A/N: Due to several things (mainly lack of inspiration, bandfic-lovin' and the urge to write an AU fic) I'm still desperate (-cough-) in search of a co-author (Yes, again.) I want to write a fic about Sasuke and Naruto (duh.) where they're art/music/English/whatever majors and, well, I don't know. Start a band or something. (Yes, I know it's cliché o.o) Anywhore, If you would want to help me (I'd be very honoured) please leave a review and/or email. Arigatou gozaimasu :D
o.o.. All right.. Here's chapter 5, please enjoy –bows- Please review!
"Alright, Uchiha, first things first; why did you walk away yesterday? We - especially Sakura, I didn't particularly care - were worried sick about you. You're still injured, for God's sake! Are you out of your mind?" Tsunade ranted, raising her voice while she was at it.
When Sasuke shook his head she clasped her hands together and rested her hands on it, eyes closed.
"Well, about you punishment," she smirked, "A certain blond asked me not to be too harsh on you, and since you did no - physical - harm to Konoha, you'll be put under surveillance for a month."
Sasuke had calmly been waiting to hear his judgement, but had expected a more.. harsh treatment. Surveillance didn't sound that bad..
"I hope you understand this is not the way we usually treat S-ranked criminals, but you're an exception, and we've been very mild on you. Putting that aside, surveillance, or, monitoring will be done, in order, by: Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Neji, TenTen and Nara Shikamaru."
The Uchiha groaned. He'd been hoping his cousin wouldn't be on the list but, ironically speaking, fate must've turned against him.
"Why aren't there any senior jounin on the list?" he asked, sincerely curious.
The Hokage looked a little.. disgruntled, and gruffly replied: "We're short on free jounin right now, so that's why the chuunin and jounin exams will be held soon.."
Sasuke nodded. "So.. If I may ask, why can I enter the chuunin exam while it's not even sure I'll stay?" He asked, silently challenging Tsunade.
"Like I said," she emphasised. "We're short on capable jounin right now, so the new jounin were assigned genin teams so the older, and more experienced jounin can go on missions," Tsunade said as if she didn't want to admit.
"Not many people find a shinobi's life attracting, so they get a normal job and put their kids on normal schools. That's why we need all the help we can get right now." She rubbed her temples thoughtfully.
"Besides, Naruto told me you failed to kill Itachi-"
Sasuke cringed.
"- and left with Orochimaru's permission. I don't know how you did it, and hell, I don't even want to know," she added as an afterthought, looking disgustedly. "But he'll be expecting you back, is that true?"
Sasuke nodded hesitantly.
"Then.. we can be expecting him soon, can't we?"
"That depends on if I go back or not," Sasuke smirked. "Will you risk Konoha for the sake of one citizen, namely, me?"
"I have a faint feeling you haven't even decided if you go back yourself, Uchiha," she smirked triumphantly. "And, don't get too excited, because I'm not risking Konoha for your sake, but for Naruto's."
----
Staying in Konoha would mean trouble with Orochimaru, a month of monitoring, then becoming chuunin, maybe even jounin. Most of all, his remaining friendship with Naruto. In brief, a possible future and a still-living Itachi.
Leaving Konoha would mean Orochimaru and his paedophilic treatment, a jealous Kabuto, Itachi still being after Naruto without him being there to protect him, trouble with Konoha, and on top of that, losing his friendship with Naruto, who probably wouldn't even let him off that easily.
The Uchiha didn't mind his drained clothes and hair, as he continued his musings while the rain was still thrumming rhythmically on the roofs of Konoha. His mood saddened as he thought how it once had been, how it was now, how it could have and should have been.
Suddenly, the air above him became dry as none other than Uzumaki Naruto held a hideous, orange, frog-patterned umbrella above his head.
Sasuke didn't react to the gesture, either too deep in thoughts, or too arrogant to say thanks.
"Well, Uchiha, you could at least thank me for preventing you from getting sick," Naruto teased, walking next to his best friend.
When the other non-responsive form, again, didn't react, he asked: What are you thinking about?"
No reply.
"You're thinking about going back, aren't you?" he asked softly, stopping dead in his tracks. This caught the Uchiha's attention.
"How do you know?"
"I just know you too well, I guess. It's just your.. I don't know, your eyes, your attitude, your everything.."
Silence.
"So, made your decision yet?"
"…"
"I really don't get you, Sasuke!" Naruto raised his voice, dropping the umbrella, uncaring about the rain and the people that were staring at them.
"There's nothing there for you, bastard! All Orochimaru wants is your body, he really won't give you a second chance or something. You know how his disgusting mind works. You've had your chance, now it's his!"
"Why do you care? And besides, there's nothing here for me either!"
"You know why I care! And what does it matter if there's nothing here for you either? At least you have friends here."
"Having friends won't help me kill Itachi," Sasuke screamed now, not even realising how wrong he was.
Naruto was speechless, and knew from indignity not what to say.
"When you returned, I thought you had come around, but now it turns out you're still as power-hungry as you were before! I want you to stay because of Kakashi, because of Sakura, HELL, I want you to stay because of me, but if you're telling me there's nothing that keeps you here, then I don't care, then you can just go… fuck off or something!"
"Uzumaki," Sasuke started, voice filled with venom now.
"Do you think it was easy for me when I first left? Do you think I liked to trade my warm, happy existence in exchange for a dark, sad, difficult life? Do you think that was easy?"
