Disclaimer: No.
--

"Jealous much, little brother?"

--

Sasuke wasn't really sure what he should do. To maybe search the whole town for Naruto and Itachi. But Naruto wasn't some princess; he didn't need saving…as Sasuke had once witnessed in that park. There was nothing Itachi would do that Naruto couldn't handle. Sasuke wasn't needed.

But then, why couldn't he stop the feeling insisting that Naruto had to be found and taken away from Itachi's presence? It was none of his business what they did. Then again, he had a habit on making Naruto's business his. But there was no way he'd find the two of them and Sasuke felt a slight headache coming.

He had been sitting in his car for hours maybe, he wasn't sure, wondering what he should do. There wasn't anything he could really do, so sitting there any more than he had already done would be totally pointless. The thoughts about Naruto were messing his head again.

As he was driving home, he couldn't help but curse himself for not following Itachi's car and scoffed almost as soon as that thought had passed his mind. Sasuke wasn't a stalker; that would be pathetic. He should get a grip on himself…things were getting way out of hand.

Before he realised it, he was already home. And to Sasuke's utmost surprise, so was Itachi. Well, at least his car was there and Sasuke hopped out of his car in a rush, forgetting to lock his car in his hurry. He opened the front door and saw a pair of unrecognisable shoes in the hallway. Sasuke felt his heart flutter a little when he heard sounds coming from the kitchen and he rushed over, not bothering to take his shoes off.

And Naruto was there, in their kitchen, chatting with his mother and Itachi and Sasuke felt so relieved. Itachi looked amused.

"What took you so long, little brother?"

Sasuke glared hard but wasn't surprised when it didn't affect his brother.

"Go put your shoes away and join us, Sasuke."

His mother was smiling, obviously pleased of their guest. Sasuke kept staring at Naruto, who was staring at his mother. He was so relieved.

Sasuke rotated and walked back to the hallway to put his shoes away, not hearing Itachi approach him from behind. Turning around to go back to the kitchen, Sasuke jumped a bit when his brother was standing right in front of him. He cursed his brother.

"What do you want, Itachi?"

Tormenting Sasuke was something Itachi would never get tired of. He smirked a little.

"You looked unhappy when Naruto-kun left with me. Why is that?"

Sasuke fell silent: there was nothing he could say.

…because he wasn't really sure of the answer himself. And for some reason, he found it really hard to look into his brother's eyes.

"Were you afraid that something might happen?"

Sasuke ignored his brother, walking past him, heading towards the kitchen. Itachi followed and they both stopped at the doorway, watching the two figures in the kitchen. His mother was laughing pleasantly and Naruto smiled at her. A gentle smile and Sasuke found it relaxing to watch at. Though, he couldn't help but think that Naruto was slightly hesitant, admiration shining in his eyes. Like he was talking to a superior being, something he worshipped and needed to handle the situation with caution in order to stay in Sasuke's mother's good side. It was odd but Sasuke's mother didn't seem to notice it.

Itachi walked into the kitchen and took a seat beside the blond, snapping Sasuke out of his daze. And as Sasuke was walking towards the table, Naruto actually spared a glance at his direction and smiled. Even if it was a leftover smile from the one Naruto had directed at his mother, it still was a smile and Sasuke felt warm. Because that's what the smile had been; warm, unlike all the other smiles Naruto had directed at him and Sasuke felt a small smile grace his own lips.

His mother poured some juice into a glass and offered it to Sasuke.

"I asked Itachi to bring Naruto over so I could thank him too! He's saved you twice already."

She smiled brightly to the blond who looked flustered, fidgeting a little in his chair.

"I didn't really save him the other time…"

"You're so modest. And adorable! Don't you boys agree?"

Naruto's cheeks were red and he kept staring at the table and Sasuke wondered if Naruto just didn't know how to react to compliments. The insults he could handle but not the compliments? Or then Sasuke was reading into it too much and Naruto was merely embarrassed of being called adorable.

Sasuke shrugged it off and just silently agreed with his mother, watching the persistent blush on Naruto's cheeks.

