!Warning/Disclaimer!

This story – this ancient, undying thing – is an angsty, sorta-dark unhappy love story. The characters don't belong to me, I just have fun throwing them together and dumping in the angst. Sasuke...is not in a good place, and Naruto isn't anywhere near normal, either. This story contains lots of sex and swearing, abuse/non-con and a road through the storm. Eventually. There's a lot of mental fuckery that comes first.

This is Rated R, for a reason. Please read accordingly.

...and if you were around when this was first put up, uh...Hi? I'm not dead? This fic has not and, I fear, will never die and I'm determined to see this shit through. As a bonus, this has been worked over and fixed for flow and clarification.

~white, surge red~

:part two:

Naruto wakes on his stomach, which was weird, because he never sleeps on his stomach. He blinks, and sees blurry green and lifts his head a fraction.

I'm in a hospital, he realizes, cold with anxious sickness. Why am I in a hospital? Naruto pushes himself up and swings his legs around to dangle. His head aches and his body feels sore, like he trained too far past his limit. His legs and stomach feel leaden and threaten to cramp.

Naruto absently rubs at his legs. It hurts to think and he was tired. Does it matter? …that stupid…it came early. Maybe I hurt myself or something…

Only that doesn't sound right.

What did I do? He puts a hand to his head—and pauses. His hand is clenched around something, clenched enough to be numb. Naruto forces his hand to relax and uncurls his fingers.

—and sees a scrap of bloodstained crumpled cloth, smeared with something. Naruto grimaces; he doesn't recognize the fabric, but…experimentally, he turns it over. No identifying changes on this side, either. Just the singular black color.

"Huh," Naruto muses and tucks it away under his pillow. Then he looks around to the empty room. Nothing much to see there, either, so he slides off the bed and walks on silent toes to the door.

Strangely, the Hokage Tsunade and Kakashi are out there arguing. Naruto finds it amusing before he thinks I did something bad—she's angry at me—Naruto stops to wait, half hidden.

"Well, Sasuke isn't…he has his issues. We both know that. Maybe Naruto triggered something in him. It's possible...that he wasn't in a mental state to avoid what he did."

Triggered something? Naruto thinks in a panic. Did I attack Sasuke? What does he mean, issues? Fingers tighten on the door and Naruto unconsciously hunches. Where is Sasuke?

Tsunade is the next to speak. "Possible, yes," and she sounds so cold, so angry. "But unlikely, and I will not hear your excuses for your student."

What happened? Naruto closes his eyes and slides away from the window, skin creeping cold. Where's Sasuke? Is he okay? What did I do? Naruto turns away and stumbles to the bed and crawls in. I did something wrong, I know it. I can feel it. He reaches and pulls the scrap of cloth out.

This matches…Sasuke's shirt…

In the middle of his worry, the door opens quietly. Naruto jumps and hides the cloth without looking as Tsunade enters. She is mouthing furious words over her shoulder. She must have though that he was still asleep—

Then she turns her head, sees him, and stops. "Naruto?"

Naruto nods slowly.

Relief and worry cross over her face. "I wasn't sure when you'd wake up," she says, finishing the small journey to sit next to him on the bed.

"Ah," Naruto replies, wrapping arms about knees and watches her with big eyes. He doesn't know how to ask about what he might have done, what had happened.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm okay. How did I get here?"

"We found you and brought you here."

"Oh…" Naruto's gaze falls to his knees, the fading scratches and bruises. "Did I…did I do anything?"

"What do you mean?" Tsunade's voice is carefully neutral when she asks him this.

"Did I hurt someone?"

Tsunade sighs and folds her hands together. "Naruto, I'm not sure I should…"

Sharp blue eyes rise to her face. "What. Happened?"

"You—Don't you remember?"

"I…" Naruto realizes his hand is rubbing at his shoulder. "I'm not sure. I remember watching everyone…and running." He closes his eyes, swallowing. "I saw Sasuke…did I hurt him? Is he okay? Where—"

Tsunade's face has gone remote and cold and Naruto can't finish his sentence when she speaks "Don't worry about Sasuke. He's fine."

"But—"

Tsunade takes his head and kisses his forehead. "Get some rest and I'll tell you more later, okay? It's not…good news."

Naruto's heart lurches and he pales. "But—"

"Rest, you little brat," Tsunade whispers fondly, almost sadly, strokes a hand across his hair. "I've got to figure out a few things first."

