A/N: You thought this story was dead, didn't you! Hah! Well, it's not. Has it really been four years? That is horrifying. Ah… Sorry about the horrible, ridiculous tardiness of this chapter. I have reasons-ish. One being that I got laid off from my job (where I was getting oodles of hilarious inspiration for this story – hilarious to me, that is. Hopefully to you, too) and I got really, really sick. I'm better now! Kind of. Actually, I'm worse. But I feel better! So I'm back. I have no plans to abandon this story – I have enough notes on plot and characters to turn this into a novel – and I intend to get the next chapter out on the sooner side, depending on my attention span and pitiful time management abilities. And whether or not I can find what I've already written of chapter 4.
With that said, I was looking over the other chapters of this story and I patched up that sucky section about Shikamaru last chapter so that it's not so nonsensical and ridiculous.
Also, Arigatomina, you make my life.
Warnings: A bit o' romance in the air, death.
A New Leaf
Chapter 3 Part 2 – Underwater
Kiba sat, hunched comfortably over a steaming cappuccino. He stirred it idly as he read the funnies, chuckling every now and then when he found a good one. This was a ritual of sorts. Once a week or so, on one of his days off, he'd drive his dog Akamaru to the beach in Sand City, where they would spend the afternoon. It was like a date for married people, only Akamaru was a dog.
The café was an integral part of this ritual. It was here that Kiba received his daily dosage of life force (coffee) that would keep him going for the rest of the afternoon. Akamaru understood this as a required compromise, the same way Kiba understood he had to pick up the dog's poop, and waited calmly in the back of his human's car.
"Excuse me."
Kiba was pulled away from the cynicism of Dilbert's cubicle life by a smooth female voice. He looked up and the newspaper slumped forgotten in his hands. There was a gorgeous woman standing in front of his table, a paper bag in one hand and a steaming travel cup in the other. He unconsciously eyeballed her chest before raising his gaze to her face. She had a mass of frizzy blond hair and there was a sharp look about her that softened when she smiled.
"Sorry?" he managed, clearing his throat and readjusting his paper, feeling flustered and unprepared in a loose sweatshirt and jeans.
Her mouth curved up politely and she nodded at the empty chair across from him.
"Would you mind if I sat there? All the other tables are full."
Kiba lurched to his feet, shaking his head emphatically and standing awkwardly, newspaper in hand. He waved his free arm at the seat. "Please – go ahead."
She settled down, laughing. "Relax, I'm not chasing you off. Sit down and stay awhile."
Kiba gave an awkward grin and eased back into his chair.
"The name is Temari." She fished a bagel out of her paper bag and began to unwrap it.
"Kiba..." he watched her with a slightly dazed expression
"Want some?"
"Bagel? Oh, no thanks." Her red lips parted and her teeth sank into the cream cheese. Kiba shifted uncomfortably.
"Um," he offered once she swallowed, "nice weather?"
Temari smiled, secretly flattered by Kiba's awkward interest.
"It's one of the nicer days, in my opinion. This week has been a bit grey for my taste."
"Yeah?" Kiba fidgeted with his newspaper, feeling in mildly better control now that he was able to focus on her eyes. "It's usually overcast here, huh?" he said, as if he wasn't here every week.
"You could say that." She watched Kiba sip his espresso. "You're not from around here, are you."
"No, Konoha," he said, licking froth off his lip, and shrugged, realizing that he may have misled her. "I come here every now and then to run my dog."
She smiled, "You have a dog?"
Kiba's smile stretched his face. "He's in my car if you'd like to meet him."
Temari arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that one of the oldest lines in the book," she said, amused.
"Huh?" Kiba said, perplexed. "Akamaru?"
Temari raised both eyebrows significantly and said in a creepy, deep voice, "Come into my car, little girl. I have puppies."
Kiba turned about four shades of red and looked like he'd just sat on something wet and squishy. "That's not what I meant," he said quickly.
Temari laughed heartily, slapping her thigh, until she had to dab under her eyes to keep from ruining her makeup. She glanced at her watch. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I've got to run or I'll be late for work. It was nice to meet you." And with that she rose with her empty bag and her travel cup of coffee and hurried to the parking lot.
Kiba stared after her, a dazed expression on his face.
