Kamoki-Hygerioshi: Just to answer your question, in the first part, it is a flashback. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura are Genin here so they would be about 12 years old.
WaveMasterYami: I'll keep that in mind. ;) No biggie.
And thanks to the rest of my reviewers! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Review please!
Shikamaru clambered his way into the Hokage's room. His brow was furrowed in deep thought. He hadn't seen Kohona in months and yet he felt like there was something going on that he didn't know about. While walking down streets, he noticed destroyed houses and stores that the citizens were trying to restructure. The villagers all looked glum and sort of anxious. Even the weather had been hectic. A storm had just started as he had walked into the building.
Yes, these really are weird times…
Sighing, he knocked on the Hokage's door.
"Come in." Shikamaru froze up. That voice was too deep to be Tsunade's voice. Way too deep. Cautiously, he opened the door and peeked slowly around the corner. His jaw dropped.
"YOU?"
The Next Day…
Naruto burst out of his house and stomped angrily into the streets of Konoha. A growl escaped his throat as he searched for his prey. The villagers gave him nervous glares, scared that Kyuubi would escape. Naruto ignored them. He swerved his way into Team 8's training grounds. His eyes narrowed seeing Hinata and Kiba holding hands. His anger went up even more seeing some of his friends congratulating them.
"Hehe, I knew this was going to happen sooner or later!"
"Congrats, congrats!"
"Kiba, treat her good now!"
"Cause if you don't, I'm gonna kick your ass!" Naruto flinched when hearing Sakura's voice. Shrugging, he decided it was best to ignore her. He walked into the open, smiling widely.
Sakura sent him a murderous glare. Lee scoffed and faced away from him. Shino simply shrugged, and Ino stared blankly at him. Kiba smirked at the blonde, and pulled Hinata closer to his body. She blushed.
That did it for Naruto. Not saying a word and still grinning widely, he practically ripped Kiba's hand from Hinata's and dragged him onto the far side of the fields. Out of earshot, he rounded on Kiba.
"YOU FUCKER!" Kiba rolled his eyes. If he was going to yell, they should have just stayed where they were.
"YOU STUPID, LYING, CONIVING, PIECE OF SHIT! YOU KNEW, DAMN YOU! You knew!"
Kiba merely raised an eyebrow, still smirking at the fuming blonde. "Know what?" he asked innocently.
"DON'T START THAT CRAP ON ME, YOU BASTARD! I know your little game and I'm warning you to cut it out!" Naruto glared at him. He was this close to punching him in the face. Kiba frowned at him.
"It's no game, Naruto. I just want to date Hinata," Kiba smirked. "You act like I'm not attracted to the girl. She's hot. Really hot. Curvy, big boobs, and a shy personality wrapped in one package. I could totally dominate her." He licked his lips. "No wonder the Uchiha likes her…"
Naruto scowled at him, disgusted. "Pervert! I don't want to hear it! Sasuke likes her for a whole different reason and you just take her away!"
Kiba scoffed. "Did I really just hear that? I took her away? Get real, Naruto. While the Uchiha crybaby's whimpering in his house, longing for Hinata, the Top Dog is on the move and prowling for some hot chicks."
"That's not the point! Sasuke's just shy and a little afraid of being rejected! You knew that he had a long time crush on her! You knew he wanted the rest of Rookie Nine to back off! And yet, you totally betray him! What kind of friend are you?"
Kiba glared at him. "The non-friend one. Me and Sasuke were never friends to begin with, baka. Why would I listen to him? I wanted Hinata, I got Hinata. Life's tough. Face it Naruto. Sasuke missed his chance. If he really liked her, he would have asked her out a long time ago and then maybe I would've backed off. But he was too late. Bye, Naruto. I have a girlfriend who's waiting on me." And with that Kiba strode off back to his group.
Naruto glared at his back. Damn that dog, damn him! I'm gonna have to check up on Sasuke…
He turned in the other direction, hands stuffed in jean pockets. Ino popped out from her hiding spot, eyes trained on Naruto. She couldn't help but feel sorry for both him and Sasuke. They were going through so much.
I think I'll try and be a little nicer to those two… Her eyes saddened. I can't entirely blame Naruto for killing my teammate. After all, when you find out your girlfriend whom you had a baby with was cheating on you, of course you would sort of lose control…
Though I had wished he had been more careful…
With that, she returned to her group, not saying a word to Kiba and giving Hinata peculiar glances, like she had something important to tell her.
Shikamaru sat drinking his coffee in a daze. It would seem that he had missed out on a lot of things going around in Konoha. Yesterday proved that by a mile.
Flashback
"YOU?" Shikamaru stared at the person in front of him, mouth wide open. He was possibly seeing things? Should he go to the hospital? Yes, he should because there was no way in all of the universes that the person sitting in front of him was…
"Nara, please close your mouth and sit down. I will inform you of all that is going on," Hiashi stated. Shikamaru groaned. Huffing a little, he plucked himself down into a chair.
"Now you can ask me your questions."
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" Hiashi rubbed his temple irritably. Shikamaru had gotten up, looking like a wild animal.
"Sit down!" Shikamaru complied.
