Author: Talais
Parings: Naruto and Sasuke, others as well, got to read to find out, I haven't even decided.
Summary: well read the fic and then you can summarize it!
Disclaimer: No own, no money so tough luck
On to the Fic...
___________________________
Sasuke wasn't sure why his brother had not shown up to go fishing. He knew that Itachi was a captain of his own Anbu team, but he had promised to go fishing today. Sasuke had thought that he might have been able to get his older brother to show him some more katas and seals, he almost had the 'Dragon Fire Breath' down; well he could light his father's cigarettes now. //WAKE UP! //
The walk back to the Uchiha compound wasn't long but it seemed to stretch as the young Sasuke walked along, kicking a pebble with his foot. He came to the gates of the large family's compound; all of the Uchiha's lived here. Unlike many clans with an advanced bloodline their fellow ninja's didn't point blame at them for the wars and battles that had raged till only a short while ago. The people of Konoha accepted their difference and even honored them for it, but the family still lived some what separated, for everyone's comfort.
As Sasuke passed through the gates of the compound he knew something was wrong, there had been no guard to greet him, no whistling to send word of his coming from the trees. //WAKE UP!! Please no more.// Sasuke left his fishing pole and went to the guardhouse, the door had been shattered and inside Sasuke saw the bodies of the guardsmen, twisted and misshapen. //WAKE UP!! God let me wake up. // Sasuke turned and ran from the house, how had this happened, their clan was considered one of the elite of the elite. Sasuke passed by three other houses, his cousins, aunts and uncles. All were dead, one of his best friends a cousin his age, Akito seemed to stare at him accusingly, with eyes that would never shine again. They seem to ask why he was still alive. //WAKE UP!!! Help me, someone! //
Sasuke backed out of his cousin's house; he couldn't breath, what was going on. Dread filled the boy, was everyone dead? Sasuke ran towards his house, surly his parents; his father head of the clan was alright. //WAKE UP!!! How many times do I have to see this? //
Running through the broken door to his house Sasuke stopped in his tracks, there in the center of the room were his parents. His mother could have been sleeping if you could sleep with your throat torn out; his father lay next to her. Itachi stood above him, holding his still beating heart. "WHY?!" The young Sasuke wailed running towards his parents, his brother.
"They caused it. They stole his name." Itachi's eyes turned to look at his younger brother. "You and I stole his name just like the rest." Pain seared into Sasuke then. //WAKE UP!!!!!! Help me.... Naruto, help me. //
Sasuke finally tore himself from the dream of his past; he sat up in bed shivering. //It was just a dream. Like the others.// Sasuke hugged himself, trying to calm himself. //Just a dream, like the others.// But it wasn't like the others. He had never heard Itachi talk before in his memory dream. Had never watched it so many times. Always he had awakened when he had seen his father's heart in Itachi's hands.
Finally the shivers that were shaking Sasuke stopped and for the first time Sasuke realized where he was. He was in the room he shared with Naruto, in Tazuna-san's house. //How did I get here? // Sasuke looked over to the other futon where Naruto usually could be heard snoring, but the boy wasn't there. //Did he carry me all the way back here?// Sasuke looked down and noticed that he was in his night clothes, his cheeks turned red thinking that someone had put them on for him. //I hope it was Naruto.// Sasuke's brain seemed to stop, there was no thought for what seemed like hours. //WHAT?! I wanted Naruto to have changed me? I hope it wasn't Sakura.// Sasuke gave his head a shake, //Does it really matter who undressed you, and then put you in your pajamas? YES! // Sasuke could feel that he wasn't wearing his boxers under his sleeping pants. //As long as it wasn't Sakura.//
//Where was Naruto? // Sasuke looked around the room, and finally saw what he was looking for; Naruto was at the head of Sasuke's futon, directly behind him. Naruto was sitting cross-legged right above where Sasuke would have had his head, if he were still lying down. //Why is that baka sitting there? // He could tell that Naruto was asleep, although his usually loud snores were muffled in his pillow he seemed to be holding to his chest. //Was he watching me sleep?// Sasuke smiled, //Yeah you wish.// His smile vanished though when he realized that he really did hope that Naruto had worried enough to try and stay up to watch him.
