Chapter Three
Naruto looked up at the sound of his name. He saw his friend Kiba looking at him with some worry in his eyes but mostly a question of what the hell he was doing crouched in the middle of the road. Naruto felt really sick. Perhaps it was the sake, he shouldn't have drank so much of it. Without giving his friend a reply Naruto turned away to dry heave. His stomach curled in as if it would push all it's content out of it but there was nothing except bile coming out.
"Hey are you okay" he felt a hand on his back. Kiba's voice relayed more worry than his eyes did.
"I'm fine "Naruto said. " I want to go home " he added miserably.
" you are drunk" Kiba said as if shocked. Naruto was a little affronted by that, he could hold his drink! He couldn't find the energy to tell his friend that so he tried to stand but staggered dangerously. It felt like the world moved from under his feet.
"Whoa" he heard Kiba say "easy there"
Naruto sighed "why is life so difficult Kiba. " he asked.
"huh? How the hell would i know?" Kiba asked giving him a look.
" I mean would it be so wrong if we all got what we wanted. If there was no obstacle standing in the way every time we try to do something.
" Naruto you are talking strange, are you really drunk"
Naruto spun around to look at his friend not minding how fast the world spun. He caught himself from falling backwards and pushed Kiba's hand away when he offered to help. "I'm not drunk! I'm just trying to say that it really really sucks you know. That I have to grovel once again. I mean she hurt me! She took everything from me why-" he stopped to swallow " why should i be the one to come crawling back huh?"
Naruto could feel the tears in the back of his throat but he held it in. He would be damned before he cried for that woman. He couldn't believe how much it still hurt after all these years that past. He couldn't stop talking though, he wanted to say it all out.
" I never asked for anything. I just wanted to be left alone, to... Chase after my dreams. Is this too much to ask for." he asked.
" alright I hear you" Kiba said and took him by his arm. " let's go home and you can tell me all about it okay"
Naruto allowed Kiba to pull him along while he looked at the face of his friend. " you get me right Kiba? It's not fair right? She wronged me and I'm not the one who should talk to her first" he said.
" of course Naruto. Let's go home and you can get some sleep then tomorrow we can go to her and ask her to apologize" Kiba said looking back at Naruto. Naruto nodded and dropped his head. She would never apologize, he just knew it.
they arrived at his and Kiba's room. A one bedroom apartment in a three storey building. Naruto puked when they got inside. He held the sink and puked his guts out. It hurt, his stomach. He curled around the sink and dried to sleep but something cold was sprinkled on him. He opened his eyes to see Kiba standing over him with a bottle of water." want some?" he asked.
Naruto blinked but didn't try to move to take it. " come on. It's good for you." Kiba said.
Naruto shook his head and tried to sleep and was startled awake when he felt himself being lifted. He was over Kiba's shoulder. " Kiba" he groaned.
" you will thank me later." Kiba said and carried him into the room. Naruto curled into himself when Kiba placed him on his bed. The bottle of water was placed in front of him again and this time he collected it.
He reluctantly placed the bottle to his mouth and looked at Kiba who was sitting on his bed while taking off his clothes. Kiba knew Naruto was gay and still comfortably took off his clothes around him. Naruto was grateful to him for this but right now he felt like crap, both physically and emotionally. The last thing he needed was to be reminded of how long he has gone without sex. He placed the bottle on the ground and turned to face the wall. His mind had successfully blocked the image of the past. He could no longer hear her mocking laugh or see her face. He didn't want to see her, that much he knew.
" are you asleep Naruto" Kiba said. He was leaning over trying to look at Naruto's face, Naruto could feel the warmth radiating off him. He shranked back from it and nodded. Kiba ruffled his hair " alright we'll talk tomorrow" he said.
Naruto did not reply. He felt the weight move from his bed and soon a loud snore was heard. Naruto pulled the blanket over himself and cried. He didn't know why he was crying only that he just felt too bad. His head was hurting and he felt sick. Yes that was the reason.
