THANKS TO DESCRIPTION ALIVE 23 FOR BETA READING THE CHAPTER
Yojimbra: Naruto just grew up to be a perv himself (he always have been depicted looking at magazine with girls, even if he was a gentleman with all the girls around him). Thank you!
LaDdraig: I hope you will have fun with him trying to remember :) Thank you!
Guest: Naruto is weak because he had been injured. Even in the original, Naruto is often in a nearly a death call before saving the day ;) Thanks
eight heroes: I'm still in my writer block. but I will try to not give up. Thank for your support, it's really important to me
Guest: Yes I know Kurama is buddies with Naruto, I will come to it in some other chapter. However, the thing invading Naruto isn't only like an energy, more of a parasite type in fact, but I will not say more as it have to be disclosed in due time. Thank you
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Guest: Thank you, sorry for the delay.
OfficialAce: Sorry that you don't like memories loss stuff, I hope that my story will be enough to keep you interested in. I guess if I don't see you anymore, that would mean, I didn't manage my job to make it worth it. For Sasuke being gay or not, you will have some answer in this chapter, and for how he will cope with naruto and Sakura relationship will be said in few more chapter (you mind be surprise by what I planned for them). Thank you to have gave me your impression on the story, it help me understand more my readers feelings about it.
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hunbun: Thank you! I guess, each one of them have a very complex personality, and I hope you will like how I envision it. Sasuke finding out about NaruSaku relationship will be an intense moment, at least it how it have been for me writing it.
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Star1X: Sasuke is a little complex, it's not just simple jealousy, but this answer will arrive in further chapters. Thank you very much. Hope you will like it.
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Guest: No worries about Naruto affection, everything will arrive in time, I am still a NaruSaku writer even if I messed up the story to have a change of pace in this one.
SORRY FOR THE DELAY, LIFE WAS HECTIC...
Chap 10: Sacrifices are needed
Naruto's first session of memory extractions didn't bring up any results, as well as the few following it. But Hinata's observations confirmed that Naruto's brain was becoming more and more active with time, bringing hope to the possibility of slowly restoring the network systems inside.
So after five more days at the hospital, Naruto was already able to move around fairly freely, and his general health was satisfactory enough to permit him to leave the hospital. Even with the loss of his memories, the blond couldn't stand to stay locked up in a hospital room, and his pleas eventually won Tsunade over when he stated how living back in his normal environment might help him remember something.
Her boy had a point, and Tsunade let him out.
That was how after one final meticulous checkup, Naruto was discharged from the hospital. Sasuke brought him some of his own clothes to change into, and was now waiting outside his room with Sakura to accompany him to their house. As Kakashi had told them before leaving for his office, they were to be Naruto's personal bodyguards until the blond fully recovered. Naruto was the next Hokage in line, and many people against the peace in the alliance created by his mere presence would try to use the opportunity to kill him while he couldn't fight back if they found out. It was obvious to the Hokage to pick the blond's two former teammates for the job, as Sakura was his personal doctor and Sasuke was his near shadow.
Naruto opened the door with a grin on his face, happy to finally be able to leave his confines. Sakura eyed him from head to toe and turned to Sasuke.
"How did you find clothes of his that weren't orange?" she asked, surprised.
Sasuke smirked, admiring his handiwork: Naruto in a decent outfit, "It wasn't easy, but yeah, he has some, he just never wears them."
Naruto stepped forward, and the small group left the hospital to roam through Konoha's busy streets. Head turning from right to left, Naruto watched, fascinated by the place that was supposedly his village. Many new buildings framed the streets, most of them seeming to have been put up within the last five years. Was Konoha a recent settlement or had it been impressively growing over the last few years? Had he been born here or did he move here later on? So many questions jumped around in his head, with even more coming with each step. Why? How? When? Where? His gaze wandered, his feet slowed down, and soon, a hand grabbed his wrist.
"What are you doing, Naruto? If you don't stay with us, you're gonna get lost," Sasuke told him, pulling him along as if he were a child.
