DISCLAIMER: I do not own the following:
LONG KISS GOODBYE - Halcali
ROCKS - Hound Dog
YURA YURA - Hearts Grow
[distance] - LONG SHOT PARTY
Kimi Monogatari - little by little
NARUTO - Masashi Kishimoto
You can find the Naruto covers of the last four songs on the internet. Yes, so the characters that I had sing these songs actually did sing them!
'Till Death Do Us Part - Frozen
"How's he doing, Sakura-chan!? Is he going to be all right!? WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM!?"
"Calm down, Naruto," Sakura soothed gently. "Sasuke-kun is just in the other room. I'm going to do some tests on him, and then we'll see what's going on."
The blond grumbled. "Okay, but why can't I go with you to see him?!"
"We need a quiet environment, and you're not exactly...quiet," Sakura smiled. "I'm going to go see him now, so just wait here."
The two were sitting in the lobby of Konoha Hospital in the all too familiar plastic chairs. They had escorted Sasuke there quickly through the snowstorm, which had luckily died down quite a bit. Kakashi had stayed behind to take care of Sakura's house while she was gone.
"Why doesn't he remember me?" the genin asked.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure it's just you he doesn't remember. He might not remember a few other things, although he seems to remember me and Kakashi-sensei. I'll let you know how it goes," the med-nin stood from her seat and disappeared behind the corner.
Azure eyes were filled with utter confusion and melancholy. Naruto sighed and put his head back in his hands.
Why the hell can't he remember me of all people?
Sasuke's eyelids fluttered lazily, revealing his coal irises. His eyes focused and analyzed the room around him, registering the faces of everyone around him. His eyes refocused on the blond's face, and he raised a defined eyebrow.
"Who are you?"
The blond felt his blood run cold, yet he was sweating from anxiety. "What do you mean, 'who am I?'" Naruto questioned. "It's just me, Naruto!"
"I don't know anyone by that name, so why the hell are you sitting this close to me?" Sasuke motioned with his hand that they were squeezed together under the kotatsu.
"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura instinctively put her hand to his forehead.
"Nothing, just that some loser is acting like he knows me!" The raven haired beauty slapped her hand away. "Why is he here anyway?"
"Sasuke," Kakashi looked at him oddly, "list your teammates from Team 7."
"You, Sakura, and myself," Sasuke stated dully. "I don't know why we don't have a fourth person on our team, but we just don't."
"But, Sasuke, I..." Naruto trailed off. "I thought we were...friends. How could you forget?"
Naruto sighed melancholically and waited silently. His eyes were glued to the clock across from him, and he absorbed himself within the tick tock sound. He filled his ears with it, waiting for Sakura to hurry up and come. All of a sudden, he felt himself being shaken violently by two delicate, but strong hands.
"Hello, Naruto!?" Sakura yelled. "I thought you wanted to see Sasuke-kun!"
"GAH!" the blond jumped out of his seat in fright. He was so absorbed in staring at the clock that he had neglected to listen for Sakura.
"You can come see Sasuke-kun with me now!"
"How is he?!" Naruto asked.
"His memory seems to be intact for the most part," the chuunin sighed. "His memories about Team 7 and the past couple of years are a bit fuzzy and, of course, he can't seem to remember you. Some of his memories are wrong too because you're missing from them. He also doesn't remember some things and people from the village."
"Am I..." Naruto's hands tightened into fists, "Really that unimportant to him?"
"Don't say that!" Sakura clutched his tanned hand and squeezed it. "I think you're more important to him than either of you know. Just come see him!" She pulled him impatiently and ran down the hallway with him. She pulled open one of the doors on her right to reveal a clinic style examination room. Sasuke was sitting erect on the bed, and Sakura had left a clip board on one of the chairs. The walls were a bright yellow, and the blinds were open to reveal the village of Konoha.
"So this guy is my teammate and my best friend supposedly?" Sasuke raised a thin eyebrow. "He looks like an idiot."
"What did you say, bastard!?" Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the shirt.
"Calm down, Naruto," Sakura pushed Naruto to the side coolly. "Now, Sasuke-kun, tell Naruto what you remember."
"I remember nothing about this dumbass," Sasuke said. "I'm surprised that we were friends. I don't know how I could handle someone so loud and annoying."
"Tell him, Sasuke-kun," Sakura interrupted.
