Naruto's silence was palpable.
At first, Kiba and Chouji figured it was just his pain meds, but the more Kiba thought about it, the more unsettled he got. Naruto was never quiet. Not even the raging fever he'd had in second year shut him up for long.
Now he was quiet through a whole trip to the hospital canteen, a wait in line, and Chouji ordering food for him, even though it included stuff he didn't like.
Finally, Kiba couldn't stand it any more. Before they went back into the patient's ward, he grabbed Naruto's uninjured elbow to stop him. "Hey man, what gives?"
Naruto stopped, but he didn't look up at Kiba. "Nothing."
Chouji stopped as well, but he didn't say anything. He just watched the two of them, arms laden with take out food."
"C'mon Naruto. We're not stupid. Something's bugging you."
"I told you, it's nothing! Geez!"
"Don't make me punch an injured guy."
When Naruto didn't respond to his half-joking threat with his normal bravado, Kiba finally realized something was wrong. Besides, you know, the whole being-in-the-car-crash-and-nearly dying thing.
"Oi, Naruto. Spit it out already."
"I nearly destroyed everything," when Chouji and Kiba continued to stare blankly at him, Naruto fisted his hands in his hair and tugged, making him look slightly demented. "Don't you guys understand? I nearly killed Sasuke!"
"We could've still –" Chouji started but Naruto cut him off with a wave of his arms.
"We'd've been screwed! If I was out, you guys would be able to figure out the team management and project management, and if Kiba or you were sick or something, you guys left all kinds of documentation. We'd have to work three times as hard to cover any one of us, But we could still do it. We could survive."
Kiba and Chouji watched him as Naruto stared past both of them, off to some terrible future that was so close they'd missed it by a layer of paint.
Finally, he opened his mouth again, "But if Sasuke had died or gone into a coma for three months, we'd be screwed. Have either of you been following corporate politics? I know we all worked on the business plan together, but Sasuke is the one who's been dealing with all this corporate double-crosses and acquihires and crap. Because I haven't, not really. Without him, we'd be eaten alive by those corporate sharks."
"We'd recover… Somehow," Kiba swallowed, but the truth sat like a lead weight on his gut.
"We'd miss our chance to make Way 2, maybe be forced to work day jobs while we tried to get the studio off the ground. Maybe have to deal with a hostile takeover," Naruto shook his head, "I don't even know how a company gets bought out by a hostile takeover. Only Sasuke really knows the ins and outs of this kind of thing. And I sat there, like a moron, in the lights of a barreling truck."
Kiba patted Naruto's back. "Well, you're both safe now. Sasuke might be in the hospital for a week recovering from that head injury, but we all know he could take those fuckers on with only a quarter of his brain afterwards."
"I can't let it happen again."
"Well I hope you're not planning on renting any crappy cars again," Kiba said as he reached for Chouji's chip bag.
Nauta scowled at him. "That's not what I mean and you know it! I'm not gonna let Sasuke be the only one who deals with this corporate stuff on his own. We're going to be a real team!"
Kiba saw that usual gleam that meant he was going to do something stupid, and somehow, it made him feel better. Normally, that look gave him a headache. Since they'd been soppy long enough and people were giving Naruto's determined, fist-clenched pose weird looks, Kiba broke it up by cuffing Naruto over the head. Gently, of course. The guy was still recovering from a car accident.
"Yeah yeah, good for you. Now c'mon and let's bring our own corporate shark some dinner before he swallows you up and eats you up himself." Slinging his arm around Naruto, Kiba began to walk towards the doors, when he realized Chouji hadn't moved. When he turned around to look for Chouji, he groaned. Now this big guy was doing the thousand yard stare. What was even stranger was that Kiba had actually managed to steal a chip.
Kiba shoved it in his mouth before he called out, "C'mon, Chouji. Let's go eat lunch!"
"That is IT!" Tenten yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. Sakura barely twitched. This was the third outburst this week, so she and the pigeons that roosted on their patio were used to it. Neither one moved as Tenten slammed her books closed in a dramatic flurry of paper.