"Sorry, Sasuke..." Naruto apologized, following his friend's pace obediently. It was somewhat reassuring to have the other's hand holding his own. It was stupid, but he felt safer with Sasuke by his side in this unknown world. He'd been seeing the man everyday since he'd woken up, and now the man was one of his only points of reference. They had told him at the hospital that he lived with Sasuke, and that they were both orphans and best friends. Sasuke had been with him the whole time, like family. He smiled quietly, turning to look at the pinkette walking by his side – Sakura, too, she hadn't left him even once. Too bad the skinny one – Sai? – couldn't've come with them, stating that he had to work.What kind of work do ninjas do? he wondered as he continued to look around in curiosity.
They turned the next corner, beginning down a commercial area, the streets becoming busier as they approached the central market. After a few moments of slowly moving their way down the road, some people began to recognize the blond, and the team had to eventually stop as villagers rushed toward Naruto, happy to see him well after the announcement made about his hospitalization. Quickly, a group formed around the blond, the crowd dragging in more and more people until the following was impressive. Naruto stood stupefied by the mob surrounding him; he didn't know where to look or what to think of it. He didn't recognize any of the faces he saw and he began to feel uncomfortable with the strangers talking about someone he couldn't remember being.
Sasuke watched as his friend's expression turned sour. Generally, Naruto loved to be surrounded by people, which was why he hadn't intervened when people had begun to approach. He thought that the blond would've appreciated being cared about so much by his people. But seeing his face, his troubled gaze, the last Uchiha chose to shorten their little meet and greet. He stood up in front of the blond, making a barricade with his body, using just his glare to make the people surrounding them take a step back.
"Naruto is still convalescent, please allow him some time to readjust." Sakura amiably waved the villagers away, also noticing Naruto's discomfort and feeling Sasuke's threatening aura. Once the gathering was dispersed, she turned to her teammates, "We should maybe take the rooftops to avoid crowds, Naruto is too well-known to walk around like this. It's understandable that they would want to see him after his discharge."
Sasuke glanced over his shoulder to his clueless best friend. He looked so defenseless and disoriented–so unlike the Naruto he knew. The dark-haired man crouched forward slightly, offering his back for the blond to get on, "Get up, I'll carry you."
Naruto shook his head, taking a step back, "Huh? No! I'm fine! I can walk! I swear, I'm not tired!" the blond rambled.
Sasuke clicked his tongue, "I know you can walk, idiot. But we have to travel over the rooftops and you're not fully healed yet, so climb on – or would you rather I carry you like a princess?" he teased.
"If you're not comfortable with Sasuke, I could carry you," Sakura suggested.
Naruto looked back and forth between his two friends. Are they serious? They'd told him that they were his teammates, and that they were ninja, but... Carrying him? Jumping across rooftops? Did ninja really do this kind of thing?
"Come on, the sooner you climb on, the sooner we can go home," Sasuke insisted, turning to show his back again.
Naruto hesitated. A grown man getting a piggyback ride from another grown man. He shut his eyes tight, swallowing his pride. Besides, they knew what they were doing; they cared for him, it was all for his own good. They'd stayed beside him the whole time he was in the hospital, they wouldn't wish him any harm. He could trust them – or as least he hoped he could as he extended his reach out toward Sasuke.
As soon as his arms locked around the dark-haired man's neck, Naruto felt the wind clash against his face and he opened his eyes wide. Holy shit! So fast! So high! This can't be called jump at this point, this is flying! My best friend is strong as hell! His head turned to the side and he was surprise to see Sakura following alongside them just fine, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Woah! She's awesome too!
In only a couple of minutes, the group had crossed the village and landed gracefully in front of a big house near the suburbs of Konoha. It was a double-storey house painted all white with many windows on the first floor, a long bay window on the ground floor, a wooden door, and a stone path bisecting a small garden in the front. Naruto was amazed to see the abundance of flower bouquets and gifts lined up in front of the doorway, nearly covering the whole entrance.
"What's all this?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Get well soon gifts…" Sasuke stated, jaded. He had noticed them a little earlier on when he came to search for Naruto's clothes. The worst being that Konohamaru, who'd been in charge of taking care of the house and garden in their absence, had already filled up every corner possible inside the house. These were just the ones that wouldn't fit.
Naruto crouched down in front one of them and opened the card attached. It was written in a clumsy, colorful scrawl, certainly by a child. "Get well, Naruto-sama…" he read, stunned as he turned toward his best friends, "Am I some sort of celebrity?"