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Sakura held Ino's hand as she led her out of the exam room and into the back hospital. The blonde woman looked terrible. Her eyes were smeared and swollen and she was wearing a leopard print robe, pajama pants and flip flops. She anxiously nibbled the skin of her unoccupied thumb.
The diagnosis was bad.
Gaara had looked somber, beyond his usual apathy, as he told Ino the news. Her dog wasn't going to make it. She almost didn't believe him at first; her clear blue eyes were glazed over and she was dazed with shock. Her dog? Her Pakkun? No. That couldn't be right. He couldn't have gotten so sick so fast.
But he had.
Her housemates had thrown a party last night to celebrate the close of lacrosse season. Her other dog was holding fort under the bed (something he thoroughly regretted when a couple decided to make use of it), but Pakkun chose to mingle, sitting on laps and dodging drunken feet. Ino had been swaying in her boyfriend's arm when he'd leaned forward and, instead of kissing her, had reminded her that Pakkun needed his medicine.
She had been frazzled, surprised, and incredibly giddy. "Pakkun," she'd called, clutching the little bottle of antibiotic tablets. She found him on a friend's lap.
"Look at this, he likes beer," the man had said, sloshing some over the dog's head. Pakkun began licking to catch the liquid on his tongue. Everyone laughed.
"Here, Pakkun-baby," Ino had murmured, waggling the bottle of antibiotics. "I know you hate it, but it's time for your medicine."
Pakkun had ducked away.
"Hey, if he hates it so much, put it in his beer," someone had suggested. Everyone laughed and Ino mixed it up in a bowl, calling out to her dog between giggles.
She'd found him the next morning, lying on his side next to a pool of vomit on the floor of her decimated living room. His eyes were glazed, his breathing shallow. Her other dog, Iruka, was standing over him, whining. That's when she called Sakura.
"This is all my fault," Ino moaned as she clung to the pink-haired tech. "If I hadn't… if I had..."
"Shush," Sakura murmured, rubbing her shoulder. "It'll be alright, he won't feel a thing. He's going to a better place now."
Sakura's grip on her friend tightened as they saw the dog. He looked horrible. He looked small and weak and his eyes were sunken in from dehydration. He lay motionless, his IV drip a constant stream of liquid. Ino let out a strangled sob.
"Pakkun," she moaned. "Oh, Pakkun-baby, I am so sorry." Tears were leaving wet trails down her cheeks. The pug's curly tail gave a listless twitch at the sound of his name.
Ino staggered forward, gripping the exam table and extending a hand to touch him. He was stiff and deflated, like a little motorized doll. Then there was another, darker hand beside hers on the dog. She looked up into Naruto's face. He was serious for once.
"Ready?" His voice was soft.
Ino nodded before she fully understood. Sakura pulled her back as Naruto began to fill the syringe.
"Wait –" Ino's voice broke. Sakura shushed her.
"It'll be alright," she said again.
Pakkun lay still, with no reaction to the needle. It wasn't until half the poison was already in him that he began to struggle. His eyes bulged, his legs working, fighting against Naruto's grasp. Then he fell limp like a marionette with cut strings, his eyes half-mast and his head lolling. Naruto withdrew the needle and Pakkun's urine ran down the drain.
Ino stood very still, her eyes wide.
"He…" she sounded faint. "He…" The blonde caught sight of Sasuke, who stood beside her, having stepped in to avoid dealing with Anko up front. She took in a sharp breath and latched onto him.
"He didn't want to die," she shrieked, her arms closing around Sasuke's neck. She began to bawl against his chest, pressing her face into his scrubs.
Sasuke was completely horrified.
He recoiled at the combined reek of stale booze and flowery perfume. His first instinct was to attack. His eyes flashed as his arm twitched, prepared to administer a painful chop to the neck. His lip was curling back into a snarl when, for some inexplicable reason, he glanced up, meeting Naruto's blue gaze.
Slowly, the blond shook his head.
Sasuke's arms fell to his sides. He scowled down at the woman's ponytail, but for a different reason than before. He could feel anger at Naruto bubbling up. It was an irrational, frantic rage. How could he manipulate him so fucking easily? What was this, Simon Says? Resentment poisoned his glare, and Sasuke raised his eyes, hoping to spear the blond.