Not knowing what to do Sasuke decided to do the opposite of what he would normally do. Getting up slowly so that he wouldn't disturb Naruto's sleep, Sasuke pulled the other futon behind the boy quietly. After positioning it carefully Sasuke gently put his hands on the sleeping Naruto, and lowered him to the futon. //Well, better than nothing.// Sasuke thought, Naruto was lying down half on and half off the futon, Sasuke didn't want to risk waking him so he just put a blanket over the sleeping shinobi and went back to his own bed. Sasuke thought that it sounded like Naruto was talking in his sleep. Laying down he closed his eyes, and carefully made sure to keep alert for the dream of his family's massacre, maybe he could wake him self this time if it came.
*
The dream was one of Naruto's favorites; he had had it ever since he could remember. There wasn't anything particular about it that he could remember, not a place or anyone standing there. But there was a presence in the dream, a strong and powerful presence. He could remember when he had been afraid of that presence, of how he had thought that whoever it was would hate him like all the other people he knew. But the voice was calming, it was not a voice that yelled at him or told him he was no-good or stupid, this voice was his friend. His only friend.
Naruto knew that the presence had been afraid of him too, back then, afraid of what? Naruto had never asked. It had been odd at the beginning, with the first dreams, like they were just feeling one another out. In the end the voice said that it had to stay and might as well try to get along. It hadn't taken long before Naruto and the strange presence started to talk about all the things that Naruto faced during the day.
Naruto had asked the voice what its name was. The voice seemed to weep at that. Saying that its name had been taken, stolen from it, it had driven him mad. Naruto had tried to soothe the voice. Saying he would give it a name. Aniki. He knew it wasn't his brother, but Naruto felt that the voice was the closest thing to family he would ever have, and he knew it had to be older; the aura of stranger was old, older than anyone he had ever known.
This time, when he seemed to float in the blackness. He could feel the presence coming, normally it just showed up, but this time it seemed as though there was a distance it had to travel. "Aniki did you see, did you see me, I saved Sasuke. I thought Haku had killed him, but he hadn't."
~~Ah, I saw the fight, I helped remember? You did well though. You protected your precious person. It is more than I could do when I lost my name, and my love. ~~ The voice seemed to run deep with sorrow as he remembered his loss. Naruto noticed something else too. The voice was usually just a disembodied aura, now it seemed to have a misty shape. Not solid but still something Naruto could see. This had never happened before, Naruto was staring into eyes the color of blood, silted like a cats.
"Aniki, your eyes! They look like Sasuke's. Well kinda, they are the same color;" Naruto shifted away from that piercing gaze.
~~Sasuke has eyes like mine? ~~ Aniki asked, the form of him seeming to shift and faze. ~~How would a boy have eyes like mine? ~~
"Kakashi-sensei says that it's because of his advanced bloodline. That because he is an Uchiha he also has the Sharingan." Naruto watched, as the form of his long time friend seemed to lengthen. "Did you here Sasuke? When he saved me, I didn't ask him to, but he did, he said his body just moved. Why would it do that?"
~~He is a precious friend to you and you to him, you would have done the same for him, and you did. ~~
"Sasuke's not my friend, let alone PRECIOUS! I HATE him!" Naruto yelled at those blood-colored orbs.
~~You don't hate him, and you proved that, how can you hate someone that acknowledges you?~~ The form of the voice seemed to shimmer but Naruto could see it clearer than ever before, and it made him a little nervous.
"What do you mean, he acknowledges me! He always calls me stupid and dumb; he calls me cry baby and dobe!" Naruto balled his fists, "Sasuke always tells me that I am no where near him, that I will never be able to beat him."
~~Yes he does say that, but has he ever spoken so much to Sakura? Or Kakashi? ~~ Naruto watched as his Aniki's mouth flash with teeth of pearly white, ~~Naruto has Sasuke ever asked for help, or accepted it from anyone else. I saw him, he let you carry him. Naruto has anyone ever told you not to die? ~~
Naruto thought back to the dark haired boy that he had held in his arms, the boy that he had thought had given his life, his dream of vengeance up to save him. Sasuke had said 'I hated you.' Hated, not hate! Could Sasuke truly acknowledge him, could he?