-::-

"What?"

"He doesn't remember." Tsunade nearly throws down her tea cup in frustration. "Or, at least, not yet. I'm not sure how it happened or why it had to be Uchiha, but Naruto's chakra flux came early again. It's never affected him to this point before…I don't know how to explain it."

"He never let someone fuck him either," Jiraiya replies blandly. Tsunade shoots him a glare. "It's true, isn't it?"

Tsunade crosses her arms. "It's not funny, Jiraiya. This is too serious to ignore—Every time this happens, his entire personality switches within a day and Sasuke—I don't even want to begin on that stupid little shit. I don't even want to know how he managed to do what he did—"

"So what? Sasuke let out some pent-up aggression, and Naruto got laid—what's the problem?" Jiraiya looks up in time to see a fast-moving palm—"Ow! Dammit, you old bitch—"

"This is serious!" She stomps her foot while Jiraiya works his jaw into place. "Whatever the reason, Sasuke and Naruto did something they can't undo. How do you think this well affect their team? How will this affect Naruto—we don't even know the reason he goes through these fluctuations—"

"He's a boy," Jiraiya mutters. "Boys always want sex."

"And if you haven't noticed, they're happening sooner."

"Oh?" Jiriaya adjusts his headband. "So what does that mean?"

"…I have no idea. I've examined Naruto during some of these phases and I can't ever trace the chakra to find the source of its trigger. I'm afraid it has something to do with his seal…But, on the other hand, it's never permanent and he seems okay. I can't do anything except keep an eye on him."

"And Sasuke? He's got his own issues, remember."

"Yeah," Tsunade finally replies bitterly. "I know. He's been through too much…I shouldn't have gotten so angry…But I—I can't just excuse what he did, Jiraiya."

"No," Jiraiya replies slowly. "No, you can't. But there's nothing you can do for that one either, at the moment."

-::-

Naruto wakes when the nurse on duty pats him on the head and hands him a small paper cup with two white pills and a glass of juice. "Nh…Wha're these?" he yawns, glancing to the window; the sky beyond is dark.

"Oh, something to help you sleep."

Been sleeping all day, Naruto wants to say, eyeing the pills. Instead he smiles faintly when the nurse waits expectantly and tosses back the pills. He works in a mouthful of juice and swallows.

The nurse pats him on the head again, saying "Goodnight," and bustles out of the room. Naruto settles back against his pillow and as the door clicks shut, he turns his head and spits the damp pills into the garbage can.

A half-hour passes as he sprawls out on the uncomfortable hospice bed, eyes fixed on the window, watching. The sky darkens only a fraction, so Naruto assumes that it wasn't too late and it wasn't close to dawn yet.

And I can't sleep, but I'd rather not sleep than take some stupid pills.

Restless, his thoughts cycle back to the haze he can still feel ghosting over him. Like hands, he thinks, shivering. Like hands on my throat. Naruto turns over, not tired in the least and stares at the darkened window again. Shallow thoughts of Sasuke slip into his mind unbidden. He knows that he's not alone in the hospital; with other patients and doctors and nurses around, he didn't have a chance of being alone.

But he felt alone, and couldn't escape it, couldn't place the thought that Sasuke had something to do with it. And he was here, wasn't he? In the hospital, too? The last rush had been worse, so worse than any other time.

Maybe I should go talk to him…Naruto rubs at his arms and sits up. Maybe—maybe—he should take a walk and, by chance, find Sasuke, but only if he happened to come across him. Yeah. Because he didn't care one damn bit, but if they happened to meet—

Maybe then he'd get some answers.

Naruto glances down and curls his lip—and damn if he was going to wander around in an open-backed hospital gown. Naruto leaves the bed, poking about in the small set of drawers next to the bed and discovers a simple gray t-shirt and loose sweatpants. They were too large and the t-shirt hung to his knees, but Naruto would rather deal with slipping pants than that stupid gown.

Dressed, feeling stealthy and secretive, he slides to the door on slippered feet and peers through the window.

Silence. Nothing. No one. Naruto breathes a sigh of relief and eases himself through the door. He feels infinitely better for leaving the little room and wandering the hallways. The whisking sound of his footsteps seem too loud, and while the lights were set on dim, the utter sense of isolation gives Naruto a strange comfort. He doesn't like being alone, but he's been alone for so long, it's a comfort. It's familiar.

This, he thinks. …is not.