"It's either gaming or vodka, and I don't have any vodka right now," Tenten muttered as she opened her laptop. The familiar loading screen that popped up twanged at Sakura's heart strings, but she quickly shoved the feeling down and focused on her intro to algorithms revision.
"Aww, boo. Spin's not online now," Tenten grimaced as she checked her friends list, "Oh well. Gives me time to work on my other project in game. I wonder…"
We're this close to exam season. I have to study. I don't have time for gaming right now, anyway.
"Hey Sakura-chan?
Besides, I haven't received in-game mail or anything. Not like I've been checking, though.
"Sakura-chan?"
Don't lie to yourself, Haruno-
"Oi, Haruno Sakura!"
Sakura snapped out of her internal argument when Tenten waved her hand right in front of her face. "Huh? What?"
"I called your name like four times. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Sakura deliberately looked away from Tenten's screen. Tenten couldn't help but notice. And worry.
"Sakura-chan, have you had a chance to talk to Meister?"
"I haven't had a chance to log-in since the tournament."
"Maybe you should-"
"No!" Sakura jerked back, startled at her own violent reaction. Seeing the surprise and the hint of hurt on Tenten's face, she realized just how ridiculous she must have been acting for Tenten to broach the subject with her. Get your act together, Haruno.
Sakura sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "I'm sorry, Tenten-chan. I'm just… I'm not ready to admit that this friendship might be over. And I feel so stupid. It's just a game, but…"
When Tenten didn't offer any judgment, just a warm hand of support over hers, Sakura's emotional dam burst. When she opened her mouth to say something, anything, tears came pouring down her face instead.
"Hey, hey, Sakura-chan!" alarmed, Tenten engulfed her into a bear hug, Wrapped in warmth, friendship, and a red wooly sweater, Sakura turned her face into Tenten's shoulder and sobbed, letting it all out. All her hurt and uneasiness and trepidation, all her confusion, but most of all, all her fear
"I know it's just a stupid online game relationship, but…" Sakura hiccuped a bit when she finally felt the tears slow down.
Tenten continued to pat her back reassuringly, "Hey, don't beat yourself up over your feelings. You guys were pretty intense for a few months."
"I don't want to admit he's gone."
"You don't know that he's gone, gone. He could be back."
"Maybe. But what if he doesn't come back? What if he's gone, and I just let the love of my life walk out the proverbial door without even meeting him in person?"
Sakura was such an emotional mess that she didn't realize what she'd said until Tenten jerked back in shock. "Are you serious, Sakura-chan? Love?"
"I-," Sakura blinked, stupefied. What would I call it? "Maybe not love, but… I don't know… admiration? Respect? Affection? We were really good friends."
"Do you miss him and want to see him and spend time with him?" Tenten probed.
"Yes…?"
"Do you want to learn everything about him? Not just the surface stuff, like what he looks like, but his hopes and dreams and deepest desires?"
"I mean I already know some of it. We talked… But I know some of yours too! That's what happens when you spend a couple months talking to the same person."
"Hmm, that's not right either," Tenten frowned, getting a bit frustrated with the semantics, but then had a lightbulb moment, "Wait wait wait, Sakura-chan, I got it. If tomorrow, I told you that I'd found a significant other, how would you feel?"
"I'd be happy for you if you were happy, of course."
"So how would you feel if Meister had told you that he'd found a significant other in real life and wanted to end your in-game marriage?"
"I…," Sakura wanted to say that she'd be happy for him, but the words stuck in her throat.
Tenten watched her carefully before she prompted again, "You remember your other in-game husband right? You blew that guy off like he was nothing. You guys played together longer than you played with Meister, so you must have been friends as well."
