry, I got her something to eat, If she was too tired to walk I carried her, if she was feeling down then I always made sure to cheer her up. It was like a little paradise, being with her." Naruto breathed thinking about how well off Hinata was right now.
Sasuke was walking alongside the blond, noting how distracted he was. He could see that this really had the normally overactive and exuberant boy, cracking under the tension of this decision. There had to be some way of loosening up this unbearable coldness that seemed to be manipulating him. Sasuke decided right then and there that he had to intervene before Naruto's head exploded from so much thinking.
"Hey Naruto!" Naruto turned from his dashed thoughts and looked at the Uchiha.
"Huh?"
"What do you say we get a drink, my treat?" Sasuke suggested tugging the blond along as he strode faster towards the nearest bar.
"Okay, but-" Naruto tried to respond before he was suddenly being dragged by his arm towards the small shack of a building.
ZzOOzZ
The sun was a golden ball barely hanging above the hills as Hinata stood before the tree that Anko had marked. Anko stood close by holding a kunai gingerly between index and middle fingers. This was the only method she could think of for forgetting about long lasting commitments gone wrong.
"So what am I doing, Anko-sensei?"
"You're going to kill this tree."
"That's it?" Hinata asked hesitantly.
"Well, I want you to give it everything you've got. This is Naruto, he's just dumped you and you're mad at him. Go crazy, kid!" she said, giving her signature thumbs up and eat-to-ear Cheshire grin.
"But I… I'm not?" Hinata mumbled in a self-questioning manner.
"You probably won't be at first." Anko replied biting her thumb nail, "So as you hit this tree, say something, anything. Whatever's eating you up inside just let it go"
Hinata paused looking at the tree. She tried to see Naruto as the tree, but it was just too hard. No matter how hard she tried, she could not see herself being mad with Naruto. After all this was the one person who she'd admired for the majority of her life. She'd always focused her goals on this one person. Whenever he was being teased she was there, whenever he felt pain she was there, whenever all hope seemed lost she was there. There was this strange feeling of disbelief boiling over in the back of her mind. It was an unusually strong feeling, one that was very unfamiliar and it hurt to know it was increasing in intensity in her head.
What is this feeling? Naruto was the first person to truly accept me as a shinobi, and as an equal. Now that he's gone it feels like I've been abandoned. Why am if feeling this way?
"Just start hitting it, and say whatever comes to mind, Anko added making Hinata jump to her task.
Her gentle palms hit the tree in a careless fashion, as she blurted out things that just seemed natural to her. Her right palm hit the brittle bark on the old tree.
"I feel empty."
Her left hand hit the bark.
"Is it my fault?"
Right hand.
"What the hell is wrong with me?"
Left hand.
"What's wrong with us?"
Right
"How could you do this to me?"
Left
"Why would you do leave me?"
Right
"There's no excuse."
Her hands were moving faster, slamming into the wood with immense force. She could now see Naruto clearly, because it was no longer a tree. Now it was the blond-haired man making excuses to her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but these were not the previous tears of distress that had once graced her features. These tears were something alien to her, something similar to feelings she'd held towards Neji, Hanabi, Hiashi, and even the whole Hyuuga clan, but never before had it been this potent and towards someone she'd felt so passionately about.
Left, Right, Left, Right
"You're such and idiot!"
Left, Right, Left, Right, Left
"Bastard!"
Unknowingly Hinata's Byakugan had activated, and now she could see Naruto's inner chakra channels. She took advantage of this, slowly crippling him using her family's Gentle Fist style. She worked meticulously, slowing his chakra flow, disconnecting his appendages and veins from the oxygen rich blood that they required. Her fighting technique became more complex.
Left, Left, Right, Left, Right, Right
"Why did we spend so much time trying to figure this out?"
Right wrist, right forearm, elbow, shoulder, pectoral
"What do you want from me?"
Left wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, pectoral
"You should've told me earlier!"
Solar plexus, diaphragm, lungs
"I hate you!"
Left ventricle, aorta, jugular veins
"I… I love you." She whispered.
ZzOOzZ
The sake had slipped down his throat way to easily, and now his head was muffled by irrational thoughts of being immune to pain. Naruto seemed to be stumbling over his own words as he walked out of the bar, using Sasuke's shoulder for support, because he was too intoxicated to walk straight for little more than a few seconds. His skin felt warm and tight around his chest. His hips rocked from side to side in a much more comfortable manner than he'd normally walk. It was stimulating to feel like he was walking on clouds and not just being shackled to the earth by the will of gravity.