He passes an empty lobby, and further down he can see the brighter lights of a nursing station. Time to find a new direction.

A stairwell beckons him from the right; a sign on the right with an arrow pointing up reads 'Green Lounge'.

Perfect.

-::-

Sasuke passes most of the day dozing and gathering his chakra to speed the healing process. His jaw still throbs from the Hokage's heavy palm; Sasuke feels a simple sullen anger at the entire situation.

Before he realized it, the sun had set and Sasuke was nowhere close to sleeping so he sits and closes his eyes to practice controlling his chakra. Immersed in it, he's distinctly aware of each and every personal chakra signature in the building—most of them he tunes out automatically. Except…there's a part of his mind focused solely on keeping tabs on a single flame-point chakra not too far from his room.

Naruto's chakra.

Sasuke spends almost an hour meditating with partial awareness on the chakra down the hall, so when it begins to move, begins to flare, Sasuke's eyes open in the darkness of his room.

He's awake, awake when he's supposed to be sleeping, is his irritated thought. Stupid Naruto.

Inwardly, Sasuke follows the movement and understands that Naruto is moving down the hallway, past his room and everything else until—wait, a pause—

Sasuke turns his face upwards. What the hell is he doing?

The irritation shares a breath of wind to the sullen embers in his gut; it flames up until he can taste it on the back of his tongue. There is no general reason for it, no why am I angry, it's just there.

So Sasuke rises from his bed, still dressed and scratched and somewhat bloody on the edges, and slips out of the door in the shadows.

-::-

Sasuke finds him tucked away in a little nook of a waiting lounge, hidden in shadows. He knows he hasn't made any noise but Naruto's head still turns towards him when Sasuke pauses in the doorway. He can see the curve of a cheek in the wan light, the tousled hair and baggy clothes. Against the window he can't make out the face; part of him wonders Is he still…

"Sasuke?"

The dark haired male lets out his breathe in a quiet whuush. He's normal, he thinks, and shudders.

"It's you, isn't it? I know it's you—" Naruto's voice is unusually quiet for the blond. "Sasuke…" The blond rises from the chair and strides through the shadows towards him.

Sasuke closes the door firmly behind him and leans back against it. "Dobe," he greets. He doesn't…act like anything happened…

"—really glad you're ok, I thought I did something really bad and Tsunade wouldn't—" Naruto stops just short of invading his personal space; over here, there's enough light to make out distinctive features and as Naruto gets closer, his words drop off abruptly.

"…Did I...do that to you…?" he breathes.

Sasuke can't explain the feeling needling into his chest. He wanted to laugh. To scream. To smile and gloat—"So what?" he replies indifferently, looking down at the dark bruises and the lines of scratches. "It doesn't hurt."

Even if it does, Sasuke doesn't let that thought pass around in his mind because Naruto's look is so worth it. Pain. Guilt. Regret. Everything he never normally sees in those blue eyes…

And then Naruto is close enough to touch and he's reaching out to graze his fingers over a bruise on Sasuke's cheek that would be bluish-green if the lights were on.

"I…I didn't…"

Sasuke almost asks Why do you care? but bites down on it and shrugs. "Ah, the Hokage gave me that one," he says, and leans away from Naruto's fingers.

He really...doesn't know…

A frown seams his face. "Tsunade-hag? She hit you? Why?"

"Because she was mad at me. It doesn't matter." Sasuke pauses just long enough to see the disbelief on Naruto's face. This is going to be good. Time for the next question. "So…what happened to you?"

Naruto's eyes fall again to the scratches on Sasuke's arms and his expression slowly shifts into what Sasuke classifies as 'troubled.' The blond fidgets and draws his arms up to twine his fingers together.

"Well?"

Naruto finally shrugs at his question. "I just get…sick. From my chakra. And I get a fever, and sometimes I end up breaking things…What?"

Sasuke's mouth almost twitches into a smile. The power of the situation is rushing to his brain, sparking off ideas and a dark amused pleasure that Naruto didn't know and now he could do so much more…Perhaps I shouldn't say anything yet…if Naruto obviously didn't remember…

But I remember…

And he couldn't let it go. He couldn't stand the silence. Blandly, Sasuke asks "…it's nothing."

"So, uh," Naruto tugs at the hair on the back of his head and shrugs. "What, um, did I do? I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

Ah. Gotta know, do you? Excitement sparks down his spine in a liquid rush. Sasuke slowly closes the space between them until he can lean close to Naruto. His fingers float up to rest just above Naruto's heart, and leans closer until Naruto flinches back.

