~ Denial~
Sasuke nodded in agreement, attempting to ignore his hands. It was becoming increasingly difficult, and he knew he couldn't leave the school premises like this.
Silently hefting his bag to his shoulder, he turned toward Sakura.
"Think you'd better wash up, too," he stated, before hefting her back pack onto his shoulder, and beginning the trek toward the toilets; he simply hoped the scary janitor had left.
And then Sakura realized that the back of her shirt was probably bloody, and as she brought her hands up she could also see trace amounts of blood around her fingertips.
CHAPTER NINE:
Naruto opened his eyes bearily open to shut them tightly immediately, cringing. The lights were so bright.
"Ah, Mr. Uzumaki," said a cheerful voice. "You're awake."
Naruto turned his head in the direction of the words and tried to open his eyes again. Still no, though. "Who're you? Where'm I?" he mumbled. "What happened?"
"My name is Miss Shizune, I'm a nurse at Konoha Hospital," replied the kind voice. "You were on the playground at Konohagakure High, and you fell. You were lucky to have your friends with you, you might not have been found for days. Possibly not until school resumed next Monday."
Naruto shook his head, eyes still firmly closed. "But I didn't go to the playground... Sakura-chan said she didn't want to..."
"You hit your head twice as you fell, you've got a concussion," explained Shizune. "I'm sorry. You've got partial memory loss. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"
~x~
Sasuke shuddered a final time, cold and chilly. Because he and Naruto were going to head out that night (Though the blonde had never specified WHERE) a spare set of clothes had been shoved in his bag.
The blood was now simply a few small crimson smudges, stained into his poor shirt. He looked over the shirt with some irritation; Itachi would not be pleased.
He shrugged bare shoulders, bag opened and contents spread along the available bench space, an assortment of books and a small laptop and finally.. His spare clothes.
He was certainly glad the school had installed showers.
Shaking his head and spraying a few spare water droplets around him, brown eyes flicked to Sakura.
" Ready?" He grunted, wanting to leave the school premesis as soon as possible.
He knew Naruto was lucky.. He just hoped the idiots luck hadn't run out.
"Of course," Sakura said quietly.
~x~
He still couldn't open his eyes. The Hospital was too bright, it burnt if he looked at the white walls of the room. "So... I went to the playground. And fell off. And hit my head twice. And scratched my arm," Naruto repeated incredulously.
"That's correct."
"I have a concussion. And partial memory loss. And soon I'll have a splitting headache."
"Yes. I'm sorry."
Naruto didn't speak, just shook his head silently. "And my eyes. They're supersensitive to light now?"
"Yes, though your sight will return to normal within a week."
"A whole week?!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes bursting open in horror. "Gaahh!" he wailed, covering his eyes with his palms. "Can't I get better faster?" he wailed.
"You won't be able to attend school or go out for a few days, at least until you can open your eyes," instructed Miss Shizune.
"But... next week is the game! Kiba 'n me were going to go with some of the guys," wailed Naruto.
"You may have recovered by then. What date is it?"
"July twenty-third."
~x~
Sasuke gave a nod, tight dark blue shirt pulled over that rippling, still slightly damp torso. Though he wasn't particularly muscley, it was a nice kind of muscle. Subtle and lithe, but still most definitely there, and giving each his stomach a nice tone, and arms a slight curve; sparring was a brilliant way of keeping in shape.
" Lets head off, mm?" He stated bluntly, items gathered quickly aqnd shoved thoughtlessly into his bag.
~x~
Sasuke glared at the imposing building before him.
It was made of dark grey brick, dirty looking. He stepped through the sliding metal doors, which whizzed past making that little 'shhhhhck' sound as they sliped into place.
The place gave off the stench of medical equipment.. and death.
The very smell made his eyes dart nervously, and his entire posture grow stiffer.
Why had Naruto been taken here?
With short, almost military style strides, he stood stiffly infront of a pretty little nurse, who nodded her head with a flattering smile.
" Hello, how ma-"
"I'm here to see Naruto, Uzumaki," He snapped coldly, cutting her off with a venemous glare.
The nurse paused, and her smile faltered for second, as though she could not believe anyone to be so rude. She gave a small sniff, and a curt nod. "He's in room 304."