"Resorting to surnames now, Uchiha?" Naruto sneered. "And besides, you didn't seem too troubled when you punched a fucking hole through my chest!" He yelled, though immediately regretting it. But all Sasuke did was stare, before his brows creased together and he menacingly said: "You have no idea how right you are, Uzumaki."
And the raindrops kept falling.
-----
Days flew by rather quickly as the Matsuri approached, and at every day's end, Naruto would scold himself for not talking to Sasuke. Each morning, the blond planned on acting civil to the Uchiha again, but the moment the dark-haired boy's smirk-included pretty face came into view, Naruto's anger boiled up again.
The festival was only three days away now, and the whole village seemed to be occupied with it.
The Yamanaka shop was picking out flowers for the decoration, stalls and beams suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and most clothes shops were putting their collection of yukata on sale.
As Naruto wandered around the square, he heard his name being called. He looked around, first seeing nobody, but then noticing the tanned face of his former teacher.
"Naruto, over here," said man yelled, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"Iruka-sensei, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked, quickly approaching the older man.
"Well, I kind of volunteered to help the Hokage organise this.." Iruka sheepishly laughed, scratching the small scar on his nose.
"Wow that's awesome!" Naruto exclaimed.
"But I called you to ask you a favour, Naruto. Tomorrow, all the stalls will have to be set up, so I was wondering if maybe you'd want to help us, because, well, we really-"
"It's all right, Iruka-sensei," Naruto smiled. "Don't worry. Should I bring some more people?"
"Well, I already asked a few more so with you included I think we'll manage."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then!"
"Wait, Naruto! How's Sasuke doing?" Iruka asked, curiously raising an eyebrow. When Naruto stiffened, he apologised. "I'm sorry I just.. I just haven't spoken to him for a while, and when I did yesterday, he seemed to be upset and I didn't want to bother him so I kept it short.. Does it have to do something with you?" the dark-haired man asked quietly, his father-figure mode switching on.
"Yeah, we, um.. we had an argument," Naruto started hesitantly.
Iruka sighed and rolled his eyes. 'There's really always something wrong between you guys, isn't it?" He said, and playfully ruffled Naruto's blond hair.
"Well, it isn't my fault!" Naruto replied indignantly, his voice gaining a little volume.
"Oh, Naruto, I didn't mean it like that," Iruka smiled, placing a hand on the blond's shoulder to soothe him. "I meant, if every time you fight you both get affected by it, why are you still doing it?"
"I don't know.. I mean, I have my dreams and principles and he has his. I guess that doesn't go very well together," Naruto said, weakly smiling. "But at least he's back. Anyway, I have to get going, I've got an appointment with Tsunade, and I don't want to know what happens when I'm late," he scowled. "See you tomorrow, Iruka-sensei!" he yelled, before taking off.
"Bye, Naruto!" the chuunin yelled after him before sighing and smiling fondly. 'Little boys grow up so quickly..'
----
"Tsunade-baa-chan!" Naruto yelled when he barged into the Hokage office. "Tsu-" When he saw the sleepy head belonging to the sixth Hokage, he frowned. "You were sleeping." He accused her, eyes narrowed.
"Was not," came the dull answer. "I was just taking a nap.. Lemme sleep for five more minutes.. Okay..?" she asked before letting her head fall on the table again. Naruto shook her shoulders violently. "C'mon baac-han, you said you would help me pick a yukata today, so come on," he whined. Tsunade shook her head as if to shake away the sleepiness and raised herself from her knees before walking to a random closet in her office.
"This," she started, and pulled out a light blue cloth from the closet, gently unfolding it and holding it out. "Has been from the fourth."
Naruto's eyes widened. "But- but what if I ruin it? I mean, you know me, I-" Naruto protested.
The blonde woman grinned. "You won't. Because, when you do, I'll kill you." She simply said, and thrust the kimono in his hands, along with the obi and underclothes. "Here. And now let me sleep.." she murmured, sitting down at her desk again, head folded in her arms.
----- The next day o.o---
A cold pair of eyes met the blond's when the latter dragged a few wooden beams to the huge square. When the eyes kept staring at him for more than 5 seconds, Naruto snapped: "What are you looking at?"
The eyes kept staring, and Naruto had issues keeping his facial expression serious. When he stared intently at the well-defined, pale face of the other, he started to smile. Naruto's mouth twitched, and exactly three seconds later he burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! You.. –hahaha- should look at your.. –ahaha- face right now –haha-"
Now, even the stoic Uchiha cracked a smile. "Stop it, you dobe," he smirked, walking up to him and hitting the blond on the head. "Stop it, you're making me look ridiculous!" he smiled, hoisting his own beams on his shoulder. "You were asked by Iruka as well?" he questioned, when he saw the blond had stopped laughing, now only a faint reminiscent of the former expression of happiness left.
"Yeah, you too?"
Sasuke looked at him as if he were crazy. "Of course. Why else would I be here?"
"..I thought, maybe you finally decided to do something nice.. or something.. like.. that." Naruto rambled.
Silence.
"Okay, so I was mistaken, That time will never come," Naruto rolled his eyes and walked ahead of him.
What Naruto didn't know, was that Iruka or anyone else hadn't asked Sasuke. The onyx-eyed boy was the only one who knew the real reason, and that was because Naruto would be there also.
A/N: Alright, the ending sounded too sappy, but let's just say Sasuke just enjoys Naruto's company. They're not.. yet.. involved in something romance-ish. Please review o.o Next chapter will be the matsuri (when the shounen-ai ness will start o.o) PLEASE REVIEW n.n