Hey guys. Please let me know whatever typos/errors you come across in this; It's 6:53am Friday morning, I have not slept and have been up all night working on this, "Sanctuary" and another SasuNaru called "Imperfect" I've done several quick read-throughs to try and comb out any errors but yes, my brain is shutting down.
As usual a huge load of thanks goes out to my super awesome reviewers: Akirakun17, ovicati, Immortalis Cruor Elf, Haru-Harun, JuMiKu, Kenny-chan, pennypigeon, DevilishBea,LurvirsLuvvie, IWishIWasACheescake, KyuuKyuuMoo and Final Syai Lunar Generation. (Sorry, I after looking through this, I realised I missed a few people... Thanks for letting me know!)
Hope you guys enjoy! Con-crit, questions, errors/typos/whatever, let me know! Happy reading.
サスケxナルト
III
The task
サスケxナルト
Team seven were back at the hospital bright and early the next morning, ready to collect the last member of their team.
Sasuke had barely enough time to slip home, rush a shower before returning to the place he'd spent the entire night. Sleep had been elusive but even if his mind hadn't been preoccupied, remaining perched precariously on a window sill wasn't exactly conducive for rest of any kind. As such, he was in a particularly dark mood when the rest of his team did show; an hour or two after the crack of dawn.
Kakashi was even on time for once.
"Yo," the man greeted casually.
"Morning, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura murmured then yawned behind her hand. "Morning Sasuke-kun."
Their greetings went largely ignored by Sasuke.
The hospital room where Naruto spent most of the day before and previous night looked exactly as it had before the Uchiha took his leave, except now, the blond child was awake and sitting up in his oversized bed, watching with wide blue eyes as Tsunade took his blood pressure manually.
"How's he doing, Tsunade-shishou?"
The shimmering green light of Tsunade's chakra faded as she pulled back from the small child. "He's doing as well as can be expected," she replied and gestured to a reasonably sized pack resting on one of the bedside drawers. "His medical supplies are in there."
The blond child immediately reached for one of Tsunade's pigtails and commenced gnawing on it.
"Brat," the woman muttered, but didn't bother trying to remove her hair from his mouth. Nor did that stop the soft smile that settled on her ageless features.
"Good morning, Naru-chan," Sakura beamed at the boy as she leaned toward him. "We get to go to Sasuke-kun's house. Yes, we do. We'll be staying with him for a while. I'm sure Naru-chan will like that, won't you?"
Large azure eyes watched her curiously, blinked, then closed as a crooked grin formed across his small face. "'Ra-ra!"
Everyone froze. It was the first proper sounding word he'd even attempted in their presence. Despite it being mangled horribly, Sasuke knew that it was the small blonde's way of saying Sakura. Really, he shouldn't have been so surprised. Still, it irked him impossibly for reasons that eluded him.
Sensing something was different, the baby stiffened and pulled back into himself, releasing Tsunade's hair.
"It's okay!" Sakura enthused with a watery smile. She knelt beside the hospital bed slowly, so that she wouldn't frighten the baby any more than he already was. "That's right, Ra-ra. Naru-chan was trying to say Sa-ku-ra, weren't you, Naru-chan?"
The child didn't move and it was painfully obvious to everyone in the room that he expected retaliation of some kind.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his brows drew down.
"C'mon, brat," the Hokage muttered and ruffled his blond hair gently. "I've got to get back to running this place and you have to go off with your team. Do you think you can do that for me, Naruto?"
The baby stared at her but seemed to relax.
Sasuke eyed the little boy before snatching up the baby's prepared pack. Pulling it open, he noted the contents, then closed it back up. He wasn't surprised that there was also two outfits and a large purse full of money, presumably for all of baby Naruto's needs. He threw the pack over his shoulder and adjusted the strap, more than ready to leave.
Taking this as a hint, Sakura plucked the baby carefully from the bed, then wrapped him in an old, if thick jumpsuit. It clearly belonged to her in her younger years, if the colour was any indication.
The Uchiha felt his lip twitch. It was pink. Pink with flowers and rabbits. Perfect blackmail material.
Sakura flushed. "It's only until we get to your house," she explained, patiently. "Once he's fed we can bath him and put him in something else. I just don't want him catching a chill being exposed to the early morning air."
A valid point. Sasuke buried his hands in his pockets. The sooner they left, the better in his opinion. Not particularly keen on lingering any longer than was absolutely necessary.
