Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto and settings are all owned by Masashi Kishimoto not me.
Chapter 10: Words sting, words cling. You know it.
The next day, Naruto went to school with a different attitude.
An unusual high temper with a goofy grin, as if nothing in the world had happened when in reality, Naruto's mind had turned totally upside down and crashed into unearthly ruins.
He was loud and was attracting everybody's attention towards himself with his all to numb his thoughts and beating his loudness in his voice over his mind to deafen the words that spoke to him. Everybody found him annoying and that seemed to be his goal, or anything that would distract him, even if that was a negative effect to him, at least he didn't have the worst which was him, himself beating his inner self till there's nothing left of him. He wanted to exist rather than wither away from self-destruction which was so close to.
"Everybody ohayo-ttebayo!" Naruto shouted.
"Naruto! It's great to have you back here, but must you be so loud?" asked Iruka sensei as he entered the class as he covered his ears.
"Dattebayo, dattebayo~. This class is too quiet and gloomy," Naruto said, wavering his arms like a jellyfish and pulling a smug face.
This was when he first created his habit of saying 'dattebayo' and 'ttebayo' etc at the end of his sentences, to create a trademark that will be acknowledged as the words only Naruto uses so as anyone hears it, would know it's him talking.
First it was weird, but as several days had passed, people got used to it and found themselves automatically saying 'shut up Naruto' every time he spoke aloud.
This was the only way Naruto could think of to keep himself busy from thinking about Sasuke, who he ignored at school. Stay loud and get grumbled and scowled at by people.
Sasuke found Naruto weird all long and couldn't help feeling that something was wrong with Naruto.
He was beginning to sense that Naruto was breaking down inside. And truthfully, he was.
Weeks passed and Sasuke realized that Naruto wasn't eating at lunch.
He got worried sick to the point that he felt like throwing up, but all he could do was watch Naruto from a distance since Naruto always avoided talking to Sasuke and never met his gaze.
Iruka sensei seemed to notice the same thing about Naruto and had asked about his health and appetite, but Naruto just told Iruka sensei that he wasn't hungry at lunch and that he always ate at home after school.
"Because you can't eat cup ramen at school -ttebayo, Iruka sensei!"
That was a lie of course.
As brightly as Naruto had said it, it was a colorfully fake.
The truth was that whenever he ate something, he'd throw it back up so he didn't bother eating anymore.
Naruto started to wear a black t-shirt -instead of his usual white- with an orange jacket over top, even on hot days and Sasuke figured that Naruto was hiding something and he needed to find out what. He was losing his patience of just standing back and watching him from afar.
He didn't have the right to stay near Naruto anymore, he knew, but he didn't care how much he would get hated by Naruto. Sasuke was too worried to think about that and found it more important to find out what Naruto was hiding rather than care about how Naruto would think of him.
After school, Sasuke followed Naruto secretly and it seemed that Sasuke had picked the right day, for Naruto had tripped and landed on the hard ground. Sasuke ran to Naruto when he didn't stand back up. It was just like the first day they talked to each other.
"Naruto!" called Sasuke and squatted down to try and pull him up.
"F-ck off..." Naruto said with his face in the shadows, "I don't need help ...especially from a bastard like you!"
"It's only start of spring and I'm not going to leave you out in the cold like this. You'll catch a cold," Sasuke replied hastily, pulling Naruto's arm up.
"...who...would f-ckin care?" Naruto whispered.
"I would! You need help and you're not asking for it. Let me," said getting rather annoyed at Naruto's stubbornness and tugged harder.
"F-ck off!" Naruto jerked away, and then fell onto the harsh ground again, scraping his cheek.
But from there, Naruto didn't move the slightest.
When Sasuke tugged again, Naruto didn't respond to it and Sasuke realized Naruto had fallen unconscious.
This was bad.
Sasuke pulled Naruto up and set his hand on Naruto's forehead and found that it was burning.
Panic rushing all over his body, he carried Naruto and sprinted all the way to his own house.
It was way too easy for Sasuke to take Naruto back, since Naruto was so light.
Too light.
Naruto! You haven't been eating at all!
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Sasuke laid the unconscious Naruto -who had a blushed face with a high fever- on his own bed and took Naruto's jacket off.
As Sasuke suspected and dreaded, Naruto's waist and arms were noticeably thin.
Sasuke pulled the blankets up to Naruto's chin and brought a bucket full of water with a cloth where he dampened the cloth and put it on Naruto's forehead to cool him down, every now and then exchanging the cloth when it got warm.
Naruto's pained face told Sasuke that Naruto wasn't alright and that his head was thumping painfully.
As Naruto started to pant harder and his temperature rising higher, Sasuke started to panic and tears swelled in his eyes for he could do nothing.
Fear swept over him countless times as he bit his lower lip, holding the end of his t-shirt tight.