"I remember my clan...the massacre...I somewhat remember Team 7. Those memories are weird, and they don't make sense. I don't remember a lot of the villagers Sakura quizzed me on, and I don't remember all the details of our missions, why things happened, etcetera."
"Anything else you'd like to add?" Sakura winked.
Sasuke scowled, "There was someone very important to me, but it's all too fuzzy to remember who. The person was important to me because they made me feel like I finally had someone I could count on."
"Thanks, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura grinned. "Wait in the lobby for Naruto so you can go home together. I doubt that you guys want to come back to my place, so I'll drop off the presents at your place later," Sakura opened the door for Sasuke. The raven-haired beauty slid off the bed and hobbled forward awkwardly. The med-nin noted this, and she sighed melancholically, "Sasuke-kun, would you like me to have Naruto bring a wheelchair over to your complex? It seems like it might not be a bad option..."
"A wheelchair!?" Naruto's eyes practically popped out of his head. The word tasted like bile in his mouth, and he nearly gagged at the mere mention of it.
That's so wrong! The idea of pushing him in a wheelchair because he can't walk anymore...that's so wrong. It was never supposed to be like this.
"Wheelchair?" Sasuke said. "I don't need one." He slammed the door with whatever energy he had, leaving Sakura and Naruto alone.
"Naruto, I think Sasuke loves you," Sakura grinned once the sound of his light footsteps had disappeared down the hall.
The blond flushed, "What makes you think that?"
"Oh, just that he doesn't remember the one person he can count on. He has someone very important to him that he can't remember, and he seems to remember me and Kakashi-sensei almost clearly. Who else could it be but you? You're the one that takes care of him, so he's more inclined to depend on you. Naruto, you make a difference in his life. Just keep on doing that, and maybe dare to get closer with him."
"R-really?" Naruto gasped. "I never thought it was right for me to feel this way about him, but maybe...it's okay! Yeah, it's okay! As the future Hokage, I declare this completely normal! Our gender doesn't make a difference as long as we really care about each other!"
Sakura smiled knowingly. "It's good to come to terms with your own feelings. I'm happy for you."
"Oh," Naruto frowned, "but is he gonna remember me?"
"Don't worry about it," Sakura reassured him. "Memory problems are common with seizures, so he'll probably just have a hard time remembering stuff right after one, just like now Don't you remember back when Sasuke couldn't remember having woken up and stuff? People usually remember after a while, so give it a few hours to a few days. Anyway, I'll stop by with Kakashi-sensei on New Year's Eve, and we can do something together if you want!"
"All right, see you then, Sakura-chan! Thanks a lot!" Naruto burst out of the room and dashed down the hallway.
"Wait, Naruto, there was something else I needed to tell you!"
The blond didn't hear her. He kept on running until he could see the spiky back of Sasuke's head near the exit. With a mischievous smile, he crept up behind him slowly and put his mouth near his ear.
Yeah, I'm fine with really liking Sasuke! We've done a lot together, and there's no real reason why we should be denied happiness.
"You know, your hair looks like a duck butt's." Naruto whispered sneakily.
"At least my head doesn't look like someone slapped an exclamation bubble on it," Sasuke said. "I could hear you 'sneak up', by the way."
"No way it looks like that!" Naruto whined. "And no duh, of course you noticed me; you're a great ninja, although you're not as good as me."
"I'm not a ninja anymore," the other boy bit his lip. "Let's just go home."
"Fine by me!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and headed for the door.
Sasuke raised his left eyebrow so high that it looked like it was about to jump off his forehead.
"Have we always held hands like this?"
"Not always, but we have more recently just because, you know...?" Naruto exclaimed.
"Not really."
Naruto gave him an irritated look. "Let's just go!"
"Sasuke, are you almost ready?! Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei will be here soon!"
"You idiot. Kimono take a long time to actually put on properly, something you wouldn't know," Sasuke sneered from the other side of the door.
Naruto slid down the other side of the shogi door and sighed, "Come on already! Do you want help?"
"I can get dressed myself, although it seems that you're the one that needs help."
"You haven't even seen me in my kimono yet!" the blond whined.
The two were getting ready for New Year's Eve and the festivities they were about to go to, although they had no idea what Sakura and Kakashi were planning for them. There was a festival in the center of the village, but Sasuke refused to go there. The only reason he had agreed to go party in general was because it was the only holiday the Uchiha clan ever celebrated.