"I want him back here if any complications arise," Tsunade ordered. "Anything at all. I don't care if he develops a case of the sniffles he will be returned immediately, do you understand me?"
"Yes, Shishou."
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
"Hnm."
Amber eyes fixed themselves to Sasuke in warning. "And if anything happens to him while he's in this state, you Uchiha, will be held responsible."
Like he had expected anything different.
サスケxナルト
The group of four arrived at Sasuke's house without issue.
The journey relatively swift, if spent in a tense silence as the enormity of the situation struck home. They had to babysit and not just anyone but their own de-aged team mate—something that still, despite the fact he'd witnessed the entire thing, had received the seemingly logical explanation, couldn't believe—and if that weren't bad enough, that same team member had been mistreated...
Thankfully, the medication issued should dull down anymore 'attacks' that Naruto had. Still, it wasn't something that Sasuke felt comfortable with. He hated the total loss of control. Couldn't even think about what the idiot, Naruto had gone through without growing furious and scaring the baby with the density of his killing intent.
While his childhood wasn't the picture of ideal, he'd been loved. Looked after. He'd never had to worry about his stomach being empty—if that ever happened, it wasn't for long and generally his own fault—he'd never been without a roof over his head or a warm, comfortable place to sleep in at night; never felt that he wasn't safe; never been truly alone. His mother doted on him when he was ignored by his father and Itachi—he couldn't, wouldn't think about him—but he had plenty of uncles, aunties that he knew loved him. Knew that he could count on.
Children were meant to be the key to the future. They were meant to be the product of their parent's combined genetics and—usually, not always because sometimes it was out of political interest—love. They were supposed to be cherished. Adored.
Realistically, he knew that there would be cases out there that would be shockingly similar to Naruto's own few years of life. Some much worse. Was aware—because he wasn't naïve, not like Naruto, however he was beginning to seriously reconsider that last—that even children with families of their own could be mistreated. Abused. Molested. Killed.
But this was Naruto. The Uchiha had known that the idiot's life hadn't been like his; hadn't suffered true loss the way Sasuke had and while he had suspected the blond of being neglected to an extent, had never ever dreamed things were quite this bad.
Starved of attention, of affection of the general care that even a pet would usually receive and Sasuke could picture Naruto; as small as he was now, in a corner somewhere in a nondescript building filled with other children about as tiny, watching and not understanding why he was being ignored. Why he was getting hurt. Why he wasn't fed as often or as much as the other children. Why, just why.
Sasuke ground his teeth but kept his anger reigned in. He would find out who was responsible for this and he would see that they were punished for it. If they happened to die during that punishment, well that wasn't his fault.
Still, it didn't change anything and it made him wonder how Naruto ended up the way he was. So seemingly innocent and carefree. With an admirable if sickening capacity to love practically everyone. Sasuke had always considered it a weakness, one of the worst but was rethinking this. It had gotten him back in Konoha. It had helped Naruto through his own trials in life that Sasuke had only heard of once he returned and it was all real.
After being around the boy long enough, Sasuke knew when Naruto was fronting; when his laugh was forced, when his smile was faked even if everyone else—apart from Sakura and possibly Kakashi—wasn't aware.
Removing his sandals in the entrance of his home, Sasuke padded softly toward the kitchen to prepare tea, not waiting for his guests to follow. They could do as they liked, so long as they didn't make a mess or touch anything they shouldn't. The latter, he wasn't too concerned with. Anything of consequence had been put away, so unless Kakashi or Sakura stooped to snooping around, there was nothing to fret over.
"It's so... quiet in here," he heard Sakura mumble as she trailed behind him, Naruto clasped to her chest. "Don't you get lonely?"
Lonely? When he spent most of his waking moments with his team on missions around the village or training? When he had Naruto talking his ear off until Sasuke had a headache and found a way of shutting the annoyance up? He spared the tiny blond a look then went back to preparing the tea pot.
"No."
"To each their own," Sakura replied and shuffled away. "Say, Naru-chan, why don't we go play in the sitting room with Kaka-sensei? How does Naru-chan like that idea?"
"Ngh, 'Ra-ra."
Sakura giggled as she moved further away. "I'll take that as a yes."
Pausing to watch the pair vanish around the corner, Sasuke shook his head and went back to making tea. He doubted anyone had eaten breakfast so once he'd delivered the tea, he could set about preparing that next.