Sasuke took one look at the blond who was still walking on his own, with only a small amount of his weight resting on his shoulder. It was odd seeing how abnormally happy the blond was. Normally the blond was hyperactive, true enough, but this Naruto was altered in a way. He no longer held his tongue when he should. He no longer held restrictions on things he would normally consider impolite or unheard of. All of this said, Sasuke couldn't help but like this Naruto better than the disposition he'd held before the few drinks that they gorged themselves in.
"Sasuke!" He slurred while his eyes blinked uncoordinatedly, "Wanna go to a party or somethin'?"
"Uh, I don't know of any parties going on right now Naruto-kun." He replied plainly, as he knew how to handle his alcohol.
Naruto soon found that the task of walking was becoming more and more challenging. Gradually he shifted more of his weight onto Sasuke until it became clear that Sasuke was going to have to do something. Growing unsteady, Sasuke lifted the lightweight blond onto his back, told him to wrap his arms and legs around him. The other boy obliged pulling himself close to Sasuke so as not to fall off.
"Where are we… uh… going?" Naruto whined, sounding like a small child.
"My place, I figure you must be tired, so you can stay the night."
"Thanks!" Naruto groaned out. His head was spinning and his dizziness urged him to close his eyes. Quickly dizziness turned into aching and within minutes he was out like a light.
"This kid just doesn't know his limits does he?" Sasuke remarked as he heard the soft snores of his companion within the shell of his ear.
"Hold on, we'll be there in a few."
ZzOOzZ
Anko looked on as Hinata continued to thrash the tree, exposing bare bits of pure tan wood. There was a spark in the young woman that she'd recognized from her past. It seemed so funny to her that she was now training someone who bared similar conditions as her. Living in an extremely confined environment, growing so close to another person, thinking that this time it was meant to be, and then suddenly being turned to a road of desperate loneliness. As she gazed mesmerized by the precision held within the furious blows. She looked down at her own hands, which had grown tough and calloused from her years of combat. It was all a game when she was in love, but now that the illusion was gone, now that there was a lack of deception due to her own heart she felt whole. She could now see the world with open eyes and appreciate all the wonders held within the beauty of life, and hold all o those memories close to her whenever the chance of death was possible.
What is it that I'm seeing? Is this just another one of life's tests or is this, something even more valuable?
"Good Hinata!" she remarked, turning the blade between her fingers towards the ground.
"What?" Hinata had barely taken notice of the woman's compliment as she stopped punching the trunk of the mature plant.
"I want to talk to you some more, before you knock that old tree over. If you did that then I'd have to pay for your hospital bill and right now my wallet's not that heavy." Anko smirked casually.
Hinata decided she'd punished Naruto enough for the moment, and followed the older kunoichi wherever she was taking them. As she walked alongside her newly found friend, she continued to talk to herself about how miserable Naruto had made her feel. It was unlike her to feel so crushed. It was true that she was put down on a daily basis, but it was never so personal and it never came from Naruto. She never expected that the one person in the world that she'd give her life for whole-heartedly and without any regrets, would turn on her and desert her without so much as a clear explanation why. After all they'd been through and overcome together, to have it blow up in her face without a reason was… inexcusable. Her face was now forming an expression she'd never made. It was a cross between deep disgust and hatred.
The two of them stopped at a clearing in the woods that had a perfect view of the sun setting over a pristine lake. The orange mass of shining light was burning with a light that almost rivaled Hinata's present dislike of Naruto. Though she was not entirely furious with Naruto, she was confused and had no way of asking him what was wrong. It was swift and abrupt, but in a way Hinata felt good, because she'd rid herself of any negative energy she had pent up within. I took that to realize that it was over and there was really no point in trying to make it work. She had to move on, and if she ever wanted to prove that she was strong both physically and mentally than she needed to severe her love towards Naruto and start anew.
"So, Hinata how did that feel? I mean what did that do for you?" Anko asked staring not at the person she had posed the question to, but out towards the setting sun.
"Well it's… liberating. I know that Naruto has left me and I no longer feel… angry towards him, but I am upset and I have no idea where to go from here."
