A/N:Hey, mina-san! ^.^ I know I've had you waiting for a bit for this chapter so two quick notes and I'm gone. One, as usual, thank you all who read the story, huge huggies to you guys who have reviewed. The second goes in response to a couple of things you guys mentioned that made it evident that my theme for the three chapters before the last is not quite as clear as I thought. It's a bit like a visit by the three ghosts in Scrooge. The Ibiki chapter is about Sasuke facing his Past, the Yamato chapter is about the Present and the Kurenai one will deal with the Future. They are in preparation of the last chapter.
My anon readers: Coolcoud333 – Thank you! :-D as to the yaoi part, it will probably be in one of oneshots that I will write after the story. This is shonen-ai and mostly about getting there, you know? I hope that doesn't take away from your enjoyment though. Dianthia – I thought about how specific I should get about the interrogation… though Sasuke is not part of Konoha's payroll per se, he's not an enemy either, so I decided to leave it up to the reader to decide how much it took… personally it depends on my mood. If I'm cranky, Sasuke suffers. lol I am current with the manga, but since I started the story over a year ago, it was impossible to incorporate all the things that have happened. And I have a lot of issues with some of Kishimoto's decisions… more issues than Rolling Stone, actually… ;-) So it's cool… I'm happy you are enjoying it and thank you for taking the time to let me know what you think. ^.^ Btw, love the name. Greek, is it? Kakashi's Dog – LOL! Late again… not LAZY tho… BUSY. ;-) You know I totally ship IbiAnko, but I couldn't find a way to fit her in here. I imagine Ibiki is very focused, you know? Maybe I'll write a oneshot for them at some point. :-D Insideout – That one was a great compliment and it means so much to me. ^.^ I don't like character bashing and I tried to give the spotlight to a lot of characters that are rather one-dimensional or you don't see them enough. You saying that you like a few more because of my story is really a wow moment for me. Thank you thank you! ^.^
Disclaimer: I own two Depeche Mode FLOOR tickets! OH YEAH BABY! … Nevermind that the concert is in August… ;-D
Tides and Ebbs of Honesty
Ebb 18: The Glass Wall
It was way too early to be talking to anyone, so he chose the very long, very lonely- very quiet being the point- way to the rendezvous point. All bets would be off soon enough, so he took what little peace he could find where he could find it. One of the reasons why he had chosen to be in ANBU had been because he liked it that way- lonely and quiet- and was still quite unsure how the wall he had built between himself and the rest of the world had come tumbling down. Or even why. He had never wanted to be on the other side- because, however lonely, his had been a safe kind of existence, with no ties other than his oath in service to his Village.
In his most frustrated hours- once few and far in between, but, as of late, increasing in frequency- he blamed this unnatural state on his Hokage. Having said that, he also couldn't deny that being forced to parent two hurt kids and an enigma had bore unexpected fruits- he had found that he could smile easier, relax to the presence of another. He had created bonds. All of that, he appreciated immensely- most days- but there were some- like today- that just promised splitting headaches. That didn't require any kind of clairvoyance, it was facts. Training with Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, if the Godaime could spare her- and he hoped to Kami, she could not- was promising loud arguments and scenes of undue violence. Now by adding Sai to the mix, he be might as well be playing with explosive tags.
Tenzo- or Yamato, as he preferred it- sighed.
For just about any being there existed a glass wall- that invisible obstacle that rose between oneself and their true desire. It was cruel- an inhuman ploy really- because the glass, whether clear or blurry, would always be translucent enough to let one see what could have been- what wouldn't be. What there was no way of knowing that it was meant to be, even if that wall had never been there. Generally, there were circumstances that would wake people to the ugly reality that some things could never be. Perhaps that was somewhat merciful, because, eventually, one would resign the walloping of opposing odds. There were worse fates than that.
His true desire for the day was peace and quiet, the glass was being his duty. No way through or around that one, however simple his need.
Yamato's peace-yearning mind rebelled against things like deep thinking this early with a deeper yawn. He blinked the last cobwebs of sleep away and, feeling somewhat rejuvenated, turned another corner, only to find himself blinking again- this time in surprise. As it turned out, he wasn't the only one opting for the long way around. His brows arched at the sight of an obviously sleepless Shizune walking by Morino Ibiki's side, talking quietly. That would have been fine by him and he would have let them go their merry way undisturbed, had his analytical mind not butted in wondering what this could have meant for Uchiha Sasuke.
"Good morning." He greeted amicably as possible. It was early.
Truth be told, his motives were not exactly what one might call selfless- at least not in the truest sense of the word. If the Uchiha was sleepless or otherwise inconvenienced, he couldn't go through with the training session. And, true enough, he would be doing it for the poor boy's sake, but in all honestly, he was a little too eager for a way out of his current predicament. Something about the day felt weird- it was one of those days that one just knew that they should have stayed in bed- and he would really rather reschedule. Maybe it was the fact that between the hearing and his other duties, he could have used a break, but what had baked the cake was the knowledge that he'd have to referee the situation between Naruto and Sasuke right after the Uchiha had spent quality time with Konoha's version of a boogey-man. Oh, goodie.