"Fries was nothing like Meister, Meister is…" Sakura trailed off as she tried to find the right words, for the millionth time. Oh no… Maybe the reason I'm not finding the right words is because I'm trying to avoid the L-word. But… I can't… That would be insane… right? I've never even met him. But…
"I… I wouldn't like it…" Finally honest with herself, Sakura felt her heart relax, only for more grief to flood in and more tears to pour out, "Oh no, Tenten-chan."
"There there," Tenten could only wrap her arms around Sakura, grab her another tissue, and let her sob her eyes out all over again. "Hey, it's going to be okay. You can always try emailing him through the game after exams are done. There's a system that goes to your actual email, right?"
"Yeah," Sakura hiccupped as her tears slowed down long enough for her to give her face a good scrub. Absently, she looked around, until she noticed the clock on their wall and gasped, "Speaking of exams, Tenten-chan, don't you have that review for your elective today? The one where your prof doesn't believe in posting notes online? If you don't get going, you're going to be late! Oh, and I've gotten your T-Shirt all wet too…"
Tenten looked down at her shirt and then did a double take, "You memorized my schedule?" Sakura gave her the look, the one that said, "are you really asking me this question?" until Tenten regretted asking the obvious.
"I can be a bit late if you need me -"
"No, I'll be fine. We have ramen and ice cream in the cooler, I'll take a break and eat my feelings," Sakura said with a laugh. That laugh was a bit self deprecating and waterlogged, but Tenten was relieved to hear it.
Still, as Tenten was nearly out the door, she cast one last worried glance at Sakura. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Don't worry about me," Sakura smiled again as she held up the ramen in one hand and the ice cream in the other. She waved goodbye with the ice cream.
Maybe I should grab some more ice-cream on the way back, Tenten pondered, then looked down at her watch and panicked. Oh shit! I'm going to be so late!
ﾐ(o*･ω･)ﾉ
Ah shit. Since she was a few minutes late, Tenten hadn't expected great seat choice, but she'd hoped for at least a few decent options that weren't in the front row, right in front of the professor. The only seat left in the lecture hall…
"Come over here," Are they talking to me? Tenten looked around to see who it was, but the only person turned towards the back of the class with his lips moving was - No, that can't be right.
"Higurashi-san!" When she saw his lips form the shape of her name, she could no longer live in denial. Since the professor was looking in her direction with a distinct scowl, she rather reluctantly obeyed the summons and took the seat. That dreaded seat, the one that had so ignominiously injured her posterior during her first class.
And it was still beside Him. Not again!
"Hello," Hyuuga Neji, the evil cousin that she'd been trying so hard to avoid this semester, greeted her in a low voice, "I saved you a seat."
"Thanks," I wish you hadn't. Still reluctant but not willing to trigger the professor's wrath, Tenten sat.
"Think nothing of it," Hyuuga waved imperiously, so Tenten took him at his word.
She could see him sneaking glances at her. The attention, especially from this rather antagonistic fellow, made her nervous, so Tenten released some of her agitation by bouncing her leg. Still, he continued to look at her, even going so far as to "accidentally" brush against her arm. Tenten tried harder to ignore him, but her leg movement increased with her annoyance, until -
CRACK!
"Ms. Higurashi!" The professor bellowed as Tenten bounced her tailbone on the crossbar in her ignominious fall to the floor, "Again?"
"My apologies sir, it looks like Facilities is determined to open the school to an injury lawsuit," Hinata's cousin quickly stood up. "May I take her to the health clinic to ensure nothing's wounded? I will come to your office hours later to collect the review notes, of course.
Maybe he's not such an asshole after all.
The professor turned a lovely shade of puce, having been cut off right before he went off on a tirade, but before he could stop spluttering, Hinata's cousin added, "Sir, I think Higurashi-san should get immediate medical attention as she took quite a fall in this freak accident. We should try to minimize any potential injury claims, of course. I hear personal injury suits can get quite expensive."
By this point, the whole class was watching this standoff, and the professor was going from puce to a lovely shade of cherry. Wincing, Tenten tugged on his pant leg to signal him to stop riling up the professor. Neji looked down at her and took the hint.