"Yeah, you're kind of famous," Sasuke admitted. "A war hero, more like."
"Am I strong like you guys?" Naruto asked, hopeful as he stood up, keeping the card in his hand.
"You're the strongest one of us, Naruto!" Sakura answered, a tone of pride in her voice.
She was expecting him to be ecstatic to hear he was the strongest, or at least happy. But instead, Naruto looked sadly to the card in his hands, avoiding eye contact with them. Far from his prideful cocky grin and unbreakable confidence, he looked like a lost child, his head slightly bent forward, and his smile nowhere to be seen.
"Will you... will you show me how to do it again? Will you help me remember...?" he asked, clenching his fingers tighter around the piece of paper in his hand, creasing it. The end of his sentence carried what he had been carefully hiding since he'd woken up without even any slight indication of who he really was: his fears, his needs, his insecurities – he hated it. He hated this darkness surrounding his mind. No matter how much he'd tried to force himself, he couldn't remember any of the people who'd smiled at him today – their names were just as lost as anything else that made him who he was.
A hand resting on his shoulder made him raise his head, and his blue eyes met the assured black ones of his best friend, "You will remember. I'm going to help you," Sasuke affirmed.
"I will too!" Sakura added, not wanting to be left out.
Naruto's smile widened, "Thank you guys… you're great friends," Naruto said, sincerely touched. It felt good to have some support.
Sakura pushed the gifts by the entrance aside to clear a path for them to pass, unlocking the door and walking through. She has her own key... Naruto noticed before he followed them inside, his eyes immediately flitting around animatedly, trying to look everywhere at once. This place was supposedly his home, but he didn't feel any sort of familiarity upon entering. He had secretly hoped that he would at least feel at home, even if he didn't actually recognize or remember the house. But there was nothing, still just the infinite blackness in his head. Sakura showed him around, describing everything: where he could find his things, where the bathrooms and kitchen were, and what he could find in every cupboard and closet. She seemed to know the house like the back of her hand. Does she live with us too? I thought they told me I only lived with Sasuke…? He shrugged,whatever, it'll be cool to live with a cute girl too.
Naruto didn't remember half of what she told him, but he didn't care much. He would cross that bridge when he got there. The blond stopped longer in his room than any other to look around, searching for something that might resonate within him. Sakura and Sasuke watched from the door, hoping for the same thing. He walked around, opened his wardrobe, and fumbled through it. "Orange" was the first word that came to his mind, seeing his clothes. He then continued on through the room, looking through the window at the view he would've seen each morning, touching the sheets on his bed.
His room was quite simplistic: a closet, a king size bed, and two nightstands on each side of it. Before he could turn to leave, he spotted a picture frame on one of the nightstands and he took it in his hand. It was a picture of Team Seven from back when they were still kids. So I really have known them since childhood, huh? Sakura was so cute back then… but she's even cuter now. And Sasuke was handsome, even as a child. The masked guy was with us then too. I guess they did say he was our teacher before being the Hokage... What was his name again? Kaka... Kaga… Hey! It's me! Man, what a scrawny kid I was.
"Did you remember something?" Sakura's hopeful voice brought him out of his musings.
"Nope... nothing," Naruto said with a sad smile, putting the photo back in its place to continue the tour of his own unfamiliar house.
With a sigh, Sakura followed a step behind Naruto as Sasuke showed him around the rest of the first floor, with the bathroom, his room, and the guest rooms. Sakura felt horrible, her emotions in turmoil. She wanted to cry, she wanted to run away – but at the same time she wanted to stay, to make him remember her. It was so frustrating, the way he looked at her as if she were a complete stranger. She knew it wasn't his fault, and that he was trying to be friendly with them. And she could understand how difficult it must be for him, to wake up with no recollection of his past, of his friends – forced to believe whatever the people around him were saying, people who he had absolutely no clue who they were. She could understand, but it didn't diminish the pain of seeing him without his smile, the pain of not existing in his memory.
