Locked In, a naruto fanfic

Chapter 1: Therapy.

A/N: This story will be simple and yet very complicated. It starts off by Sasuke delving deep into his depression and finally accepting help but his challenges have just started now. Would this be easy? No. Would he someday help Hinata instead? Find out.

I have tried to depict Sasuke's condition in bits and pieces. Things will come together in the future and will be explained in details.

…

Sasuke kept staring at the broken ceiling of his old house. The annoyingly bright rays of the sun crept in his dark room illuminating it. The birds outside were the first to break the silence of the night. Life slowly returned to Konoha except for the Uchiha household. He squinted his eyes in irritation and covered his ears with his palms to drain out the noises. He hadn't slept all night; the nightmares wouldn't let him so it was another bad start for him. Nothing new.

He sighed and then rolled over on his stomach as his limbs felt heavier than lead. His one eye was peered open and the other remained closed. He didn't want to wake up and go on about his usual routine. There was nothing fascinating about his life.

He was always dragged by Naruto to train in which he unwillingly participated. He remembered how he used to enjoy his brawl with Naruto but nowadays even training doesn't excite him. He was tired of fighting, tired of his rivalry with the blonde, tired of this so-called peace he brought into this world.

Other than that he took it upon himself to work on the Uchiha main house, his original home. He had decided that he would renovate it but he couldn't bring himself to tear down his parents' room or even Itachi's. He just couldn't persuade himself to touch their precious belongings and be done with that. Things were just how he had left them with the addition of layers of accumulated dust and cobwebs. The only room that was falling apart was surprisingly his own but even then he couldn't start working on the roof that was hanging for its dear life. So when Naruto was busy with his Hokage training or even with the missions outside Konoha, the last Uchiha just wouldn't get out of the bed for days. He didn't feel motivated to go on like this.

He had thought that once he ends the war and do what his brother wished, he would be satisfied but he just feels empty now. Yes empty because he wasn't sad but he wasn't contented either. He sometimes wondered if this is the life Itachi had wanted him to live. Can this be called living in any sense?

He pushed himself off the bed and went to the bathroom to wash away his awful thoughts. He placed his head under the running tap and then ran his fingers to detangle his matted hair. The water dripped from his long bangs so he pushed it off to the back and tied it at the back not bothering to dry it. He then dared to look at his reflection after a long time and agreed with Naruto for the first instance that he looked like shit. He had lost the light he once had in his teens; he had sunken eyes and cheeks accompanied by the shadows of insomnia and restlessness. He had lost some weight too as he couldn't even digest food. Nothing tasted good nowadays except his tomatoes and Naruto says that they have no nutritional value at which Sasuke would scoff. He didn't want advice from someone who lived off of ramen.

Looking at the mirror now, he could say that he was just a remnant of what he was once upon a time and this is who is left behind.

However, these days Naruto seemed to bless the Uchiha with some of his divine knowledge and because of him Sasuke was at last going to get help for his condition. The idiot made him realise that he couldn't go on living like this. This was not normal; in fact it was far from normal. Sasuke had denied at first but he came to see why his friend was right. It happened during one of their spars.

Sasuke and Naruto were exchanging blows like brutes as usual. To someone observing them from outside, no one would notice that something was off. Sasuke was struggling against Naruto and this was something new for the Uchiha. He noted that Naruto's punches were getting stronger so he put more force into his fists. He later realised that his hits were getting weaker. He attacked the blonde but Naruto blocked him effortlessly. His wrists were grabbed and his vision distorted at the same time. He could see three Narutos and he mistakenly thought that his team mate had used his famed shadow clone jutsu but that wasn't the case. An open palm laced with chakra hit him under his ribs and he went flying past the trees only to land on his back.

"What was that move?" Sasuke spoke, his teeth stained with blood.

The blonde had a look of surprise on his face as he withdrew from his wide stance. It wasn't something Sasuke had ever seen Naruto perform. The jinchuriki was more of a chaotic beast in fights than a strategic combatant. He looked apologetic as he offered his hands for Sasuke to hold.

"I had picked this move from a friend" The Konoha hero answered as two red stains appeared on his tanned cheeks. Sasuke raised his brows at him but didn't move to accept the offered hand. Instead he laid there, something holding him down. Regrettably, he thought he could stay down forever.