Naruto was looking away, gently lifting the dead dog off the exam table. It sprawled unnaturally, but he held it tenderly, like a child. Something shut down in Sasuke. He looked down again, at the shuddering woman buried against him.
Tentatively, he lifted a hand and patted her on the back. He took in a long, low breath and waited for the storm to pass.
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Anko was hiding up front. It wasn't that she couldn't handle death but, contrary to popular belief, she wasn't a fan of killing little animals. She sighed and began shuffling through the re-file pile of yellow folders.
"I'm sorry, there was a small emergency and we're behind schedule. The doctor will be able to see you shortly," Tsunade said sweetly to the client waiting in one of the mismatched chairs. He was an odd one, with oiled hair, lots of tight green fabric, and a crooked-nosed dog at his feet. He raised a pair of fearsome eyebrows.
"No worries, fine lady, I could extend my patience to solstice if need be."
Anko, who was placing a file, raised her eyebrows. Okay.
Silence. And then the man spoke, "May I inquire as to the nature of the emergency?"
Tsunade corrected her wilted smile. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that."
"Perfectly understandable." He flashed an abnormally white grin. "Would you enjoy a peppermint stick? Something to lighten the mood?"
Anko was staring at the guy from the corner of her eye. Did those teeth just sparkle? Surreal.
"No. No, thank you."
Anko leaned in toward Tsunade's thick blonde hair. "I can take him to a room," she whispered.
The receptionist rolled her eyes over to give the technician a quietly disturbed look.
"Whatever turns you on."
"Excellent."
She just had to ask about his whitening secrets.
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Naruto snapped a pair of rubber gloves over his wrists and grinned toothily down at his new charge.
"Oh, sweet dog," he cooed, running a gloved finger over Springtime's crooked nose. The dog looked away from him, showing the whites of its eyes. "Don't be like that," he said sweetly in the same endearing tone, "this'll all be over in a minute."
Naruto grabbed up a tube and began to slather clear, viscous liquid over his gloved fingers. "Sasuke, hold him for me?" he said in a normal voice.
Reeling the leash in tighter, Sasuke knelt beside the dog and wrapped an arm around its back. Springtime tried to sit, and Sasuke pressed a hand up under his abdomen. "Stand up," he muttered. Then louder, "Where's the muzzle for this guy?"
Naruto raised blond eyebrows. "Muzzle? Not for him. Look at 'im, he's a big softie." He was cooing again, Sasuke noted irritably. He couldn't help eyeing the massive german shepherd with mistrust.
"Alright, ready?" Naruto said, squatting down behind the dog. Sasuke closed one hand around the dog's jaws and pinned the head to his chest.
"Got him."
"Don't worry, sweetcakes, I'm using lots of lube," Naruto cooed to the dog, taking its tail in one hand and getting to work with the other. Sasuke could have sworn he heard a muffled "KY jelly is your friend," and grimaced at Naruto's comments. Unhappy thoughts of bestiality were dancing around in his head like demented leprechauns. He tightened his grip as the dog tried to lurch away.
A thin whine turned into a lamenting yip. Naruto was right; the dog was a softie. No growling, no snapping, nothing.
"Argh!" Naruto yelled, recoiling from the dog's rear. "He sprayed!"
Sasuke fought a smirk.
"Great, just great," Naruto mumbled. "Alright, got the first fucking gland. Next. Damn it."
A few paper towels and a splash of Cowboy Magic later, Springtime was ready to go back up front. Anko paused as she took the leash from Sasuke, giving a few pointed sniffs in the blond's direction.
"Naruto," she drawled.
"What," he mumbled, pouring rubbing alcohol onto the speckled poop stains on the front of his scrubs.
"You smell like shit," she said sweetly.
"Wow, thanks so much," Naruto said dryly. He smiled thinly. "Hurts a lot, coming from you."
Anko sneered good-naturedly and left, taking the dog up front with her. After all, her pearly whites would be polished to a blinding degree within the week. She was looking forward to inducing seizures.
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The old pickup rumbled down the highway, lurching with every bump in the road and jumbling the scratchy radio music. Kankuro took in a deep breath of air, gusty and blue and flavored with dust from the heat vents. It was good to be home.
