The Second Day

Upon regaining consciousness, the first words he said were surprising. Yet, at the same time, considering their speaker, they were not surprising at all. The speaker, of course, was Naruto and when he woke on the second day, he screamed with characteristic eagerness,

"WHERE'S THE RAMEN??!!"

His excited voice was like electricity renewing the dark, small room. Tsunade, who had been keeping a relentless watch over Sasuke, felt a slight smile touch her lips. Kakashi's shoulders slumped ever so slightly in relief, knowing that at least one of his students would be ok. Then they both turned his head to watch Konoha's number one hyperactive ninja sit upright, rip off his bandages, and rub his eyes drowsily.

"Welcome back," the Fifth Hokage said.

"It's good to be back!" he replied cheerfully, not noticing her weariness. He scrunched up his face into a grin, "Now where's Sakura-chan, I just had the weirdest dream about ramen and now I'm hungry. Hope the ramen shop's op—"

He stopped.

Kakashi averted his eyes. It would be painful to watch him remember.

Tsunade said quickly, "There's still hope. Don't give up yet, Naruto." She watched keenly for his reaction.

The light that had faded from his eyes returned abruptly and he said, mustering up his confidence in typical Naruto fashion, "Of course not! Hokages never give up! So how can I do it when I'm going to be your successor, you old hag?"

And he laughed weakly, trying to mask the pain that had crippled him only seconds ago.

How can he make jokes at a time like this, that idiot!

But the Fifth Hokage halted her fury long enough to realize that his eyes were completely empty of mirth and full of suffering. He was gazing at Sakura's still body and his face, normally so strong and proud, was now terribly weak in some unexplainable way. She calmed herself down enough to feel a pang of sympathy when he walked, with shaky and hesitant steps, toward his teacher and unconscious teammate.

"Oy," his teacher said, not turning his head but somehow still offering a tired grin, "Nice rest?"

"Kakashi-sensei…" His voice was too timid, too frightened to be Naruto.

He sighed patiently, "Just say it, Naruto."

"How is she… is she—" He couldn't. His face crumpled completely and he clenched his teeth, trying to fight something unseen, something that still managed to tear his heart to shreds.

She left the Uchiha's side to sit next to him, to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I thought it was just a nightmare… I thought that we could go out for ramen like usual…"

"It's all up to Sasuke now. If he can bring her back, then everything will be ok," Kakashi said and he went on to explain the situation. How Sasuke had undergone the forbidden jutsu and had traveled into the realm of the dead. How he was risking everything to rescue Sakura and how right now, he was in danger of losing it all…

"His chakra's decreasing slowly but gradually," Tsunade said to Naruto, who had become unusually silent, "I don't want to say it… but there's a chance that he might not make it." She paused, hoping that he would not be too overwhelmed.

Then, fiercely, "No."

She looked at him in surprise. The conviction with which he spoke somehow made her words, the words of a Konoha's most commendable medical specialist, seem less likely.

Tch. Of course. He's Naruto. He has that effect on people.

But she was heartened nevertheless.

"He has to come back. He will come back."

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Hours had passed since the shadow had wrecked the illusion and in that time, he had gone from standing in blood in the living room to lying listlessly on his bed. His parents had led him here in an attempt to give him time to think.

They knew. They were dead and they knew.

They just didn't know why or how or when. Their memories, it seemed, were clear up to a certain point. And past that, there was nothing.

Do you know? Sasuke had asked in dread.

Probably a mission, his father had shrugged, but there had been a hint of doubt in his voice.

His mother had furrowed her brow, trying desperately to recall something, anything… Then, at last, she came up with…

Somebody. I may be wrong, but I think there was somebody important involved.

His brother's name had been on the tip of his tongue, but he had held it back, tormented yet unwilling to taint them with the truth.

Do you know, Sasuke?

His throat dry, he had lied, A mission. Type A. You two died bravely.

They thought he had died that way, too, and he could not tell them otherwise without breaking their hearts and his own.

The ceiling was white and as empty as his mind. He had been staring at it for too long, he thought and then decided to close his eyes. Within seconds, his entire body had relaxed and his muscles were pleasantly resting.

It amazed him how he could feel so comfortable in this place. His room, if anything, was a stranger. Without looking, he knew that it was filled with trinkets and souvenirs from a past that had almost been erased. A teddy bear companion, a sloppy drawing, and a shiny kunai that had long rusted in the real world… They were all here, familiar, not familiar, but still a source of forgotten comfort.

Still, the true prize was clutched in his hands. His fingers uncurled around the picture frame and awakening slightly, Sasuke looked at it as he had done a million times over the past thirty minutes.

A family looked back with welcoming smiles as if they had been waiting for him.

Iie, it wasn't real. The shadow had been right. None of this was real.

It's just a lie.

His hand tightened on the photo. He didn't believe it, but he wanted it with all his heart. Wanted it so much it hurt more than getting stabbed during a battle, more than getting his pride wounded, more than his getting his revenge…

But… I don't want to leave.

Somehow, the thought was less startling than it should have been.

Back in the real world, there was another picture frame and another waiting family. They were forgotten at the moment but always lurking in the secret shadows of his heart

But that, too, wasn't altogether startling. Uchiha Sasuke never did know who was in his heart.

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So who was it? This important somebody your mother thinks she remembers?

Tch, you're just bitter because my memory's better than yours

…The Kazekage? Tensions were high then, I remember. Or maybe Konoha's famous Sennin turned evil missing-nin?

Don't be upset by your father's questions. You can tell us.

I… I didn't know his name.