She realized now how much Naruto used to care about her, how often he used to turn toward her, always smiling, only now that he had stopped. She missed it. She missed him to the point of tears. How could two people be so close one day, and so distant the next? How was she suppose to react in a situation like this? How could she go back to being just friends with him, when all she wanted was to curl up in his arms, hug him tight, and hear him again call her "Sakura-chan" in that endearing way he used to again? She needed him so, so much. She couldn't imagine things just staying like they used to be back when they were just friends, it wouldn't be enough anymore.
Sakura lifted her eyes up to see the large shoulders of the man walking in front of her, and she repressed the urge to jump on him, to bury her face against him. He was here, after all those sleepless nights praying for him to wake up, he was here, in front of her. If she just extended her hand, she would be able to touch him surely. So close… yet so far... He was here, but he wasn't here. Her throat tightened with her pent-up distress so much she wanted to vomit. Her body wobbled slightly, and she found support on the wall while Sasuke continued on, formidably ignoring her as usual. For once, she felt grateful for his uncaring attitude, as it allowed her a second or two to recompose herself.
Naruto passed a bored glance around the last room. There there was nothing really noteworthy about it, nothing able to even breach on the shadow of a memory; he was beginning to wonder if he was a lost cause and he sighed loudly. A small hand clutched his elbow in a form of silent support and he tightened his fist, gathering courage. He had friends caring for him, friends ready to help him – he should at least try his best to remember them, for their sakes, for the sake of not being left alone with the darkness of his own mind.
As they walked back down the stairs again, the blond glanced over his shoulder at Sakura, finally daring to ask her the question that'd been pending on his tongue for a while after realizing that they'd finished going through all the rooms and they still hadn't mentioned hers.
"Do you not live with us?" he asked.
Sakura blushed timidly at Naruto. Many times in the past, before Sasuke's return, Naruto would suggest she be his housemate whenever she complained about her parents. She had foolishly always refused, seeing it improper to live with her best friend. She regretted it now, of course, like she regretted many other decisions she'd made in her life that'd always kept him at an arm length. If he were to ask her again today, she wouldn't even hesitate; she would stop lying to herself and take all of what he would give her. Her heart might be torn to shreds by the end of it as consequence, but she wouldn't care. She only wanted to have more time to be with him, to be together.
However, her desire to stay obviously wasn't shared by Naruto's housemate. The statement proved when the Uchiha replied in the bluntest tone possible, "No, she doesn't."
Naruto's eyebrows drew together in confusion; how could the girl know so much about the place if she didn't live with them? He wanted to ask, but with the way his best friend had answered him, he felt as though he were walking in a minefield. Maybe the two had been together and were broken up. Now that I think about it, Sai said something about Sakura liking Sasuke, and Sakura did look kinda pained when she said that they were just teammates.
"If you want me to stay, I can," Sakura kindly offered, not impressed in the least by Sasuke's harsh tone.
Naruto briefly glanced to Sasuke, who was standing few feet away. The frown he bore wasn't telling him anything good, and Naruto guessed that he was probably right about their previous relationship. Not wanting to start any more trouble for his friends, Naruto just shook his head, "No, it's fine, Sakura. Sasuke will be here if I need anything," the blond assured her, but Sakura pouted a little, saddened to not be needed.
They ended their tour in the lounge, and Naruto sat on the sofa like a guest in someone else's home, his eyes wandering around, still in search for something to rekindle his memory. No furniture, no corner, and no book or scroll awakened anything in him. There was a photo taken more recently than the last of him and Sakura sitting on one of the shelves, seeming to have been taken at a graduation for something; they were smiling. There was another photo with a group; he could recognize some of the faces in it as people who'd come to visit him in the hospital. Where's Sasuke? He's not in any of the pictures.
"How do you feel, Naruto?" Sakura asked, sitting down in the chair facing his, "Are you tired?" She touched his forehead, trying to feel if he had any sort of temperature after the busy day he'd had. "I'm going to make some tea. Do you want any?" she asked as she stood up. The best way to be useful to him was to take care of his physical health for now, to help him recover as fast as possible. At the moment, sustenance and fluids would do him the most good.
"Oh, yeah, sure. Thanks!" the blond accepted. A cute girl preparing him tea was always good. Then he glanced at Sasuke – the frown between his dark brows had deepened. Oops…
A strained silence extended for a little while after Sakura's departure. Naruto fidgeted around; he could feel his black-haired teammate's stare on him, but the man didn't say a word. Was he upset at him for asking if Sakura lived with them? Or for letting her make him tea?
