(A/N: I wanted to hurry and this chapter up because I feel like the last chapter didn't do so well. Sigh, that's what I get for letting my imagination run wild instead of truly sticking to what I originally planned. I mean, the plot points I wanted were there, just some of them weren't executed as good as they could be. I tired you make Naruko come off as a little goofy because of all the people, unknowingly, putting a damper on her plans. After all, 'no suspects an idiot' is canon Naruto's motto. Hope this chapter pans out better. Enjoy!
clonetrooper29: Thanks for reviewing! That's not true, at all. Real diamonds won't shatter by a simple hammer. They must be talking about fake diamonds. Like the kind of diamonds you find on cheap jewelry. The only thing that could break a diamond is another diamond. Although, I don't know how much scientist and geologist have discovered other materials that could break down diamonds. All I know is that ordinary hammers are definitely not it. Unless, it's a specially crafted type of hammer. I usually don't trust random forums. It could be people just spouting nonsense to sound smart. And I thought I explained last chapter that it's canon Naruto, albeit with a few minor changes.
Awesomeness3013: Thanks for the review! That's the best part I like about the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke in the anime. That they could just look at each other, bump fists, or trade blows, and have a whole entire conversation in just a split second. It shows how much they understand each other on a spiritual level.
Guest review [naruto]: Thanks for reviewing! Don't worry, Naruko would get rid of all the negative emotions that's keeping her from having a love life, eventually. )
Fleeting Emotions
Naruko and Sasuke exited out of the train. They waited for her brothers and their mechanic to gather their things.
"So, first things first, we should probably find a hotel to stay in first," Naruko informed Sasuke. "Afterwards, we can go to the library to study up on alchemy. You need all the research materials you could get, Sasuke, if you want to pass that exam next."
Sasuke didn't speak, just attentively listening to the female Uzumaki's words.
"So…?" Naruko dragged out suddenly, hands clasped behind her back. "I never asked before, but how has your journey been going so far?"
He eyed her, blandly. "I tell you about them in my letters, dobe."
The cerulean blue eyed woman rolled her eyes. "I know that, teme. I just want to tell my in person. You know, there could be some things you wanted to say that you can't express in a letter."
She pursed her lips together in an angry pout. She turned her head way, feeling exasperated at the Uchiha's lack of interest. "This is the first time we get to talk to each other in years, okay?" She shook her head, rapidly, deeply sighing to herself. "Just forget it," she huffed.
"Hey!"
The two shinobi tilted their heads to see Edward calling to them. He, Alphonse, and Winry were all waiting for them by the ticket platform.
"If you two are done, we would like to leave any time now," Ed's voice rang out, the annoyance was not unheard.
"Oh, right. Coming." Naruko wondered for a moment how they managed to get ahead of them. They must've been distracted. That wasn't good. They were now in enemy territory. They had to keep their guard up.
Edward watched intently as his sister was talking to that Sasuke guy. He couldn't get a good read on Sasuke. The guy was completely silent and rarely responsive during the whole train. How Naruko could so casually strike up a conversation with the guy was an absolute mystery, considering that his words consisted of a few grunts here and there.
Hell, he had to wonder if the guy could even talk. Was he some sort of mute or something? Then remembering that he could, seeing as he spoken a couple of sentences here and there yesterday.
When Ed first meet Sasuke, he wasn't at all what he imagined he would be. He thought he'd be faced with some arrogant asshole with an 'I'm better than you' attitude. He thought… Well, Ed honestly imagined a mini Colonel. The Colonel was a stuck up bastard that was always breathing down his neck.
However, and thank god, Sasuke and the Colonel were nothing alike. Aside from the dark hair and eyes. Sasuke was completely aloof and indifferent to the things around him. It was fucking hard to tell what that guy was thinking. If Ed didn't know any better, it was almost like the guy operated like a machine. Mechanical and unfeeling.
His complete and total silence aggravated Edward. He wasn't used to dealing with taciturn people, okay? Not to mention, it was hard to tell what Sasuke was thinking with that stoic expression of his. He had never meet a guy just so...so...standoffish.