Ibiki's dark eyes moved to him as though he had just yelled some sort of obscenity at the Tokujo. "Tenzo." He greeted coldly.
Though he would always come up with his 'barrier for the day' out of habit, the old name- his true name- had always been his true glass wall, separating him from reality and the present. Who he really was was Orochimaru's experiment. It didn't quite phase him anymore, because he had made his peace with that truth- which had not delivered him nor helped him bring down that transparent obstacle. Yamato did not have the comfort of those who could never fulfill their desire because of pragmatic reasons. No one blamed him for what had happened to him when he was a mere infant- he had raised the glass wall on his own. The Sandaime had chastised him for that more than once, but, though he had the utmost respect for the previous Hokage, this was one thing that he had been unable to oblige him in.
The unexpected tension at the unnecessary use of his name seemed to have been lost to Shizune, who smiled a little. "Good morning, Yamato-taicho. Off to training?"
"Yes." He said casually after a moment, not lingering and quite familiar with the Tokujo's attitude- curt to begin with, without actually adding a whiff of sleeplessness and a good measure of crankiness to the mix. "Have you just finished with Sasuke, Ibiki-san?"
The taller man arched a brow. "I let him go a few hours ago."
Though the answer was simple enough, it was also deceptively cryptic. I let him go. It wasn't that Ibiki had found something incriminating, or the boy would not have walked out of the barracks. But- a few hours ago-the interrogation session had taken too long for what had sounded like a simple in-and-out the previous day. Something had happened. Something that might produce unforeseen upshots during training, unless the Uchiha had had enough time to recover. A few hours wasn't time enough for that.
Morino Ibiki's methods were the stuff of whispered threats and chilling nightmares. Though no one knew the specifics, the results spoke in volumes- in the shape of shivering masses that barely held any resemblance to the tough guys that had been brought to the Tokujo. Those people had been broken and would never find their way back to who they used to be. The truths and horrors that the Head of the Interrogation Unit would force them to face would become their prison more than any tangible fetters and barred rooms- a glass cell that would only get smaller the more they looked at the world through their new eyes. He doubted that anything of this range had been done to the boy, but it was palpable enough that the young Uchiha was a walking mass of patched up wounds- a lot of which might have been reopened during the session. Someone as powerful as Uchiha Sasuke must always be focused or abstain from any form of interaction until he can be focused again- because people could be easily broken, body and soul.
Yamato stroked his chin absently, contemplative. "He's supposed to participate in a sparring session in a while. Should I dismiss him for today?"
Now Ibiki arched both his brows. "Why would you do that?" he asked, then smiled a little at the taicho's awkwardness. There really was no right way to answer that question without somehow suggesting that Ibiki was some sort of loose beast on the prowl. "Relax. If I thought he couldn't cope, I would have sent him to the hospital, not his home."
"Don't even joke about that." Shizune sighed. "Naruto can be hell on wheels when it comes to Sasuke. He's so protective of him, I swear it's exhausting…" she paused for a moment as though considering what she had just said, then added. "Very inspiring, but damn exhausting."
That drew a strange smile from the Tokujo. "Isn't love grand…"
Both Shizune and Yamato looked at him curiously, but the decided that, interesting as all that sounded he did not want to have to have more on his plate than he already had. Besides, when it came to Morino Ibiki, there was nothing anyone can do to pry from the man anything more than what he was willing to give. With a short goodbye he picked up his pace and soon enough he was at the training grounds. Naruto and Sai were already there- strangely quiet- but there was no sign of Sasuke.
"Sorry I'm late." He said, immediately getting the boys' attention.
"You're as bad as Kakashi-sensei, but at least you're not making up silly excuses." Naruto muttered. "No angry bears or baa-chans with shopping bags or orphan kittens you just had to find homes for because you made an oath when you thought you were dying that one time…" the boy's cobalt eyes darted towards the village for a moment, before returning to the kunai he was toying with. "Sasuke- teme is not here either, anyway."
Sai was perched on a trunk a couple of feet away, drawing one thing or another. "Do you care if he comes?" he asked with no real curiosity and not looking up from his drawing.
Naruto blinked in surprise, the kunai falling from his grasp and landing point-first on the ground, alarmingly close to his toe. He picked it up and tucked it away. "Eh?"
A small scowl nestled over the usually expressionless boy's eyes as he put his equipment away and rose to stand in front of Naruto, almost like the other boy was a spectacle that he was trying to memorize in detail and draw later. "Sakura said that you're mad at him." He said. "Aren't you?"
"Of course I'm mad at him." The blonde nearly yelped. "He can come or not- I don't care."