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke's voice surprised him. He watched as the raven-haired man walked toward him and took a seat close by, making him feel more than a little unsettled. Naruto quickly searched his brain for a reply, something that would still be comfortable and casual to talk with him about, amnesia and all. Maybe if he showed Sasuke that he wasn't interested in Sakura, the atmosphere would be more relaxed. There must be nothing worst than having your ex-girlfriend coddling your best friend right in front of you.
"Haha!" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck clumsily, "I was wondering… do you know if I have a girlfriend? There were all those cute girls visiting me at the hospital, but after what happened with Tsunade, I didn't really wanna ask, if… y'know… if I was intimate with any of them. Seeing as we live together, I assume you might know about it…" he trailed off.
Sasuke stared at him blankly. He'd been worried that Naruto was feeling unwell, with how perturbed he'd seemed, but the guy was just looking for a way to ask him about his own private life.
"No, you don't," Sasuke stated flat out.
"No?" Naruto repeated, crestfallen.
"Nope," the Uchiha confirmed, not bothering to sugarcoat.
"Huh… Well, ok. I have no girlfriend, but... I'm twenty-one, right? I saw myself in the mirror the other day, I think I'm quite handsome, except for those marks on my face... I must have been kissed before, at least," he insisted.
Sasuke glanced off to the side, breaking the eye contact he'd been holding with the other, but didn't respond.
"So you do know!" Naruto exclaimed, happy to not have to be completely the left out type of guy, "So who was my first kiss?" he asked eagerly, leaning forward in his chair, excited to hear the name of the girl. Was it Big Boobs? She was quite cute, and she was always looking at me. Well, technically, everyone had kept looking at him when he was in the hospital, but none of them were his girlfriend, apparently. "Who?" he said again, inching closer, eagerness written all over his face.
Black eyes briefly glanced into the shining blue of his friend's and he averted his gaze again to the side, "Me…" Sasuke feebly admitted. There was no point in lying, Naruto needed truths to remember. But that didn't make it any less aggravating when Naruto jolted back, hearing what he'd said.
"You? Like you and me kissed?" he questioned, baffled. Oh, man! I wouldn't've guessed that I was in a relationship with a guy!
"Yeah, but it was an accident," Sasuke added, trying to pour water on any possible misunderstandings he knew were running through his friend's mind at that moment.
Naruto exhaled loudly, relaxing back. So I'm not gay. Even if Sasuke is definitely more beautiful than some of the girls... he still doesn't have boobs. "Ok... Who was my second kiss?" he asked, more confident.
A faint blush spread over his friend's pale face and the Uchiha looked into the expectant eyes of the blond, "Me..." he confessed, a little mortified remembering it all.
"You?" Naruto narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the handsome man in front of him.Is he lying? Were we…?
"It was involuntary!" Sasuke argued, feeling the heavy stare of his best friend weighing on him, doubting their sexualities.
"Who else? Who else have I kissed, apart from you?" Naruto asked, a little frustrated now, scratching his head just a bit too hard. With all these girls around me, don't tell me I was in love with a guy…
"Nobody that I know; but we haven't been living with each other for very long, so I don't know everything about you," he answered honestly.
"So you were my first kiss, and possibly my last kiss…" Naruto pondered, rubbing his chin. Sasuke nodded with a small sigh at the affirmation, his pride fairly damaged by the memories. Blue eyes glanced over to his friend, still seated nearby. He needed to sort all of this out, this whole amnesia thing was starting to get to him. "Can I kiss you?" he requested bluntly. "Just to see if I remember the first time. A first kiss is supposed to be a pretty prominent memory, so… so I might… uh… recall something, maybe."
The hair on the back of Sasuke's neck stood up in horror at hearing the blond's suggestion, and he could do nothing but stare at him dumbfounded. He had thought that Naruto would've been disgusted to have kissed a guy before, twice no less, but now he was suggesting that they kiss again. He dumbly blinked a few times before locking eyes with his best friend. Naruto went through hell to help him out of his own darkness. He'd risked his life and sacrificed his arm for him. Now, it was his turn. Naruto needed him now. For his sake, for his memories' sakes… The raven-haired shinobi swallowed thickly, "Alright."