He'd just returned from covering the recent earthquake in Chile, and as he drove down the paved road past stretches of composed shop facades, he remembered the trash and wreckage, and the faces of those who'd just lost everything. For a moment, through the smells of autumn and car dust, he thought he detected the reek of decay. He cranked down the windows with a hand that trembled and wiped a sudden sweat off on his jeans.
Enough of that. He was home now and he was going to see his girl.
He smiled slightly, much of his former humor recovered, and drummed his fingers on the wheel.
He flicked the blinkers when he saw the ancient, greasy-looking Doughnut Shoppe sign, knowing the New Leaf clinic would be behind it. The parking lot was almost empty, so he took the spot directly in front of the store. The engine shuddered into silence.
Kankuro could see technicians bustling around the front of the clinic, preparing to close, but there was no sign of his girl or his hardworking brother. He sighed and settled more comfortably in his seat.
It was getting dark, and a technician, one Kankuro wasn't familiar with, had finished mopping the front. Neither Sakura nor Gaara had shown their faces yet; he figured it was about time to go in and hunt for them.
As he shut the door to the truck, he finally spotted his girl coming out of an exam room with her arm around Ino. He frowned as he made his way to the clinic door. Why was Ino here?
"Ladies," he murmured, nodding suavely at them. Behind the counter, Anko snickered.
Sakura's face lit up, though she didn't leave Ino's side. The blonde gave him a watery smile.
"I killed Pakkun," she sobbed, her face melting in misery.
Kankuro didn't know what to say. Pakkun had always nipped and yapped at him and would pee in his shoes – or occasionally on his leg – if he took them off.
He sincerely tried to look sympathetic.
"There, there, dear," murmured Tsunade, handing Ino some tissues over the front counter, "It's not your fault."
Ino pressed the tissues to her face and howled.
"Okay," Kankuro backed up, trying to disguise his escape and doing poorly, "I'll just find Gaara. There's something very important I need to speak with him about."
Sakura shot him a look.
He laughed awkwardly and all but dashed behind the front counter, nearly tripping over Inari, Sakura's twitchy yap-dog, as he retreated from the sounds of Ino drizzling into her tissue.
"Geez," Kankuro muttered as he let himself into the back. It could be hard to deal with Ino on a good day, and since he was familiar with some of the horrific shit people went through with painful dignity – his trip to Chile was especially fresh in his mind – he found her inability to cope, well, kind of pathetic, actually.
The problem was that she and Sakura were close, and he couldn't call Ino vapid or ridiculous without being burned by his girlfriend's ire.
It was like the girl version of Bros Before Hos pact, except that Chicks Before Dicks looked like it was going to stay fast until the grave. Kankuro sighed. Women.
Speaking of bros…
As he turned a corner in the clinic, he saw his brother washing his hands in the sink, looking pensive. But, then again, when didn't Gaara look disgruntled and thoughtful?
"Baby brother!" he crowed, swooping in and punching the doctor in the arm. Gaara looked vaguely offended.
"Kankuro," he said stoically in greeting. "How was your trip?"
"It was…" Kankuro began, slightly surprised he had asked, "it was interesting, I guess. Pretty intense."
"Please, no more," Gaara said in monotone. "The details are too excruciating. Just stick to vague statements, please."
Kankuro raised his eyebrows. Was that a joke? How… how strange and frightening. And awkward. He offered an uncertain smile.
"So how is clinic life?" Kankuro said, but Gaara wasn't listening. He was looking toward the bathroom, where Naruto stood, closing the door, wearing jeans and a T-shirt with his scrubs balled up under one arm.
He caught sight of the two men and grinned. "Kankuro! You're back!" Naruto sped over. "Aha!" he cried.
"Haha!" was Kankuro's reply as they slapped a high-five. He grinned back at the blond. "Good to see you, man." He looked at Gaara, feeling slightly guilty for not being inclusive. "Haha?" he said tentatively, holding a hand up for his brother to slap.
Gaara ignored him.
He was staring at Naruto.
"Ah, Gaara, do you mind if I borrow your clothes?" Naruto asked sweetly.
Gaara gave him a pointed once-over.