The silence of the dream stretched out, finally Naruto could feel like the mists of the dream were swirling, he was waking up, as his mind came back out of his subconscious he caught a final glimpse of his Aniki. The Nine Tails Fox. Aniki flashed those pearly whites again his eyes of blood seeming to glow, ~~I am here always; I will protect that which is precious to you. Because I could not protect what was precious to me. ~~
*
Naruto's eyes flickered open and he looked around, it was still dark, the sky was black, the darkness before the dawn. He looked for what had brought him from his Aniki, he had wondered about the presence in his dreams lately, even thought that it might be the Kyuubi. After he had found out that the demon had been sealed inside of his navel. Naruto had always wondered why there had been an odd mark around his belly button when he used chakra, or exerted him self, he had thought it an odd birthmark. Now he knew that it wasn't a birthmark, it was the seal that kept the Kyuubi from killing again. He had felt scared after learning this, what would people do if they knew that he had become friends with the demon that shared his body. Would they try to kill him now?
"Naruto," Sasuke's voice was a low whisper, "Are you awake?"
Naruto nodded, something told him that Sasuke wanted silence. Naruto had always had excellent night vision, even in the darkest night he could make out the ghostly features of the genius genin, //Could he be my friend?// the thought seemed crazy, but there was a longing that Naruto had never felt before, a tugging at his heart. //I would like a friend; I would like someone to talk to outside my dreams.//
Sasuke seemed to fidget as Naruto watched him. Naruto sat up and noticed that he was lying on his futon. //When did I lie down? // "Naruto, I uh..." Sasuke shifted in the dark, "Thanks."
Naruto was stunned. //Sasuke just said thanks! Again.// "Well, you saved me first I just figured that..." //How do you say you want to be friends? // "...Maybe, we could, you know be friends." Naruto finished lamely; //Well Aniki, here's hoping you're not wrong. //
~~I'm not! ~~ The voice of the Kyuubi echoed in Naruto's head; he still wasn't use to hearing Aniki talk to him outside of the dreams. He must have zoned out because Sasuke grabbed Naruto and gave him a shake.
"Oi, Naruto, are you alright?" Sasuke looked into those cobalt blue depths, his own Black orbs glittering with concern.
"Yeah sorry, it was just something I hadn't heard before really." Naruto said.
"What you never heard someone say they would be your friend?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto looked even more confused. His mind raced, replaying what he had heard, the Kyuubi had spoken at the same time that Sasuke had. Whet had the other boy said. 'Sure.' //Sasuke said he would be my friend.// Naruto nearly jumped into the air to give a whoop of joy. //I have a friend! // Sasuke caught hold of the boy as he had started to jump up.
Naruto blinked, he had a friend. Naruto was grinning and he couldn't help it. "Naruto are you alright?" Sasuke ask giving the blonde a shake, "Dobe, you there?"
Naruto scowled at Sasuke then, "No, I haven't had anyone say that they'd be my friend, and don't call me dobe!" Naruto's smile was back again though, he couldn't seem to wipe it away. //I have a friend.//
Sasuke smiled too, it seemed alien to that usually emotionless face, but it made the Uchiha boy look kind. Naruto liked it. The two sat there neither sure what to say next, //I wonder what you do with a friend? // Naruto thought.
The sun crested the horizon and seemed to pour into the room the two boys shared. The sky seemed to blaze, with deep reds and brilliant oranges. //Like Aniki's eyes. // Naruto just smiled, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to be mad again, he felt too good!
"NARUTO! You better not be drawing on Sasuke's face!" Sakura's voice seemed to shatter the peace of the morning, the door slid open and Sakura came in, seeing Sasuke she blushed and smiled shyly. "Oh Sasuke-kun, you're awake. Sensei said you might be and I thought that Naruto shouldn't be left alone with you. After the first night he had said you were sleeping so deeply he could probably draw on your face and you wouldn't wake up."
"The first night?" Sasuke looked at Naruto, "How long have I been asleep?"
Naruto looked away from Sasuke, Sakura spoke, "Five days, when Naruto brought you in we thought that you were just going to sleep the night, and we could head out the next morning. But you didn't wake up." Sakura smiled at the dark haired genin. "But you are awake now! I'll go get you some food, you're probably hungry."
Sasuke nodded; //Five days, how many times did I see that dream? // Sasuke heard the door slide shut, his stomach growled. He was hungry. There was another growl and Sasuke looked at a now embarrassed Naruto, "Gomen, I am kind hungry too."