"Hn. For you, maybe it's better to start from the beginning." Shikamaru nodded slowly, a bored expression flashing upon his features once again.
"Before you left, Sasuke had returned to the village. He announced his brother, Itachi, to be dead and that Akatsuki was currently rebuilding. Tsunade found him trustworthy and told him he would be able to be put on missions again in about a year. He was not, however, allowed to train." Shikamaru remained silent.
"With that out of the way, we move on to Naruto. His arrival with the Uchiha made many of the villagers very pleased. He was considered a hero and many thought he would be the next Hokage. None would have thought he would have turned into a criminal."
Shikamaru's interest perked up at this. "Criminal?" He questioned quietly. Hiashi nodded stiffly.
"Once he came back, the pink haired teammate of his started actually acknowledging him for once and soon they began dating. Many thought that they would make a great couple and sooner or later get married. That was not the case. I'm sure you had heard of their unborn child by now." Hiashi raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru. Shikamaru's face turned sour.
"Quite. They got drunk, Sakura woke up in Naruto's bed. Two weeks later, she finds out she's pregnant and dumps him, breaking his heart. And unbeknown to Naruto, she claims to have aborted his child. Anything else?" Hiashi looked surprised at the statement of abortion but said nothing about it.
He continued, "Yes. But there was more to it. While you were gone, Naruto had found out from Ino Yamanaka that Sakura had been cheating on him with Lee." Shikamaru glared silently at the wall.
"He went hysterical. He first went to Lee, who in turn told him sadly that he was not the only person cheating with Sakura. He found out that there had been at least 8 guys. He became depressed. Word soon spread about his relationship with a whore and the village became disgusted with him. Finding yet another reason to hate him, they defiled his home, forcing him to live with the Uchiha. Then…he lost it…"
Hiashi was silent for a moment. Shikamaru held his breath, knowing that what he was going to hear was going to be painful.
"Kyuubi escaped, almost completely. The village was in shambles. Shinobi after shinobi were killed. Half of the villagers are lost to this tragedy." Shikamaru stared at him. He couldn't believe it.
"Anyone I know…?" Hiashi sighed.
"Yes. Tsunade was unfortunately killed in battle. As well as your partner, Chouji Akimichi." Shikamaru closed his eyes and began taking slow, shallow breaths. Shaking, he brought his hands to his face and kept them there for a while, silent tears escaping.
Why? Why Chouji? Why this? Why now?
"I was chosen to take the place of Tsunade, thus making me the 6th Hokage." Shikamaru slowly looked up.
"And Naruto?"
Hiashi folded his hands across his chest, looking Shikamaru dead in the eye. "The council had taken in consideration that Naruto was under a lot of stress, but nonetheless his crime was unacceptable. Naruto was charged with genocide and homicide. If he were to endanger this village again, which I assure you he won't, he would be killed on sight. And to add onto his punishment, Naruto is expelled from the shinobi ranks and can never be a ninja again."
Sasuke stared dejectedly at his ceiling. His vision was swerved, making dots appear in his eyes and his room to spin around him. He was still on the ground where he had broken down yesterday. He made an attempt to move his arms but found them to weigh down on him like lead.
His eyes drooped sadly. He had no intention of getting up. Moving as slow as a tortoise, he lay on his side, eyes closed. Everything was so dark and sad. What was the use of overexerting his eyes?
I am colorblind
Coffee black and egg white
Sasuke's ears rung and his lips felt dry. He tried licking them, only to find that his tongue muscles were not cooperating. Sighing, he went back to lying still.
Pull me out from inside
"Teme!" Sasuke groaned as sunlight entered his vision. In front of him, Naruto looked down at his best friend in shock. He looked like shit.
His hair was disheveled and all over the place. His clothes were wrinkly and soaked with tears. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. To add on even more to his pitiful state, he was laying on the freakin ground.
"S-Sasuke! Come on, man. Let's get you outside. Some good ol' sunshine and a nice warm breeze will cheer you up." He lifted Sasuke up by the shoulders and steered him to the door.
I am ready, I am ready
I am ready, I am
"We gotta get you happy, dattebayo! Forget Kiba's stupid ass! Forget her! There's more sea in the fish (Sasuke rolled his eyes)! Forget Hinata!"
Sasuke instantly froze up. Looking down at the ground, he pried Naruto's fingers off his shoulders and retreated into his bedroom.
Taffy stuck and tongue tied
Stutters shook and uptight
"Sasuke! Come back! What did I do?" Naruto followed and found a depressed Uchiha hidden under piles of blanket.
"Dobe…" a hoarse voice came from the blanket. Naruto rolled his eyes and pounced on the lump. A groan was heard.
"Sasuke. You can't do this to yourself. Heartbreak isn't so bad. You'll get over it in time and find someone new." Naruto tried cheering him up. An eye popped up from an opening and a glare was given.
"Dobe…I don't want anyone new," Sasuke said stubbornly. He turned over to his side, taking Naruto with him and sending him to the ground.
Pull me out from inside
"Ouch! Teme!" Naruto glared angrily at the duckbutt of hair. When no response came, he sighed and decided to try a different approach.
