Title: Hell Is the Other

Summary: Tsunade was holding their hands, "After all, you'd be spending every second with each other for sixty-five days." She tied a red string around Naruto's wrist and tied its other end around Sasuke's.

Important:
This is (going to be) a SasuNaru.

Chapter 1: The Punishment

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Tsunade got up from her bed and opened her windows. Konoha was one of the villages in the Fire Country who had mornings with the most amazing sunrises. Sadly, this morning was not one of those.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

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This scene has been played countless times, long before Sasuke has left Konoha. The two boys would be dragged in here, be forced to stand in front of her desk and have them explain themselves. Tsunade has grown tired of their excuses. They even changed as time went by (the excuses, not Naruto and Sasuke). A few years back, their complaints started from 'Because Sasuke started it!' and 'Because the dobe dumped ramen on me!' to 'Because he challenged me!' and 'Because he took my long-awaited mission!'

She didn't know if it was a good thing or a horrific thing, because after Sasuke has returned, Naruto's liveliness and mischief has returned full blast as well. During the first few months of Sasuke's return, it was fairly quiet. There were several awkward moments between Sasuke and his old and former friends because everybody was trying to adjust at the return of a traitor. But that didn't last long. That pacific period ended soon, the moment Naruto challenged Sasuke on a spar. It was the first one after their retrieval of Sasuke and it lasted for almost a whole day. Neither was going to quit first. Until Kakashi and Sakura got in between. Thankfully, their former teammate knocked some sense (literally) into them in order to end that havoc.

After that day, whenever those two would see each other, an insult would always be flying around coming from each other. One would expect that they have grown up. They did, though, but not mentally. The Hokage massaged her forehead as she stared at the two shinobis. "I am not going to ask what happened and why it happened." It was really useless asking them why. Their excuses have patterns and she already heard all of them.

It was time that she'd do something about this inexcusable behavior between these two foolish ninjas. Nobody in this town was safe if they would impulsively fight near or within the village. Tsunade pulled open her drawer and took out a long string made up of red threads.

Tsunade got up from her desk to stand directly in front of the two boys. She raised one elegant, blonde eyebrow that went with that angry frown. "A quarter of the town's establishments and homes were ruined because you two could not contain your animosity." Tsunade continued cursing about having to see Chidori and Rasengan flying through the skies early in the morning. "Do you know how many damages you have caused, in just ONE WEEK?" The boys looked like they wanted to cover their ears, Tsunade's voice was getting louder. Windows in the room were even shaking… well a little.

Sasuke was the first to speak, in behalf of their side. "No one got hurt, Tsunade-sa…"

"That's because everybody was out of their houses, running for their lives!"

Naruto protested, "But it was his fau…."

"BE QUIET! I'm not through yet!" Naruto instantly clamped up. Tsunade did not enjoy shouting at anybody, this wasn't easy for her either. She particularly disliked getting angry at Naruto, being one of those kids that she favored over others. But these boys had to be reprimanded. "I will no longer tolerate impulsive fighting in this village."

Tsunade had tried threatening Naruto and Sasuke with several situations to reduce the unwanted chaos in Konoha. The Godaime warned Naruto that for every mischief he would cause, it would cost him one year delay of becoming Hokage. Tsunade also tried warning Naruto that she'd ban all of the ramen in this village. Threatening Sasuke was more difficult for nobody ever succeeded in doing it. But Tsunade did. Nobody knew how she did it but people heard a rumor that it had something to do with Sasuke's fan-girls.

But those threats were no match to the challenge between two incredibly determined rivals.

"Starting today, you will learn to live together, whether you think you'd survive or not." Tsunade ignored the quiet protest and the sudden confusion from the two boys as she grabbed Naruto's right hand and Sasuke's left one. "After all, you'd be spending time with each other." The Godaime tied the red string around Naruto's wrist and tied its other end around Sasuke's. Surprisingly, the two boys weren't moving as the Hokage was tying their wrists together. She didn't know if it was because of fear of her and that legendary strength, or because they thought that this was outrageously ridiculous and it couldn't be true, or because they're still too confused to react anything at the moment.