//Had Naruto been here for all five days? // Sasuke laughed at the idea of Naruto sitting in one place for five days. //Now you are being dumb. //
The door slid open again and Kakashi stepped in, "Ah Sasuke, I thought I heard Sakura saying that you were awake. Naruto, now that Sasuke's awake you can help Sakura bring up some food." The boys couldn't see him smile, but the fact that his one eye seemed to shut in a grin shape, they knew he was.
"Hai!" Naruto jumped to his feet punching the air, landing he lurched to the side and went headfirst into the wall. "Itai!" The little ninja shouted as he fell to his butt rubbing his head where a large bump was now swelling. Getting to his feet slower this time he left the room, Sasuke thought it looked like the boy was walking rather stiffly.
"BAKA, that's what happens when you don't move for five days!" Kakashi shouted after him. "You are going to have to do some more exercises to get the proper blood flow to your legs today."
Sasuke could here Naruto grumbling under his breath, thinking up ways of getting their teacher back. "Naruto, Hurry it up!" Naruto picked up his pace as his stomach gave another loud growl.
Sasuke and Kakashi waited for a few minutes, neither talking. They heard Naruto thumping down the stairs and then arguing from the kitchen as Sakura and Naruto started fighting over who would carry what. "Did he really stay here, the whole time?" Sasuke asked finally, not looking at his sensei.
"Aa, he hardly ate, we tried to get him to come to the festivals in town but he said he wanted to wait to see if you were going to wake up." Kakashi chuckled, "I think he was worried you were going to blame him for sleeping so long."
"...." Sasuke just stared at the futon that Naruto had been sleeping on. //He stayed with me, baka. // Sasuke laughed a little himself.
The smell of food came wafting through the door and Sasuke felt his stomach churn with anticipation, Naruto and Sakura came through the door arms loaded with food, "I made the ramen!" Naruto shouted, "It's the best."
The four ninja's sat around Sasuke's bed as they devoured the meal, Sasuke was nearly force fed Sakura's stuffed rice balls, and he had to admit that Naruto's ramen was really good. The food seemed to vanish, Naruto was keeping pace with Sasuke, it felt good to know that they were still going to be competitive. Sasuke could see that Naruto was grinning too.
Sakura and Naruto cleaned up the palates as Kakashi did some energy tests with Sasuke, "My medical jutsu isn't the greatest, but you seem to be healthy, if still a little hungry."
Naruto was back before Kakashi was finished and Kakashi told the boys that they needed to get dressed and ready to head out, they had to get to the village of the mist and then head right back for Konoha, they had already exceeded their missions deadline by two days and it was going to take at least three days to take Zabuza and Haku to the cliffs overlooking the Hidden Mist Village.
The two boys went about packing up what little things they had brought from home, scrolls and mangas. Naruto was a little surprised when Sasuke actually picked up one of his mangas and flipped through it. "You know this would never happen in real life Naruto." Sasuke said as he tossed the Manga over to his friend. Naruto looked at the cover.
"Yeah I know, but it sounds kind of fun," Naruto tossed the manga into his bag. Who could possibly come up with a story about a boy playing a sport called tennis? I mean you just hit a bright green ball back and forth over the net. Naruto liked it though; he thought the Prince of the sport was very cool.
With everything cleaned up the two boys changed into their clothes, Sasuke stopped Naruto and asked quietly "Naruto, who put my pajamas on me?" Sasuke's cheeks coloured faintly as he thought about someone actually seeing him.
"Eh?" Naruto looked around as he zipped up his orange coat. "Oh I did, you know you ain't all that big." Naruto grinned as Sasuke went a brilliant shade of red.
"YOU LOOKED!" Sasuke shouted.
Sasuke was surprised to notice that he wasn't so much mad that Naruto had seen him, but now Naruto had a secret that he didn't know. //I wonder if he is bigger than me? // Sasuke sweat dropped. //Why am I thinking about that?!//
After Sasuke got his face back to its normal complacency they took one last look around the room he had shared with Naruto and smiled at each other.
"Ready?" Kakashi's voice asked as they slid the door shut.
"Hai!" Naruto shouted, "What's the village of the mists like?" he asked. Kakashi started to explain about the things they would find in the Water country. Sasuke filed away all the relevant information, letting Naruto's exuberance wash over him. It was nice having a friend.