Naruto woke up the next day but couldn't feel the urge to go hunting for a job so he sat on his bed all day watching TV, eating junk food and sleeping. Two days went by like this. Kiba complained about Naruto messing up the place and Naruto, without going into too much talk, promised to clean it.
He forgot. He only remembered when he heard Kiba's heavy boot down the stairs. Kiba saw the room the way he left it and Naruto thought he would blow off but instead he pulled Naruto down in front of him and tried to get him to talk.
" what's wrong Naruto. For two days you've been walking around like a goddamn zombie"
"I'm not-"
" don't even try to deny it. You've hardly left the house and look at this place. Just tell me what's going on" Kiba said. Naruto looked at him stubbornly for a moment. He sighed when he realized that his friend was just trying to understand him in a situation where others would have demanded he fixed his problems or move out. There lies the advantage of having your best friend as a roommate, Naruto thought. Still, he didn't know what to tell Kiba. That the woman who took everything from him was offering him a job? Or better, the woman he held a grudge with for four years was offering him a job because she didn't even remember who the hell he was.
Everyday since that day he had imagined showing up in front of her rich and famous to see her cower before him and beg for his forgiveness. Tell him she was sorry for ruining his life. But no he had to be the one to go to her, broke with no hope of earning his next meal for some scraps of a role in her block buster movie. Great. That- he didn't know how to end that trail of thought.
"earth to Naruto" Kiba clicked his finger in front of him causing Naruto to blink and pull back a little. Kiba had leaned forward from his bed and his eyebrows bunched a little." come on Naruto, spill. How long have we been friends, you can tell me anything." he smiled.
well they've been friends for four years when Naruto showed up at his door a train wreck.
" does this have anything to do with Jiraya-sama being in town"
" huh?" Naruto blinked. " you saw ero-jiji " he asked.
" oh that got a reaction from you so I'm right" Kiba said and grinned. Naruto stared impatiently at him" yes I did. At the supermarket yesterday. What happened? I thought you said you'd let him have it if he ever shows his face around here again"
Naruto sighed" yeah well, he came to see me" he started and looked at his nails. Some dirt were stuck inside one.
"and?" Kiba sounded excited " did he give you your certificate?"
" no. He gave me a job" Naruto replied and leaned back putting on a nonchalant facade.
" what the hell, that's good news Naruto. Why do you still look like a dog chewed you up and spat you out"
Naruto glared at him. What the hell kind of comparison was that. He smelled himself and winced. Okay maybe not so out of mark. " well, she happens to own the company he wants me work for"
" the she?" Kiba asked with a sneer. That was the only thing Naruto could call her and Kiba had taken to saying it too. Naruto nodded quietly." oh hell no. You can't possibly take that job. Who does that bitch think she is. After what she pulled she still wants to walk all over you again?"
Naruto was pleased to hear his friend cursing her the way Naruto couldn't. He couldn't because it would mean he still hated her. He still did but he wanted to move on just like she has, like ... He has That was why this made him so depressed. While he was still holding on to a grudge that was four years old the people concerned had moved on
"Naruto, you are so quiet don't tell me you are considering doing this" Kiba stopped his angry ranting to ask.
" why not" he exhaled with a shrug. " if she has forgotten all about it, all about me then why should i continue to think about her even if it's to hurt her back. What's the point of trying so hard to hurt someone who doesn't even remember you or in essence what they took from you"
his throat had sized up again. " yeah so, i'm thinking about it" he said.
" Naruto" Kiba said. Naruto caught the look in his eyes and looked away. It was that look. The one of pity. Yeah, he was pitiful." i want to move on Kiba. I'm tired of holding on to this anger, this hate. " he said and swallowed. " i want to do something for myself"
"but do you really have to"Kiba asked with a turbulent expression.
Naruto saw the expression and chuckled. The look Kiba gave him, one asking after his sanity, caused Naruto to bust into laughter. " Naruto, are you okay. I think you are starting lose your jelly" Kiba said.
Naruto laughed a good while before wiping off a tear from his eyes. "did i really look like that just now" he asked
Kiba blinked at him. " your face of displeasure just now i wondered if that was what i looked like. " he tried to explain.
"no you just look nuts" Kiba replied folding his arms across his chest.