Naruto and Sasuke were obviously stunned. They must have thought that Tsunade was doing this for a joke. She finally finished tying the string then looked back at them. Then realization suddenly hit them both, and fear surfaced on their eyes. Finally, they have just realized that she was being serious. The two boys tried, they really tried, to snap the string apart, because it did look flimsy at first glance.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Tsunade warned, "I made that string for that purpose and with the strength of my chakra, I have bonded its threads together." She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she watched the horror dawning on the boy's faces. Konoha will be quiet for the time being. "The more you resist, the tighter it gets. It could cut your hands, by the way."

"Please… tell me you're kidding…" Sasuke never looked this villainous before.

"Do I look like I'm kidding, Sasuke?" Tsunade was unaffected with that Uchiha glare. This should teach them. Either learn to live together or suffer.

Naruto cursed as loud as he could for Tsunade to release the Jutsu that she has forged in this string. But Tsunade kept either ignoring him, or denying him. "It's not fair. I'm right-handed." Naruto muttered miserably. "How will WE live?" The blonde protested again.

"That's not my problem." Tsunade went back to her seat and stare at the two boys. Her headache was leaving as seconds were passing by. "If the both of you wish to be free of this, you have to learn to get along together, without unnecessary violence." She thought that this was one of her brilliant plans to get those two to get-along together well. They should have been working along fine, but sometimes, they exceed the usual 'wickedness' of the boys of their age. It wasn't safe anymore. This punishment would stand for a certain time. Tsunade would give them time to learn and to grow up. Yes, that would be a good idea. "I will give you sixty-five days."

"WHAT?" That was from the both of them.

"That's too damned long!"

"Language, Uchiha!" Tsunade was fearsome when she wanted to be and everybody, including the Uchihas were no exception. This punishment would stand until she would deem it enough. "I will be the one to decide if there are improvements in you. If you have made any progress, I will remove the string and you two would be free to go." The two stood still after Tsunade was finished with her speech. They stood there, emotionless and downright shocked. Tsunade looked at them nonchalantly, they looked like they were still waiting for her to exclaim that this was all just a big joke. But it wasn't, oh no, it wasn't. Tsunade went back with reading the daily reports on her desk as she told them, "Go ahead, you may leave."

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"This is your fault, usuratonkachi." Sasuke muttered.

As hard as they have tried pulling / cutting / burning / biting the strings apart, it persistently refused to snap. It surely had Tsunade's mark on it, strong and stubborn.

The two left the Hokage's office without much talk. They were still too shocked to accept that this was a serious, mind-boggling punishment. Naruto couldn't believe it the most. He couldn't imagine how would he live his life for the next sixty-four hell days! Naruto looked down on his right wrist which had the red evil string around it. He noticed how his skin color was evidently different when compared with Sasuke's. The color was different, just like their personalities. They would always clash wherever they go, so keeping them tied together like this was insanity! This was the pits… his whole bright mood was ruined and now this temee was saying that it was all Naruto's fault?

"The hell! You were the one who pushed me off the Konoha wall!"

"But you ran to the Hokage mountain!" Sasuke shouted back.

It was true that Naruto had run to the Hokage mountain, but he did that because he thought that Sasuke was going to stop chasing him with the chidori. "You were supposed to stop chasing!"

"How should I know? I thought it was part of the challenge!"

Naruto felt stupid now. It was his fault that he dared Sasuke to another sparring match. He knew that in the beginning of their fight, they were determined not to use their strongest, trademark techniques. But somewhere in between, environment and common sense were forgotten as their spar started heating up. Eventually, a bright Chidori was lighted up and a strong, blue Rasengan was whirled. "ARGH! I can't take this anymore!"

Apparently, their hands were closely tied to each other. If one would look at them from afar, they would like they're holding each other's hand. So, when Naruto jerked his right arm towards left so suddenly, Sasuke almost lost balance. "What's your problem now?" Sasuke irritably asked. He pulled his left hand back along with Naruto's right one, obviously pissed at the blonde's attempt of domination over this situation.

"I'm heading to Ichiraku's! You gotta problem with that?" He needed to relieve himself of this stress. Oh wait, it was stuck with him. I hate you gods.

Sasuke looked like he was on the verge of punching him, "Yes! I want to go home now!"

"But I wanna eat ramen!"

All this shouting was giving Sasuke a headache. He was seriously thinking that losing his left hand was worth it. How were they going to live through the next sixty-four days?

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…to be continued. :D