Parings: Naruto and Sasuke, others as well, got to read to find out, I haven't even decided.
Summary: well read the fic and then you can summarize it!
Disclaimer: No own, no money so tough luck
On to the Fic...
___________________________
Sasuke wasn't sure why his brother had not shown up to go fishing. He knew that Itachi was a captain of his own Anbu team, but he had promised to go fishing today. Sasuke had thought that he might have been able to get his older brother to show him some more katas and seals, he almost had the 'Dragon Fire Breath' down; well he could light his father's cigarettes now. //WAKE UP! //
The walk back to the Uchiha compound wasn't long but it seemed to stretch as the young Sasuke walked along, kicking a pebble with his foot. He came to the gates of the large family's compound; all of the Uchiha's lived here. Unlike many clans with an advanced bloodline their fellow ninja's didn't point blame at them for the wars and battles that had raged till only a short while ago. The people of Konoha accepted their difference and even honored them for it, but the family still lived some what separated, for everyone's comfort.
As Sasuke passed through the gates of the compound he knew something was wrong, there had been no guard to greet him, no whistling to send word of his coming from the trees. //WAKE UP!! Please no more.// Sasuke left his fishing pole and went to the guardhouse, the door had been shattered and inside Sasuke saw the bodies of the guardsmen, twisted and misshapen. //WAKE UP!! God let me wake up. // Sasuke turned and ran from the house, how had this happened, their clan was considered one of the elite of the elite. Sasuke passed by three other houses, his cousins, aunts and uncles. All were dead, one of his best friends a cousin his age, Akito seemed to stare at him accusingly, with eyes that would never shine again. They seem to ask why he was still alive. //WAKE UP!!! Help me, someone! //
Sasuke backed out of his cousin's house; he couldn't breath, what was going on. Dread filled the boy, was everyone dead? Sasuke ran towards his house, surly his parents; his father head of the clan was alright. //WAKE UP!!! How many times do I have to see this? //
Running through the broken door to his house Sasuke stopped in his tracks, there in the center of the room were his parents. His mother could have been sleeping if you could sleep with your throat torn out; his father lay next to her. Itachi stood above him, holding his still beating heart. "WHY?!" The young Sasuke wailed running towards his parents, his brother.
"They caused it. They stole his name." Itachi's eyes turned to look at his younger brother. "You and I stole his name just like the rest." Pain seared into Sasuke then. //WAKE UP!!!!!! Help me.... Naruto, help me. //
Sasuke finally tore himself from the dream of his past; he sat up in bed shivering. //It was just a dream. Like the others.// Sasuke hugged himself, trying to calm himself. //Just a dream, like the others.// But it wasn't like the others. He had never heard Itachi talk before in his memory dream. Had never watched it so many times. Always he had awakened when he had seen his father's heart in Itachi's hands.
Finally the shivers that were shaking Sasuke stopped and for the first time Sasuke realized where he was. He was in the room he shared with Naruto, in Tazuna-san's house. //How did I get here? // Sasuke looked over to the other futon where Naruto usually could be heard snoring, but the boy wasn't there. //Did he carry me all the way back here?// Sasuke looked down and noticed that he was in his night clothes, his cheeks turned red thinking that someone had put them on for him. //I hope it was Naruto.// Sasuke's brain seemed to stop, there was no thought for what seemed like hours. //WHAT?! I wanted Naruto to have changed me? I hope it wasn't Sakura.// Sasuke gave his head a shake, //Does it really matter who undressed you, and then put you in your pajamas? YES! // Sasuke could feel that he wasn't wearing his boxers under his sleeping pants. //As long as it wasn't Sakura.//
//Where was Naruto? // Sasuke looked around the room, and finally saw what he was looking for; Naruto was at the head of Sasuke's futon, directly behind him. Naruto was sitting cross-legged right above where Sasuke would have had his head, if he were still lying down. //Why is that baka sitting there? // He could tell that Naruto was asleep, although his usually loud snores were muffled in his pillow he seemed to be holding to his chest. //Was he watching me sleep?// Sasuke smiled, //Yeah you wish.// His smile vanished though when he realized that he really did hope that Naruto had worried enough to try and stay up to watch him.