Ri-ight. And maybe the sun won't rise in the morrow. Yamato cleared his throat to hide a smile. "Then you probably don't care to know that I ran into Morino Ibiki." he said, making the boy's head whip around at him in anxious expectation. Obviously, Naruto wasn't mad enough not to care. If there was such a thing, Yamato might have said that the blonde cared a little too much about the Uchiha. "The session ended a few hours ago. I wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke has some trouble finding his way out of bed."
"No trouble at all." The new voice was Sasuke's, who walked towards them in casual disinterest, under the comfortable shade of the forest's huge trees. Being heroic enough to get out of bed with an emotional hangover was one thing, but dealing with the sun required a specific brand of masochism that the boy was providentially lacking. "Just wasn't looking forward to the commotion." He grumbled out with all the tack of a man that had just come down from the mountains.
"Then maybe you should have stayed home." Naruto muttered and, though there was something honestly chastising and caring about his tone, his eyes remained stubbornly fixed away from the Uchiha.
It seemed childish, but wasn't. It betrayed a kind of hurt that the taicho had never really known before about Naruto. It was the kind of glass wall that materialized between two people- because of perceived offences, juvenile misunderstandings, breakable moments and bungled up emotions, but mostly to protect themselves from the peril they might pose to one another. If there was one thing that both supporters and skeptics agreed on was that there had never been a greater threat to Naruto's future than Uchiha Sasuke. The obvious part of this premise was that Sasuke might have had what it took to defeat the blonde boy. Those who knew Naruto well enough, though, recognized that the real danger lay in the boy's heart and how absolutely intertwined his dreams were with Sasuke's return- Sasuke's respect, Sasuke's friendship and all-things-Sasuke.
When the Uchiha didn't reply to the crisp remark, Yamato thought that maybe he'd get a bit of a break. It was encouraging, after all, that one of the parties did not seem easily baited into whatever sounded remotely like a challenge. But, as he finally stepped into the light, the taicho was no longer sure if it had been due to the boy's prissy attitude or if he just hadn't had the energy for the impending argument. He couldn't help, but feel somewhat alarmed at the pale shade of the Uchiha's skin and that strangely subdued look in those charcoal eyes.
Naruto's eyes darted to Sasuke, irked that he had not gotten a reply, and stayed on him, widening in surprise and concern. "What the hell happened to you, Teme?" Naruto took a couple of steps towards the darker boy- momentarily forgetting whatever feud they had going- but swiftly stopped in his tracks, when the Uchiha regarded at him with those haunted grey eyes. "You're almost as pale as Sai."
Sai frowned at his teammate. Naruto was clueless that his words had been rather slighting and even less aware that they had been perceived as such by the paler-than-Sasuke boy. Yamato offered a sympathetic smile- because, really, no matter how eccentric people perceived Sai to be, he was a trooper for dealing and keeping up with the rest of Team 7- that the boy accepted with a defeated sigh. It was what it was- the Uchiha was a scene-stealer.
"Nothing." Sasuke replied quietly, but then- as if he heard himself and how unconvincing it had sounded- amended in a firmer tone. "Nothing important."
The blonde glared back openly furious at the brazen lie and rather ready to beat the truth out of the Uchiha. "Is that so." He said, his tone carrying through the air like a wave of fire.
Though the tone had been enough to not only burn through the darker boy's cool words, but verbally char a human being to the bone, Sasuke didn't respond to that in any way other than to hold Naruto's exigent gaze. Through the glass wall that separated them, the blonde boy could see the lie, but was quite powerless at reaching for the truth- because, even as the wall was not physical, it stood between two people as real as any tangible blockade. Yamato's impression was that the Uchiha himself really was as though he was made of glass- and if anyone should touch him he would just shatter apart. The taicho couldn't estimate how real the threat was, but he knew that he wasn't the only one who sensed it. Naruto was pissed off, but when it came down to it, what bubbled like melted lava in his gut and eating him through was worry. As to Sai- he watched the interaction with unusual interest, intentionally assuming a spectator's attitude. Kakashi had mentioned that Sasuke and Sai had started off on the wrong foot. At this rate he had to wonder if there were any right feet left.
Yamato sighed and it occurred to him that perhaps the Godaime had intended for Sakura to be his back-up when dealing with all that tension. He then proceeded to curse his luck that Kakashi-sempai had to be away on a mission. He's trade him, even if the mission involved rampant psychopaths and rabid woodland animals. He'd triple-dog trade him. "Sasuke, you're staying with me." He said finally, deciding to check the boy for cracks. "Sai, Naruto, try the boulders."
His ruling was not entirely approved by Naruto, whose eyes narrowed as they moved from the Uchiha to the boulders, some 50 yards away. He wanted to object- that much was blatantly obvious- and had probably intended to actually beat some sense into his friend during training- it was a little disturbing how eagerly he seemed to want to punch Sasuke. However, quite uncharacteristically, he simply nodded, his lips thinning to a tight line. That was pretty bad in itself without Sasuke's almost tangible sense of relief thickening the air of awkwardness- thickening the glass wall that rose higher and higher between them.