"You won't like it," Sasuke whispers to his ear, solemn cold.

Naruto shifts uneasily and turns his face away. "Yeah, whatever—are-are you okay?"

"I'm fine." A moment of silence before Sasuke speaks with severe intensity. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Shut up and tell me already," Naruto snaps.

"Well," Sasuke lets the corner of his mouth twitch but he isn't moving away. "You sat up on the tip of an electric pole and stared at people. Then I showed up and ended up chasing you all over the forest…"

"Where…I did all that?" Naruto cranes his head to squint at a few of the bruises dotting Sasuke's neck and shoulder.

"Yes. I chased you. I caught you. Then," Sasuke nods, moving his mouth closer to Naruto's ear. "Then you let me fuck you."

It doesn't take much more than a heartbeat for Naruto to register the meaning behind those words; he knew more than enough about how the world worked. No, it doesn't take long at all, and Sasuke's body feels light and suddenly dizzy while he waits for the expected outburst.

The realization in Naruto's eyes is blackened by confusion. "I—what? You what?"

Sasuke is pleased and somewhat annoyed—he doesn't know why—to watch Naruto pull back and fidget uselessly with his hands. His eyes have gone wide.

"You—we—why? Why would you—"

Sasuke doesn't let himself speak. He'd ruin the moment. So he stands there when Naruto's face shifts into instinctive anger. Sasuke doesn't move when Naruto pulls farther away with a jerk, cheeks dark.

Sasuke feels like laughing.

"Is that some kind of stupid joke? You think this is funny?" Naruto's fists swing out—Sasuke lets him strike the muscle of his chest—but there is no pain. "Goddamn you Sasuke—what the hell?"

There is a thousand 'whys' in the strength of his voice and Sasuke ignores them all. He catches Naruto's wrist in his hand and squeezes, pushing forward. "Because I wanted to," he murmurs. "And you let me."

Naruto punches him across the face with his free hand and jerks back; his back smacks into chair and Sasuke gingerly touches his cheek and mouth. Naruto doesn't move or try to slide away; nothing one would expect—instead, as Sasuke darts his eyes to gauge his expression—the blond is merely confused. Sasuke can see his shoulders shaking.

His insides twist into his throat. He's not…angry. Why isn't he angry? So he stands there and stares back and waits as Naruto holds his stomach and turns away with a grimace.

"What," Sasuke mocks, almost laughing. "It wasn't good for you?"

"You bastard!" Naruto throws the nearest object—an earthen flowerpot—with enough force to shatter it against the wall. The noise echoes in the room, ringing back the silence. "Fuck you! You act like you're so great, so cool—you're nothing but a stuck-up asshole! I wish you were dead!"

Sasuke barely smiles and holds his breath for a second. There is no conscious thought in his head, nothing but a breathless excitement that he was getting him angry—"That doesn't change shit, Naruto."

"I hate you," Naruto says, nearly voiceless. "You're such a prick." His eyes flare up at him in the wan light. Then abruptly, he stops to scrub rough hands back through his hair and all the anger flickers away from his face. "…go away, Sasuke. I need to think. You're not helping, okay? Just go away," he speaks, sliding to the left before dropping into a chair.

Sasuke pushes the hair from his face, smears away fresh blood from his mouth and brushes off his shirt, unresponsive. Watching as Naruto watches him, quietly, warily. Watching for the afterburn.

Can I take this further?

Will he…?

I…don't think I can let this go—no, not like this. Sasuke glanced down in the shadows at his arm, pale and marred by the bruises, blood tinted black in the dim light. No, I can still use this. I'll use it to the end.

"Naruto—tch, don't tell me you're scared of it…" Narrow blue eyes are waiting for him, hostile when he looks back up. Naruto's face is washed out and pale in the shadow, his mouth a thin line. Sasuke notes the anger flushing his cheeks and bites the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning fiercely.

But Naruto doesn't speak.

Sasuke moves closer, one step at a time, and notes the clenching fists. He moves slow and when he reaches Naruto, he leans over him again. His thoughts are wisps of red warning. Naruto can do serious damage if he chose to—Sasuke would have to be careful.