"So may we go, professor? And may I come by later to pick up notes?" Neji asked. He was already taking the professor's answer for granted as he grabbed Tenten's bag and helped her up by bracing her under one arm.
The professor looked at the two of them, the perfect tableau of injured student and their helpful friend, and threw up his hands in surrender, "If you must, Mr. Hyuuga."
"Thank you sir," Hinata's cousin remained impeccably polite and impassable.
Tenten made it until the door of the lecture hall closed behind them, then burst out laughing. "Did you see the look on his face? He looked like his head was about to explode!"
"Unlike your freakishly strong roommate, I am not strong enough to lift you, so you may wish to cease the squirming, otherwise I may drop you again," Neji's words were acerbic, but Tenten could just barely make out the tiniest tilt to the corner of his lips. Maybe that stick up his ass is retrievable, after all.
"I'll cease squirming then," Tenten replied cheerfully, doing her best impression of him as she casually put her arms around his neck and settled down for the ride.
"You take to being carried very easily," Neji said dryly. Why are his ears so red?
"Says the guy who just told me he may drop me!"
"If you squirmed. The modifier is very important in this situation."
"Given all the abuse my poor tailbone has been through this semester because of that damn class, I'm not going to take the chance!"
"Suit yourself, then."
"I will! Hmph. Hey, you really think the professor will actually give you the notes? He's notorious for never doing so."
"Absolutely. Otherwise I shall file a complaint with the department chair. She has dinner with my uncle."
Tenten shook her head disbelievingly, "Rich people, man."
"You speak as if you haven't been living with two heiresses for a year and a half now."
"Neither of them use their status around us. Knowing you've got the ear of someone's boss is a whole other level."
"Really? I find that hard to believe."
"Aren't you and Hinata-chan cousins? Don't you know what her personality's like?" Tenten stared at him, suspicious. She'd felt a weird tension between Hinata and this cousin of hers ever since he'd burst in on them gaming at the beginning of the term and acted like a total asshole about Hinata's co-op options. Even Sakura-chan, who was usually the most approachable of the four of them, treated this guy with uncharacteristic hostility.
"She's… too easily influenced," Hinata's cousin looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully, but the more he said, the more confused Tenten got.
"That doesn't sound like Hinata-chan. She'll go with the flow on the small stuff, but not on what's important to her. Besides, the only people who she really spends time with is us, her roommates."
"Not everyone has the purest of intentions but -"
"Well excuse me!" Tenten snapped, "I may just be an orphaned girl with unknown parents, but Hinata-chan's one of my best friends and I couldn't care less about whatever money or power the stupid Hyuugas have - I still wouldn't like them any better because of the way they've treated her. And that includes you! Now put me down!"
"Wait, Higurashi-san, you misunderstand -"
"Oh I understand you just fine, buddy. Put me down!"
Neji grunted as her flailing elbow caught his gut. On reflex, he loosened his grip, and Tenten tumbled right out and landed a bit awkwardly on her feet. She winced as she felt her tailbone protest at the rough landing. Luckily for her, they'd already reached the entrance to the university health clinic.
"Very well, if that's how you want it," even as he rubbed his stomach, Neji still managed to look down his nose at her. I don't know how he does it. Asshole.
"I do," Tenten tried to copy his arrogance as she replied.
To Neji, she looked like an offended penguin. Still, he concealed his amusement behind his normally blase countenance, and only nodded and turned to go. "I will see you at the exam then, Higurashi-san."
Tenten watched him walk away, satisfied and proud as a peacock until a mundane realization made her eyes widen in horror.
Well shit. How am I supposed to get the review notes now?!
(O_O)!
Sore, tired, and stressed about her stupid grade for this stupid elective course, Tenten arrived back at the dorm that evening with a plaster on her tailbone and a foul mood. Remembering Sakura's ongoing emotional turmoil, though, she calmed herself down before she opened the door to their room.
