Disclaimer: I don't own "Naruto," and I lack fundamental abilities to pay off large sums of money so don't sue me.
Author's Notes: Well, here it is; the second chapter. The first one, I thought, sucked a bit since I didn't add too much detail. I'm debating whether or not to stop using "I" and use "he" instead for Sasuke. I'll write chapter three, "Death," when I get some reviews or comments. Need a reason to continue, don't I? I'm planning on having about seven or eight of them. Naruto's point of view in later chapters.
Rating: T for Teen.
Content: A bit Angsty.
Confessions
2) Forgetting the Past
December came with a major temperature-drop and grey clouds hovering overhead. I ignored it – No kind of weather bothered me – And did not bundle up, just wore what I usually did. My arms had been bandaged a little more heavily, however. The reason was not the cold; I don't have the heart to mention it at this point. So yes, a few months had passed since that day, and I had become much quieter and withdrawn from other people.
Sakura, and most of the other girls, had noticed. Naruto and I, of course, had been forced to spar and train together as always, but I refused to look at him; something she found strange. I did gaze over at him at least once, however, when Sakura bothered to call me for lunch. He had a puzzled, yet hurt expression. I knew he was asking himself, why is he ignoring me?
Bastard.
Son of a bitch idiot. He knows nothing.
He ignored me himself up to this point, when I'd given him the cold shoulder out of spite. Maybe that was what set him off. But I could also see that he was becoming angrier and angrier by the day. He would snap his fingers in my face, say my name over and over, mutter, curse, stomp away in a rage, immaturely kick things – And not once would I blink an eye or flinch. I was known well for it. I prefer not to "beat someone into a bloody heap" if they treat me wrongly. I just walk away and act like they don't exist. There are things worse than death, and that might be one of them.
I came back to earth when I felt a clenched fist sink into my gut. My speed and senses had diminished; I needed to face reality. That in some time between seeing Naruto with that guy and this point, I'd become much weaker. I just didn't care anymore. I fell to the dirt, clutching my sides. I'll have to admit, for Naruto, that hit was rather painful.
"Stop ignoring me, you ass!" he hissed.
"…"
I spat, glaring at him, then stood up again and acted as if nothing had happened. I heard him howl angrily, heard him running towards me. I didn't react. Why should I give him the time of day? Sakura went into hysterics.
"You are so annoying! Why did you have to hit him so hard! You could have hurt him badly!"
"He's the one treating me like – like…"
"Like the dumb idiot you really are? Like the baka who has no parents and acts like it's okay? You can't just go around punching people who don't like you-"
"Because there are people in this world who will like you, and people who will hate you."
Kakashi had appeared. The silver-haired man with a covered eye jumped stealthily from a tree and landed directly in front of us, arms folded over his chest. In his left pocket he'd placed Ichi Ichi no Paradise, that stupid porn collection he often hee-hee'd and ooh'd at. He looked around at Sakura, who was blinking warily, then to Naruto, who glowered, and finally at me.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? I thought you were all getting along fine since the Great Naruto Bridge Incident, and that was how many years ago? I think you were twelve years old then. You're seventeen now, all three of you."
Silence.
"Look, I don't care if you're fighting, but save it for the evil guys, okay? You must remember that if there is some kind of problem, you have to work it out before anything big comes up. You'll all get each other killed."
Sakura huffed, and Naruto looked at her. "Kyaaa I'm hungry," he whined, rubbing at his stomach. "Want to come to the Ramen Stand with me, Sakura-Chan?" The blonde grinned cheekily.
He always shows foolishness around this girl. I always thought of her as a useless dunce. Just another fan of Uchiha Sasuke. Hearing their bickering, I shook my head slowly and decided to head back to my room. Where else was there to go? And Kakashi had left by then, probably to Iruka's place. But a tug at my wrist stopped me.
Pain. Hissing through clenched teeth, I turned – Seeing Naruto's worried face again. "Ne, ne, why don't you come with me t- … Sasuke…" he suddenly whispered.
I saw where his eyes had fallen. A limber bandage had clumsily fallen off of my left arm, exposing a deep gash, still red from the blunt edge of a kunai. So it was now obvious to him. I turned away. "Let go of me." But his hold tightened, and he pulled me forward, a finger tracing the pink scar all the way to my elbow. He grasped a few more wound up bandages and unwound them slowly, letting them land on the dirt. Hundreds of ugly, red scars littered both ligaments. I realized that it would have been a horrific sight, and was suddenly self-conscious of them. Embarrassedly and shamefully, I tried to pry his hands off of me, but to no avail. His touching felt funny. A deep, malevolent hatred boiled and bubbled in my gut. I wanted to kill him then.
"Get away."
"…How long have you been doing this?"
"I said get away."
Hastily, I took a deep breath and wrapped the white, scratchy cloth around and around both arms again, then tied at the base a knot so that they would not come loose. Then, I again turned, pulling over them the glove-like sleeves that traveled from the end of my palms to mid-arm.
"Stop being stupid, ne. You have these cuts on your arms, an' you won't look at me. It's like you're lost. You have this misty stare, and I can't figure out why-"
Sakura stared at both of us, one at a time. I suddenly snapped. Breaking into a run, I smacked away thorny branches, leaves, breath staining the cool air. I tried to go as fast as I could. Anywhere besides this. I did not want to be here, not at all. I wanted to get away from the two of them, but I could hear them at my heals.
"Sasuke! Sasuke wait! Come back!"
"Sasuke-Kun! Sasuuuuke-Kun!"
I felt something trip me – Again, pain on my knees, scratching dirt and rocks; something hit me in the gut. I 'oofed,' then fell forward, sliding face-first down this cliff until I landed in the mud, hardly able to move. My left wrist was on fire, and I suspected that it must have been from trying to break my fall. Wheezing, I turned my head to the side so I could just lay there. I felt so… Disgusting and pathetic. Of course, that's what I am. I'm like a worm. And here I am. My home – Crawling in the mud, covered in thick, dripping slime balls of it. I could feel my dark hair hanging in my face – Damp from the moisture – And then… Then, the tears came. Just as fast and heavy as before.
I heard Naruto land beside me; shake me, trying to pull me out of this ditch, Sakura pleading desperately behind us. He told her to go home, that she was causing too much trouble. I have never heard Naruto act like that toward her. Until now. She resisted.
"S-Stupid…" There was an edge to his voice; it was quivering. I knew that he was sobbing. Why? Why should he care about me? Didn't he have someone else? He cradled me, and I tried to push away – By then, I was sobbing just as loudly, shaking all over, my wrist still limp and damaged. I think it was broken. Or maybe just sprained.
"S-Stop pushing a-away! Damn it! Teme… What did I do!"
He pulled me into a tight embrace. Fingers running through my tresses, coaxing me to relax. I did. When he thought I'd stopped fighting back, the blonde kissed my cheek. I pulled away. He seemed to have realized what was bothering me.
"I won't hurt you… Sasuke, come back… Come back…" he begged, tugging at my shorts.
"Liar!"
"W-What..?"
"I saw you- You- With him- Kissing!" I cried, tearing at roots and grass to heave myself back to the banks.
"Wh-.. Never- Never! I... I.. Y-you don't know what you're-..."
Too late. I had already climbed up the ridge and made it back to Konoha without another word.
XD. Chapter Three: "Death," coming soon! Please read and review! Oh and… Three has some… Unrevealed information, and a lot more Angst and/or Emo-ness. oo; Uh. Yeah. E-mail me: