Kei-Kei Yuki: If your wondering rather or not I have finished the movie, the answer is no! But I will try, so I can go ahead and wrap this arc up soon. Hopefully, I can wrap it up in the next two chapters. Also, a commission pic, featuring a scene from the movie, only with Sasuke and Naruko, is in the work and I can't wait to show it with you guys~!XD
Pairings: Naruko x Sasuke, Fem!Iruka x Kakashi, Sakura x Lee, Hinata x Kiba, and the rest are canon.
Beta: Ana-DaughterofHades
The Last-Pt.4
Heating some of the leftovers from dinner yesterday, Naruko wiped her sweaty palms against her pants legs. Confusion clouded her head from where this bout of anxiety suddenly came from, continually reminding herself that it was just Sasuke. After filling his plate with stir-fried rice, Naruko turned and was ready to deliver Sasuke his plate of food when she paused. Sitting quietly in his chair with his head turned towards the window, eyes gazing at the moon, was the boy turned man she had vowed to bring back. The boy who was similar to herself, a lonely orphan, who was once driven by vengeance, then later became broken when the truth came to light.
A boy who was so far gone, that everyone called her a nutcase for fighting so hard for him. Yeah, Naruko was aware that her obsession with her rival was not healthy, and that Sasuke did need to face the consequences of his actions. Naruko wasn't going to lie and say that some part of her heart did not hold a grudge against Sasuke. Opposite of how the world now viewed her, Uzumaki Naruko was not pure nor a saint. Like every other human, she too had limits, but people must understand her relationship with Sasuke before they judged.
Did Sasuke commit wrongdoings, oh definitely, but this was a fact he knew and tried to redeem himself by going on his so-called self-redemption journey. If Sasuke's trip was successful, Naruko had no clue, but she would like to guess that this strange sensation of tranquility emitting from Sasuke stemmed from it. Naruko sat the plate down in front of him, as Sasuke turned his head her way before his eyes questioned the plate in her hands.
"You seem hungry, so I decided to heat you some leftovers. Eat and take a shower, teme. Once you're done, you can crash on my couch if you want." Naruko hated the uncomfortable feeling that she felt in her chest, wondering to herself just why her heart was beating a mile per second when she stared at Sasuke or when he graced her with a simple look.
It was strange because never had Naruko felt this way towards Sasuke, but now, after two years, the only contact she had with him was the response he sent to her letters.
She questioned herself on when her perception of Sasuke had changed. Wasn't he nothing but her rival, a boy who she saw as nothing more than a friend? 'I swear if Kiba and the others are on to something, someone is getting punched in the face, preferably Sasuke.'
Later that night, Naruko was on her way to the kitchen. Throat dry, she got up to pour herself some water. But when she was about to enter the kitchen, her attention was drawn towards the couch when she heard a whimper of 'nii-san' escape those pale lips. Forgetting about the water, Naruko walked over to the sofa and crouched down beside Sasuke's head.
Brushing those long shaggy bangs out of his face, Naruko could feel his pale cheeks damp as the boy was unconsciously crying in his sleep, calling out for his older brother. "Teme... " Naruko felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest, using her thumb to wipe his tears. She told herself that the world was cruel and that nothing was going to stop her from finding a way to retire those old fools on the council.
Naruko may be a big forgiver, but some actions could not be ignored, such as ordering a massacre of an entire clan, forcing one to live with the bloodshed of his kin on his hands, and mentally damaging the other, leaving him as the sole survivor of his clansmen.
Lifting his head, Naruko sat on the couch and placed Sasuke's head in her lap. Running her finger through his hair as she tried to soothe away his fears, she stayed in this position for the rest of the night, unaware that at some point throughout the night, the tears had stopped as he buried his head in the warmth offered to him.
When Sasuke opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the white ceiling of Naruko's apartment before realizing his head was lying on something that did not feel like a pillow and realized it was Naruko's lap. "When did she get up?" Sasuke questioned. Sitting up, he saw sunlight trickling in from the window and peered towards Naruko's direction. The girl had her head laying against the back of the couch, short blond locks scattered everywhere, a trail of drool running down her mouth.
Such a sight, Sasuke couldn't stop himself from smirking, voice filled with affection as he muttered, "Dobe..." Sitting up, Sasuke sat next to Naruko, and upon realizing the painful angle of her neck, hesitantly reached out and decided to place her head against his shoulder. The stoic man's pale cheeks flushed with color, feeling her breath brush against his neck before a frown marred his handsome face.
Sasuke felt nervous having Naruko so close. Though he may have just returned from his journey, it was only temporary. Seeing as Kakashi and Iruka's wedding was coming up and Sasuke had promised Naruko that he'd attend, but as soon as the wedding was over, he was going to continue with his journey. He still had a lot to make up for, and his soul was far from being cleansed.
Meaning, it did not feel right being close to such a pure and sweet human being such as Naruko. The girl who stuck by his side since they were children and never once gave up on him. The light to his darkness that made him see the truth of his errors, and despite all the crap life handed to him, never abandoned him.
It took a bunch of messy encounters with the blonde, not to mention an edo-tensai Itachi, followed by one final last battle with Naruko, for Sasuke to realize how much of an idiot he was forsaking the good in his life. When he was starting to build connections with his team and Naruko, but he tossed them aside and blindly chased after a man he viewed as the culprit for his mental scars, only to learn that the real truth rested in the village he once called home. This truth broke Sasuke and caused him to spiral out of control; guilt-driven, and added with anger, Sasuke began to wonder what the point of living was.
Hearing the old Hokage's compelling story, between the bitter rivals of the Senju and Uchiha clan, which somehow turned into a tragic love story between the first lady Hokage and his grand ancestor Madara, Sasuke's mood only plummeted. Primarily upon learning how he and Naruko shared reincarnations with them and two powerful ancient gods whose love was punished and caused them to be cursed.
It was as if life was telling him that no matter how many times he was born into this world, he was fated to be punished and tormented, so why should he even live? Towards his last battle with Naruko, Sasuke just wanted the pain to stop and was ready to die, but instead of giving into his wish, Naruko, like so many times before, reached out her hand to him.
"Life is cruel, Sasuke, but it can also be beautiful. What Itachi and I want the most... is just for you to be happy." She aimed that beautiful smile up at him, face battered and hair disheveled, but the light of the sun beaming down on her caused her bruised figure to glow as if she was an angel sent down to relieve him of his pain, and Sasuke had to fight himself not to break down and cry right then and there. Because only then did he realize just how much he meant to Naruko and vice versa.
"Mmm, S-Sasuke, you're up?" Watching those sleepy blue orbs flutter awake as she reached up and rubbed the sleep from out of her eyes, a part of Sasuke found the scene fondly adorable, though he refused to show it on his face.
After waking up, Naruko fixed both of them a simple breakfast and realized she was running low on groceries. Resulting in Naruko dragging Sasuke to the supermarket that was now far from the apartment. Along the way, Sasuke stuck close to Naruko and realized how many people they passed would stop and greet the blonde, a considerable difference from how people used to whisper behind her back and glare annoyingly at the blonde. Back when Naruko first brought him back, Sasuke didn't have time to realize this difference, seeing as he was locked in a cell and later restrained to Naruko's place, but now he was able to openly see it with his own eyes.
Watching how a group of academy kids, consisting of boys and girls, ran up to Naruko and requested for her autograph. Smirking at how their young gazes held nothing but hero-worship, blushing when Naruko laughed and happily accepted their request. Once done, Naruko waved them goodbye, wishing them well in their shinobi training, and Sasuke couldn't help but steal a glance at his rival only to be caught by a pair of cerulean eyes.
"Strange, isn't it? Once upon a time, they cursed my existence and thought nothing of me, but now I'm a bigshot. I'll admit, it was weird when everyone started to praise me as a hero after that whole ordeal with Pain." Naruko sheepishly scratched at her head, and Sasuke saw that her eyes held slight contempt for the village hypocrisy. Despite all their wrongdoings, not just to him but also to her, Naruko still found it in her heart to forgive and fight for them.
"Pure," Sasuke uttered and mistakenly allowed Naruko to take notice that he had opened his mouth. When she questioned whether or not he had said anything, Sasuke said nothing but pointed at the supermarket before them.
Mind now distracted on shopping, Sasuke followed behind Naruko, retrieving the items she read from her list and placed them in the shopping cart. Ignoring the pointing and whispering people were throwing his way, as, unlike Naruko, the people viewed the last Uchiha heir with distrust and hate. Sasuke couldn't help but find it funny how his and Naruko's roles had switched.
After stopping to get groceries, Naruko wanted to stop by Iruka and Kakashi's place and asked Sasuke if he wanted to tag along with her. Sasuke nodded his head, following Naruko when something along the way caused Sasuke's mood to sour. Onyx eyes were glaring at the four blushing and stuttering boys standing in the middle of the road, having shoved their unwanted gifts and flowers into Naruko's oblivious hands.
"Naruko-sama, I deeply admire you!" shouted one boy. Sasuke had to count backwards from four, so he could calm down when he heard Naruko giggle, flashing her pearly whites at the silly blushing fool, thanking him for his ridiculous compliment.
Not giving the other boys the chance to confess their admiration for the blonde, Sasuke reached for Naruko's wrist and began dragging her along the way, but not before shooting a glare at the four boys that nearly caused them to wet their pants on the spot. Seeing this filled Sasuke with glee; the Uchiha heir did not like how those wannabe-shinobi's were staring at the blonde, feeling an odd sensation of possessiveness take over him.
Hating how he had to share Naruko's warmth and light with the rest of the world when he wanted to keep it for himself. 'But do I deserve it?' Sasuke asked himself as the rest of their walk was spent in silence.