When Sasuke could no longer hold his fear, when realization crashed upon him that this wasn't a normal fever and that he wasn't able to help him by himself with only his help, he darted out the door and ran like he had never been before to Iruka sensei's house where Iruka sensei was dragged out of his house and to the front of the Konoha village hospital.
"Please ask them to give us medicine!" Sasuke cried at Iruka, who doesn't have a clue why he was brought here in the middle of the night and why Sasuke's tear-stained face was filled with fury and panic.
"Why? What happened?" Iruka asked Sasuke who was pulling down on both of Iruka sensei's sleeves.
"Naruto's dying! He needs medicine but the nurses won't give me any!" Sasuke shouted with tears flowing over the stained.
"...why wouldn't they give you any?" Iruka asked, trying to figure what Sasuke's on about with his mind still swirling and was trying to register what on earth was going on with his still half-asleep mind.
But then it clicked, before Sasuke said it in words.
"Nobody wants to help him because he's a monster! Nobody wants to help a monster!They won't let me!"
Iruka looked surprised at Sasuke's outburst as if he was unsure if Sasuke knew what he himself just said. But after a moment of staring at the little Uchiha, he saw that true to his words, he was truly meaning it.
Iruka sensei's eyes soon turned soft and kind while his lips formed a smile.
He patted Sasuke on the head.
"And you're helping that little monster, regardless of what he might do or become," said Iruka sensei.
Sasuke nodded, "He's the only person I have left..."
"Okay, I'll go get you medicine for Naruto," he said and jogged to the hospital.
At the gate of the hospital Iruka sensei heard Sasuke shout in a panic-filled voice," Hurry!"
The two ran back as fast as they could to Sasuke's house where Naruto was.
As soon as they got there, Iruka sensei put the medicine pills into Naruto's mouth and made him swallow which Naruto threw up in a few seconds time.
He tried again with the spare pills and held a hand over Naruto's mouth to prevent Naruto from reflux again.
When a few minutes passed with no sign of Naruto's stomach refusing the pills anymore, Iruka let go and quickly changed Naruto to a lighter and comfortable clothing which were Sasuke's spare clothes.
Setting Naruto back in his bed, and the bed covers pulled up to his chin once again, Iruka wet the cloth and put it over Naruto's forehead.
Sasuke, all this time just stood back, and able to nothing but watch.
He felt ashamed of himself for his helplessness.
He looked down and shuffled his feet slightly while putting his hands behind his back.
Iruka noticed this as he looked away from Naruto for the first time after reaching this house.
He smiled and summoned Sasuke over with a wave of a hand.
Sasuke walked up to him where his wrist was taken by Iruka and was pulled under the blanket and on top of Naruto's right chest.
Sasuke felt Naruto's heartbeat and slightly widened his eyes, surprised.
Even though Naruto looked blushed and unwell, his heartbeat had returned to regular beating.
Sasuke found himself let out a small sigh of relief.
"He'll be okay now," Iruka said quietly, "once he wakes up, give him a glass of water and something to eat. He might throw it back up but force him to keep eating little by little until he gets his appetite back. You will do that for me, won't you?"
Sasuke nodded like a good boy, and watched Iruka sensei leave his door.
He changed Naruto's damp cloth on his forehead which was now warm from Naruto's heat.
Sasuke put the newly wet cloth, when Naruto flinched and started to talk in his sleep.
"..Don't ...don't Sasuke," Naruto whispered, scrunching his face.
He was sleeping, but nevertheless Sasuke talked back.
"I'm just cooling down your forehead because you have a fever," Sasuke explained.
"..It hurts...you're hurting me Sasuke," Naruto started to pour tears from his closed eyelids.
"Huh?" Sasuke, feeling something's not right and that Naruto wasn't talking about the present, suddenly felt a rush of guilt.
"Stop hitting me!" Naruto suddenly cried aloud which seemed to be the exact moment when Sasuke remembered Naruto's terrifying bright red eyes which belonged to the monster inside him, alarming Sasuke's heart to the point that fear, shock and guilt all pumped through his veins and into his heart like an extremely high volt electric zap.
Sasuke now knew that Naruto wasn't talking about the present, but the past.
It was the day when Sasuke saw Naruto, as a monster with those bright red and glaring eyes.
At that time, Sasuke only thought Naruto as a monster taking over his body.
Not that the monster actually was Naruto. Sasuke was just desperate to get rid of those red eyes and bring Naruto's blue eyes back, trying to wake Naruto up from the monster's trance.
He didn't know Naruto could see and feel when he had lost control over his body.
"Don't …run away, Sasuke," Naruto cried.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sasuke said desperately, the only words Sasuke could think of right now.
"You ran away...,"Naruto demanded," but you promised... You're a liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!"
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