"Whatever…" Naruto muttered after a moment and clasped Sai's wrist, dragging him along. "Come on, Sai."
It was only then that Sasuke's expression changed, his features coming to life. A frown easily creased his brows, the look in his eyes- quite dull until then- sparking intense and most definitely on the unfriendly side of the spectrum. Yamato noticed that Naruto had not let go of the other boy's wrist. Something was brewing- and it was getting very, very tough to keep a lid on.
Oh, for Kami's sake, he thought at both of them- because really, that little demonstration of mistimed reactions was at best childish- and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Ready?" he asked the boy, calling for his attention.
The Uchiha surprised him with taking a moment longer, before turning to him and assuming a defensive stance in silent wait for the older man's move. Yamato wanted to shake his head at the boy, but that would only serve to create another glass wall- and though the taicho would be able to see though the boy's pride, they had enough walls to deal with already. Though those dark eyes had never wavered from him, he could tell that Sasuke's focus was split. In addition to Kakashi's comment, he remembered a recent conversation with Naruto that the boy had voiced his concern about how well Sasuke and Sai could work together. The newest addition to what used to be Team 7 had earned his ranks, his place on the team and more than deserved his teammate's loyalty, however obscure his humor at times. Naruto was utterly loyal to his friends, but his bond with the Uchiha was beyond compare. Everyone knew that. The freakin rocks several hidden villages away knew that.
What he had not figured into his educated guess of the situation was that the Uchiha might be harboring an equally obsessive streak about Naruto in his very own dysfunctional way. Truth be told, and if Sasuke's hostile aura was anything to go by, he had grievously miscalculated the dark boy's reactions and underestimated the gravity of Naruto's concern. It was not a matter of bad chemistry between Sasuke and Sai, but rather an issue of Sasuke refusing to recognize Sai's place at Naruto's side, maybe even fearing that he was not as irreplaceable to the blonde as he had thought. As to Sai… He wasn't sure what Sai thought of the Uchiha, but knew that the otherwise impassive boy was fiercely protective of his new bonds and Naruto in particular.
Those walls that each of the boys had built had created a maze- not so much of glass, but mirrors, because all they could really see was their own reflections, not each other. Maybe a different approach was in order. "Have you rested at all, Sasuke?"
The question washed his troubled featured with surprise. "Some." He said cautiously.
He sized the boy up, considering the best way to bypass the already defensive attitude. Trying to bulldoze, push, prod, manipulate or insist for information wouldn't work, his instincts- and the boy's reputation- told him that much. It also wouldn't be necessary. He squatted on the grass, gesturing for the boy to join him.
Sasuke's frown deepened a little. "That's hardly the best way to spar." He noted somewhat dryly, but there was definite curiosity underlying his tone.
"One of the good things about being a team leader is that you get to decide what's best." Yamato suggested with a smile.
After a short moment, the young Uchiha settled on the trunk of a long-since-fallen tree a couple of feet away from the older man. It was kind of ironic that the Uchiha had unknowingly favored Sai's spot. "Now what?"
The taicho noticed how the boy's movements lacked their usual perfect grace, so it was safe to presume that if he had gotten any sleep at all it had been not sufficient. "I'd like you to watch Naruto and Sai spar for a while." He said. "I'd like your thoughts."
That was greeted with an arched brow. "My thoughts." He repeated, like the words were an incoherent jumble that he was trying to mimic. "I've been sparring with Naruto since I was twelve. Most recently, we've had a couple of close calls- I think I know how he fights."
Yamato had to smile a little at how downright territorial that had sounded. It was somewhat endearing to see that side of Sasuke, to find that, just like everybody else, he needed to hold on to what he felt was his- his friend, his bond. It was also assuring. People who had something to lose could usually be saved as they would always have a reason to find their way through the labyrinths of existence and past any wall that separated them from their heart's desire- actual or self-imposed, it made little difference. Oftentimes, it was the natural space and elements separating two people- though rumor had it that Nara Shikamaru and Sabaku no Temari were finding a way around all that.
"Granted, you have seen the Kyuubi's power in a way that few people have and gotten away with it with all limbs attached." He nodded and noticed that the acknowledgement seemed to have a calming effect on the boy that didn't entirely linger after his next words. "But that's not who Naruto is. He has come a long way all these years and most of it has been for you."
Though the Uchiha didn't say anything to that, the older man's trained eye picked up on a number of reactions- his eyes softened a little, his shoulders slumping as he swallowed down whatever answer he had to that. Yamato wondered what kind of emotion assembled the wall between the boys and the words that would make it all better. Was it guilt? Was it even related to his interrogation or did it have to do with whatever event had unraveled their relationship to that gossamer of emotions and incomprehensible- if not outright incoherent to the rest of the natives- exchanges? In the case of Naruto and Sasuke, the obstacles were no longer physical, yet there was no greater distance than that between the human hearts.