Edward wanted to know what Naruko's relationship with Sasuke is. After all, he's the only one who could tell him and Al what their sister's been up to for the last ten years. Naruko once told them they were once merely just old classmates at school, yet they seemed extremely close to just be classmates. He means, the two acted like close, extraordinary close friends. And the fact that Naruko was acutely aware of what Sasuke's grunts fucking mean, how could any understand them, Ed inwardly thought to himself, there was something more to their relationship.
"Ed? Did you hear what I said?"
Edward snapped out of his musings turning his golden gaze at his sister, who was looking at him with curiosity.
"We're going to book a hotel room, and have lunch afterwards," Naruko announced.
After renting a couple of hotel rooms that Ed paid for, much to his vexation, the group of five were in the hallway discussing room arrangements.
"Sasuke," Naruko pronounced, opening a door to the room and pulling the young man inside. "Let's go inside our room."
It was an innocent statement. They needed somewhere discuss their strategies in private. They couldn't do it in front of Ed, Al, and Winry, after all. They already debated over what Sasuke could and could not do on the train while Edward and Winry were sleeping and Alphonse wasn't paying them any attention. At least, not in the presence of her brothers, her automail engineer childhood friend, their military friends. Factors that include no Sharingan or Rinnegan, meaning trying to keep his left eye hidden as much as possible, and no fire jutsus, only lightning since Naruko already established Sasuke was a lightning alchemist.
However, Edward, Alphonse, and Winry seemed to take Naruko's announcement of her and Sasuke staying in the same room the wrong way. The three young teenagers faces burned, cheeks flushed a deep, crimson red color. It didn't take a genius to know that inappropriate thoughts of a man and a woman sleeping in the room together were fluttering tauntingly in their heads.
They turned their flustered heads towards Sasuke to see that he wasn't fazed by the implication in the least. In fact, he still had that same expression of aloofness as a curt nod was all he offered Naruko, who beamed, brightly. Unbelievable! Doesn't this guy feel anything?! How apathetic could one person be?
"Wait! Hold up!" Edward blurted out, his embarrassment bursting out, stopping his sister and her friend in their tracks. "Why are you guys sharing a room?"
"Yeah," Naruko said, innocently, not seeing the problem at all. "Sasuke needs to study more on alchemy and train...his for the exam next," she finished replying as if it was the most simple and logical answer in the world.
Winry shook her head, sighing, not believing how dense and naive Naruko could be. At least, she knows Naruko attention for sharing a room with Sasuke wasn't...that. "Naruko. You and I," she said, putting emphasizing on the 'I' part, hoping the older blonde would get the subtext. A man and woman shouldn't be sharing a room, after all, unless they are married. "Will be sharing a room."
Naruko pouted, seeming to not accept that. "What about Sasuke?"
"He could room with Ed and Al," the blonde mechanic replied, dismissively.
"But-"
"They could teach him all about alchemy. Ed is a State Alchemist, after all. He could train Sasuke for the exams."
That answer didn't satisfy the blonde Uzumaki in the least. In fact, it made her even more apprehensive. Though, she knew arguing was pointless as she was somewhat forcibly dragged into the room.
"Sasuke! We are going to start preparing for the exams tomorrow at the crack of dawn!" she called out to him as the door slammed shut.
Edward just stared at the shut door, then at Sasuke, frowning. Great. How was he supposed to deal with this apathetic bastard? He turned, unlocking the door to their room, and entering inside. The sound of Alphonse's clanking footsteps could be heard behind him. Although, Sasuke's footsteps were as silent as a stealthy cat. No sound or noise were heard as he walked. Ed had to do a quick double take to make sure he was in the room.
As the door slammed shut, quietly, a moment awkward silence filled the room. Okay… What now? Ed and Al weren't sure of the reason why they came back to Central. They just figured that they were at another dead end for searching on ways to getting their bodies back to normal, so they might as well go back to basics. Maybe stop by the Central Library. The only problem was what to do with Mr. Silent over there.
"I'm going to put my stuff up and take a shower," Edward said, already walking towards his bedroom.
Alphonse could feel a wave of anxiety hit him when he was left alone with Sasuke. He watched, silently, unable to gather the nerve to speak as Sasuke stalked across the bookshelf to grab one of the few books that were perched their, and laid back down on the couch to read it.