Naruto looked worried now because of his friend's worsening behaviour. Sasuke wasn't someone to not stand up after a hit, in fact he would be on his feet in a flash. He had beaten Sasuke to a pulp in the past so he knew it wasn't because he was hurt.

"Sasuke? What is it? You know I am always willing to listen to you"

The blonde's actions aggravated Sasuke. Naruto always pretended to be his caretaker as if the he were a baby. As if it was the Uzumaki's sole job to make sure Sasuke is alright and doing good. Naruto is delusional if he thinks Sasuke could recover from his past. All this made him angry and he bit back "You aren't my therapist"

His retaliation shocked both of them. Why would he even say that? Why? He didn't need help. Yes, Sasuke had been contemplating professional assistance for quite some time but he was never sure. Once he even thought of reaching out to his former master, Orochimaru but quickly dropped the idea. This was the first time he voiced his opinion on instinct like his own mind was screaming at him to get help but he always made excuse that he didn't need healing. He was a broken man and he would stay like that forever.

Naruto sat down near him and lifted his azure eyes towards the setting sun. The sky was painted with blues, pink and red hues. The colours that represented team seven. Those colours never merged with each other but still looked good like they belonged together. Their long hairs were swept back by the winds and they stayed like that in each other's presence. There was complete silence between them. Because they didn't need words, silence was enough to understand each other. They always were.

"You need help Sasuke" The blonde declared. "This time it isn't I who can help you"

Sasuke closed his eyes and he denied as always. "You are stupid"

"Even the strongest need help Sasuke. Believe me." Naruto always knew the right thing to say at the right time. Thanks to his talk-no-jutsu but Sasuke has been mostly immune to it.

"After the war they have started to offer therapy to the victims of the war" Naruto let him know just in case.

"Tch. I am no victim. Now shut up Usuratonkachi before I make you"

Again a moment of quiet and peacefulness passed between them. Sasuke was stupid if he thought that he could deceive someone who called him their brother. Naruto understood him better than anyone. This time it was Sasuke who spoke first.

"Did you … " Get help?

He couldn't finish because he still wasn't ready to see himself as someone needing help. He didn't deem himself worthy of it, not when he had caused so many misfortunes to those around him. Who was he kidding? Could he ever redeem himself?

"Yes" Naruto nodded. "When Jiraya sensei died I had brushed my feelings under the rug. The war just piled up more of my miseries and dilemma until I couldn't hide the mountain I had stacked. That is the first thing I went through before I started my training to be Kakashi's successor"

This was news to Sasuke. He never really suspected that Naruto had been in therapy. Of course he knew his friend had demons of his own to fight but the way he always wore those goofy and ridiculous smiles, the Uchiha never understood how much worse he had it.

"In order to start a new chapter, I had to close the last one" Naruto then grinned at him, his warmth touching Sasuke's resolve and melting it completely.

"At least give it a try. One step in front of the other"

…

His steps faltered as he stood before the large gates of the hospital. It was the busy hour so everyone seemed to be rushing in and out. He couldn't recall how much time had passed but noticing the people looked at him suspiciously, he deduced that it was time to go in. The automated door opened and he was struck by a strong cold air from above dishevelling his tied hair a bit. His frustration grew and he was already mourning his decision on coming here. What was he even thinking? He hated hospitals. He despised strangers touching and prodding him. He wanted nothing to do with the intrusive and inappropriate questions that those medics asked.

Naruto would chew his head off, if he goes back now and he was sure next time he would bring Kakashi and Sakura to persuade him too so he hurriedly went inside before he changed his mind forever.

One step in front of the other. Just like Naruto had said.

Nothing could stop him now.

He searched for the reception desk and recited his name for the appointment. The lady at the desk scanned over him and handed him a slip that contained the room number he was supposed to be for an examination. He could still feel the eyes of the receptionist at his back. The mighty Uchiha is here for therapy. What could be more disgracing than this? His ancestors must be rolling in their grave but did it matter. They were dead already.

He knocked at the door of his assigned room to let them know of his presence. Someone came to the front and bowed down.

"Sorry Uchiha-san but the doctor who was assigned to see you had something important come up so they left and the staffs are very busy at the moment so you will have to wait. You will be attended by someone very soon" The woman then ran off and disappeared in the long corridor. He had discerned how this section of the hospital was devoid of crowd. It was peaceful here so Sasuke didn't mind and took a seat in the room waiting for whoever that is to come and check him.