Not knowing what to do Sasuke decided to do the opposite of what he would normally do. Getting up slowly so that he wouldn't disturb Naruto's sleep, Sasuke pulled the other futon behind the boy quietly. After positioning it carefully Sasuke gently put his hands on the sleeping Naruto, and lowered him to the futon. //Well, better than nothing.// Sasuke thought, Naruto was lying down half on and half off the futon, Sasuke didn't want to risk waking him so he just put a blanket over the sleeping shinobi and went back to his own bed. Sasuke thought that it sounded like Naruto was talking in his sleep. Laying down he closed his eyes, and carefully made sure to keep alert for the dream of his family's massacre, maybe he could wake him self this time if it came.
*
The dream was one of Naruto's favorites; he had had it ever since he could remember. There wasn't anything particular about it that he could remember, not a place or anyone standing there. But there was a presence in the dream, a strong and powerful presence. He could remember when he had been afraid of that presence, of how he had thought that whoever it was would hate him like all the other people he knew. But the voice was calming, it was not a voice that yelled at him or told him he was no-good or stupid, this voice was his friend. His only friend.
Naruto knew that the presence had been afraid of him too, back then, afraid of what? Naruto had never asked. It had been odd at the beginning, with the first dreams, like they were just feeling one another out. In the end the voice said that it had to stay and might as well try to get along. It hadn't taken long before Naruto and the strange presence started to talk about all the things that Naruto faced during the day.
Naruto had asked the voice what its name was. The voice seemed to weep at that. Saying that its name had been taken, stolen from it, it had driven him mad. Naruto had tried to soothe the voice. Saying he would give it a name. Aniki. He knew it wasn't his brother, but Naruto felt that the voice was the closest thing to family he would ever have, and he knew it had to be older; the aura of stranger was old, older than anyone he had ever known.
This time, when he seemed to float in the blackness. He could feel the presence coming, normally it just showed up, but this time it seemed as though there was a distance it had to travel. "Aniki did you see, did you see me, I saved Sasuke. I thought Haku had killed him, but he hadn't."
~~Ah, I saw the fight, I helped remember? You did well though. You protected your precious person. It is more than I could do when I lost my name, and my love. ~~ The voice seemed to run deep with sorrow as he remembered his loss. Naruto noticed something else too. The voice was usually just a disembodied aura, now it seemed to have a misty shape. Not solid but still something Naruto could see. This had never happened before, Naruto was staring into eyes the color of blood, silted like a cats.
"Aniki, your eyes! They look like Sasuke's. Well kinda, they are the same color;" Naruto shifted away from that piercing gaze.
~~Sasuke has eyes like mine? ~~ Aniki asked, the form of him seeming to shift and faze. ~~How would a boy have eyes like mine? ~~
"Kakashi-sensei says that it's because of his advanced bloodline. That because he is an Uchiha he also has the Sharingan." Naruto watched, as the form of his long time friend seemed to lengthen. "Did you here Sasuke? When he saved me, I didn't ask him to, but he did, he said his body just moved. Why would it do that?"
~~He is a precious friend to you and you to him, you would have done the same for him, and you did. ~~
"Sasuke's not my friend, let alone PRECIOUS! I HATE him!" Naruto yelled at those blood-colored orbs.
~~You don't hate him, and you proved that, how can you hate someone that acknowledges you?~~ The form of the voice seemed to shimmer but Naruto could see it clearer than ever before, and it made him a little nervous.
"What do you mean, he acknowledges me! He always calls me stupid and dumb; he calls me cry baby and dobe!" Naruto balled his fists, "Sasuke always tells me that I am no where near him, that I will never be able to beat him."
~~Yes he does say that, but has he ever spoken so much to Sakura? Or Kakashi? ~~ Naruto watched as his Aniki's mouth flash with teeth of pearly white, ~~Naruto has Sasuke ever asked for help, or accepted it from anyone else. I saw him, he let you carry him. Naruto has anyone ever told you not to die? ~~
Naruto thought back to the dark haired boy that he had held in his arms, the boy that he had thought had given his life, his dream of vengeance up to save him. Sasuke had said 'I hated you.' Hated, not hate! Could Sasuke truly acknowledge him, could he?