Al didn't know how to start talking to the dark haired, young man. He was...intimidating.
Naruko was busy cooking a late lunch for herself and Winry. She already took a shower beforehand.
Damn, this was already putting a damper on her plans. How were she and Sasuke supposed to discuss strategies now? She was thought about sneaking off late at night, leaving shadow clones. Conversely, Sasuke doesn't even know the shadow clone jutsu, so that plan was a bust.
They could talk about their plans at the library, but they needed Ed's watch to access top secret research material for the time being, and, heaven's know, how possessive her baby brother is over his precious watch. And they couldn't talk with Ed and Al just within hearing distance.
She sighed. She guessed they could discuss battle tactics after Sasuke passes the State Alchemist Exam. They just focus on the exams for now. Oh, and yeah, they should come up with a believable alias for the examinees. If they don't fall for right, well, plan b would be just to put them all under a genjutsu with Sasuke's Sharingan.
Naruko snapped out of her scheming musings when she heard the timer click. She opened the oven to take out the roast pork she made. Now, she just needed to let it cool while she cooked the mash potatoes and macaroni and cheese.
"So, what's the deal with you and Sasuke?"
Naruto tilted her head back towards Winry, who was busy drying her damp hair. She must have just gotten out of the shower. Her cerulean blue eyes blinking in confusion. "Huh?" was all she offered, puzzledly.
Pale blue eyes looked at her older blonde female friend, expectantly, trying to gauge her reaction. "You two seem really close for being just friends."
Winry had witnessed how the two interact, and their actions weren't where people call typical between friends. They seemed...how should she put it...intimate with each other for being just friends. Naruko and Sasuke seemed acutely aware of the others' moods without having to exchange words. No one achieves that level of intimacy unless they were lovers who were and are still deeply in love and strongly connected to one another, both romantically and spiritually.
"Sasuke and I… We're just friends," Naruko said, simply, returning back to her cook.
The blonde mechanic scoffed in disbelief. "You guys don't act like how normal friends do. You and Sasuke both behave like…" She paused, taking a moment to ponder her wording. "...Well, you two behave like old lovers who are going through the awkward phase of getting back together."
The female Uzumaki chuckled, humorously at that description. "Is that what it looks like to you? Well, I can't exactly disagree with the fact that our relationship isn't precisely normal through the eyes of commoners. We are just… Me and Sasuke are just...two sides of the same coin, I guess."
Winry arched a puzzled, blonde brow. She wondered what that analogy was supposed to mean?
"Can you tell us more about our sister?"
Sasuke lowered his book to regard Alphonse with a slight look of confusion.
"Mr. Sasuke," Al spoke once more, feeling a bit anxious. "Could you tell us more about our sister?"
Alphonse did not know why he asked that out of all questions. He and Ed did want ask Sasuke about Naruko eventually. After all, they were both friends, right? He should know a little about their sister. But… That was a question for later. They hardly knew the guy yet. They should helping him train for the upcoming exams, if he's really serious about taking it.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Sasuke replied back, simply. He wasn't coming off as rude, just merely blunt with his statements.
"She never tells us anything," Ed answered. Edward made his presence known, having overheard the conversations. He was already dried and dressed.
Sasuke gazed at the two brothers, Naruko's younger brothers, silently, the gears in his head turning. That firm statement reminded him so much of how Itachi kept his naive, little brother out of their corrupt family affairs. But it was for his protection.
He stared into their eyes, trying to evaluate their emotions. They held the eyes of desperate children, looking for acknowledgement. They were desperate and hurt. They felt...left out in the dark by their sister's constant withdrawn nature towards them, especially in regards to her past.
The dark haired Uchiha weighed his options. Naruko once stated to him that she would handle their family affairs herself. She just needed time. He scowled a little at that notion. Why did he get the feeling that she was never planning to tell her little brothers? That she was just using that as an excuse to remind herself not to tell them?
He inwardly shook his head. Ah, well, it wasn't any of his busy. He wasn't the type to step into other people's family affairs. He glanced over again at Naruko's little brother, that's still something he needed to to get used to.
Telling them a little wouldn't hurt. Besides, it's not like he's breaking his promise to Naruko to let her handle their family business.