When she peeked in, Temari and Hinata were out and Sakura was still doing her best impression of a burrito with earphones on in her bed, watching something on her laptop. At least she's not studying like a robot any more. Tenten didn't want to disturb her, so she moved as quietly as she could to her desk. Sakura still looked up at her, but Tenten shook her head and waved her back, indicating nothing was up and she was going to do her own thing at her desk.
She must be more out of it than I thought, she'd never miss my hobbling normally. Still, now that she was sitting down at her desk, she didn't want to get up again. Which presented a problem when Tenten realized that she'd left the notes for her major courses in her other bag. The one all the way across the room. The only studying material she had in arms reach was for her stupid elective. The one she was mad at, all because of that stupid professor and Hinata's stupid cousin.
I refuse.
Instead, she made the very adult and reasonable decision to play games instead of anything productive.
As she logged on, Tenten looked back at Sakura surreptitiously to make sure that the other girl couldn't see her screen. Probably irrational, but still… Since Sakura was still engrossed in whatever she was watching, though, she wouldn't be able to see Tenten screen anyways.
Tenten checked her friend list out of habit, even though her static put their sessions on hold for the next month or so. She perked up when she realized that even though CL hadn't logged back in, Spin was on.
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: Hey!
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: long time no see stranger
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: I thought you were busy with exams :)
[Whisper] Spinfan96: Hello
[Whisper] Spinfan96: I am on track with my revision
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: lmao not accusing you of anything
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: Just surprised to see you online
[Whisper] Spinfan96: It has been an… unsettling day
[Whisper] Spinfan96: Shall we do a mission?
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: Nah
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: I'm in the mood to beat somebody up
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: I, too, had an unsettling day
[Whisper] Spinfan96: Sparring it is, then
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: You're on
As they made their way to the training ground, Neji wondered what had occurred to make Haruno so irritable. Perhaps her roommate is rubbing off on her. Unfortunate that my attempt at comradery with Higurashi failed this afternoon. I'll have to think of another way to keep tabs on Hinata-sama this summer. When they arrived at the training ground, Neji pulled his attention back to the game and let Haruno pick the training course. He raised an eyebrow when she chose an extremely hard, "stay alive against endless enemy waves" challenge, though.
[Whisper to SharpandPointy] Spinfan96: Are you sure?
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: I'm in a mood
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: What, you're not scared are you?
[Whisper to SharpandPointy] Spinfan96: Of course not.
As he concentrated on the challenge, Neji had to admit that this barrage of violence was good for clearing out his mind. Still, he wasn't doing as much damage as Haruno was. She really does have some anger issues to work out. Her aim got better though. Determined not to lose, he redoubled his efforts.
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: Whew~
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: gg
[Whisper] Spinfan96: yes, good game
[Whisper] Spinfan96: shall we go again?
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: lemme just check on my roommate, and then we can go again
"Sakura-chan, do you need anything?"
Obviously still immersed in her video, it took Sakura a minute to look up. Only then did Tenten notice that her eyes were red and swollen. Shocked, Tenten sat down on her bed and wrapped her into another bear hug.
"I'm fine," Sakura protested through a clogged nose. Still, she patted Tenten on the back in return. "I'm just watching the video and it's making me all sentimental, that's all."
"If you say so," Tenten worried, but Sakura pushed her off the bed. She shooed Tenten away gently and firmly, and Tenten realized that she'd left Spin waiting in-game for too long.
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: Sorry, my roommate's having a bit of a hard time recently.
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: shall we continue?
Neji frowned at the chat. Haruno must be talking about Higurashi. My information is that the Suna girl isn't there that often, and I haven't heard anything about Hinata-sama. Was the injury serious? Perhaps I should have insisted on staying.
[Whisper to SharpandPointy] Spinfan96: yes
[Whisper to SharpandPointy] Spinfan96: By the by, I hope your roommate's pain isn't serious?
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: hmm?
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: she's OK
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: I think
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: It's hard to tell with heart pain, you know?