This was wrong. It felt wrong. He could recall the times in childhood when twice their lips smacked together brutally. It had been marked down as a trauma in the files of his own mind, his pride torn to have been kissed by his dimwit teammate. How far could he go for Naruto? This whole situation was turning out to be so stupid… He, Sasuke Uchiha, was willingly waiting for his best friend to kiss him. He could feel the warm breath brushing across his face and instinctively, Sasuke leaned back to avoid it. Naruto was progressing forward slowly, certainly unsure of how he was going to go about this just as much as he was. Another breath, and something tingled down his spine. Sasuke wanted to punch him with all his might so badly. He just wished for this to be over with as fast as possible, to end the humiliation of it.
Sasuke's body tensed when he felt Naruto draw closer, hovering above him, and his heart began to beat loudly in his chest. He tightened his grip on the arm of the couch keeping his fight or flight instincts in check. This wasn't the moment to add a concussion to Naruto's already impressive list of medical problems. He prepared himself for the worst, and was surprised when Naruto's lips connected softly with his, almost hesitantly. Why was it so different from last times'? It was tender, warm, gentle. Was it because it wasn't an accident this time? Because it was a real kiss, and not just a forceful bump of the lips? It wasn't as horrible as he remembered, but it still felt wrong to be kissing his best friend. Slowly, the pressure escalated, allowing more contact, becoming more inviting. Nonetheless, the experience came to a sudden halt when a loud shriek broke over the quiet of the room.
Sakura had returned from the kitchen carrying a mug of tea for Naruto, and froze on the spot when she saw Naruto leaning over Sasuke, their lips connected in a kiss. She was completely petrified, her jaw hanging slack at the sexy image of the two most handsome men in Konoha kissing each other. Slowly, the liquid in the mug spilled to the floor at her feet without her noticing, the spectacle in front of her eyes captivating her entire focus. It was highly erotic from her perspective, Naruto dominating above and Sasuke left underneath him as he leaned back on the couch, their mouths connected sensually, their bodies enticingly close. Her fantasy pushed her further, imagining herself being trapped in the middle of them… and suddenly, it clicked. This was not a fantasy; this was happening and they were far from including her in their little make out session. Her voice teared apart their cosiness, having unwillingly escaped her throat in a strident cry. Her inner-counterpart screamed as well. Shanarooo! I should be the one kissing Naruto! He's MY boyfriend!
Both men turned their heads toward the girl, surprise carved over their faces. Naruto realized first what he'd been doing and what their compromising position probably looked like from an outside perspective. Damn!
"It's not what you think," Naruto pleaded immediately. He was so lost. Now he was embarrassed, and he still didn't have a clue of who he was. The only thing that came out of this was a further realization about Sasuke; the guy was handsome, and his lips were incredibly soft.No wonder I kissed this guy twice… Oh, shit! Sakura! His eyes glanced over at the woman. She was obviously shocked, her eyes wide open. He felt ashamed of himself. What type of friend was he to do this to them? Even for the sake of recovering his memories, there was no excuse. "Sorry…" he sheepishly mumbled, lowering his gaze to the floor. It wasn't enough, it shouldn't be enough.
Sasuke watched the blond's distraught expression, "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong," the Uchiha told him, straightening himself into a more proper position. It was humiliating, but if that's what it takes to have you remember something…
Sakura gasped, recovering from her shock. This was it. That was why Sasuke brushed off every girl around him. He liked Naruto. It was all so clear now. All the pieces of the puzzle fit into place. Sasuke's abnormal interest in Naruto all these years, his fascination, his bond, as he called it. It was… love? No wonder the guy never even spared a look to all the girls throwing themselves at him. And Kami knows there was a good number of them, herself included. None of them ever even managed to get a rouse out of the man, not her, not Ino, not his other teammate, Karin – Naruto was the only one who could approach Sasuke or get a reaction from him. Her eyebrows raised in realization.
"Sasuke! You're gay?"
Sasuke spluttered, baffled that she'd even come to that idea, "We're not!"
