Chapter 2: Reunion
Tracking down Sasuke was harder than Naruto thought. Usually it was easy to find him…just follow the wave of destruction; but now there was nothing that would lend him a helping hand to find his former friend. He searched the surrounding areas and asked around a lot of small villages since he thought that if Sasuke wanted to keep on the down low he'd avoid larger more populated places; but no one had spotted him recently and after 3 weeks it seemed like this 'quest' as Tsunade had referred to it was all for not. After awhile Naruto was seriously considering returning to the village and maybe trying his search another time, when it wasn't the middle of winter. Sasuke was probably in some nice warm area right now…he would have realized winter was coming and made a break for warmer climate.
"Maybe he'll be back in the area when spring comes…"
Naruto thought as he stared at the falling snow.
He shrugged sadly, stood up and prepared to head back to the Leaf Village. It'd take almost a week to get there but Naruto figured he might as well start right then and there. Suddenly he sensed something heading towards him fast. He shot up into a nearby tree and waited to see his tailgater. No sooner did he appear right where Naruto was standing just moments ago.
Sasuke was as beautiful as ever at 19 years; his hair was the same, only a bit longer. The only thing that had really changed since last Naruto saw him was his clothing; he was wearing a pair of large black pants and a ratty navy blue sweatshirt. He obviously changed clothes in order to avoid unwanted attention. Ever since Orochimaru's death, Sasuke had kept a surprisingly low profile; his attacks had slowed and slowed until there hadn't been any recorded incident including him for 2 years. Many thought he may have died but Naruto knew better, as did all of the people who knew Sasuke as a child. The last of the Uchiha wasn't dead in the least bit; he was standing merely 2 trees away from Naruto. Naruto paused to admire Sasuke's unrelinquished beauty. He was drawn to his eyes and saw that the Sharingan was gone but the cold and heartless hatred remained. Naruto wondered silently how so much sadness could remain in his eyes after 2 crimeless years. If Itachi is dead…then how can he still hold onto so much anger? But the answer hit him almost immediately.
"Loneliness…regret even?"
Naruto knew what he had to do.
"It's now or never."
He jumped out of the tree and landed on one of its branches. Two trees down Sasuke still had his back to him.
"Sasuke…"
"Dobe…"
He almost smirked at the word Sasuke had seemingly believed was Naruto's name for years when they were children. But now he was at a loss at what to do; he had found Sasuke…now what?
Sasuke's cold voice broke the silence
"Why are you here?"
Naruto opened his mouth but the words wouldn't come. Sasuke continued,
"Are you here to settle our score…after 5 years are you ready to end our rivalry once and for all?"
Naruto surprised himself when he smiled softly...
"Actually…" he began still smiling, "I was kinda hoping we could…continue it…"
Sasuke, fast as ever, suddenly pinned Naruto up against a tree, clutching his throat.
"You think you're funny don't you shithead…Acting like this is all fun and games like when we were stupid little kids…Well we're not…not anymore…and those days will never return no matter how hard you wish they would; so if you're not going to get serious about fighting me then I'll just kill you right here and now! The joy of painting this snow red with your blood will give me some entertainment at the very least; I haven't had a good fight in years…I crave it from you."
His words were filled with hatred and anger, but Naruto saw passed all of it and spoke softly.
"Is fighting all you think about anymore?"
Sasuke glared at him.
"Orochimaru's dead, I murdered my brother long ago, and my worthless pawns ran away... What else is there for me in this world!"
"Sasuke…there's so much here-"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!"
Naruto stopped speaking. Sasuke continued screaming his cold words as his fingers gripped his throat tighter with each,
"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY! DON'T FORCE YOUR PATHETIC OPTIMISTIC IDEAS INTO MY TAINTED MIND! WHO ARE YOU TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING? WHO ARE YOU TO KNOW MY PAIN! MY SUFFERING! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!…NOTHING ABOUT MY STUGGLES…MY REGRETS! SO SHUT UP YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT! DON'T SPEAK TO ME! DON'T THINK OF ME! JUST STOP! JUST……just…stop…please god stop…"
"Stop?"
He was silent, but he released Naruto from his grip. Sasuke's tears of fury froze quickly to his pale cheeks.
Naruto stared at him for a moment and then asked again.
"What is it that you want me to stop Sasuke?"
Sasuke backed away with his hands clutching his face.
"…Stop…no…no more pity…I don't want your filthy pity…I don't want your retched kindness…I hate you……I hate you…so much…"
Now, the tears began to come in Naruto's eyes. Naruto rubbed his throat and walked past Sasuke to the edge of the tree branch; he held out his palm and caught some snowflakes on the tips of his fingers.
"Snow is so beautiful don't you think Sasuke?"
Sasuke turned his head to see the snow, but made no reply.
Naruto continued.
"When it surrounds you…you almost feel purified, innocent…and clean…like a child. When I inhale it…it…almost feels like I'm a kid again, playing with everyone on those hot summer days when the heat made it too dangerous to train. Do you remember?"
Sasuke was silent.
"I remember the time when I filled up one water balloon as much as I could…and I managed to get behind you and threw it…it exploded all over you.
Naruto laughed as he continued,
"Y-You were soaked to the bone. Then you looked at me with those furious eyes and I ran for the hills. But damn it…you were always faster than me; you tackled me into the stream we were near. In the end both of us were wet and…we laughed…even Saukra-chan laughed as she helped us out. And you…you laughed…all three of us were sprawled out on the warm grass laughing out asses off as the sun dried us.
That is one of my fondest memories of our time together…before you left…before the pain came…"
Sasuke bent down and picked up a handful of snow. He let it fall slowly through his thin fingers as the wind blew a gentle cold breeze through his hair. Naruto spotted him close his eyes and inhale the winter air deeply. And then he spoke but one word,
"Laughter…"
Naruto shivered sadly and turned himself away from Sasuke.
"I should tell you…" Naruto began again, "I didn't come here to fight…but I didn't come here to pity you either…Dude, I stop pitying you a long time ago."
Sasuke dropped the remaining snow and turned towards him.
"Then why have you sought me out?"
Naruto sighed and turned towards Sasuke.
"…I've come to bring you home."
His eyes grew wide and he backed away from Naruto.
"I abandoned that place years ago, I'll never go back! How could you possibly believe that I would even consider something so foolish! If you try to force me Naruto…I'll kill you without any hesitation whatsoev-"
But before Sasuke could even finish his sentence Naruto's lips were on his. His soft warm lips clung to Sasuke's cold blue ones forcefully but lovingly. Sasuke's expression was that of complete shock… aside from that day in class so long ago, never once had Naruto ever kissed him …it was so strange but at the same time Sasuke…liked it…he loved it and slowly but steadily he wound his arms around Naruto's body and pulled their gentle kiss much deeper. They remained there a moment in the snow but the moment shattered as Sasuke went limp in Naruto's arms. Sorrowfully, Naruto removed the injection needle from Sasuke's side. As they had kissed Naruto injected the powerful chemical that Tsunade gave him into Sasuke's body, a sedate. But he'd only be unconscious for so long. Naruto threw the pale body over his shoulders and quickly took off into the dark.
When I wrote this chapter I wondered if the whole 'drugging Sasuke' thing would really work out well, I guess it did; it was really the only thing I could think of that was at least semi-rational.
Read onto Chapter 3!