Missing

By: Mishka-chan

"This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down."

J.R.R. Tolkein The Hobbit

The answer is time. Day after day passed, week over week, month following month that slowly turned into years agonizing days. Slipping ever so slowly away. I crumbled to the ground. Tears flowing down my cheeks. Tears no one else would ever see. Four years, four years, is this what Naruto had felt everyday I was gone, everyday. I can't stand it.

Itachi's POV

It was silent and cold. My home had turned into something that I myself had once dedicated myself to being, silent and cold. I walked in to find dinner untouched. On the table there were three plates, just like always, one for Naruto, one for Sasuke, and one for me. It had never changed for four years. Sasuke had not touched his food. I wondered at this Sasuke always cooked and then ate, knowing I would be late and knowing Naruto wouldn't come back. Knowing it would only hurt him mote. I decided to check on him perhaps he wasn't feeling well. I slowly opened the door to his room. Silent and cold, suddenly it shattered. My scream reverberated through the deafening silence. The silence swallowed my scream and holding it closely. My cold exterior was broken with concern.

"Sasuke!" I rushed to his side stripping the sheets into workable bits. Thank god he didn't drink, that meant his blood was thick. I tied the sheets around his wrists.

"Sasuke! You idiot! He's coming back remember? You said he was coming back!"

Immediately the demons began to fight.

Let him die. He wants it so bad. He will be able to return to the boy.

Naruto wouldn't want this.

Naruto is dead we all know it-

No, Naruto will come back.

With that last thought I lifted Sasuke into my arms and as fast as possible to Tsunade.

Tsunade POV

"May I be the first to welcome you back."

"Sorry to be so long I was delayed."

"Well I bet you can't wait to see everyone. Sakura, Kakashi, Itachi, and …"

"Sasuke."

"Yes, he will be delighted to see you."

Suddenly the door busted open. I was about to scold the intruder until…

Itachi was crying and bloodstained holding an equally bloodstained Sasuke in his arms.

"Sasuke!" we yelled.

"Put him on my desk, get out! Let me work!

Kakashi hearing the commotion pulled the shocked Itachi and visitor out of the office.

Sasuke's POV

An angel stood over him.

"Why did you do it, Sasuke?"

"I couldn't live without him."

The angel turned into Naruto tear stained and frowning.

"How in the hell did I get into heaven?"

"This isn't heaven, Sasuke."

"Then what the hell did you do to get into hell? Else wise where the hell am I?"

"You idiot!" he cried falling onto my chest and beating me. "Baka, baka, baka, and you always called me dobe."

"You're so stupid!" He kissed me softly. If this wasn't heaven I wanted to know where it was so I could store it in my mind in the next life.