Sasuke, after half an hour, finally opened his bedroom door. He was fully dressed in a male kimono, a very elegant brown one. It somehow made him pale skin look more like porcelain, and he seemed refined. However, it also pointed out to Naruto just how small the Uchiha's frame had become.
The Uchiha smirked, "I was right, loser."
Naruto looked down at his own attire. His own orange kimono had been messily tied together, and it was all very sloppy. There were wrinkles everywhere, and he nervously tried to flatten them out, only to make them worsen.
"Why don't you fix it then!?" Naruto folded his arms angrily.
"Sasuke-kun! Naruto!" Sakura called out. Her footsteps echoed loudly through the hallway until she nearly ran into the two teenagers. Her hair was pulled up into a chopstick bun, and she had a lovely, navy, flower patterned kimono on.
"Naruto, your kimono is a mess!" she complained. "Let me fix it." As Sakura quickly untied his kimono and redid it, she glanced at the dark haired male across from her.
"No, I still don't remember anything," he muttered, sensing the questioning look in her sea foam eyes.
"Yo!" Kakashi walked into the scene, Icha Icha Tactics in his hand. He wore a black kimono, and he still had the mask on his face.
"Hey, so what did you guys want to do?" Sakura asked earnestly, stepping away from Naruto and his now neat kimono. "There's the festival down in the village..."
Sasuke interjected, "No."
"Hey!" Naruto interrupted. "Why don't we make a list of stuff we all want to do together! We don't have to do it all tonight, but we can just a list of stuff we've always wanted to do with each other, and then we can make plans for what to do tonight from it!"
"That's a nice idea, Naruto," Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. He took out a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket.
"Let's go do karaoke!" Naruto grinned. "Karaoke is so much fun!"
"I want to laugh so hard together that it hurts," Sakura smiled.
"What about you, Sasuke?" their sensei looked up from his sheet of paper.
"...I want to walk in the rain, and I want to lie in the field where we became genin. Maybe I'll remember this loser that you say I'm best friends with."
"Hey, HEY, we should go to Ichiraku!" Naruto cut in.
Sakura punched him playfully, "But we've already been there a million times! I say we go to a real restaurant for once!"
"Anything else?" Kakashi asked, still writing down his student's ideas.
"Nah, I think that's it!" the blond beamed. "Let's start off with karaoke if you don't want to go to the festival! It's already getting late, and the fireworks are going to start soon!"
The four left the Uchiha complex and headed for the nearest karaoke bar. They took the back roads so Sasuke would be more comfortable with walking out in the open. Sasuke leaned on Naruto, struggling to walk without falling over.
I'll stay by your side forever...Disease can't come between us. I'll protect you with my own life.
Naruto grabbed Sasuke's thinning waist and pulled him close to his body. He supported his weight, leading him towards the karaoke bar. Sakura smiled, sadness tinting her eyes. Kakashi noticed, but said nothing as he happily led the way. Sasuke's body tensed, but he remained silent.
They finally opened a shogi door with several paper lanterns hanging above it, and they found themselves inside the resident karaoke bar. Colored lights hung form the wooden ceiling, and there were several people chatting mindlessly at tables. A small group of villagers were singing a song in front of the karaoke machine, which was on a mini platform stage. Team 7 sat themselves at the table closest to the karaoke machine, watching the two messily put-together women and three men singing intently.
"Anytime shaberisugi no KY chirari miseru tsuyogari na I cry..." (Anytime you talk too much, I know you don't get it, I briefly notice your bluff and I cry...)
Naruto leered from the bench seating, "They're terrible! Any of us could do better than that!"
The women, who were dressed in black mini dresses that were two sizes too small, gave Team 7 a dirty look. Anger contorted their makeup-covered faces, and they looked back at the men of their group.
"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?"
The blond turned his head to find Sakura's cream colored hand resting on Sasuke's shoulder, concern painted upon her features. Sasuke's forehead was in his hands, and he looked like he was about to pass out. His blanched face was ashen, unhealthily white.
"Sasuke, I'll take you home if you don't feel well," their sensei commented, falsely smiling.
"I'm just tired," the Uchiha mumbled. "Naruto...why are there so many bunshin?"
Naruto stared at his friend. "What do you mean? I don't have any kage bunshin here!"
"Then why are there so many of you?" he groaned, shutting his eyes.
"Are you..." Naruto searched for the proper word to say to the teenager beside to his right, "okay?"
"I'm just tired," he muttered.