"…How does this make you feel?" Sasuke rolled his eyes at his blonde friend.
" Baka. This isn't an episode of Dr. Phil." Naruto shrugged. Sasuke snorted and got out of bed, putting on his sandals. He wanted to be alone right now.
I am ready, I am ready,
I am ready
"…You still didn't answer my question…" Sasuke stopped at the doorway. He hesitated for a moment.
"…I feel fine." With that he headed out. Naruto sighed dejectedly.
I am… fine…
Sasuke had been wandering around Konoha for the whole day. Not really knowing where he was going, he bumped into many people and was probably yelled at. Like he cared at the moment. Day soon turned into night and Sasuke felt it the right time to visit his favorite place. Sasuke walked slowly into a small meadow. He always liked coming here to think and to watch the stars above him. It really was breathtaking. From below, it seemed the stars lit up the world and danced merrily along the sky. Sometimes when Sasuke was in a good mood, he would bring his Ipod and train here, listening to "Fireflies" by Owl City. It was one of his favorite songs.
He sighed, curling up into the soft, dewy grass. He wasn't in such a good mood now.
"Momma, who's that?" Sasuke closed his eyes in irritation. Unfortunately, his spot wasn't exactly isolated and a few people passed by from time to time.
The mother gave him a fearful look. Grabbing her son's hand, she walked faster, whispering urgently, "That's Sasuke Uchiha. He's a very dangerous man. He's friends with a freak." Sasuke opened one eye at this statement and glared coldly at her. She squeaked and practically ran off with her small child clinging to her waist.
I wish people would stop treating Naruto so harshly. I understand their anger, but it really isn't his fault. If anything, they should put the blame on Sakura. His eyes narrowed. She started all of this. Toying with his heart, the most fragile thing in his body. He turned to face the skies. Still, there is something that is bothering me about that whole situation…something seemed off…I wonder…
If Naruto hadn't really activated Kyuubi by himself…
"Hinata!" Sasuke's insides squirmed. He turned on his side, just to see Kiba and Hinata walk hand in hand over in his direction. He groaned inwardly. Sighing, he decided it was best to pretend he didn't see them and glanced back up at the stars.
"Uchiha." He glared at the offending human blocking his view of a starry night.
"Inuzuka." The offending human only flashed a smirk.
"Ah! S-Sasuke-san!" Sasuke took his eyes away from Kiba's and focused on his undying affection.
"Hn. Hello Hinata." Hinata fidgeted and started to fiddle with her fingers. Kiba caught her jitteriness and decided to really rub it in the bastard's face. Winking and flashing Hinata a sexy grin, he grabbed her from behind and twirled her around merrily. Sasuke scowled at him.
I'm having de ja vu…(1)
"Hey Uchiha! Have you heard the news?" Sasuke shrugged.
"Don't need to keep up with it. I'm not old, like you." Kiba frowned darkly at him. Hinata giggled lightly behind her hand, making Sasuke's cold heart skip a beat.
"Well you should. Why don't you tell him the great news, Hinata-hime?" Hinata blushed heavily. Sasuke's smirk faltered, knowing Kiba's full intention.
"M-me and K-Kiba are d-d-dating…" Hinata said shyly to him. Sasuke nodded stiffly to her and turned his gaze back to the stars. His eyes saddened. They were so beautiful…
And yet so far away…
Kiba grinned mightily at him, hoping for a sign that he was jealous. He found none. Scowling, he looked up to see what that damned Uchiha was looking at. Seeing her boyfriend's irritation, she looked to where he was looking too.
"Kiba, what a-are we looking at?" Kiba shrugged.
"Simply looking to where that bastard's looking."
"Kiba!" Hinata scolded. "Sasuke-san i-is not a b-bastard." Sasuke peeked behind his bangs to give her a small glance.
"Sasuke." Hinata blinked.
"H-huh?"
"Sasuke. Not Sasuke-san. Just Sasuke. I hate being so formal." With that he directed his eyes back to brightly lit sky. Hinata blushed.
"U-um…okay…S-S-Sasuke…" He smiled softly beneath his bangs. Kiba was not pleased.
"Hmph! What are you looking for up there anyway?" Sasuke shrugged, dusting his pants and ridding himself of any grass. Hands stuffed in pockets, he casually called out,
"Hope." Waving slightly, he moved down the meadow to the old academy to relive some memories.
I am covered in skin
No one gets to come in
Sasuke felt his depression begin to seep back in. Sighing moodily, he leaned against a tree and looked up at his old school. Where he met her…
Pull me out from inside
He slowly went down to the ground and began to pick lazily at a couple of weeds. He had been a fool back then.
I am folded, and unfolded
And unfolding
He felt his legs become weak. His depression had finally set in again. He didn't want to move. Just wallow in self pity.
And self hatred.
I am…
He watched memories unfold before his very eyes, his past becoming clearer and clearer. He felt himself ridding reality and going back to a time where things made very little sense. But in a way, it was good.
He was a kid again.
Color…blind…
Colorblind by Counting Crows. Very depressing song (at least to me…)
(1) Reference to the movie in first chapter. By the way, not a real movie lol Just made it up
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