サスケxナルト
Breakfast—as was standard these last few days of having guests—was a quiet affair. With the usual silence breaker being reduced to small gurgling sounds and badly put together syllables. Regardless, it was an improvement, even if he was still brought to tears the moment Sasuke or Kakashi got within two feet of him and he wasn't in Sakura's arms.
She had to be getting tired.
"Does Iruka know?"
A guilty silence met his inquiry and Sasuke snorted. Of course. Unfolding his arms, he made his way over to where Sakura now had a fed and freshly bathed baby seated in front of her, playing with a few wooden blocks Kakashi had purchased the first day their official baby-sitter duty kicked in.
"Sakura, you should go tell him."
The girl looked up, a small frown adorning her face and Sasuke could already envision an argument forming. It was obvious she was attached to the pintsized blond, even a blind person would have noticed. She had rarely left his side, except to use the bathroom and he had a feeling she'd hated every second they'd been parted. It wasn't healthy. Not for her or Naruto. The baby had to adjust to others being around him or it may affect the way he acted when he finally returned to normal. Sasuke didn't really believe the latter, still he thought it a valid reason to separate the pair. Even if for only another half an hour.
"I can't leave Naru-chan here. What if he cries? He doesn't exactly seem to like you or Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi sighed, nose buried in his book. "I think that is what Sasuke-kun's getting at."
Sakura bit her lip and peered down at the baby, he was looking back up at her, his expression—as far as Sasuke could interpret—troubled. Almost as if he could actually sense what Sakura was feeling, like a form of freaky ESP. He offered a half gnawed green block to the pink-haired teen. While he was distracted, Sasuke approached.
Sinking down into a crouch right beside the baby, the Uchiha swept in and picked him up before the child was aware what was happening. Startled, blue eyes turned to the dark-haired boy and stared. Sasuke stared back. And Naruto immediately burst into terrified little tears. It was almost enough to make the annoyed teen drop him.
"Naru-chan—"
"No," Sasuke snapped as Sakura hastily rose to her feet, attempting to take Naruto back from him. "He has to learn to go to other people," he told her, holding the struggling toddler. He glared at her. "He doesn't like me or Kakashi for whatever reason and he needs to get over that, which won't happen if you keep smothering him and giving him an out."
"I'm not smot—"
The Uchiha's glare intensified. "You are," he bit out as Naruto yanked his hair. He ignored it, focusing on Sakura. "If Naruto's going to adjust to living here, he has to get use to being around Kakashi and I as well as you."
"He is adjusting," Sakura argued stubbornly, keeping her voice down. No doubt, so she wouldn't upset the screaming baby further. "I just think it's bette—"
If Sasuke weren't so irritated, he might have respected Sakura for speaking back. Sakura of the past would have caved the moment he suggested anything and it reminded him, yet again, that he had left them behind; Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and while he was absent, they had grown and changed, just as he had.
Sakura was her own person now. Strong and wilful. No longer deluded into believing she would be the next Lady Uchiha. Determined to do what she thought was right for those she cared for and not about to bow down to his demands because of some ridiculous crush that she thought was love. More than that, it was clear those feelings had vanished entirely.
Still, having Sakura as one of his fangirls would have been helpful at that moment. "This isn't a chance at redemption for past crimes," Sasuke informed her, coldly.
"Sasuke," Kakashi chided. "Sakura, I think what Sasuke is really trying to say is that Naruto needs more exposure. I understand your desire to keep him safe and happy but he can't grow reliant on just you. It isn't healthy for either of you. He needs room to grow into his own person, since it is possible he may remember everything that happens to him during this time. It may even change him."
"I just want my Naruto back," she murmured quietly as Naruto's crying lessened in volume.
Sasuke stared down at the tiny child held carefully in his arms very much displeased. Round, pink face scrunched up and tear soaked, Naruto had stopped crying and had started whimpering instead. He wasn't in pain—at least, nothing physical—Sasuke would know otherwise.
"We all want him back, Sakura-chan," Kakashi responded, equally as quiet. "Just remember we're a team. That means that we work together. Share the burden."
"Alright," Sakura conceded, but not before shot Sasuke a warning look. "I'll let Iruka-sensei know. Do you want anything in particular for lunch? I may as well get us something while I'm out."
"Anything will be fine, Sakura," Kakashi informed with a vague wave in her direction, his nose was already back in his book.