"Well," Kakashi stood from his seat. "Once this group singing is done, I think I'll sing for you guys. It's all in good fun."
"It's normal for people with SCA to get double vision," Sakura attempted to comfort him. "It'll pass. Don't worry, okay?"
A middle aged man stopped at their table dressed in a festive kimono. "Can I take your order?"
"Mmm, green tea and some sushi? It doesn't matter what kind; anything good is okay," Sakura piped up.
The group on stage finished their song and left the stage, fury exuding from every fiber of their bodies. As the waiter left, Kakashi grinned beneath his mysterious mask and headed towards the stage. He slipped a few coins into the juke box behind him. Music began to play, and Kakashi picked up one of the microphones the group had tossed aside onto the floor.
"COME ON!"
Team 7's jaws dropped, even the exhausted Sasuke's. Kakashi, their sensei, was actually singing. He was actually singing, and he was singing well.
"Owareru you ni isoideiru..." (Like you are being chased, you are in a hurry...)
Woah, Kakashi-sensei! You sing?!
"I didn't know Kakashi-sensei could do things like that..." Sakura stared at him in awe. "I call singing next!"
"I'll sing after you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto beamed. "You'll sing last, right Sasuke?"
"Sing?" Sasuke's eyebrows looked like they were about to leap off his face. "You're kidding me."
"No, I'm not!" he tugged at Sasuke's kimono. "Are you just scared that I'm going to totally crush you? Heh, should have known. After all, I'm the best singer in Konoha, as well as future Hokage!"
"Are you challenging me?" Sasuke leaned in towards Naruto's face, competition heating up in his eyes. A smirk replaced his standard frown, and his weariness wore away. "You don't understand what I'm capable of."
"Haha, bastard, why are you getting so worked up?" Naruto leered. "You just know you can't beat me because I'm so much better than you! I'm the greatest ninja there ever was!"
"Hn, we'll just see about that!"
Sakura's laugh jingled in their ears. "You two always bicker like this! Are you sure you don't remember Naruto, Sasuke-kun?"
"No, I don't!" Fire blazed within his eyes, his competitive nature flaring up again. "This dumbass isn't even worth challenging!"
"Bastard! I'm more of an opponent than you should dare take on!"
"I'm the one who had to save your ass back in the Valley of the Waves because you were stupid enough to get yourself trapped in there with me!"
It was all of their turns to laugh this time, and even a shadow of a smile creeped upon Sasuke's visage. They hadn't been so lively in a long time, and now was the moment that they all realized that their bond was still there, unbroken and intact. Their bond was stronger than Sasuke's illness, and the return of at least some of his memories proved that.
"I remember more about you than before, Naruto," Sasuke's eyes glimmered with as much happiness as he could let through. "It's all coming back..."
Kakashi's song faded as he sang the last lines. "I wanna rocks, ooh, mune ni rocks!" (I wanna rocks, ooh, rocks in my chest!)
"Go Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto jumped up from his seat, throwing his fist into the air.
"Thanks," he replied nonchalantly as he stepped off the stage, returning to his seat at Team 7's table.
"My turn," Sakura winked as she stood from the table. She sprang onto the stage and stuffed in some ryo into the karaoke machine, Kakashi stalking off stage to take his seat beside Naruto.
"Yura yura to yuganda sora e kimi no motto wo tonde yuke..." (In these wavering skies, I will fly to you…)
"Here you go," the waiter popped up again, his balding head reflecting the colorful lights. He placed a kettle of green tea and four orders of sushi on their table, leaving four packages of chopsticks beside them.
"Itadakimasu!" Naruto ripped his chopsticks open and broke them apart. He shoveled down a California roll and sighed. "Sakura-chan sings so well...and the sushi isn't bad..."
Kakashi broke his chopsticks apart as well. "Itadakimasu."
The sickly teenager took his chopsticks and peeled the paper away, taking the chopsticks in hand. He clutched them tightly by the ends and tried to pull them apart, but no avail. He swore under his breath and pulled harder, managing to split into two. He reached for a maki sushi, but his chopsticks didn't quite reach it. Coal eyes widened, not noticing Naruto's azure eyes on him.
He...he's lost so much of his depth perception...I wonder how he feels getting up in the morning, not knowing what else he's lost. Why did this disease choose Sasuke? Why did it choose him when he still had so much to live for!? It's not fair...I told Neji that destiny could always be changed, but if Sakura-chan doesn't find something, then-
"Futatsu no chigiri..." (The two oaths...) Sakura's voice faded, her song finishing.
