Author: BitterSweetlyYours
Pairing: Implied NaruSasu/Friendship (whatever you see fit)
Rating: T
Summary: It was a hard punch to thegut that took your breath away. Almost like feeling a fist wiggling in your lung...
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Steel
The first thing he saw when he walked, ahem, wandered into apartment was nothing had changed. Funny, you think staying at a hospital for a week;(didn't matter he healed in three days.) things would of changed. Now, it looked like everything was still stayed the same, it was yet something was missing. Home never felt this empty before. It was like a hard punch to the gut that took your breath away. Almost like feeling a fist wiggling in your lung, while you're gasping for air, and all you can see is that sadistic smirk, and everything spinning and turning colors and all you can see is that sadistic smirk. Actually, being home felt exactly like that.
It was all Sasuke's fault. Naruto knew that, the village knew that (those who were aware anyway) and even stupid Sasuke knew that. If that bastard didn't leave; then Sakura wouldn't be hiding, Kakashi-sensei wouldn't be staring at the sky all the time, and he wouldn't be seeing everyone's pity looks. It wouldn't be perfect, but better than this. The blond knew why Sakura-Chan was upset, first love and all that jazz. He knew why Kakashi-sensei was moody; favorite student yadda, yadda. He shouldn't be upset; the prick was probably having the time of his life.
What did Sasuke do anyway, besides steal the spotlight? With his holier than thou and look at me I have no feelings apathy. All he did was walk over Naruto like he was dirt. The brunet never cared, because if he cared, he wouldn't of joined that snake. It didn't matter that Sasuke didn't care. Naruto cared. He wasn't trying to kill anyone, not even that bastard. But if they fought again, like hell is he going to give up. And if Sasuke did try that fight to the death junk, the blond would lose, with or without Kyubbi's power. He knew that without a shadow of a doubt.
Naruto remembered once, when he was in the Academy, Iruka-sensei said he cared too much what people thought. It's hard not to, with Iruka-sensei's comparing his grades with Sakura, top of the class. You can do better than this, Naruto. Apparently, Sasuke didn't care who he hurt, if they were in the way. All the times that jerk saved him, or said those semi-cool things, or even trusting him to an extent, was all for a show. Probably trying to lure the blond into a sense of security, so he could just kill him off. Sadist.
Bleeding heart is what they call people who care too much. You stick a knife in it and twist and twist and twist.. Steel your heart. Naruto needed to be like Sasuke. Not entirely like Sasuke, not all mean and turning your back on everyone to join some evil snake for power. He needed to steel his heart, so the asshole's tongue as sharp as kunais wouldn't even leave a dent.
It would hurt like hell, of course. Next time, he and Sasuke face off in a death match, with the brunet all evil and sadistic. Naruto will have a metal heart by that time. And it won't matter that Sasuke was the only person Naruto could call a friend, or what Haku said about precious people, or what Kakashi-sensei said about teamwork. He's doing this for the village, for Iruka-sensei and Sakura and everybody. He's doing it and everything will be okay, if he could just steel his heart. If only.