"Thank you," Sakura said dismissively as she and Sasuke hurried past the nurse and into Naruto's ward.
"Naruto?" Sakura called and she opened the door.
"Sakura-chan!" cheered Naruto. He opened his eyes a fraction and squinted in her direction. "You came! And Teme too," he added as Sakura moved out of the doorway.
"How're you feeling?" Sakura asked.
"All good~" sang Naruto back, eyes closing again as his typical bright grin stretched across his face.
"Why're your eyes closed?" Sakura questioned, frowning slightly in confusion.
"They're supersensitive to light," came the explanation, and Sakura nodded. "That's right. I forgot," she grinned sheepishly.
Sasuke smiled in return, the small gesture alighting on his handsome features, and made the frozen little blot of worry inside him melt, slowly dripping away.
Naruto was going to be fine.
" Nice fall, idiot," He commented dryly, smirking and letting out a small chuckle, that could hav ebeen classified as almost malicious had it not come from such a pleasant looking young man.
"Yeah," Naruto agreed cheerfully. "Though I can't remember it~"
"What else have you forgotten?" Sakura asked curiously, leaning against the wall near the door. "That was one hell of a fall, after all."
"Nothing else," repied Naruto happily. "I even rememered about the game next week! Miss What's-her-name, the nurse- she said that it seemed I knew everything else." He opened his mouth to go on, but at that moment the door opened, startling Sakura.
"My apologies," said the nurse. "Miss, could you come with me for a few minutes?" she asked Sakura, who nodded bemusedly.
"See you two soon," she farewelled Naruto and Sasuke, and followed the nurse out into the hallway.
Sasuke practically purred as the two hurried away.
He waltz closer, like a cat playing with a mouse; each stride long, elegant, gracefull.
An almost cat-like smirk was on his face as he leant down, so close to his Dobe.
They had done a good job patching him up; a few tiny scratches were on his already scared cheeks, but no sign of the excessive bleeding from before.
Besides, he wanted to check if they really DID leave you naked under one of those hospital gowns.
His smirk widened as he perched his head just over the railing, leaning down slightly so his breath brushed against Naruto's face; he had already learnt the boy got all flustered when he did so, and it gave him endless hours of pleasure to turn the boy into a quivering mash of bright pink in a few seconds.
" I was really worried, Dobe," He whispered softly, seductively right in his ear, tempted to sink his teeth into Naruto's ear.
He resisted the urge, on the grounds that the nurse might come in any second, Sakura in tow.
And THAT would take some explaining.
"W-What the hell, teme?!" exclaimed Naruto in a tone of voice which was somewhere between shock, fear and incredulty. His eyes opened wide, took in Sasuke's proximity to his own face, and then squeezed shut again as the blonde boy squirmed away. "What're you thinking?!"
Sasuke blinked, once. Twice.
Then again, just for good measure.
"N-Naru... to?" he questioned, stepping back slightly.
W-what the hell was going on?
"What the hell is going on?" he growled, not quite certain if this was some obscure joke, or the idiot was actually being serious. He... he couldn't have... forgotten? But the nurse! He had told them the nurse said he was fine!
I thought... I thought... you... loved me
And that was all his poor, confused brain could strangle out before he snapped;
"Heh, just checking you were awake. You really are an idiot, Naruto." Except for once, the words weren't quite so joking.
This time, they carried an icy, almost hurt edge.
If the Dobe was joking... then he was gonna get it.
"Checking I was awake?!" demanded Naruto, braving the lights to stare at the Uchiha. "Teme, what the hell are you on?!"
~x~
"What did you want me for?" Sakura asked when she and the nurse had entered one of the empty offices.
"Mostly to give you a warning. Concussion victims can suffer from both short- and long-term memory loss. Short-term memories are only the few minutes before and after the incident, and they can never be regained. Long-term memory loss is slightly different. It's almost as if the brain takes something, some aspect of the victim's life, and forgets it and everything relating to it."
Sakura held up her hand, frowning as she took in all this. Then she nodded, indicating for the nurse to continue.
