Chapter 1: Memories of the Past
It had been three years since Sasuke had left Konoha. Three long, terrible years. Well, to an outsider, it may not have seemed so catastrophic. The village was peaceful. Life was generally average, even quaint perhaps. And who was this Sasuke anyway? Why did he matter so much? He was just one shinobi. A genin at that. Nija go missing all the time. Though it provided sorrow, life goes on.
But not for Naruto. With every passing day, a piece of his heart crashed and burned. He was consumed with guilt. It was all his fault. If only he had made Sasuke see. Or if he had reached him in time. If he had protected Sasuke from the wretched curse-mark, which that bastard Orochimaru had forced upon him. If only he had been strong enough.
Sasuke was his dearest friend. At first they were but mere rivals. Nothing more, nothing less. But slowly both Naruto and Sasuke realized how much they meant to each other. Though they had still agued, their friendship flourished and grew strong. Soon Naruto began to realize he had feelings for Sasuke, and he knew he couldn't live without him. But he was too afraid to show it. He didn't know what to do with these feelings, so he distracted himself. He focused instead on gaining Sakura's attention and becoming stronger than Sasuke. Then things would be like they were before these cumbersome and confusing feelings stepped into play. Everything was fine again, or so it seemed. Until Orochimaru. he spurred the lust for vengeance in Sasuke's heart. And it all went downhill from there. Sasuke, HIS Sasuke, was gone.
Naruto slid down to a fetal position by the tree he was leaning upon and sighed. He was supposed to be training, but it was extremely difficult to do so in this ghastly heat, especially with thoughts of the past clouding his head. Jaraiya had left him to practice on his own, no doubt "researching" for his next book. Naruto rolled is eyes. What kind of an idiot sensei is too busy being a peeping tom to teach his own student?
Immediately as he thought this, the toad-sanin himself popped up in front of Naruto.
"I see the training is going well, Naruto?"
"AAAAGH! Ero-sanin!"
"I thought I told you not to call me that!" Exclaimed Jaraiya.
Naruto immediately whipped his usual, goofy, number-ne-hyperactive-knucklehead-ninja smile onto his face. H didn't need Ero-Sanin prying into his personal emotions. It would be so troublesome. (haha he sounded like Shikamary just then)
Since the sun is going down, I'll give you a break. Go home, training is over."
"But I didn't even learn anything!"
"Oh well, maybe tomorrow."
"Yeah, if you're not researching again, Ero-Sanin." Naruto grumbled as he sulked off.
"I told you not to call me that!"