The self-proclaimed future Hokage clapped for his teammate, but turned back to face Sasuke. His dark brows were furrowed in frustration. His hands were attempting to use the chopsticks properly to grab sushi, but he kept on dropping his food. It was like he no longer knew how to use chopsticks at all.
"Hey, waiter!" Naruto yelled over the chattering noise. "We need a fork here!"
"Shut up," Sasuke hissed.
"Naruto, it's your turn," Kakashi mentioned nonchalantly.
"Hurry up, Naruto!" Sakura put her hands on her hips, suddenly sitting beside Sasuke again.
The blond squeezed through Kakashi and ran on the stage, murmuring words of rushed apology. He stuffed some ryo into the karaoke machine and hastily grabbed at the mic.
"You are my friend, aah, ano hi no yume ima demo mada wasuretenain desho!" (You are my friend, aah, even now you haven't forgotten the dream we had that day!)
Sapphire eyes scanned the audience in front of him. Few people but his own team were actually watching him, but he felt amazing. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he sang his heart out, not bothering to care if he was any good.
"Everyday kono saki mo shining day kawarazu singing hikaru asa no smile!" (Everyday, I look to the shining day ahead, I keep on singing, waiting for tomorrow's smile!)
Naruto absolutely loved this song. It was just his song. It described his entire life, the meaning of his existence. It described his reason for living. Most of all, it described his relationship with Sasuke and the circumstance of their lives.
"Thank you my friend, aah, ano hi no koto ima de mo mada oboeteru kara!" (Thank you my friend, aah, I haven't forgotten what happened that day!)
His eyes wandered to look over at Sasuke, the only one in the world he truly would give everything up for. He would give up everything for anyone he cared about, but Sasuke...Sasuke was a different story.
He's different because I love him. I don't care if he loves me back or not. I just want to stay with him. I never want him to leave...It's selfish, but it's painful too. I'd do anything. I'd give up my soul.
You are my dream, aah, mou nidoto sou modoranai days, oh, I'll go the distance!" (You are my dream, aah, we can never go back to the old days, oh, I'll go the distance!)
I'll go the distance for you.
Naruto hopped off stage, a permanent grin pasted on his face. "Hey, I was awesome, wasn't I? Beat that, Sasuke!"
Sakura's eyes were bulging out of their sockets in sheer amazement. "Naruto...you actually...sing?"
"Uzumaki Naruto NEVER lies!" he stuck out a victory sign, plopping down at the edge of the of the bench.
Sasuke stood up, his legs wobbling unevenly. He took two cautious steps forward, leaving the seating area. A look of determination set on his face as he struggled forward, his knees unbending.
Naruto nodded to himself as he watched Sasuke fight to walk.
I have to let him try. If he falls, he tried, and he can get back up again. I can help him up, but he has to try. He has to live because life in itself is a wonderful thing...
The Uchiha climbed up the steps, grabbing onto the railing with both hands. He finally made it onto the stage, stumbling over his own feet, but in one piece. He fumbled with the change, but managed to clumsily insert it into the machine. He reached for the microphone and managed to grab it, bringing it to his face.
"Todoke todoke tooku e ima wo kishikaisei namida azukete..." (Reach out, reach out, into the distance. Now I trust these revived tears to you...)
Every member of Team 7's jaw dropped. Uchiha Sasuke, the emotionless and stoic teenager, the one who refused to show emotion, really was singing.
Naruto trailed off, "He sings damn well..."
"The fangirls would kill to be here, wouldn't they?" Kakashi smilied.
"Sasuke-kun...you..." Sakura searched for words, but was unsuccessful.
"Nakushite kizuite sakende mogaiteta hibi ga kono michi no sukoshi saki wo mata terashiteru..." (Being lost, realization, shouting out, my everyday struggles, light ahead part of this road again.)
Naruto gulped. This song would break Sasuke down, or it would kill him.
There's no way he can sing a song like that and feel nothing. Why the hell would he choose a song like that anyway?
"Well, this is out of character for Sasuke, isn't it?" Kakashi mentioned casually.
"Kono tobira no mukou ni mada minu asu ga otozureru kara hajimare nagai nagai kimi monogatari..." (Until a tomorrow we can't see visits from the other side of this page, it begins, a long, long story about you...)