"Ah. That's understandable. A long term relationship like that just crushed within a matter of seconds will take time to heal, but I have faith in you." Anko smiled peacefully, watching as the sun crept below the diminutive waves gently flowing across the lake's surface.
There was a serene quiet that cloaked them as they sat down and watched as the sky burned in an elegant tangerine shade. It was wonderful to feel the slight breeze kissing their cheeks in a chilly November way. Hinata leaned her head unintentionally on Anko's breast, which she didn't seem to notice. She had noticed, however she didn't feel it necessary to tell her new pupil anything was wrong with it.
Why would there be anything wrong with it? Anko sighed as she batted her eyes trying to disregard the previous question,
Hinata became conscious of the fact that she was on top of Anko's chest, but something was holding her there, for she felt that if she moved then, the older kunoichi would take notice. A slight blush tinted her face and she couldn't stop herself from looking up towards her latest mentor. Anko did take notice of this and simply ruffled the smaller woman's hair, laying her own head upon Hinata's. The scene was relaxing as they sat in the presence of the setting sun and drifted into a dream-like trance. They were undisturbed until the sun had completely vanished beneath the curtain of night. At that time they both stood and began their trek back to the main section of the village. The moon was suspended amongst a cluster of stars in the heavens. It was breathtaking to marvel at such a marvelous sight. They walked arm-in-arm all the way into the Hidden Leaf Village.
ZzOOzZ
About fifteen minutes had passed before Sasuke came to stand in front of the door to his apartment. He unlocked the door with one hand while supporting the sleeping blond with the other. For someone who ate so much, Naruto was pretty light. The door leaned open and Sasuke walked in locking the door afterwards. Dropping his keys on the table next to the door, Sasuke strode into the living area and placed the blond in the single chair that sat at his table. Sasuke searched his wardrobe for something that Naruto might wear to bed. Finally his hands rested upon a pair of boxers made out of a silvery fabric. They were crisp and stunning as they were detailed with large pink cherry blossoms in full bloom indiscriminately placed all over the fabric. Sasuke smiled as he seldom wore these except for special occasions, which rarely came around.
Returning to the room where he'd left Naruto, he'd found the blond was already waking up. He was sobered up now, as though the alcohol had just melted away with those few winks of sleep he got. He was still a little fatigued, but he did detect Sasuke when he came into the room.
"Naruto-kun, I thought you probably wanted to take a shower first, so you can put these on tonight and there are fresh towels in the cabinet in the bathroom. I'm gonna go make some tea."
"Sure, thanks Sasuke. Um… Which way is the bathroom?" he asked courteously so as not to make his host peeved with his stay.
"It's the right door once you get in the bedroom." Sasuke replied busying himself with making tea, so as to stop himself from thinking about what Naruto might look like in his special boxers.
Naruto grabbed the boxers and walked into the bedroom, which seemed like your average bachelor's bedroom. The bed was king size, with luxurious white sheets and two huge pillows at the head of the bed. The walls were a bright shade of red, and there was a window out towards a forest lying just outside the village. He walked inside the bathroom that Sasuke had told him about and noted the shower had a glass sliding door that was not frosted like most bathroom windows. It was just clear, which made Naruto apprehensive at first, but after a few moments he determined that he was too exhausted to fight his psychological issues with the bathroom's structure. He gingerly removed his clothes and stepped into the shower. He ran the steamy hot water and closed his eyes, lathering the soap in his hands.
Sasuke heard the shower turn on and felt relieved that Naruto was now definitely out of earshot. Now he could hum to himself like he normally did without being picked apart. Sasuke knew that he only played the role of tough guy while his peers were around, but when it was just him, he softened into what his friends might call a "housewife". Since he always lived on his own, always having to do for himself, Sasuke learned to do all of the housework.
Sasuke was so busy thinking that he hadn't realized he wasn't making tea at all. He found out that he'd begun making hot chocolate, which was not his intention at all. He cursed under his breath, hoping that Naruto wouldn't mind hot chocolate, even though it wasn't that cold out. He plopped in marshmallows wondering why he was being so nitpicky about these simple things that weren't that big before. What's wrong with me?
He heard the shower turn off, the door to the bathroom close, his pulse quickened. Why am I freaking out like this? Is it because of Naruto? He finished placing spoons in the mugs and quickly stirred them, before placing them on the table. Sasuke heard Naruto approaching and pulled his spare chair out of the closet next to the front door. He sat down across the table from the other chair and blew at his cup. Naruto strolled in moments later, clad in the shimmering boxers and nothing else. His hair was somewhat wet and was messy as always, but his skin looked as if he'd dried off thoroughly.