"I know he's not," Sakura stated, gesturing to Naruto, "But I never would've thought that you were."
"I'm not!" Sasuke replied, growing irritated, "Naruto was just trying to find something that he could use to recall a memory. He thought that maybe his first kiss could be somewhere to start," he justified.
The stare she gave him told him without words how hard she did not believe him. The Uchiha stood from his seat, holding on her gaze with defiance. Naruto looked between both of them alternatively. Was it just him, or was there some electricity in the air?
"Guys! It's my fault! I suggested it!" Naruto intervened, standing between them and breaking the heavy tension instantly, "It's all my fault," he closed his eyes, clenching his jaw and fists. If he could only remember something, he wouldn't be here, suggesting stupid things and hurting his friends' feelings. If only it wasn't all dark in his head… If only… He could feel the tears welling up behind his closed eyelids. He was so frustrated, so lost. And he didn't know where to begin to fix any of it.
As the first tear escaped, breaking slowly through his eyelashes and running quickly down his cheek, Sakura jumped forward and hugged him, encasing him with a grip he would've never imagined could come from someone of her stature. She pressed her head against his chest, hiding her own tears from his view.
"It's not your fault, Naruto," Sakura claimed, her voice trembling with remorse, guilt getting the best of her.
Sasuke sighed. He hated tears more than anything. There wasn't much that could be done. Even as an amnesiac, Naruto still carried everyone else's burdens on his shoulders. He slung an arm around the blond's neck, "It's nobody's fault. Let's just go get some ramen; you love ramen, Naruto, maybe that'll help you remember something. It's my treat, I promised it to you the other day anyway," Sasuke suggested, trying to pull them out of their gloomy moods. He patted Sakura's head faintly too, "Come on, let's do what we can to try and help him remember," he encouraged.
Sakura nodded, silently drying her eyes. Naruto watched her with concern, his face not looking much better off than hers with some tears still stuck in the corners of his eyes, his nose dripping.
Sasuke pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and put it in Naruto's hand, "Clean yourself up a bit before we go out," the dark-haired man ordered, something that could almost be considered affectionate in his voice. Naruto forcefully blew into it, not oblivious to the disgusted expression on Sasuke's face. "Keep it," the Uchiha said with a wave of his hand when Naruto tried to hand the cloth back; by no means did Sasuke want that thing to go back in his pocket.
As they walked through the door, Sasuke leaned forward, offering his back for Naruto to climb onto. The blond hesitated, clearly embarrassed, "Is it that far? Can't we just walk there?"
"It'll be faster and safer this way," Sasuke replied expressionlessly.
Naruto studied his profile; the man didn't seem bothered by the idea in the least but… It was one thing to get a piggy back ride from your best friend, but it was another thing to do it with the best friend that you also just kissed. However, Naruto didn't have much of a choice, so he reluctantly complied and pushed away his discomfort. It didn't take long before he was completely distracted from his previous thoughts anyway as they began to jump at full speed through the air.
Sakura followed at their side, but she couldn't stop herself from staring at them. Naruto was clinging to Sasuke for dear life. It must've been frightening for someone that had no recollection of his previous ninja life to travel like that. Somehow, they were cute together. What would have happened if she hadn't interrupted them earlier? They'd both been pretty cozy looking… Would they have continued further? Well, it was easy to get lost into Naruto's touch, she would know. What if Naruto actually falls for Sasuke? He wouldn't be the first one… No, impossible! Naruto is straight for sure, there's no doubt about it. Even when he'd just woken up from his coma, he was already ogling Tsunade Shishou's breasts. On the other hand, Sasuke… He said he wasn't, but there's no proof in a simple statement.
Awkward. This was definitely awkward, Sasuke thought to himself. The whole situation was uncomfortable. He could feel Naruto's warmth seeping through the clothes on his back, his arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and his strong thighs squeezing his sides. It was edging on dreadful. The worst part of it being the side-glances that Sakura was giving every so often, with a look on her face that screamed "I knew it!". Sasuke wanted nothing more than to slap the doubtful expression off her face, to somehow prove he wasn't gay. Naruto was important to him, that was a fact, but there wasn't anything more than just that. He'd never looked at Naruto in any manner that wasn't platonic. There was no way he could even have the shadow of a thought of doing anything with a man. Ok, so he'd kissed him, but it was only to help his idiot of a best friend through a medical issue, nothing more.