"Besides." He said then. "You need to learn more about Sai. He's part of Team 7 as much as any of you guys."
Aggravation was swiftly added to Sasuke's rich palette of emotions at the sound of those words. "There hasn't been a Team 7 for years." He deadpanned. "And if there was, Sai is not a part of that- he's part of Team Kakashi or Team Yamato or-"
"Team Sai? Team Sakura?" Yamato interjected with an arched brow. "Team Naruto?"
The Uchiha frowned. "What is that even supposed to mean?"
"You were listing the members of Team 7. I thought I might join in." He said offhandedly, which he had found was the best way to deliver sarcasm. He sighed at the boy's unappreciative frown. "I get it. You don't like Sai and you're sure you never will. You're sure he had to have paid someone off for his rank- but the powers that be have decided you'd make a great team. Only experience will change your mind it. Until then, though, handle it."
The response produced a strange expression on the boy's pale features- somewhat miffed, but there was a definite twinkle of amusement in those eyes. "As long as you know." He scoffed.
The taicho smiled a little. "You have been so subtle about it too."
The smirk was the trademark Sasuke kind, but all too fleeting. Sombreness set his features again as he asked, very earnestly, "Do you think we can make a good team?"
Yamato considered that for a moment before he decided that the best answer was an honest one. "Maybe. Team 7 has always been one of extremes and unlikely bonds, hasn't it?" it was a rhetorical question that made Sasuke look down, pensively. "Sakura and Naruto had both struggled with the idea of accepting Sai. In the beginning, Naruto only did so as a means to an end in getting you back. But that's a long times ago and Sai has come through for all of us time and time again." The taicho's eyes narrowed somewhat. "The truth is, Sasuke, that Team 7 has survived in your absence and you have a lot of catching up to do on all that you have missed out on."
Instead of the anticipated- and perhaps justifiable- indignation that an outsider had the audacity to take that tone with him, the Uchiha sighed almost resignedly. "Can you really fix what you don't regret breaking for the sake of your objectives?" Sasuke's charcoal eyes reluctantly returned to the scene at the boulders, half-watching and half-lost in his mind's proceedings. "I've made so many mistakes… not just the past ones." His gaze darted to the older man for a quick moment, gauging his reaction. "New ones… Pretty bad ones."
Quite frankly he was shocked to hell that Sasuke would talk to him about this- not Kakashi or Sakura- but then again, maybe it wasn't that extraordinary, after all. It all came down to the unparadoxical paradox- that the Uchiha did not seem to be exempt from- that oftentimes it was easier to talk to a stranger, who didn't know all the details, who didn't care enough to sugarcoat things for the person spilling their heart out. Yamato didn't like being that person, because he preferred to see the dark side of things. To him the glass was always half empty- and cracked. And he had cut his lip on it. It wasn't something he'd do to another being.
His eyes followed Sasuke's gaze. Naruto and Sai were really going at it, using all sorts of jutsus, familiar enough with each other's style to be forced to be original and innovate. It was hard not to feel his chest swell with pride at how far they had come and how much more they were capable of achieving. He could tell that Sasuke was seeing the same thing, by the way his jaw set- one of the boy's plethora of tells. It was going to be hard- much, much harder- now that he'd have to rejoin life. He'd have to face all the people that he had hurt- directly or not- and deal with everyone's suspicion until he could be worthy of their trust again- all of which, he might have learned to expect and rehearsed in his mind. Worse than anything though, as the Uchiha was discovering, was the fact that reality was not what it used to be- what he remembered and counted on it to be. Not anymore.
"A while ago, Kakashi had charged me with finishing up with Naruto's elemental chakra training. I was explaining to him the ranks of the elements and how his wind would not work against your fire jutsus, but would overpower your thunder ones. It might have given him an advantage over you and protected him from rookie mistakes." Yamato said then, although not entirely sure why he was recounting the story. His instincts told him that, even as it seemed unrelated to their previous discussion, Sasuke might find a piece of his answer in it. "Want to know what he said in response to my apposite tactic?"
Amusement etched on the curve of Sasuke's lips as they softened- quite likely at the memories of lines that Naruto had delivered over the years. Then he closed his eyes, allowing a small smile. "I sincerely doubt I could guess right, if I tried."
The taicho mirrored his smile. "Naruto said that he has the right affinity for you." he reiterated and watched the amusement drain back to a troubled expression. "He said that the only thing to save a fire from dying and make it even stronger, is wind."[1]
If Sasuke had looked this guilty and defenseless during his hearing, the Elders would have torn him a new one. Maybe he had become so accustomed to surrounding his life with tragedy that he no longer knew how to be happy. That was a dangerous and powerful concept, because the world was really a looking glass and gave back to every man the reflection of his own image. The young Uchiha would have to find a way to move past the notions that had defined his life to this point, lest the rest for it gravitate in heartbreak to his last of days.