The silence of the dream stretched out, finally Naruto could feel like the mists of the dream were swirling, he was waking up, as his mind came back out of his subconscious he caught a final glimpse of his Aniki. The Nine Tails Fox. Aniki flashed those pearly whites again his eyes of blood seeming to glow, ~~I am here always; I will protect that which is precious to you. Because I could not protect what was precious to me. ~~
*
Naruto's eyes flickered open and he looked around, it was still dark, the sky was black, the darkness before the dawn. He looked for what had brought him from his Aniki, he had wondered about the presence in his dreams lately, even thought that it might be the Kyuubi. After he had found out that the demon had been sealed inside of his navel. Naruto had always wondered why there had been an odd mark around his belly button when he used chakra, or exerted him self, he had thought it an odd birthmark. Now he knew that it wasn't a birthmark, it was the seal that kept the Kyuubi from killing again. He had felt scared after learning this, what would people do if they knew that he had become friends with the demon that shared his body. Would they try to kill him now?
"Naruto," Sasuke's voice was a low whisper, "Are you awake?"
Naruto nodded, something told him that Sasuke wanted silence. Naruto had always had excellent night vision, even in the darkest night he could make out the ghostly features of the genius genin, //Could he be my friend?// the thought seemed crazy, but there was a longing that Naruto had never felt before, a tugging at his heart. //I would like a friend; I would like someone to talk to outside my dreams.//
Sasuke seemed to fidget as Naruto watched him. Naruto sat up and noticed that he was lying on his futon. //When did I lie down? // "Naruto, I uh..." Sasuke shifted in the dark, "Thanks."
Naruto was stunned. //Sasuke just said thanks! Again.// "Well, you saved me first I just figured that..." //How do you say you want to be friends? // "...Maybe, we could, you know be friends." Naruto finished lamely; //Well Aniki, here's hoping you're not wrong. //
~~I'm not! ~~ The voice of the Kyuubi echoed in Naruto's head; he still wasn't use to hearing Aniki talk to him outside of the dreams. He must have zoned out because Sasuke grabbed Naruto and gave him a shake.
"Oi, Naruto, are you alright?" Sasuke looked into those cobalt blue depths, his own Black orbs glittering with concern.
"Yeah sorry, it was just something I hadn't heard before really." Naruto said.
"What you never heard someone say they would be your friend?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto looked even more confused. His mind raced, replaying what he had heard, the Kyuubi had spoken at the same time that Sasuke had. Whet had the other boy said. 'Sure.' //Sasuke said he would be my friend.// Naruto nearly jumped into the air to give a whoop of joy. //I have a friend! // Sasuke caught hold of the boy as he had started to jump up.
Naruto blinked, he had a friend. Naruto was grinning and he couldn't help it. "Naruto are you alright?" Sasuke ask giving the blonde a shake, "Dobe, you there?"
Naruto scowled at Sasuke then, "No, I haven't had anyone say that they'd be my friend, and don't call me dobe!" Naruto's smile was back again though, he couldn't seem to wipe it away. //I have a friend.//
Sasuke smiled too, it seemed alien to that usually emotionless face, but it made the Uchiha boy look kind. Naruto liked it. The two sat there neither sure what to say next, //I wonder what you do with a friend? // Naruto thought.
The sun crested the horizon and seemed to pour into the room the two boys shared. The sky seemed to blaze, with deep reds and brilliant oranges. //Like Aniki's eyes. // Naruto just smiled, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to be mad again, he felt too good!
"NARUTO! You better not be drawing on Sasuke's face!" Sakura's voice seemed to shatter the peace of the morning, the door slid open and Sakura came in, seeing Sasuke she blushed and smiled shyly. "Oh Sasuke-kun, you're awake. Sensei said you might be and I thought that Naruto shouldn't be left alone with you. After the first night he had said you were sleeping so deeply he could probably draw on your face and you wouldn't wake up."
"The first night?" Sasuke looked at Naruto, "How long have I been asleep?"
Naruto looked away from Sasuke, Sakura spoke, "Five days, when Naruto brought you in we thought that you were just going to sleep the night, and we could head out the next morning. But you didn't wake up." Sakura smiled at the dark haired genin. "But you are awake now! I'll go get you some food, you're probably hungry."
Sasuke nodded; //Five days, how many times did I see that dream? // Sasuke heard the door slide shut, his stomach growled. He was hungry. There was another growl and Sasuke looked at a now embarrassed Naruto, "Gomen, I am kind hungry too."
