It's finally time for Naruto to come home with me. I've waited for over a week, being kicked out when visiting hours are over only to sneak back in when the nurses are gone, for this very moment. Tsunade-sama is filling out the paperwork right now. Apparently I just have to sign a few things and then he will be released to my care, but it's taking so long. Every agonizing minute seems to be another hour that I have to wait for Naruto to be released. I hate it. I just want to bring him home.
"Sasuke." Finally, Tsunade-sama is calling for me. Now I just have to sign my name and we can be off.
I reach out to take the pen from her, but she stops me. What now? What could possibly still be in the way of me bringing Naruto home?
"Before you sign these papers," Lady Tsunade began, "I want to talk to you about Naruto's condition."
"You said he was already healed," I growl. I can't help it. I want to take Naruto home already.
"He is," Tsunade-sama agreed, "physically. It's just that…"
"It's just that what?" I press. I'm not really feeling all that patient right now and her pauses really tick me off.
"It's just that I think that he has some mental trauma that has been long overlooked," Tsunade-sama finally got out. However, I no longer wanted to go immediately to Naruto's side. I still want to do that, but now I feel that I must hear Lady Tsunade out.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Naruto has suffered a lot," Tsunade continued, "more so, I think, mentally than physically. He's done a good job of hiding his torture behind a mask, but I think it's finally spilling through. I don't think he can handle all of the mental battery that he has suffered and he's finally breaking down."
"I won't let him," I say determinedly. It's not like I didn't know about Naruto's deteriorating mental health. I have observed, and tried unsuccessfully to stop him from falling, but now I think I will finally be able to be successful if only Lady Tsunade would just let me take him home already. Besides, if he does fall into insanity, I will either pull him back up or fall with him trying.
"Alright," Tsunade sighs. She knows she won't be able to get much more from me. She knows that the only thing I care about at the moment is getting to my Naruto. "Just sign these papers and the hospital will release Naruto to you."
"Finally," I say as I snatch the documents from her hand. I write my signature so fast that I'm pretty sure it's not even legible, but I don't care at the moment because I can finally take Naruto home.
"One more thing," Tsunade-sama says as she takes the sign forms from me. "He hasn't been sleeping well, so make sure he does."
I give her one last nod before running in the direction that I know Naruto's room is. I can't wait any longer. I have to get to Naruto now. I have to take him home with me.
"Naruto?" I whisper quietly as I slip through the door to his room.
"Yes?" Naruto asks from his silent spot on the hospital bed. He looks so exhausted. There are bags under his eyes and his skin looks a little pale for him. Tsunade was right. He really hasn't been sleeping.
"Tsunade-sama has given me the permission to bring you home," I say as I walk up to him. He watches me as I get closer and he watches my hand as I reach up to caress his beautiful cheek. 'I'm going to save you Naruto,' I promise him in my mind, 'I'm going to save you no matter what it takes.' "Are you ready to go?" I ask out loud.
"Yea," Naruto smiles hesitantly. He still doesn't trust me. I don't think he ever did, but I want him to. I want him to know that there is at least one person that he can always trust and rely on. I want him to know that I will always be there for him no matter what. I'm going to have to prove that to him, but I don't care. I will do whatever it takes to make Naruto happy. Even if I have to kill myself to make him happy, I will do that.
Naruto slips off of his bed. He's already dressed in his normal orange jumpsuit so I don't have to worry about waiting for him to get dressed before we can leave. So, with one final look around the room to make sure that there is nothing else that we should bring with us, I open the door and allow Naruto to stumble past me. He's still a little weak from lying in bed for all this time and I wonder if I should offer to carry him, but I don't know if he would appreciate that. In fact, I've just realized, I don't know very much about Naruto's likes and dislikes. Before I would have said that he loves his orange jumpsuit and the copious amounts of ramen that he consumes, but now I'm even starting to doubt that. He won't look at himself when he wears the thing, and he consumes ramen so fast that I'm not even sure if he can taste the stuff. I need to learn more about him. I have to.
Naruto stumbles once again and I can't stand to watch him struggle. I can't stand it. I have to do something. "Naruto," I say.
"Yes?" he stops and turns towards me as he asks this. His hands are by his side so I take one and, right in the middle of the lobby where everyone could see, I kissed it lovingly. Naruto's eyes widened and he looked around. For a moment I thought that I had done something to upset him, but, when he looked back at me, he smiled.
"Let me carry you." It wasn't a demand. It was more of a very hopeful request. I want to help him and having him so close to me will ensure that I can touch him. I can always be in contact with his body. I can always feel him breathing. I can always feel his heartbeat. I can always make sure that he's alive. I can't believe I didn't realize how desperate I was to be near him, and touch him, until now.
"Are you sure?" Naruto asked cautiously as he looked around once more with a blush adorning his face. He looks cute when he blushes. I should make him do it more often. I should make him happy more often.
"Of course," I say as I move bit closer to him. His body is finally warm again. There is no more trace of the cold death that was looming over him only days ago. Thank god.
Naruto's blush deepens and he gives me a short and only slightly hesitant nod.
I can't help but to smile as I crouch down in front of him and he climbs on my back so that I can give him a piggyback ride. His arms wrap around my neck and he holds me as tightly as he can without choking me. I don't think I'd really care if he did choke me, just as long as he was holding onto me like this.
I stand up and walk out the door and into Konoha village. My house is practically on the other side of the village so I'm going to have to walk a long way. I don't care though. Just as long as I've got Naruto with me. Alive.
Naruto buries his head into my shoulder and I suddenly realize that everyone is staring at us. I don't care. They can look at us all they want. They need to know that Naruto is mine. They need to know that if they hurt Naruto, I will not hesitate in killing them. They need to know that I will do anything to make him happy. They need to know this and so does Naruto.
Right now I'm the only one who knows how far the depth of my love goes, but soon everyone will know. They will all know that I am so deeply in love with Naruto that there are no words to describe it. I am so deeply in love with there is nothing that any of the villagers can do to change my mind. They all need to know this. Especially Naruto.
Sorry about not updating in a while, but I hope you like this chapter too.