The evening was over faster than he would have hoped and Sasuke cursed for not coming home right after he had seen Itachi drive off with Naruto. Even though he had hardly listened to half of what the blond was talking about with his mother, it had been nice to listen to. Naruto's voice was just… pleasant.

Sasuke's mother stood up along with Naruto and walked towards the blond with a wide smile. Naruto looked cautious, almost as if he wanted to back away. And when his mother hugged Naruto, thanking him one more time, Naruto tensed visibly. His posture was awkward and stiff and it took a while for him to react and to bring his hands to hug Sasuke's mother back slightly.

And Sasuke wondered just what made the blond behave that way, because he'd personally be tenser around Itachi. Itachi was a suspicious individual when his mother was warm and inviting. But it seemed like Naruto thought the opposite and Sasuke couldn't stop wondering about it.

Itachi went back to his room and their mother stayed in the kitchen, cleaning. Sasuke walked Naruto to the door, wondering if Naruto found the silence awkward as well.

"I can drive you home."

Slowly, Naruto turned to look at him and smiled a little, surprising Sasuke.

"Nah, I think I'll run home."

Sasuke scoffed and Naruto shrugged. He didn't understand Naruto's desire to run, all he knew that the boy really seemed to like it.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

It was awkward saying that. They still didn't associate in school, not in a nice way. Sasuke knew enough to keep a little distance and not just suddenly offer his everlasting friendship to the unwilling blond: that would be just stupid. But still, they would see each other, maybe pass in the hallway and maybe Naruto would even say hi to him. That's all he dared to hope for.

Naruto didn't say anything, just finished putting his shoes on as Sasuke watched. He straightened up and opened the door, giving one last glance towards Sasuke.

"You're really lucky."

The door was closed and Sasuke didn't understand what the boy had meant.

Naruto didn't come to school the next day.

--

"As your mother, I wish for your happiness, Naruto."

--

Despite the popular belief, Naruto wasn't an orphan. Yes, he lived alone. Yes, his father was dead. But Naruto still had a mother.

Kushina Uzumaki was the most beautiful woman on earth, Naruto had always thought. Her hair was flaming red and her eyes had a twinkle in them, telling the one who was looking that she would never get bored of life.

A faint smell of oil paint always followed her.

-

It was autumn already, the leaves in the trees turning yellow and brown, falling down onto the streets. The wind was picking up and he had to pull his jacket tighter around his body in able to warm himself up a bit.

-

She laughed pleasantly at almost everything and always smiled, to everyone and most specifically, to Naruto. Her hands would ruffle Naruto's hair and her lips would tell that Naruto was the most special person in her life. The two of them against the world.

-

The gates of the building Naruto's mother currently resided came in sight and Naruto inhaled the cold air a bit roughly. His nose was cold.

-

Naruto felt like he was the luckiest child alive, even if he didn't have a father. Because his mother was there. His beautiful mother who taught him everything that was necessary to know and Naruto decided that she was the most important person in his life. Always and forever.

-

A woman smiled at him and Naruto nodded slightly. Taking his coat off, Naruto wondered if she was hired to smile at people. She always smelled of coffee. Smile and drink coffee. That was her job, Naruto decided.

Naruto opened a familiar door, finding a red-haired woman inside it. She was having difficulties, struggling on trying to braid her now long hair. Naruto chuckled slightly and got her attention.

"Do you need help with that?"

She smiled sweetly.

-

When Naruto later on thought about their relationship, it seemed unhealthy, even at the times when everything had been fine. He had worshipped his mother almost to a point where it could have been called an Oedipus complex.

But she was still the most important person in Naruto's life. Always and forever. The only family he had left and the one closest to his heart. Even if it was like a rope around his neck.

-

Her hair was soft when he brushed it with his fingers. She was humming slightly, the faint scent of oil paint still lingering around her. Naruto finished braiding her hair.