"Right," she murmured, heading toward the cabinet where Naruto's medicine was kept. "Remember," she began fishing three different bottles out. She held up the first—a clear, narrow bottle filled with what looked like shampoo; the consistency was certainly right and it was white with an almost pearly shimmer to it—in front of Sasuke.
He sent her a narrowed look.
"This one, is the draught he needs to take if he starts having an episode. He shouldn't, because I've just dosed him but just in case. A teaspoon should be enough—" She paused, put the bottle away and pulled out a much smaller, pale green bottle with an eye-dropper. "This is the one you use if it gets really bad. This is the sedative. Only one drop, okay? If he needs this—take him to the hospital. Shizune-san—"
Sasuke's glare silenced her. For a few seconds.
"I'm just making sure you know what to do," she huffed, aggravated then turned to Naruto, her expression softening instantly. "Say, Naru-chan, I have to go for a little while so Sasu-kun and Kaka-sensei will be looking after you. I'll be back later, okay? You be good for them while I'm gone."
Naruto's little hands shot out as Sakura took a step away from him and Sasuke turned, so the blond was facing the other way. Not to be deterred, the little idiot, wriggled the opposite way to face the pink-haired girl again.
"'Ra-ra!" He exclaimed.
Sasuke's brow developed an infuriated tick which only grew when he saw the expression on Kakashi's mask-covered face. The man had better not say anything. If he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't.
"Well, I'll be back a little later," Sakura murmured from the direction of the entranceway. "See you. Be good, Naru-chan!"
Then, thankfully, she was gone. If Sasuke had to put up with her mothering Naruto a moment longer, he thought he might just kill her. He didn't particularly care how this was achieved, just that he would do it.
This concept was re-revaluated when—not a moment later—the blond in his arms started whimpering again and Kakashi put his book aside. The teen turned away and set to patting the baby's trembling back awkwardly. Aside from what he'd observed others do, he actually had little idea of how to care for a child. For an obviously distraught baby. But this was Naruto, it should have been simple. With that in mind, he stopped his patting.
"Stop crying," he ordered quietly but sternly. If this child was anything like the Naruto he knew in his teens or even the pubescent version, molly-coddling him wouldn't help at all. "Sakura will be back later and she asked you to behave, didn't she?" In response, Sasuke earned a hiccup. Moderately satisfied, he snorted. "Good."
He peered down at the child, whose watery blue eyes stared right back into his own deep onyx. The blonde's mouth wavered; caught in a vicious fight that wanted it to turn downward, waiting for more tears to fall and Sasuke was struck again by how someone could ever want to hurt this tiny, bright and innocent creature. Sure, he understood the insane urge to maim Naruto when he was bigger and louder and all round annoying, but when he was this small?
"Hmm," Kakashi muttered, peering over Sasuke's shoulder at the child in the dark-haired boy's arms. Naruto's bright blue eyes flew up to Kakashi's face and Sasuke saw his eyes widen, his little face scrunch back up unhappily. However, he didn't cry. "You got him to stop crying. Congratulations."
Sasuke ground his teeth.
"Now, now," Kakashi chided as he took a step back from the annoyed teen. "No need to be like that. I know Naru-chan's cute but you have to play nice and share him with everyone. It wouldn't be fair on anyone else if you monopolised his time and would make you a hypocrite."
"Kakashi..."
"There's no need to be so jealous," the silver-blond Jounin added, ignoring the growled warning. "Sakura-chan's only doing what she thinks is right. It can't be helped if Naruto-kun favours her; she is the closest thing he has to a mother right now..." he paused. "She's probably the closest thing he's ever had to a real mother. Or, what he'll remember anyway."
That garnered Sasuke's interest. What had he meant? Did he know something more about Naruto's past? If so, why hadn't he said anything earlier? Did he know who Naruto's biological mother was? If he did, why hadn't he told Naruto about her? They all knew how the blond idiot felt about family, even if it was painful, he'd still want to know.
"Don't you think, Sasuke?" Kakashi questioned with a grin. The teen frowned, having not heard the full question.
"What?" He drawled, framing a question of his own about Kakashi's previous statement.
If possible, Kakashi's grin widened beneath his mask and Sasuke knew he wasn't going to like whatever the man was about to say next. "I was just talking about how well Sakura's been looking after Naruto these last few days and commented on her making an excellent mother."
Sasuke knew what the man was implying and shot him a look; not amused in the least.
"We're going outside to feed the fish," he intoned causing the small blond to look back up at him. "Do what you like, just don't wreck anything."