"Ahah, I mean, I hope you don't mind if I borrowed them?" He offered. "The Springtime of Youth sprayed his anal glands on me!" he cried suddenly, dropping to his knees. "Please, lord Sabaku, please don't make me drive home covered in poo!"
Kankuro stared.
"I hope to never live in a world where hearing something like that is normal," he said.
Gaara was secretly amused. "It's fine," he said. Naruto beamed and leapt to his feet. He threw his arms around Gaara's neck.
"Gaara, you're the best!" he all but shouted. He stepped back, still smiling, and snatched his soiled scrubs from the exam table where he'd thrown them. Waving, he danced out of the room to clock out.
Gaara stared after him.
Kankuro looked at Gaara and scowled slightly. "You're still in love with him," he said.
Gaara ignored him, continuing to gaze at the place where Naruto had disappeared. Maybe if he pretended to be dead, he wouldn't have to have this conversation. He closed his eyes and willed rigor mortis.
"Gaara," Kankuro stepped closer to his brother, "Maybe you should talk to him about it. You know he bats for your team."
Gaara's eyes snapped open and he turned a pointed glare at his brother.
Kankuro shrugged. "I'd like it if there was somebody to look out for you. I know you've felt all fucked up since the accident, and I bet what happened with Pakkun didn't help. Naruto understands that kind of shit."
Gaara turned abruptly on his heel and began to stalk out of the room.
Kankuro caught up quickly and wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders, stopping his escape.
"Hey," he said, "I missed you." He gave Gaara's shoulder a squeeze when he didn't respond. "Don't forget what family's there for. Don't be afraid to trust me sometime."
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The rain pattered on the roof of the car as the men drove in silence. It had been a long day, and the fact that Ino was a friend to some of the people at the clinic had made it hard. Sakura had essentially skipped out on work in order to comfort her friend. Naruto didn't hold it against her, hell he respected her sticking to her friend, but it made it rough trying to keep up with appointments.
Naruto sighed, thinking about how Ino had killed her dog. Boozing dogs wasn't that uncommon. When he had been in high school, he used to drink at a friend's house when their parents were out and they would feed the dog beer until its hind legs would wobble and his whole back end would swing around. He didn't think much of it at the time, and he didn't worry much about the dog's health now that he did know better, but then that dog was a tall, built bloodhound and Pakkun was a shrimpy, smoosh-faced pug.
In the passenger seat, Sasuke enjoyed the mutual silence. The shush of the rain soothed him and he felt comfortable in the humid warmth that blew from the vents. The water slicking off the windows gave him an underwater feel. The outside world felt distant. Exterior sounds seemed muted and light became distorted into bubbles and stars. Traffic lights were the dazzling lures of lantern fish and glittering shop fronts slid past like moonlit coral. Sasuke touched the cool glass with his fingers and watched a halo of condensation fog the window around his hand. The world seemed slow and sensual.
Allowing his hand to drop and rest on his lap, he lay back in his seat to enjoy the surreal feeling of the night. A ripple of headlights caught his eye and he turned to look as Naruto was dappled in underwater light. The light fell through the windshield, wet and rippled, to touch Naruto's face and chest with mobile intimacy. The car passed and the light caressed Naruto's cheek and arms before slipping out the window and into the darkness beyond.
The car rolled to a stop at a traffic light and their world was bathed in hot red light. Sasuke watched as the whites of Naruto's eyes took on a pinkish gleam and his skin looked almost black. Naruto's fingers drummed the wheel and he glanced toward Sasuke, catching his eye. At another time, he might have fled eye contact, chasing himself with thoughts of professionalism and memories of cruelty and isolation. Tonight he observed how the wash of red light dulled all other colors until Naruto looked like a different man.
Abruptly, green light shattered the image. Sasuke blinked slowly as Naruto came swimming back, full of color. Naruto frowned slightly, a look of concern easing into his face.
"Are you all right?" he asked hesitantly. His voice cut into Sasuke's languid mood. Sasuke started as he surfaced from his pleasant stupor. He scowled.
"The light is green," he snapped after a moment's pause.
Checking to see that the light was indeed green, Naruto looked back at Sasuke as he eased on the gas. He realized he had been so caught up in his thoughts he had ignored his coworker for the entire ride. Lost in thought. He smiled a brief, wry smile. Now that's something that doesn't happen often. For a touch he debated trying to spark a conversation for the remaining few minutes of their drive. A quick glance at Sasuke's face discouraged him from the effort. When they pulled up in front of Sasuke's apartment, it was without a word that Sasuke rose from his seat, shut the car door and hurried into the building.