"Mm, I still beat him though, didn't I, Sakura-chan?" Naruto frowned, but inside he was smiling.
I don't understand, but maybe he's trying to do something for himself. Maybe he's not giving up after all. Maybe...
Maybe there's hope.
"Sou hitori ja nani mo dekinai yo, demo jibun ni gakkari shinaide. Hora, kimi no enjin wa shizuka ni hiri ga tomoridasu. Konya matsu no mo mataseru koto mo tokui janai kara ubai ni yuku. Sonna kimi wa machigai janai sa!" (That's right, you can't do anything on your own, but don't become disappointed. Look, your engine is quietly burning. Tonight, keep on waiting and waiting. Even if you're not good at things, keep grasping. You can't go wrong with that!)
Suddenly, the loud sound of an explosion cut Sasuke off. The surprised and gleeful sounds of the villagers filled the karaoke bar, and several people ran out to see the fireworks show. Bright colors lit up the dim bar, illuminating only Team 7, the only people left inside.
"Koko kara hajimare hitotsu dake no kimi monogatari..." (From here it begins, the one and only story about you...) Sasuke finished blandly, obviously disapproving of the fact that the fireworks had interrupted him. The rest of Team 7 stood from their table and waited for Sasuke, who hadn't moved.
"Sasuke...?" Naruto asked worriedly.
His mic dropped to the floor, barely making a sound with the crashing of the fireworks outside.
"Sasuke!" the blond ran forward to his best friend's side. "Are you okay?"
Sasuke blinked dazedly, then shook his head. "Things were just blurry for a second. Let's go."
"Don't scare me like that!" Naruto scolded, taking his hand once again. "Come on, let's go!"
Sakura and Kakashi smiled knowingly. They walked ahead of them outside, leaving the two alone.
"I'm so happy, Sasuke!" Naruto grinned toothily. "Tonight was really fun! You actually sing pretty damn well, but you're nowhere even close to singing as well as I do!"
"Maybe you need a hearing aid because all I heard during your performance was the sound of a cat dying," the pale boy smirked.
They strode off stage together and walked slowly towards the rest of their team. Sasuke shook his hand from Naruto's grip and placed it around his tanned shoulder. Naruto looked down at Sasuke's legs and noted how they struggled to move, unbending and barely lifting from the ground.
Crap, he's getting worse! Naruto bit his lip as they made it outside. Colorful sparks lit up the midnight sky, cries of "Happy New Year" being shrieked in the distance.
"Happy New Year, Sasuke," Naruto whispered huskily to the teenager beside him.
"Sakura," Sasuke ignored his aid. "It's tonight. Are you ready?"
"Tonight!?" Sakura turned around to face the boy on her left, panic evident in her voice. "I'm not sure..."
"We may never have another chance," he added. "It's...my last request from you."
Sakura bit her lip uneasily, her eyes watering. She sighed and looked him in the eye uneasily. "Okay."
"Am I missing something?" Naruto questioned, oblivious. Kakashi was eyeing them too, but said nothing.
"I'll explain later, Naruto. It's something Sasuke-kun and I agreed to. There's not a lot of time, so we have to go now! We'll see you later!" Sakura grabbed Sasuke's fragile hand and took off, walking as fast as she could with him.
"But, Sakura-chan! Sasuke!" Naruto called out. "What's going on?"
"Leave them be, Naruto," Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Whatever it is, there's a reason for it. They'd never do something to hurt you, so trust your comrades."
Naruto watched them disappear within the crowd, loneliness taking its place in his heart.
I can't do a lot for him. Sakura-chan can heal him. She works hard everyday to help him get better. She's the key to his survival. But what do I do? I live with him. I help him walk. That's it. Hell, I can't even cook! How can I expect him to depend on me? His hope is probably all with Sakura-chan now. I have to do something. I can't be so useless. I've never felt like this before. I need to be able to help him. Sakura-chan said he loves me, but why is he going with her for whatever it is he needs? She also said that he doesn't remember everything about Kakashi-sensei and her.
I wonder if he will ever be able to count on me.
A/N: By the way, Sasuke's and Naruto's kimonos are from the BROKEN YOUTH Naruto Shippuden ED. I guess Sakura's is from the fourth opening? ...What do you think Sasuke and Sakura are doing? Killing Itachi? Planning a funeral? Arm wrestling? Finding a cure? Doing something naughty? Until next chapter: Love.