"Undo your mistakes one at a time, Sasuke." Yamato said. It was the only advice he could think to give him.
He heaved a deep breath. "I wouldn't know where to start."
The older man arched a brow. "You wouldn't?"
It was a pretty blatant hint that Sasuke accepted with more than apparent uneasiness, as his gaze returned to Naruto and Sai. The blonde had just executed a rather impressive surprise attack on Sai, who had responded with a jutsu that had brought to life of what looked like inky vines, currently pinning a couple of shadow clones in a rather compromising position. It was enough to make Naruto abandon whatever tactical planning he was employing for the virtue of a wild chase fused with murderous intent and expletives- from all 100 clones. It was a touch much, but the other boy was smiling and taunting unapologetically.
"Naruto…" Sasuke started and, after a moment of hesitation, continued. "Him and Sai are very close now, aren't they?"
Yamato blinked, no so much at the question as to the tone. He wasn't entirely sure what Sasuke was asking, but the question was loaded. "Yes." He answered truthfully, noticing that the boy's eyes narrowed a little at the other two. "If you are comparing-"
Before the taicho could offer his advice- which, in his opinion, might benefit the Uchiha- Sasuke was on his feet and walking towards the havoc currently wrecking the boulders with a soft- and curt- "Excuse me."
After a confused moment, Yamato followed him with a sigh. Apparently, emotions had a way of overtaking the dark boy- he supposed that it was not simply due to intensity, but also because Sasuke was, currently, what he might call mentally ill-equipped to process them. "What are you doing?"
Sasuke didn't miss a step. "Undoing a dire mistake." He said evenly.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Sasuke, but maybe you need to work on timing." Yamato said, gesturing in the general direction of Naruto and Sai, even as the Uchiha had his back at him. This kind of enthusiasm might have gotten translated as impatience by less enlightened beings. "Considering the rather intense sparring in progress… Sai really worked him up there."
The very rational suggestion went right over the boy's head. He never looked back even as he replied, very gravely. "If I don't do it now, I'm not sure I can conjure up the nerve to try again."
"That's a cop out." The taicho accused, but it didn't really matter, because they were almost there.
Naruto and his 100 kage bunshin were jumping off the surrounding boulders to get Sai, who had just unleashed his lion Chojuu Giga in defense. Yamato was under yet another mistaken impression at the time, that Sasuke would have been wise enough- or have some trace of self-preservation instincts- to wait for the attack to be over. He should have stuck by his own principle that when people assume, they usually make an ass of themselves.
Sasuke stepped between the two boys and coolly stood there, hands in pockets looking up at the descending copy images of his best friend with no trace of worry- which was insane, considering the number of attacks heading his way. The reason why sparring was safe enough was because one counted on the other party to come up with countermeasures. That was why the sparring partners fought on the same level, even if one was more advanced than the other. If either allowed an attack to simply get to them- without evading or countering it- it would be as harmful- even fatefull- as though it had been launched by any enemy.
Naruto's cobalt eyes widened 100 times over. Literally.
Yamato had been about to use his Mokuton Mokujoheki to protect the Uchiha with his wooden dome, when he realized that Naruto was already on it. The great majority of the clones was used as cannon fodder- virtually fed to the lions- and the rest surrounded Sasuke in lidless alarm. It afforded Sai the time he needed to dissolve his technique. The taicho breathed in relief- which was rather short-lived, because as the dust cleared and the kage bunshin disappeared, Naruto's expression was a lot more dangerous than any possible outcome of Sasuke having been caught in the crossfire.
"Oy, Sai!" he called out to his sparring partner and, even though he had locked eyes with Sasuke, his gaze burned holes through the other boy's skull- so maybe he could actually see Sai. "You okay?"
The stoic boy nodded and stood, looking cautiously from those two to Yamato. "I'm fine." He said.
Naruto nodded back in blind acknowledgement. "Just what the hell did you think you were doing?" he asked, walking up to the Uchiha slowly, seemingly suppressing an urge to attack him. Yamato wasn't sure he would bother to stop him either.
"We need to talk." The Uchiha stated unphased.
"Not interested." The blonde panned back.
"Fine." Sasuke said, arms folding over his chest. Frustration was no myth- especially for someone with pride issues making a peace offering. "Then you need to listen. I'll do the talking."
It hadn't sounded like much of a catch and Naruto didn't seem vested in bargaining. "Even less interested."
They glared daggers at one another, though obviously for different reasons. Yamato decided that it was time to parent the children. "Or you can both be adults and start over." He said making a conscious attempt not to sound patronizing.
"It's more courteous to request than demand." Sai said then, dusting himself as he joined them. "I have read it in a book about proper manners." He smiled at the Uchiha. "I could lend it to you, Sasuke-kun. There's a lot you can learn from it."