"I think I might come along."
Not like Sasuke cared. "Hn."
With one arm wrapped around Naruto's small body, Sasuke set about packing up the baby's medicine—just to be prepared—then pulled an old loaf of bread from his pantry and after making sure that the blond in his grip was properly clothed, headed outside.
The koi pond was a large body of water that appeared more like a small river, flowing around the compound and seemingly only broken by the occasional bridge. Some parts of it were shallow enough to barely cover his ankles while the deepest part reached his collar if he stood—not that he'd ever go swimming in it, being as murky as it was in some parts—still, he was very cautious about having a small child near it. If the baby by some chance managed to get away from Sasuke and into that pond, the likelihood of him living would be slim to none.
Seating himself slowly beside the body of water—a section that was shallower and had little to no algae coating the surface—the teen plopped Naruto in his lap and handed him some of the stale, broken up bread.
The tiny blond looked down at it, then back at him. Demonstrating, Sasuke picked a piece of bread and carefully tossed it into the water. Almost immediately it was set upon by a number of fish. Their gold and white and copper coloured bodies breaking the surface of the water in their haste.
Naruto gasped, staring. Then backed right into Sasuke's chest, clearly afraid.
"Don't be scared," Sasuke admonished and threw a handful of the crumbs into the water, causing a frenzy of fins and bubbles and splashing. He helped Naruto scoop some of the crumbs up then released his grip on the other's much smaller hand. "You try."
Instead of throwing it, however, Naruto put the handful in his mouth. Disgusting.
"No," Sasuke glowered and repeated the process of helping the child collect a handful of crumbs, then selected some for himself. "Watch," he ordered, making sure that the idiot was actually paying attention, then flicked his wrist and released the crumbs to the ravenous koi that had gathered near his spot in the pond. "Now you go."
The result was instantaneous; with Naruto's hand back at his mouth. Sasuke growled and the hand dropped away. This time, not a single crumb eaten at the child stared up at the annoyed teen with frightened eyes.
"Idiot."
"Maybe you should try to explain this to him," Kakashi intervened. "If he's been starved, he'd be of the mindset to eat as much food as possible whenever and wherever it's available. This isn't his fault, Sasuke."
The Uchiha knew that, he was far from ignorant but it frustrated him that something he believed would be enjoyable and different for the child was ruined by his upbringing—although, that was a term Sasuke was going to use lightly.
He wasn't angry at Naruto; he was angry with the circumstances surrounding the toddler's life. Infuriated at the people who did this. Furious at those who knew about it but stood aside and did nothing to stop it. But most of all, he hated the Yondaime for sealing a demon inside a baby and then expecting people to accept that baby—that human sacrifice—with open arms. He knew all about it now; it had been one of the things he had discussed with Naruto once he'd returned and he wasn't happy.
"S'ke."
The soft, garbled word had him staring at Naruto, stunned. The child looked down at the crumbs in his minute fist, azure eyes flickering to Sasuke then the water. Pulling a face, the little boy threw his crumbs. Most missed their intended target, falling short of the actual water but some of the bread bits reached the fish waiting beneath the calm surface.
"Well, what do you know?" Kakashi remarked, watching the fish thrash about once more food was introduced.
"S'ke," the baby mumbled again, that crooked, uncertain grin tugging his lips upwards as large, blue eyes stared up at Sasuke expectantly. Almost as if waiting for him to react or something.
Or... seeking approval.
Sasuke's hand was buried in golden hair before he was even aware of what he was doing—absently noting how soft and fine it felt between his fingers—and tousled the silken strands in the same way Tsunade had just days before. It caused Naruto to giggle happily and Sasuke was unable to stop the way his own lips quirked upward in response.
"That's right, little idiot."
And Naruto giggled again.
Hope you enjoyed that. Please review.
I really liked this ending. Inspired by my cat, who was sitting at the end of my bed while I was writing this. I had no idea what she was doing, but she kept bouncing up and down and I realised that she wanted to play "fishing" with me, so I got out my ribbon and was sufficiently distracted for a good half hour until she was tired out. After she'd had her fill, I was released to my writing once more and bam, the ending hit me over the head just like that.
Thats it for this week. I'll likely post my first chapter of "Imperfect" later today once I get some rest. Sanctuary is now five pages in, with a good deal of the middle part mapped out to perfection. Bless you foggy weather for offering up such a perfect idea!
Now, my ducklings I shall sleep!