"Naruto, I accidentally made hot chocolate instead, I hope you don't mind."
"It's fine. Actually I don't like tea as much, so I think it turned out for the better."
"Oh that's a relief. Well… I mean that's good." He stumbled on the words trying to hide how embarrassed he was feeling. For some odd reason he could not keep his eyes on Naruto's face, because they were too occupied with the bare chest that had seated across from him.
Naruto sipped the hot chocolate, liking how sweet it was. He hadn't really seen Sasuke's place before, so this whole experience was new to him. The boxers felt cool on his skin as he sat across from his partner. Now something seemed to be wrong with Sasuke, he looked flushed and his eyes never looked straight at Naruto.
"What's wrong?" Naruto inquired in his callow voice, ignoring his intuition, which was opposed to prying into Sasuke's contemplation.
"Nothing." Sasuke fibbed hoping that his voice was remaining constant.
"But you've hardly touched your hot chocolate." Naruto persisted hoping that his demanding wouldn't upset the Uchiha as it often did.
There was a long pause. The air seemed to be thick with mixed emotions. Sasuke couldn't help but want to say something, but in all honesty he didn't even know what was wrong. Normally he could tell Naruto anything and he knew that his lifelong rival would never breath a word of it to Sakura or any other shinobi for that matter. Likewise, Sasuke had kept many of Naruto's secrets just so that the blond wouldn't feel so alone in this world. Why was this time any different? If Naruto could tell him about his breakup with Hinata, than certainly he could bring himself to tell Naruto what exactly was going on in his mind.
"Look Naruto I-" Sasuke began
"If you don't want to tell me Sasuke, then that's okay, but just know you can tell me anything."
That just added to the feeling of guilt that now veiled Sasuke's features. What was this that was taking hold of him? What was this that was tearing him up inside? Should he say what's actually going on or just remain silent? Sasuke blushed, as hard as he tried he words weren't coming out so easily.
"Are you all right?" Naruto asked seeing how red his friend was becoming.
"Yes, it's just that… I… don't like hot chocolate that much."
Stupid, Stupid, STUPID! Sasuke sighed, frustrated that he'd not had the courage to say what was on his mind. It aggravated him to know that this pressure squirming around inside his stomach wasn't going to leave until he expressed to Naruto just what was occurring within.
Naruto shrugged and guzzled down his hot chocolate and then stared longingly at Sasuke's. The raven-haired boy happily accommodated his guest and passed him the mug. It was empty in seconds and Naruto seemed to be perked up already. It was a relief to see that his mind was not circling about the events of the day. Sasuke was glad that he had managed to distract the blond, if only for a while. He flashed a smile at Naruto and took the empty mugs and placed them in the dishwasher.
Naruto climbed into bed and snuggled up to one of the thick fluffy pillows. Sasuke grabbed a pair of plain red satin boxers and headed into the shower. He stripped his clothes hurriedly and hopped into the shower and turned on the icy cold water. He hoped that after successfully distracting Naruto, that he could distract himself, but to no avail. His thoughts kept fluttering back to the sculpted blond wearing the pricey boxers he'd bought from a tailor in Suna. His hands continuously flowed towards his crotch, but he'd always swat it away hoping that it would stop. Eventually Sasuke just stopped the shower and dried off, no longer attempting to fend off his bothersome hands. It was ridiculous how immature he was being.
When he returned, the blond was already asleep. It was a good thing to, because Sasuke didn't feel like explaining why the front of his boxers were poking straight out. Weakly he crawled into the sheets on the other side of the bed. He turned his back to Naruto, so that if Naruto turned in his sleep he wouldn't be unwittingly fondling Sasuke's package. Sasuke listened to the blond sigh in his sleep, hearing how his breath hitched was only intensifying his blood flow. Harshly Sasuke squinted his eyes shut and tried to give himself to the same slumber that was afflicting Naruto.
End of Chapter
A/N: Okay so I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger what can I say? I'm evil. Anyway it's not the longest chap, nor does it have a whole lot of romance, but you can't rush into things right? Anyway I love writing these confusing long love string things so I hope you enjoy. Oh and my taste in music is weird right? Luv ya much, and R&R! XOXOXO Tanuki.