"Long-term memories are often regained in entirety, all in one go, sometimes spontaneously, and sometimes triggered by something relating to the lost memory. Miss Shizune believes that Naruto may only have short-term memory loss, but of course we can't be sure.
"There's also one more thing. We don't usually tell this to the concussion victim if we can tell it to their family or friends instead. Concussion victims, if the injury is severe enough, can sometimes have pyscological change- they may see something from a different point of view. Or they may feel about something, or someone, differently. Usually it's not too drastic, and the change will almost always dissipate within a week or two."
~x~
Naruto waited impatiently, but at the same time fearfully, for Sasuke's reaction. For some kind of an explanation, which would make the teme's actions more logical. Would make his own pounding heart quieten.
"Well? What the hell was that about?" he repeated, more quietly, taking in the pained, the closed look on the Uchiha's face.
Before Sasuke could say anything- though it didn't look like he was able to answer Naruto's question, regardless- there was a sharp rap at the door before it was quickly opened by Sakura.
"... what's wrong?" the girl asked, noticing the strained, awkward tension between the two boys.
Naruto shook his head, so Sakura turned to Sasuke. "We need to go now," she said sheepishly. "It's now the end of visiting hours, for these wards anyways. We're allowed to come back tomorrow morning at ten o'clock," she repeated the words which the nurse had finished their little meeting with.
Sasuke gave a curt nod, a familiar smirk fluttering across his features.
Just keep up this facade.
" Yeah, seeya tomorrow, Dobe. Maybe you'll grow a few braincells back by the time I see you!" His haughty chuckle echoed in the small, dimly lit room, and cut off quickly.
It had been far too superficial to last, anyway.
Without another word, he slipped quietly forward and passed Sakura, navigating his way into the hallway, pale white expression bland, neutral. The mask slipping back on to hide anything unwanted, any trace of hurt and fear and shock. He thought mockingly, quite how similar in shade his face was to the bleak hospital walls; a toneless white, bland and expressionless.
He doubted he could go through the last few days again anyway.
" Sakura?" He mumbled softly, his voice regaining its usual sharp, cold edge.
It was surprising how quickly you could change, if put under the correct conditions.
"Mm?" Sakura asked absent-mindedly as she read a sign which would direct them back to the exit of the hospital. "What is it, Sasuke?" She turned a corner and continued to lead the way out, never looking back to see Sasuke's expression, to see his pale-white skin, to see his pained eyes.
" Do people with concussions.. get selective memory loss?" He asked slowly, casually, keeoing quite a few good paces behind her., and staring decidedly at his shoes, his voice nothing but a mumble.
He needed to know. Needed to know that Naruto WOULD rmember. He WOULD know. He just.
He just had to hope.
"Define 'selective'," replied Sakura. "Why? Did Naruto end up forgetting something?" Now she glanced over her shoulder at Sasuke, but his face was turned away from hers, so she couldn't read his expression. She could feel, something almost like a premonition, creeping over her.
Anticipation.
Fear.
Either something very good, or something very bad, was about to happen.
Sasuke snorted thoughtfully, dark eys flicking to meet jade green, as they sliped through those crappy doors out the front.
They still made the ominous 'Shhhhhck' as they closed, and he coudln't help but wince.
Maybe everything would be fine. Everything WOULD be fine.
He gently placed a hand on her shoulder again; it was almost a subconcous gesture now. Generally, he had a thing against touching.
But today.. Was different.
Maybe for once he didn;t have to rely on himself ALL the time.
His feelingas had been laid raw, broken, open, like the inside of some carcass ready to be picked at by crows. Ready for the scavengers to ravage what was left of him and steal the one thing he he;ld dear.
Hell, life was just getting better and /better/.
" Just something me and him did. It was kinda. Important. I guess," He replied again, that same lack of tone.. lack of feeling evident with each word.
To someone who didn't know the boy very well, this lack of expression could have been seen as simply a lack of caring.
But really, it was so he /didn't/ care. He refused to admit weakness, and feeling.. Was becoming weak.
Sakura stopped dead and looked straight at Sasuke. "Something you and Naruto did? What was it?" she asked, her former sense of premonition rearing up on her.
This explanation would explain everything, all her questions and fears.
Why had Sasuke flirted with her and then humiliated her?