Fortunately for all of them, the trip was a quick one and the group landed in front of the small ramen shop in good time. Naruto read the characters on the front board, Ichiraku. Just as he'd been doing ever since he'd left the hospital, the blond observed his surroundings with meticulous curiosity. Even in this part of the city, all the buildings were new, even the shop they were in front of seemed to've been put up quite recently. Made of wood, the restaurant had a homey atmosphere to it. It wasn't very big, and he could hear the happy chatter from those inside as the front was all open, with only a half-length curtains hanging from the ceiling giving some privacy to the customers inside. A row of stools were aligned in front of the bar, and judging by the number of legs he could see resting on the edges of them, the place was quite popular.
Sakura led the way into the establishment, the men following closely behind. Their entrance immediately created animation within the room, all of the clients knowing Naruto, as he was a regular of the shop. But when they tried to come and greet the blond, a dark shadow stood menacingly in front of them, stopping them without even having to utter a word. The Uchiha finally turned back to his teammates and took the last seat available on Sakura's left side, staring darkly at the pinkette, who'd placed herself in between him and the blond, and giving him no other options of where he could sit.
An old man came over to the front, smiling when he saw his favorite customer. With a loud laugh, he cheerfully greeted Naruto, who was currently trying to read the menu on the wall.
"Haha! Long time no see, Naruto! I was beginning to wonder if she'd finally tied you down to your bed," Teuchi jokingly commented, smiling at Sakura.
Naruto sent a look to the pinkette, Tied me to my bed? What kind of relationship do I have with these two? he thought.Sasuke was my first kiss, and Sakura ties me to beds… don't tell me I'm into this kind of thing. Not that I would necessarily be againstbeing tied to a bed with Sakura… maybe on top of me…
"I haven't tied him up in years! It's been a while since the last time he tried to escape the hospital," she defended herself.
Teuchi laughed more, winking at the blond. It was their little secret that Naruto escaped every time he was hospitalized, leaving a shadow clone to fool the nurses while he had ramen at Ichiraku.
"What should I make you for your return? Your usual?" the old man suggested; Naruto just nodded, knowing that whatever his "usual" was was probably something he'd like anyway. "You too?" Teuchi asked Sakura, knowing her tastes already. She nodded, and he turned to the last member of Team Seven, "And for you?"
Sasuke sighed, he wasn't really in the mood to eat, but he looked over the menu anyway, "The special," he decided without much enthusiasm.
They waited in comfortable quiet. Sasuke, silent as usual, with his unique lack of conversation that was somehow never out-of-place, intrusive, or awkward; and Sakura too busy watching Naruto's expressions as the blond scrutinized every inch of the restaurant, searching for that thing, whatever thing was making his head feel all fuzzy. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, though; maybe it was the smell of the food, or the owner's friendly attitude, but he decided he liked this place.
A couple of minutes later, a woman appeared in front of them with their food. She was just as affable and bubbly as the old man, talking to him as if she were an older sister, blabbering that the shop just wasn't the same when he wasn't around. Naruto gave her a small smile. She was nice, and exactly like the rest of the place – she was comforting. The blond made a mental note to ask Sasuke to bring him here again as he split his chopsticks to dig into his bowl. He slurped his noodles up and a dazzling smile blossomed across his face – the first real smile he'd worn since his release from the hospital.
Immediately, Sasuke and Sakura leaned in closer eagerly, "Did you remember something?" they asked in unison.
Naruto turned to face his friends and his smile grew even wider, like one of his smiles, "No, but I love ramen!"
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME MOTIVATED BY BEING HERE.
I'm not sure if I will be able to keep the normal pace of publishing for next chapter as it is not corrected yet. (some beta drop out on last notice and another beta had to take the job on short notice. Publishing is a shitty long process as it doesn't involve only writing, but beta reader hunting, following, correcting and on and on)
Thank you to all of you who have shown up for the previous chapter, I'm not out from my writer block, but at least I will try to not give up and stick around my computer every time I can. Thank you so much, you can imagine how important it is to me to have you around.