The space was just like any other hospital room. The walls were white with some posters on about mental health and depression. He once again found himself staring at the ceiling, an odd habit that he couldn't get rid of. He was getting pissed now. Maybe it was a sign he should leave. He didn't want to have an outburst in a public place like this.

Just as he was about to teleport to his house using his rinnegan, the door was thrown open and a petite woman near his age entered with a small smile. She looked friendly but he didn't respond with anything other than nonchalance and indifference.

It didn't seem to affect the girl though as she came near him taking her own seat and bringing out her clinical notepad.

"I am Hyuga Hinata. Nice to meet you Sasuke-san. I am here to do an assessment on your further treatment" She professionally explained as if she had practiced it for decades but he was sure it couldn't be because she was just as young as he was.

He tilted his head to the side trying to recall if he knew her but she wasn't someone important to him. Her last name was a dead giveaway but he couldn't for his life remember her. She looked familiar though.

"Do I know you?" He asked curious.

"Umm …" She put a pen near her mouth clicking it. "I am not someone important that people try to know". She answered honestly and he was taken aback. He tried to hide his shock quickly but the mask had already slipped. He had never heard someone so casually admitting something like that and he was befuddled.

She then started marking some of the boxes on his chart even without asking him any question and he was again dumbfounded. What valuable information did she get from such an unimportant conversation that she could fill in his details? Was he that easy to figure out? Yes, she might be a trained therapist in the field but Sasuke had always proudly carried himself in a way that others found it difficult to perceive. Emotions were vulnerable and he hated showing them.

"But I know you" Of course who wouldn't know Sasuke Uchiha but the way she acted, it became very clear to him that she knew more about him than she was letting on. Was she a fan girl or what? Sasuke could just pray she wasn't.

"You have weak memory power Uchiha-san" She stated jokingly.

'What? Come again?' Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. He smirked deducing two could play this game. He would show her that he didn't like to be made fun of.

"Whatever. Can we start? I don't have all the time in the world and you have wasted enough by being unpunctual" He was once again taking out his exasperation on someone who had nothing to do with his situation. He knew that she was a replacement and it wasn't her fault that the former doctor ran away. Maybe they heard about him and decided they couldn't deal with a maniac like him. She wasn't responsible that he was kept waiting but he didn't care at the moment.

The young lady's pale eyes became large but she quickly concealed her emotion with her act of professionalism. She wasn't fooling him though.

"Okay" She muttered.

"I need you to answer all of the questions truthfully, okay? Only then we can work with you" She started.

"What are you exactly dealing with?"

The first question was quite simple but yet it was difficult to answer because he didn't understand where to begin. Words fell short.

So he pinned her under his unyielding coal eyes before simply responding. "I can't sleep. I can't eat and now I can't even train"

She quickly penned his answers in the sheet with a serious look on her face.

"Do you feel weak?" She asked again.

"Hn" He replied, if that could be counted as a reply.

"Please elaborate Sasuke-san"

He sighed. "I sometimes have double vision and I have noticed my arms are loosing their strength"

She in an instant activated her bloodline to examine his condition. He on the other hand caught sight of the angry veins that rose around her sockets. She moved closer to him and whispered, "I am going to touch your face to have a closer look at your eyes"

She then grabbed his chin to move his face from one side to the other. Sasuke wanted to slap her hands away but suppressed his urge to do so. At least she had the decency to warn him before laying her hands on him so he appreciated that. The more she examined him, the more uneasiness he felt. He felt naked under her Byakugan as she scutinised him from the insides.

"Most of your chakra are pulsing in your eyes to protect them from the lack of sleep. Hence, the weakness. It is nothing serious and I will prescribe you some eye drops for your vision" She moved back to her original place and Sasuke blinked at the knowledge that she just used her Byakugan as a freaking x-ray machine. A large part of him wanted to laugh at how she was utilizing one of the most powerful doujutsu for such trivial purposes.

"How long has this been going on?" Her feather soft voice snapped his attention back to her.

"Months" Though the correct answer would be years but he wouldn't say it. Many considered him unstable since he was a teen; he didn't want to prove them right. Who knows if she was even trustworthy or could use something against him. There were still many people who wanted him dead or incarcerated. The council had initially wanted to put him in either jail or an asylum stating he was too dangerous for the well being of the Konoha civilians. Of course they were unsuccessful in their efforts but he had really wanted to burn those old geezers with his ametarasu.