That can't be right. Higurashi's as clear as glass with her emotions, and the injury was to her posterior, not her heart. Could it be… Hinata-sama? Neji ignored his conscience, which insisted on reminding him of the time she'd come to find him in the dorms. I must discover evidence of Haruno's perfidy. Hinata-sama will thank me for this someday.
[Whisper to SharpandPointy] Spinfan96: Don't worry too much about it
[Whisper to SharpandPointy] Spinfan96: Fate has a plan
[Whisper to SharpandPointy] Spinfan96: Just give it some time and space to do its work
[Whisper] SharpandPointy: Yeah, you're right
[Whisper to Spinfan96] SharpandPointy: Another round?
[Whisper] Spinfan96: Indeed.
The two continued gaming together, totally unaware of the beautiful misunderstanding that had just been perpetuated.
(; ω ; )ヾ(´∀`* )
"Hey, hey, Sasuke, you idiot!" Naruto barked as he came into the room, laptop in hand, and saw Sasuke staring at a screen, "At least try to remember that you're recovering from a concussion, geez!"
"It was just a few minutes, don't overreact," Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's overdramatics, but he shut his laptop anyways. "Did you get it set up?"
"Yeah, but it wasn't easy to hack Way. The original programmers knew what they were doing." Naruto sat down on the hospital bed with him, "Luckily for us, the team responsible for patches didn't. I can see why BLOOM wants another partner involved for Way 2. You'll get an email when Sakura-chan logs in."
"Good," Sasuke nodded, then added, "make sure this vulnerability is patched for our version."
"Yeah, yeah, way ahead of you," Naruto scoffed, then hesitated, "You… don't think we should slow down, you know, with you in the hospital and the game-"
"Don't even think about it, idiot," Sasuke cut him off, "We'll submit that bid, and we'll win."
The scowl Sasuke gave him made Naruto grin, "Damn right we will!"
"Go away," Sasuke tossed a balled-up tissue paper at him.
Ducking, Naruto nevertheless obligingly got up and walked towards the door, "Alright, alright, I'll leave you to whatever it was you were doing." His suggestive eyebrow wiggle implied he'd known exactly what Sasuke had been doing right before he walked in.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered quietly as the door closed behind Naruto. Still, he felt the tips of his ears go red \ as he opened the page he'd just been looking at and hit refresh again.
The title card for their video flashed across the screen, and the number of views didn't change in the five minutes he'd been talking to Naruto, even though he'd reloaded the screen several times. He had been watching as the number slowly ticked up in the past few days. Sakura had reuploaded the video publicly to the forums for the contest, so only the two of them had this private link that he'd originally used to share the video with her. I guess since I uploaded the video, it must not count my views… then…
Sasuke couldn't help himself, and rubbed his thumb over the screen when Chibi Sakura's teary face appeared. Why in the world have you watched this video fifty times in the past few days?
AN: FINALLY~
I know, I know, Author-san finally comes back and this is what we get? A 4K word equivalent of the 30 second video montage and two scenes from Episode 10? Well yes, but I wanted to luxuriate in that monologue. Thank you to all of you who've reached out with no judgement to check in on my health and well-being - yes I am absolutely fine, just swamped with life stuff and chasing down a few other plot buns (my first gift fics, and uhm *coughreallysmuttysmutcough*). As I've said before, either I, my descendant, or my ghost is going to finish this fic. Honestly mostly I struggled with the NejiTen scenes in this one - plotting LScore left writing LScore some poorly thoughtout plotlines, but I guess that's inevitable when your outline is 70 pages long. Butbutbut guys, you know what comes next chapter?
THE SCENE.
Yeah, it's gon be goooood. I've already started writing, I'm so excited. This chapter was produced with no Beta, so please go easy on me, lol. I will finish replying to comments in the next 24 that I've woefully neglected (again, sorry and thank you to everyone who've left them - comments really are author crack). As always, comments, reviews, favs, kudos, bookmarks, and BRIDGES TO NOWHERE are always make my day. See you soon~