Why had he skipped class that Thursday, a week ago?
Why had he been so terrified when Naruto had falllen, to the point of holding his hand?
Why was he so open, so friendly with Naruto?
As these thoughts went through Sakura's mind, she felt as though she were falling, falling into the World of Sasuke, where nothing was as it seemed, where she was finally a friend, where she would find her answers.
Sasuke flicked his gaze to off to the side. Should he... tell her?
Maybe it would be better if she knew. Maybe she could help snap Naruto out of things.
Or at least explain what was happening.
For not the first time in a very short period of time, Sasuke decided to do somethin absolutely ridiculous.
Hell so far, today certainly hadn't been his day. How could it get any worse.
" Naruto and I. Are. I suppose you could call it," He paused, scrounging around his poor brain for some word that could describe his lopsided mess of feelings, of wantings, of pure NEED.
" Together," He finished simply with a small shrug, still not meeting that penertrating green gaze.
Sakura's jaw dropped open incredulously.
Sasuke and Naruto were... together?!
"What?!" she demanded. "How can you- When did you- Oh God," she said faintly. Her jaw was still slightly open as she stared at the tall Uchiha before her. "You and Naruto..." she breathed to herself, as the puzzle pieces fit together seamlessly in an explanation of the past week and a half. Then she snapped her jaw shut and nodded briskly. She could deal with the fact that two of her friends were together.
Of course she could.
It wasn't like they were suddenly going to change, after all.
They were still. Sasuke Uchiha. And Naruto Uzumaki.
Still the tall, pale genius, still the cheeky delinquent.
And so Sakura could deal with it.
"He's forgotten you, hasn't he," she said, more of a statement than a question. Not waiting for Sasuke's affirmation, she continued, repeating much of what the nurse had told her about long-term memory loss.
"He'll remember you soon enough," she finished. "Within two weeks, I think the nurse said."
Sasuke blinked.
He.. he would?
A small smile cracked his features, and without thinking, he wound an arm around the girls shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace.
That lasted for about three seconds, where his pride stepped in and reminded him; you're an Uchiha.
And he promptly released her, attempting to win an impossible war against the colour rushing to his face.
"Thanks, Sakura," he purred rather happily ( Or as happily as Sasuke Uchiha could).
Sakura snorted. "If I hadn't believed you before, I do now, after that reaction," she said before laughing. "Don't worry about it. Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow right? Naruto's ward at 10.00am," she repeated before waving goodbye and skipping off in the vague direction of her house.
Sasuke nodded, features returning to that blank, doll-like stare.
However, he could not hide the slight bounce in his step as he left the daunting hospital grounds, wind making leaves scurry across the dying grass.
He turned dark browny eyes to the sky, catching the last few of the suns rays.
Twilight was almost over, and true night was beginning.
Already the wind began to bite at any exposed skin, whistling mournfully through the near deserted streets.
The dry, autumnal leave scuttled and crunched noisily against the pavement, pulled into a waltz by the breeze.
The boy's bounce slowed to a simple, brisk walk, and the old, ritsy mansions of his suburb came into veiw.
Each house seemed grander than the next, some made in an elegant, traditional Japanese style, complete with sliding wooden doors, and small lanterns lining little walkways.
Some simply looked like small fortresses, large imposing buildings that sinply spoke of the granduer within; expensive, beautiful paintings. Ornate fire places, and delicately carved statues.
And finally, his own house.
Or rather, Itachi's.
He supposed it wasn't really his home. More of a place he sinply stayed at for the time being.
Just somewhere he slept, and ate.
He snorted, stopping himself before he thought something corny.
Honestly, these days, it was more and more tempting.
Slipping through the large, iron gates, he waltzed slowly up the driveway, pushing open the heavy door.
It had been left unlocked.
~x~
The next day, the house was silent.
Still.
The clock ticked past, a slow ticktockticktock, echoing through the huge, empty house, whose walls were stilled lined with the dead.
Blind portraits stared out across glassy smooth marble floors, doomed to forever smile, or glare at any who chose to foolishly pass.
But still.
The house was silent.
The clock chimed, signalling the hour.
10 o'clock.
But there was nobody to hear it.
Because the house was silent.
Empty.