Sasuke's bleak aura suggested that he had a few words of choice in response to that. The easy thing to do was to forget how well he had been brought up and let the cause of his irritation have it right between the eyes. Pushing his buttons was easy- because, for a number of reasons, Sai embodied a million different things that confused and irritated him. Yamato couldn't begin to fathom what they were and maybe the Uchiha's next words would have been a clue, but Naruto beat him to it.
"Fat chance of that." He said curtly.
Said aura got much much darker at that. If he were to give into that, sinking his teeth into a power struggle wouldn't just be easy, it would be preferable to anything that even remotely resembled surrender. To everyone's shock, Sasuke chose to surrender. "Can we talk… Naruto?"
The Uchiha could have knocked everyone over with a feather. Sai's brows clouded into a scowl again; he had more than likely not anticipated this kind of response from the arrogant boy. Naruto was quiet- at a loss for words and suddenly very, very nervous- which rather suggested that Sasuke had said the right thing. Yamato was just impressed. Maybe their wall was not made of glass after all. Maybe it was ice and would melt away at a warm touch or word.
When the silence stretched, Sasuke topped his previously unheard-of meek-and-courteous tone with a word that had never passed his lips until then. "Please."
Now Naruto looked almost scared in a way that the older man could not understand. He couldn't begin to think why the boy that had always proclaimed that he would one day be the Hokage of the Village, who had faced Orochimaru, the Akatsuki and beaten his own Demon- quite literally- would be this frazzled about talking to the one person he had revolved most of his life around. Ibiki's words came to him for some reason- "Isn't love grand?"- but he didn't connect the dots, quite deliberately deciding that any answer he would come up with was none of his business.
"… Okay." Naruto said somewhat breathlessly.
Sasuke waited for a few moments longer, but when the other boy didn't say anything, his took a deep breath, closing his eyes as if bracing for some horrible impact and then started. "About what happened in the cave-"
The previously frozen-in-place blonde boy almost flew to the Uchiha's side and promptly placed a hand over the other boy's mouth in clear panic. "Sasuke, what, the hell?!" he yelped, then pulled his hand away as suddenly, like he had been burned. "Not here!"
A blink. A frown. Then the dark boy folded his arms. "I can't keep chasing after you, Dobe. I won't."
"You won't have to." Naruto said quickly. "We'll talk, I promise- but not here or now."
"Fair enough." Sasuke nodded with a small, satisfied smirk.
It probably required a momentous amount of skill to tumble from the high of saying the right thing to the pits of hell that was misconstruing anything in fragile moments. "Fair?" that smirk ignited something in Naruto. "Fair? This is not fair." He hissed. "You are not fair."
"What are you talking about?" the Uchiha asked, honestly oblivious to his aforementioned talent.
"It's all about you, Sasuke." the blonde's tone betrayed no small amounts of exasperation. "Everything is about you and what you want when you want it."
"Usuratonkachi-" Sasuke tried to interject.
Naruto wouldn't have it though. "Yes, I must be a special brand of idiot to have been had like that." He continued, pretty much seething at that point. "You just… you…" he took a few breaths and shook his head. "Sorry, Yamato-taicho, but I think I'll have to cut this one short."
Yamato nodded and let him go wordlessly. He also had to place a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to keep him from following after the bright spot of fiery temper, now fading in the distance. Nothing he had planned was going the way he had intended it to go. That included his job, relationships and simpler things- like feeding the cat. And he didn't even own a cat. The only way he could view this was as a test. All he had to do was rise above it and his rewards would be great- for instance, the cat-he-didn't-own would be nice.
"What did you do to him?" It wasn't a question, but an accusation and it had just had just come from Sai- whose usually expressionless face was unusually expressive. "What happened in the cave?"
"None of your business." Sasuke replied, not quite affording him a look- the wall between him and the other boy securely in place.
"Naruto is my friend." Sai said, his tone darkening a bit. "His well-being is my business. Not that you would know much about that, Sasuke-kun."
The Uchiha put his hands in his pockets again and started to walk away, plainly discounting whatever effect those words were supposed to have on him. "Then ask your friend."
Sai glared- actually glared- at the other boy, before his lips relaxed into a smile. He waited until the other boy was about to walk past him to pose his question. "Is it true that you and Naruto kissed?"
It was enough to bring Sasuke to a startled halt. His pale face paled still to an otherworldly shade of white. "What." he staggered over the word.
Whatever the other boy saw or heard made the smile curve with a strange kind of satisfaction- the kind that people feel at solving a predictable mystery. "There's a rumor that you and Naruto had kissed at the Academy. In front of the whole class too."
The Uchiha had probably not intended to respond to that and just continue on his way, resetting his features to his previous blank expression even as he must have known he had been cozened into showing something he would have kept hidden. Yet, if there was something that could be agreed upon about Sai, it would have been his unpredictability. By anyone's standards.
He quickly drew something and made the seals that would bring it to life. "I imagine it must have been something like this."
