Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto and settings are all owned by Masashi Kishimoto not me.

Chapter 11: Hard situations are hard to unravel

"Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!"

"NOOOOOOOO!" Sasuke screamed as Naruto kept repeatedly shouting.
Loosing strength to support himself, Sasuke's knees buckled and he fell to the floor.
He blocked his ears, crouched down low on the ground and wept from fear as if Naruto's words were cursing Sasuke.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sasuke screamed over Naruto's words and so loud that he didn't even realize Naruto had stopped.
When Sasuke ran out of breath, he took a deep gulp of air which was when he heard Naruto's cracked, hoarse voice.

"...Sasuke?"

It seemed that Naruto had woken up by Sasuke's voice and had sat up on the bed, looking down at him. Sasuke gasped, looking frightened.
Naruto's grave face was scarred with a pain-stricken look along with weariness that seemed to want to give up everything he had up to this point.

"Are you still...afraid of me?" Naruto asked, guessing from Sasuke's expression.
Sasuke looked into Naruto's tired, solitary eyes.

Naruto was tired.

He was too tired to be treated this way, too tired to hear people screaming that he's a monster and to stay far away, too tired to bottle up and keep his emotion of sorrow and pain all inside.
He just wanted to evaporate and disappear... once and for all. He knew it's what everybody all wished for.
He didn't want to hear Sasuke's reply.

Just leave me alone...

Sasuke scrambled onto the bed and on Naruto's blanket covered legs so Sasuke was facing directly in front of Naruto.

"I'm not afraid," was Naruto's unexpected answer from Sasuke.

"Maybe a little... but not more than afraid to lose you," Sasuke answered truthfully.
Naruto's face expression didn't change. He didn't know how to feel or react.

"...am I...allowed to believe that?" Naruto asked, wanting to believe it, but very much doubtful.

"Yes," was the clear, confident reply.
And to that Naruto slowly leaned forward to Sasuke, face inches above a small scar where Naruto had previously bitten.
Naruto was testing Sasuke's words.

Sasuke kept his mortified feelings within himself, tucked deeply enough so it won't over-power his courage of facing whatever outcome, even if he was to once again see those fearful, hellish red eyes that didn't belong to Naruto.
He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes, determined not to cry out aloud or jerk away in fear or pain. He wasn't intending to lose something twice.

He waited for the pain...but it never came.

Naruto didn't bite into Sasuke's flesh, but instead licked the healed wound and then rested his chin on it, with a weak but happy smile all like a happy puppy wagging its tail.
Both pair of small arms wrapped around each other as they both gave their forgiveness without words.
Their bond of friendship started to form one of the strongest bonds in this world. Naruto's very first and very strongest bond he'd ever have.
The only thing Naruto had ever wanted for the very first and last thing during his life.
Forgiveness...and love...

3 days passed after Naruto's break down and recovery.
He had been sleeping for the whole time after falling asleep in Sasuke's arms, while Sasuke stayed by his side, trying not to sleep and waiting for Naruto to wake up so the first thing Naruto see would be Sasuke and the first thing he would feel is reassurance though Sasuke had difficulty in staying awake for so long that he found himself nodding away, drifting off to sleep countless times.

Iruka sensei had come on the first day, after the incident and stayed for awhile, but resuming at school times, doing his job as a teacher.
When Sasuke was alone with the silently sleeping Naruto, Sasuke felt lonely and held onto Naruto's hand, hoping to wake Naruto and see his bright blue eyes, cheerful smile and that voice of his again which always seemed to lighten Sasuke's feelings.

"Hurry up, Naruto... or I'll forget your voice..." Sasuke mumbled as he once again fell asleep that early morning, holding gently onto Naruto's hand.

The birds chirped in the bright morning and broke the spell to Naruto's deep sleep.
When Naruto opened his eyes slowly, he let the blinding light reflect his blue eyes which were not looking as lively as it was before, before the incidents with Sasuke.
Naruto found that he couldn't open his eyes to full extent from tiredness and lack of food.
Sasuke had been pouring little amounts of water into Naruto's mouth every so often when Naruto was unconscious, which Naruto's body automatically let the clear liquid pass through his throat, so Naruto didn't find his throat that dry, but yet found himself reaching his hand towards his throat, finding something deeply wrong.

Sasuke, who was sitting on a hard chair, leaning over Naruto's body on Naruto's bed where is legs should be, woke up by Naruto's slight movement.

"Naruto!" Cried Sasuke when he flicked his eyes open wide and snapped out of drowsiness straight away, even though he lacked sleep over these past few days and as if to prove it, had bags under his eyes. Nevertheless, Sasuke hugged Naruto quickly, then plastered a worried look across his face while staring into Naruto's eyes which he missed so much of.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you want something?" Sasuke said all in a rush losing all coherent thoughts and let his mouth blabber whatever it wanted to ask.
Looking at Naruto after calming himself mentally, he found Naruto holding his throat and got the panic back full force.

"Does your throat hurt? Do you need an inflammatory antidote? Or is it that you're thirsty? Do you want water?" Sasuke poured out while panicking and fluttering about, very evident before Naruto's eyes.
Naruto gave a small, muted laugh.

Looking at Naruto's smile as he lowered his arm, Sasuke felt a little relieved and formed a smile to his lips as well.
His body seemed to relax everywhere and his knees gave way.
Naruto saw this and caught Sasuke's arms just in time with his weak hands, but enough to support Sasuke up.

"Thanks..."Sasuke shyly said as he climbed onto the bed, beside Naruto who gave a small laugh again.

A toneless laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asked, with a blush forming across his face.
Naruto shake his head as if to say 'nothing', the smile never leaving his lips.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's face crossed a queer expression, feeling something was off.

"...Are you really alright?"
Naruto kept his smile while nodding.
But there was something that really worried Sasuke.

"Naruto... Why aren't you talking to me?"

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