//Had Naruto been here for all five days? // Sasuke laughed at the idea of Naruto sitting in one place for five days. //Now you are being dumb. //
The door slid open again and Kakashi stepped in, "Ah Sasuke, I thought I heard Sakura saying that you were awake. Naruto, now that Sasuke's awake you can help Sakura bring up some food." The boys couldn't see him smile, but the fact that his one eye seemed to shut in a grin shape, they knew he was.
"Hai!" Naruto jumped to his feet punching the air, landing he lurched to the side and went headfirst into the wall. "Itai!" The little ninja shouted as he fell to his butt rubbing his head where a large bump was now swelling. Getting to his feet slower this time he left the room, Sasuke thought it looked like the boy was walking rather stiffly.
"BAKA, that's what happens when you don't move for five days!" Kakashi shouted after him. "You are going to have to do some more exercises to get the proper blood flow to your legs today."
Sasuke could here Naruto grumbling under his breath, thinking up ways of getting their teacher back. "Naruto, Hurry it up!" Naruto picked up his pace as his stomach gave another loud growl.
Sasuke and Kakashi waited for a few minutes, neither talking. They heard Naruto thumping down the stairs and then arguing from the kitchen as Sakura and Naruto started fighting over who would carry what. "Did he really stay here, the whole time?" Sasuke asked finally, not looking at his sensei.
"Aa, he hardly ate, we tried to get him to come to the festivals in town but he said he wanted to wait to see if you were going to wake up." Kakashi chuckled, "I think he was worried you were going to blame him for sleeping so long."
"...." Sasuke just stared at the futon that Naruto had been sleeping on. //He stayed with me, baka. // Sasuke laughed a little himself.
The smell of food came wafting through the door and Sasuke felt his stomach churn with anticipation, Naruto and Sakura came through the door arms loaded with food, "I made the ramen!" Naruto shouted, "It's the best."
The four ninja's sat around Sasuke's bed as they devoured the meal, Sasuke was nearly force fed Sakura's stuffed rice balls, and he had to admit that Naruto's ramen was really good. The food seemed to vanish, Naruto was keeping pace with Sasuke, it felt good to know that they were still going to be competitive. Sasuke could see that Naruto was grinning too.
Sakura and Naruto cleaned up the palates as Kakashi did some energy tests with Sasuke, "My medical jutsu isn't the greatest, but you seem to be healthy, if still a little hungry."
Naruto was back before Kakashi was finished and Kakashi told the boys that they needed to get dressed and ready to head out, they had to get to the village of the mist and then head right back for Konoha, they had already exceeded their missions deadline by two days and it was going to take at least three days to take Zabuza and Haku to the cliffs overlooking the Hidden Mist Village.
The two boys went about packing up what little things they had brought from home, scrolls and mangas. Naruto was a little surprised when Sasuke actually picked up one of his mangas and flipped through it. "You know this would never happen in real life Naruto." Sasuke said as he tossed the Manga over to his friend. Naruto looked at the cover.
"Yeah I know, but it sounds kind of fun," Naruto tossed the manga into his bag. Who could possibly come up with a story about a boy playing a sport called tennis? I mean you just hit a bright green ball back and forth over the net. Naruto liked it though; he thought the Prince of the sport was very cool.
With everything cleaned up the two boys changed into their clothes, Sasuke stopped Naruto and asked quietly "Naruto, who put my pajamas on me?" Sasuke's cheeks coloured faintly as he thought about someone actually seeing him.
"Eh?" Naruto looked around as he zipped up his orange coat. "Oh I did, you know you ain't all that big." Naruto grinned as Sasuke went a brilliant shade of red.
"YOU LOOKED!" Sasuke shouted.
Sasuke was surprised to notice that he wasn't so much mad that Naruto had seen him, but now Naruto had a secret that he didn't know. //I wonder if he is bigger than me? // Sasuke sweat dropped. //Why am I thinking about that?!//
After Sasuke got his face back to its normal complacency they took one last look around the room he had shared with Naruto and smiled at each other.
"Ready?" Kakashi's voice asked as they slid the door shut.
"Hai!" Naruto shouted, "What's the village of the mists like?" he asked. Kakashi started to explain about the things they would find in the Water country. Sasuke filed away all the relevant information, letting Naruto's exuberance wash over him. It was nice having a friend.