-

Kushina Uzumaki was a bit mentally ill. Naruto wondered if he should have noticed her smiles change the moment his father had died, after all, that's what had slowly shattered her mind. Now she was living in a hospital and was kept happy by feeding pills to her. Pills to keep her happy. And Naruto found it ironic that they were orange, both of their favorite color.

-

She smiled at him again. She was always smiling. At nothing in particular, just smiling, because she was happy.

"You're good at this."

"Of course, you taught me after all."

Her eyes looked curious.

"But I haven't met you before."

And Naruto wondered why he kept coming when he got his heart broken every single time.

-

His mother had told him how much she loved Naruto everyday after his father had died. Told that Naruto was important to her, told that she loved Naruto above all else. But she was breaking and Naruto was too young to see it, to understand what was happening.

She never talked about it to anyone, kept everything locked inside of her until something broke and her smile changed forever.

A cold, distant and uncaring smile.

Directing that smile at Naruto, she told him that she loved her precious boy, loved Naruto so much but that in the end, she loved herself so much more. Naruto, who reminded her of something she had lost, would be in the way of her happiness. She didn't need him anymore and walked out of Naruto's life. Leaving him alone in the world.

She was captured after that and was accused of abandoning her child. Everyone was pointing an angry, accusing finger at her but Naruto didn't want them to blame his most important person. She just wanted to be happy. His mother laughed.

Someone decided that she was not fit to be one of the society anymore and they locked her away, feeding her those orange pills. On their last meeting, her mother was smiling her true smile one last time. The coldness in it a proof that she was his mother, not the shell of happiness the hospital preferred.

His mother gave him a golden framed box and Naruto thought it was beautiful. As expected from his mother.

"In case you want to be happy again."

She said before her time was up and they took her away. Naruto wondered if he really could be happy again. His world had collapsed. His most important person had been taken away and he was alone against the world. But if his mother said that happiness was stuffed into that box, then he would believe her.

-

The woman at the reception desk smiled at him again as Naruto was leaving the building. He didn't even look at her. His head was pounding again, just like after every visit he paid to the hospital.

Filled with resentment and self loathing, Naruto stopped at the gates and inhaled the cold air deeply, eyes tightly closed. He wouldn't cry anymore, he refused to cry.

And Naruto despised himself for the thoughts and wishes that his mother would just stop taking the pills that made her happy. Stop being happy and just stop existing. Leave this world so Naruto could grieve for losing her for real. For not having only an empty shell of his mother he could visit from now and then and get his heartbroken again and again and again.

She didn't remember his father or herself. She had forgotten Naruto and Naruto wondered whether it hurt more to be completely unwanted by his most important person or to be wiped out of her memory, vanish out of her heart.

-

"Love yourself above all else."

Naruto's mother had said as a helpful piece of advice in their last moments together. Naruto had seen where that would lead him. He was afraid that he'd become like his mother. Broken and cruel. So Naruto had decided that he'd do exactly the opposite. To care about everyone else above himself. His teacher, Iruka, had once told him that unselfishness was an admirable trait in a person.

Though, Naruto had now grown up and was aware that his way of unselfishness had been taken too far and was mostly self destructing. But the determined lifestyle he had picked up as a younger child had tuned into a bad habit and he wasn't even trying to get rid of it. He just didn't care.

-

Naruto buried his face into his hands and tried to keep himself from screaming out loud.

-

Naruto still had the box he had received from his mother. His beautiful, golden framed box containing happiness. It was his treasure, the last thing his mother had given him and even though he was overly curious what was inside of it, he had kept from opening it. Saving it for a very bad day.

The lid had been kept closed for a surprisingly long time, but Naruto had his limits and had once opened the box. Only once, and he had quickly closed the lid after having his peek. His heart had sunk.

If Naruto were to care about himself above all else, he feared he'd become like his mother. And then he would have to open the beautiful, golden framed box he had once looked inside of.

Inside lay a jar full of orange pills. Enough for an overdose.

Enough to make Naruto happy forever.


To Be Continued...

They are magical fiction pills so I don't think you'll find them on drug stores. Good luck trying, though.

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