Once alone and driving, Naruto blew out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He dialed the radio on and fiddled with the stations. None of the stations suited him at the moment and he turned the radio off again. Outside the car the rain had picked up and he could hear fat droplets popping on the roof. Unable to stand the stuffy heat any longer, he turned off the air and rolled down his window. He parked his elbow in the open frame and rested his hand on the cool, slick roof. Raindrops snapped on his exposed arm and some flew in to darken his shirt.
When he had parked the car and locked it, he walked slowly to the condo he rented. Rain was creeping down his shirt and slid down his temple like sweat. Unlocking the front door, he kicked off his shoes and strode toward the bathroom. The smell of sage and the sound of footesteps in the kitchen informed him that his housemate was cooking.
Naruto didn't bother to lock the bathroom door. He flicked the light switch and stood over the sink, eyeing his reflection severely. He looked like summer and it was well into autumn now. The shirt he was wearing was soaked through – he'd forgotten his sweatshirt at work. Looking at it now he remembered it was Gaara's shirt. He peeled it off carefully and hung it over the shower curtain to dry. He stripped off Gaara's pants, too, and left the bathroom in his boxers.
Shino stepped out of the kitchen to greet him as he passed.
"I'm making squash ravioli and butter sage sauce if you would like to have dinner with me," Shino said, his voice flat.
That sounds fucking disgusting. "Thanks, but I already have dinner plans tonight," Naruto lied. Now that he'd said that, he'd have to go out again. Fuck. He would probably swing by a sports bar or grab a slice of pizza by himself.
Shino simply nodded impassively and retreated to continue his cooking.
As he walked away, Naruto felt a pang. He usually turned Shino's invitations down without a second thought. Being continuously rejected by Sasuke must have been more humbling than he'd thought. For a moment, Naruto wondered if Shino felt hurt or let down. He dragged a fresh shirt and pants out of his dresser and shook them out. They were housemates, not best friends. Naruto shrugged and scratched himself and didn't think about it again.
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"Doctor?" Tsunade knocked at the doorframe and leaned her head into Dr. Sabaku's office, "I'm closing up. Are you going to be alright here?"
The doctor waved her in and she shut the door behind her. He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed.
"There will always be cases that can't be cured. We can't save everyone that walks in these doors."
Tsunade let out a light breath and settled down on an empty desk chair. This could take a while.
"We're the best, Tsunade. We have to be the best. We can't afford to be anything but professional. No personal involvement. No…" he waved his hand vaguely in the air.
He lapsed into a long silence.
"Will that be all, doctor?" She asked calmly.
Gaara nodded slowly.
"Yes. Thank you."
"Well, I'm clocked out. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
She left, double checking the fans and locking the door, leaving the hospital dark but for the yellow circle of light around the open door of the doctor's office.
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A/N: I laugh at my own jokes, by the way. It's kind of a problem since I'm not sure anyone else finds them funny. Oh, and no, this is not an "everybody loves Naruto" story. Shino is not trying to bone him; he's a reserved but kindhearted person and wants to make friends and Naruto is just kind of a prick.
The section with Naruto and Sasuke in the car was written out completely in green, apple-scented gel pen before I put it up. It was very ridiculous and hard to read.
(Below is superfluous, self-ingratiating babble. Feel free to ignore it.)
As a side note, an important part of clinic work is dealing with the grief of clients. It's something that can be really emotionally grueling for all the people involved. Whenever we had to put an animal down at work, everyone would be gloomy for the rest of the day. People can also be really funky about it. One woman (a client, not an employee) did stuff like burn incense in the room and cut off some of her hair that she wanted to be cremated with the dog. It was interesting. But hey, whatever floats your boat.
My old boss once said that, before every euthanasia, he would send up a prayer that the animal wouldn't struggle and dislodge the syringe from the vein, because that's just… horrible. Because half a syringe full isn't enough to kill them. It just leaves them poisoned and in pain. Thought I ought to leave you on a happy note, so please think about giraffes.