"Your sister," he started to speak, sitting up from the couch, and closing and setting the book down beside him. Edward and Alphonse seemed to instantly perk up when Sasuke started talking about Naruko. Their inquisitive eyes trained on him, all ears, listening attentively. They were quite surprised. They thought he wasn't interested in talking about Naruko.
"Your sister was nothing but a good for nothing loser," Sasuke started. Ed and Al frowned, tilting their heads in confusion. Okay, that wasn't the start they imagined. "All she did was running around, screaming about her dreams at the top of her lungs."
"What dream was that?" Al asked, curiously.
"That's something for her to tell you," the last surviving Uchiha answered, calmly. "Any other questions?"
The gears in Al's head turned until he swiftly thought of a question. "You and sister were rivals, right?"
Sasuke arched a brow in wonderment. "Yeah?"
"Sister told us. What was it like? You know, for you, Mr. Sasuke?"
Dark eyes blinked, for a second not knowing how to respond to that question. "Naruko was an obnoxious, loudmouth tomboy. She was annoying, really annoying. So goddamn annoying. She was like the thorn at my side. But… She's grown on me over the years. She's strong, independent, and stubborn. We do get into competition from time to time, but Naruko is usually the one who initiates it. She was a dobe that didn't understand the meaning of giving up. I don't think giving up is in her vocabulary."
"Then how are you two friends?" Edward questioned. "You two seem to drive each other crazy every chance you meet."
Sasuke could only guessed that Naruko told them a little bit about him. Probably about how much of a teme he is. Ah, he could just hear her words.
A small, fond smile curled up on his lips, which shocked Ed and Al. It was the first time they've seen him smile. They didn't know he could smile. However, it quickly disappeared as Sasuke stood up and grabbed the book lying on the couch.
"Your sister is a strong woman. I did find her annoying in the past. Her determination could be aggravating at times when it's directed at you. But, otherwise, it's quite an admirable trait. She isn't the type to go back on her word. That's what I admire most about her." He shoved the book back on the shelf. "She was the person I respected most in the world. At one point, I considered her to be my only friend. Back then, though we didn't want to admit, all we had was each other."
Ed and Al were quite shocked and dumbfounded to see their usual words for staying together thrown back at them.
Sasuke turned around and faced Edward and Alphonse with such fiery determination in his eyes, it made both boys jump back slightly. "As for me, I just want to see the world through Naruko's eyes. And I will protect her and her dreams at all cost."
He frowned a bit, heading towards the bathroom. "Listen, your sister was full of weaknesses and shortcomings, but with her own strength, she managed to rise above them. You don't need to focus on the Naruko you see now, but pay attention to the Naruko that managed to become the woman she is today."
Without that, Sasuke walked inside the bathroom, leaving Ed and Al to ponder his words.
He stared at himself in the mirror, hand clenched at the side, his bitter and regretful past catching up to him.
If I could change past, I would without hesitation.
I want to undo the regrets in my life.
So, I wouldn't have hurt Naruko.
So, that I was quick to pick up on Sasuke's pain.
We were just two, broken orphans.
(A/N: That's the end of chapter eleven! Hoped you enjoyed it! Yeah, nothing much. Just a little talk between Sasuke, Edward, and Alphonse and Naruko with Winry. Although, the latter was kind of offscreen.
Based of what little I've seen of Boruto, Sasuke seems like a hands off kind of guy. I mean, he doesn't seem like the type that would pry into others' family matters. He would just say the basic, vague minimum of his opinions, and let people draw their own conclusions from it. Like he said, family affairs should be left to the family to deal with.
Though, Sasuke could completely understand Ed's and Al's desperation and pain, being in their shoe once, he could severely understand Naruko's reasoning for not telling them. After all, her secret is much too dangerous for prying ears to hear.
Well, not much else. Next chapter would focus on Sasuke preparing for the State Alchemist Exams. The only problem though, is, when it comes time for the actual exams, should I show it or just have it offscreen?
Oh, yeah. I've never got people who say that Sasuke and Roy are alike. Sasuke Uchiha and Roy Mustang are nothing alike. The only thing similar about them are their dark eyes and dark hair.
Leave any thoughts, comments, questions, and suggestions in a review, and thanks for reading!)