"Do you feel anger or any other kind of negative emotion towards anyone including yourself?" She enquired as per the standard practice but everyone knew about the story of revenge that the Uchiha had extracted.

"Yes since the massacre of my clan" A shaky exhalation alerted him that he said more than desirable but he was asked to be transparent. He isn't at fault.

"What do you do all day?" She changed the topic to something light hearted.

"Plan for the next day or think about the last day" Her shaky smile gave him the idea that it was an unhealthy way to go through a day.

"How often do you eat?" She interrogated as her eyes roamed over his figure. He understood that he was pale and thin so she needed to know.

"Once a day and sometimes nothing except tomatoes" She wrote that piece of information hastily and nervously. Again a red flag that maybe Naruto was right. He was poisoning himself with tomatoes.

"When did you last sleep well?"

"I don't remember when"

She just shook her head and continued noting down the things he told her.

"Good" She commended on his truthfulness after he answered her set of questionnaires one by one. This was taking a longer time than he expected.

"Ah the next question! How is your sex life?" Sasuke saw that she didn't shy away nor seemed interested. She was just doing her job with no ulterior motive. She didn't give him any idea that she inserted the question herself.

"I don't want to answer" He wanted to see if she would push him to give in but she didn't. She didn't seem like the type but he just wanted to be careful.

"It's okay not to answer, Sasuke-san. Patients have the right to privacy if it isn't something directly related to your health. It's just that these inquiries are set by Tsunade-sama herself so …" She didn't need to say more. She was required to follow the orders of her superior but she did so dutifully. Now it made sense for this weird question because if it wasn't directly related to his treatment then they had no place asking him that. The sanin wanted to make him uncomfortable. He wouldn't put this past her because Tsunade had openly hated him after his arrival.

What a joke! And she called herself professional.

"Was it Tsunade who was assigned to me at first?" He could bet that the ex-hokage had either run off to drink or gamble her remaining money.

"Yes and Ino too. I am a backup at this point"

"Hn"

He was now kind of relieved that it was the Hyuga who fate designed to somehow bump into him rather than those two blonde loudmouthed women. Better this girl than them.

She then put down her pen and directed her gaze on him. "Do you want to ask me something instead?"

His brows crashed. He assumed that she would be the only one to do the interrogation. This session had him feel more disturbed than the one he had with Ibiki. Even he couldn't make the last Uchiha sweat. He shook his head to tell her a 'no' before he stopped. Indeed he wanted to know something.

His eyes were downcast and his bangs hid his eyes. He was feeling quite stupid to ask this but he was genuinely inquisitive. "Does this … work?"

He soon realised that it was such a foolish question, of course she would say yes. It is her job so why would she even say that it won't work.

She watched him for a while too and then her voice made its way to him. "Not always"

Shocked, he glanced at her face and met her eyes straightforward. This was twice that she caught him off guard with her answers.

"Sometimes people are beyond saving, beyond healing. Traumas can't always be erased you know" She explained in a calm and hushed tone.

He continued listening to her, intrigued by her. She was voicing what he thought of this therapy shit already. He didn't believe any of it. He indeed considered himself beyond saving. The traumas inflicted on him could never be undone. Maybe if he had gotten this therapy when he was child, it would have helped but there no such thing at the time. Even now mental healing is something foreign and new in the shinobi world. It was at its infancy.

". . . But it is possible if you are willing and I am willing. Together we can keep moving forward. One step in front of the other" She then stands up and demonstrates how easy it is. "We won't sprint but we need to take baby steps so would you follow my lead?"

Her words resonated with what Naruto had said earlier.

Maybe that was he needed to hear. Yes, he has to help himself and the only way is to accept help from others. Those who do not want to admit this would never be able to overcome this- whatever this emptiness is that resides within him. The girl had piqued his interest too because he had expected to be disappointed and leave with no progress but this Hyuga had done something that was lacking in Sasuke's life for some time. Maybe there is hope for him still.

Just as she had asked him, he started tracing her steps to the corridor, mimicking her action. She was rasy to follow through.

"We would reach out to you soon Sasuke-san" It was time to part ways.

"Hn"

She waved at him, bidding him farewell for he was sure she had other patients waiting too but before she could turn away, he carefully uttered "I look forward to it, Hinata Hyuga"

He would return and see, if he can still stick to the reason to continue this torture. If not then he could always complain and blame the Hyuga for lying.

…

Thanks for showing me so much support and love. I feel so happy and overwhelmed. Thanks and please review.