"sorry Kiba and thank you. I needed that" Naruto got up from the bed heading for the bathroom.
"Naruto are you really serious about this. You know you don't have to do this right, despite whatever the hell Jiraya said."
" I know. I'm doing this for me. Don't worry about it okay" Naruto turned and said before walking into the bathroom. He had made a resolution. He would make the best of this opportunity, make enough money and move to a place where he'd never have to see or hear about that woman again.
LINE BREAK!
Sasuke pulled his bag with him as he talked on the phone with a quiet voice. It was yet another disappointing conversation with his private investigator Mr Kakashi. The only reason he was tolerating this at all was because Kakashi was the third private investigator he had had to hire in six months. He was getting impatient with the lack of good result. How hard can it be to find one man, he thought.
" So your last lead was just another farce"Sasuke said dryly.
"I'm sorry Uchiha-san but there was not much to go on from the very beginning." Kakashi said in an almost placating tone but Sasuke could hear the blame under it.
" I thought you were the best in your field, surely with that little an information you can find something. I'm paying you good money after all." Sasuke said straining the urge to curse the man but couldn't stop the biting sarcasm that came from his mouth. The man had after all boasted that he was the best and would find him in little time but it's three months now and it's been one disappointment to another.
" still an old picture and a name that may not still be in use is hardly enough," Kakashi said " do you remember even a little detail that might be useful "
Sasuke stopped walking towards the reception table at the airport and tried to control himself. "do you think if I did I would keep it to myself. Perhaps you do not realize how important this is to me. Find him and don't bother calling if you don't" he tapped the end button and closed his eyes. With a deep breath he cooled off his rising anger. An old a picture and a name huh. Well that was all he got. He reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. Black leather and very expensive. In the middle the picture he tucked in there stared back at him. The blonde's hair was short and spiky. He was wearing a green sleeveless net top and white kaki shorts. He stood in the picture grinning at the camera.
Naruto.
Sasuke sighed. Where are you, he thought miserably. " it's been four years already."
"Sir?" a female voice said and Sasuke raised his head to look at her. She smiled. "can I help you sir."
Sasuke was used to having girls smile at him like that. He took out his things and asked for his flight. Straight forward and without any pleasantries. " your flight is ready sir please take that way. It's nice to help you sir, have a nice day." She was still flashing him that smile. He looked away and picked up his bag once more.
Sasuke walked into the hall way looking at his wrist-watch when someone pushed into him causing the flight papers in his hands to spill to the ground. The person didn't even wait to apologize. He ran off before Sasuke could say anything. With a sigh he lowered himself to pick them up when someone held up the visa to him. Sasuke only took note of the tanned hand before taking the paper. He raised his head to see spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. His heart skipped a beat then started to beat wildly. Like it did before. Even if he had not been able to recognize the face Sasuke felt that his body could. There was only one person who made him feel so alive. It felt like a taste of cold water after a burning thirst for years. The blonde moved his lips but Sasuke didn't hear what he was saying over his beating heart. The blonde bowed breaking the spell that bound Sasuke. "So sorry." Naruto was saying.
" uh it's okay" Sasuke said. Since when did he lose the ability to form speech.
" oh great. Then-" he was going to leave and probably disappear for another four years. Desperately Sasuke caught the blonde's sleeve. Naruto looked at him with wide eyes.
" um" Sasuke exhaled and dropped his hand." do you want to have coffee" he asked.
"Not really. I gotta go my Teacher is waiting for me. " Naruto said.
"don't you recognize me, Naruto" Sasuke said. He was a bit hurt but he understood. Money changed people especially after four years. Sasuke waited for recognition to appear in Naruto's eyes but those blue eyes only looked at him cautiously.
"uh nope, nope don't ring any bells and i really gotta go" Naruto replied.
" Naruto, it's me. Uchiha Sasuke-" Sasuke still saw the weary expression on Naruto's face and, as much as it pained him added:" Itachi's brother." he said. It did please him to see the recognition enter Naruto's growing wide eyes and gaping mouth. It was worth the pain.
To Be Continued...