A black and white doodle of a blonde and a dark haired man lying on the grass, enthralled in their passionate kiss, settled between its creator and Sasuke and the taicho. It was a pretty rough draft, but one could easily tell just who was who and the older man could have really done without this kind of theatrics. It wasn't the first time Sai had scarred him with a mental image like that either. His attention returned to the Uchiha and he tried to calculate what kind of jutsu he should use if he had to restrain him. One might think that a wall as solid as the earth had separated Sasuke's real thoughts from his actions at that point, but the division was actually a sheet of glass- a touch here, a push there, would have been enough to shutter it. The taicho could almost hear it cracking.
"That's quite enough, Sai." Yamato chastised and the boy released his jutsu to an inky mess without further objections. It had probably already served its purpose. He then arched a brow at Sasuke. "You both need to get to know each other in order to avoid misunderstandings like this." He said tersely, receiving unconvinced looks from both of them.
"Fine, then." Sasuke conceded, most likely just to get this over with. "As long as Sai here minds his own business."
"Sasuke-kun needs a thicker skin." Sai noted with a smile. "In addition to manners."
"Sai." Yamato warned this time. "Let's stick to facts for now. Rumors are rumors and, personally, I hadn't heard about anything of the sort."
It was the truth but also a good way to put the matter to rest. This had been a disturbing day as it were. What he hadn't counted on was that the Uchiha had had it with all this line of implications by Sai and had entirely misunderstood the older man's intentions.
"It was nothing like that." He told the taicho. "Someone pushed Naruto. It was an accident… then the girls beat up on Naruto." Then he muttered, "You're as bad as Kakashi."
Yes, he really needed a confirmation that the rumor had been true. Though, put into proper, innocent context, it sounded rather amusing. "Uh huh." The older man smirked. "Well then, boys, I think it's okay if we call it a day and arrange a new session."
"Naruto deserves to be loved and appreciated." Sai said then, as though Yamato- who sighed dejectedly since both boys seemed committed to keep beating the poor dead horse- was transparent. "He deserves to be happy." He took a few steps that closed the distance between them. "If you can't give him that, let him be."
Sasuke scoffed at the other boy, but something about him made it clear that the words had registered with him. Seeing them like that, Yamato could finally begin to grasp how difficult it must have been for Naruto and Sakura to accept him. The boys looked like distorted mirror images of each other- a set of larger eyes, different hair, but inherently akin features. Yet, they couldn't be more different. One had been the vessel of his passions, the other had been surgically emptied of them.
"I can understand that you have been a cause for longing." Sai's eyes broke their lock to give the Uchiha a one-over. "Perhaps, I can even understand why. But you have never been a source of happiness." He said quietly. "Think about that before you say something that you can't take back as easily."
Yamato waited silently as the two had their little stare-down match before Sasuke decided to resume with his exit. Sai let him this time, but trailed him with his eyes until he vanished into thin air after a few short feet. The taicho wondered if the boy had been hoping for some sort of retort to his words, but decided it probably wasn't the case. He wasn't exactly sure what was the case at this point- first with Naruto and now Sai. He had worked with these people for a long time without a hitch. Now suddenly, he didn't seem to know what anyone was talking about. They communicated just fine among themselves, though, so, sadly, it was probably just him that was out of the loop.
"Well then." Sai said with a fake smile. "I'll be going too."
"Aah." he nodded and watched him leave in unhurried steps.
As time went by, Yamato was finding that he didn't mind those fake smiles as much. Of all the people he had come across, Sai had been the one that he could see most of himself in- fragmented reflections of a life that didn't turn out as it should have been. Like him, the pale boy was trying to piece the puzzle of his life together- trying to figure out which parts were him and which ones had been forced into the picture by others. In that respect, maybe they were no different than anyone else. People were all the same in their belief that there was no one like them- no one that had hurt as much, felt as much, lost as much, hoped as much.
Yamato sighed and started making his own way back to the Village.
What people didn't seem to understand was that their whole lives were on the other side of the glass- always waiting for them. Each day they lived in a glass room unless they broke it with the thrusting of their senses and passed through the splintered walls to the great landscape. And if one so much as took the chance and experience the anguish of breaking free, they'd find that glass was a pretty fragile material, waiting to be shuttered.
And this was Yamato's monster of a chapter. To be perfectly honest with you, I hadn't intended to write the Sasuke/ Naruto interaction at all… but I had missed writing them together and then I decided that a Sasuke/ Sai one was long overdue… to be perfectly honest, this chapter looks nothing like I had in mind at first- but this is how my mind works. If I think of something I have to change things to fit it in. It's a source of grievance, honestly and the reason why I don't re-read my chapters… I'd probably want to RE-WRITE the freakin story.
… What was I even saying…?
Uh… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my take on Yamato. Tune in for Kurenai next chapter and the ghost of Christmas Future… though I promise it will be out before then! LOL See you, lovies- same bat-channel, same bat-time! ^.^
Ja!
M.
[1] Naruto DID say that… can't recall episode/ chapter but I had to use it. :-D