"Ruka-nee~!" Naruko obnoxiously yelled, opening the door to the red-roofed house that would soon be known as the Hatake Residence, and saw a disheveled Iruka coming from down the hall to greet the two.
"Naruko?" Iruka was happy to see the blonde, but the raven standing next to her had caught her completely by surprise. The last time Iruka was informed, Sasuke should still be in the middle of his redemption journey.
Sasuke sat beside Naruko for an hour, listening to her chat with Iruka, asking the brunette about her well-being and how the wedding planning was going. "Honestly, it's a bit stressful. Sorting out the guest list, trying to keep Kashi from breaking down, and still teaching my class are starting to give me a headache." Iruka tiredly rubbed her head.
"Kashi-sensei breaking down?" Naruko found this bit of info alarming only for Iruka to clear up Naruko's misunderstanding of her words.
"It's just wedding anxieties, seeing how the wedding is only a few days away now. Something like this is very common amongst couples." Iruka's light tone and smile managed to reassure Naruko, who nodded her head and explained to Iruka that she did not mind substituting at the academy again for her.
"I know, but this is my responsibility, plus it's not all bad. Plus, I have a hunch that my students are up to something, but I don't know what. Oh, by the way, it's nice seeing you, Sasuke-kun, though I must admit that I am surprised upon seeing you." Iruka greeted her ex-student with a kind smile. Sasuke simply nodded his head as a greeting, and said,
"I made a promise to Naruko that I'd attend." This made much more sense to Iruka, knowing that if Naruko didn't request his presence, Sasuke would not be here sitting in front of her. The two women talked a bit more until Iruka explained how she had to get back to grading paperwork and Sasuke and Naruko took their leave. On the way home, a comfortable silence befell the two, as Sasuke's right onyx eye stared down at Naruko's empty hand and suddenly felt like reaching out and holding it.
Just as he was about to act on impulse, Naruko suddenly took off in front of them, and Sasuke regained a sense of his actions and mentally scolded himself. Veering his attention to Naruko, Sasuke saw a wide smile spread across her face, watching as she opened those soft pink lips and yelled,
"SHIKA-CHAN!" In front of them stood Shikamaru in between Neji and Chouji. The Nara groaned before feeling a source of weight settle onto his back, followed by a pair of tan arms wrapping around his neck.
"Naruko, get off of me," grumbled Shikamaru only to have Naruko ignore him.
"Nope! Oh, hi Chouji! Hi, Neji!" Naruko greeted the boys who were kind enough to return her greeting. Shikamaru honestly just wanted Naruko off his back before those stupid fanboys of hers started to harass him again. They were an annoying bunch, and Shikamaru valued his peace. Naruko was in the middle of playing with Shikamaru's spiky ponytail when out of nowhere, a burst of killer intent rushed his way, causing the Nara to break out into a cold sweat and swirl around.
Having blended into the shadows thanks to his all-black attire, Shikamaru was unable to spot him at first. It was only when he stepped into the street light did Shikamaru finally see the offender's face and released a tiresome sigh. "Oh, it was just you, Sasuke."
Sasuke said nothing to the Nara, ignoring the presence of a glaring Neji and a surprised Chouji as he walked over and looked directly at Naruko. "Let's go. I'm hungry." Immediately Naruko jumped down from Shikamaru's back and reached out to grasp Sasuke's wrist.
"That's right. We haven't eaten since we've been out today! Let's go home, and I'll fix some yakitori tonight, okay?" Sasuke simply nodded his head at Naruko's suggestion, perfectly calm as he stared down at how her small hand held his wrist and allowed her to lead him to her place. Watching the two disappear down the street, Shikamaru shook his head and was suddenly aggravated. Sasuke's earlier actions nearly shaved ten years from his life, still able to feel his heart beating out of control.
"I didn't know he was back in town," said Chouji.
"Shouldn't he be away? Why did he come back?" Neji did not seem happy to see Sasuke back in the village. Shikamaru knew it was because the Hyuuga prodigy still had feelings for Naruko despite knowing, just like many others did, that they would never be reincorporated. Hands shoved in his pockets, brown eyes stared at the moon and thought to himself,
'When will those two finally man up and confess?'
Over at the Hyuuga Residence, things had descended into chaos when a man with hair the same color as the moon, sporting an all-white attire, suddenly invaded. Members of both the branch and main clan lay defeated on the ground, including Hiashi. Battered and wounded, both Hinata and Hanabi still stood firm, engaging in battle with this powerful foe who appeared from out of nowhere.
"Princess of the Hyuuga Clan and my bride's beloved best friend, it's a pleasure to meet you in the flesh, Hinata-hime~!" said the stranger; a smile stretched across his handsome face. Tonight he had come here with one simple agenda, and he would achieve it, anxious to finally meet his bride face-to-face.
End of The Last-Pt.4
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