"Really, Naruto," he presses a little bit closer and drops away from the little bit of resistance still lodged in his head. He was close enough to feel the warmth of the skin just out of his reach. But Naruto doesn't move, doesn't turn his gaze from the vacant point through Sasuke's shoulder.

"I wanted to." Sasuke lets a smile cross his mouth. "And I know—"

Naruto's anger flashes brighter and his shoulders tense up—

"—That you'll let me do it again."

—whack!—Sasuke's head snaps back and there's blood in his mouth while Naruto's hand is closing around his throat—the floor is cold under his back—

There is triumph in Sasuke's eyes.

"Go away, Sasuke," Naruto hisses. "Or I'll kill you."

"…I can't."

"What?"

"…I can't when you're sitting on me, dobe."

Sasuke only gets a moment of anticipation before he feels the tension in Naruto's body as he moves. Is he gonna hit me again? But nothing around him and no shifting air pressure to signal an incoming fist. Twisting, Sasuke pushes up and watches the way Naruto strides towards the door. Neither speaks—there is no room for words.

As he leaves, Naruto looks back one last time with something not confused, not angry. Just…a blank thoughtfulness.

The familiar burn of anger seeps into Sasuke's mind—Naruto should be angry, he should be hurt—

He shouldn't like it. He can't like it. It won't work if he likes it—

Anger that only makes him want to follow Naruto down the hall and hit him, hit him until the tightness dissipates—

But Naruto is already gone and the door is swinging shut; Sasuke's common sense warns him that Naruto was too volatile.

Better to wait. Better to plan this out in case of the unexpected.

Yes, Sasuke decides. Better to wait.

-::-

The new day brings a sort of numbness to Naruto. His night was filled with a half-dozing sleep and despite the bustle of the hospital, Naruto feels nothing but alone in his room.

Is this what she meant? Naruto thinks. What do I do? Was he lying? Not lying? Under the covers of his thin hospital bed, Naruto scowls into the pillow and closes his eyes. His memory could only produce blurred images of Sasuke, of people and trees and Sasuke again—Before the hospital, all of his thoughts were distant and dreamlike.

I have to remember it, he thinks in disappointment, scrunching his eyes tighter. Gotta go past the blurs—

—Sasuke, above him—

Naruto lets out a surprised little noise, cold and tingling. He wasn't lying…he really did…

—Sasuke's hands on him—

No, really, hands on his shoulders—the covers fly back without warning; Naruto jumps and to his shame he yelps.

"Well," the Hokage raises her brow and smiles. "Good morning to you too."

"Gah—Tsunada-hag!" Naruto flips onto his back and groans. "What do you want, it's early."

"I was hoping to talk to you, Naruto."

About me. About Sasuke. About…everything? Why hasn't she told me about Sasuke yet? Why didn't she say something yesterday? Naruto sits upright and wishes he had something to chase away the dull fear that rises in his throat.

Tsunade sits on the bed and brushes back the hair on his head. "What do you remember?"

"Um, just blurry stuff," Naruto admits truthfully, careful not to look up directly. Not yet.

Tsunade's voice drops into wariness with her next question. "Do you remember Sasuke?"

Naruto nods after a brief moment.

"Do you…remember what happened with Sasuke?"

—Sasuke's mouth on his body—

Naruto flinches and fiddles uselessly with his hands. "Yeah. I mean, I know. I got bits and pieces…"

Tell her how you found out and what Sasuke said last night—a part of him urges. Naruto shoves it aside when Tsunade takes his hands and holds them tightly.

"Look at me," she says softly. After his eyes rise, she continues. "Your flux came early, and stronger than you expected—by the time we found you…Sasuke had already..."

—you let me fuck you—

"He…and I—" He can't even say it and he hates the burning in his throat.

"Yes."

"And I hurt him."

"No…Naruto. You didn't." She pauses and lets Naruto wonder if she was actually gonna come out and say it. "You didn't intentionally injure him. He…he took advantage of you and…" Her hands squeeze his and she takes a deep breath. "He had sex with you, Naruto, during that time."

Naruto knows he should show some reaction, but he can't. He already knew what the woman's telling him; there's no shock value left in the action so he shrugs, helplessly. "Is that…" he hunches his shoulders. "…why I get sick? Because I—that I have to—you know?"

"The periodic changes in your body are a side effect. I'm still not sure of the reason why they happen...but..."

"Is it?" Naruto repeats. "Did I let Sasuke screw me because I was—like I was some bitch in heat?"

"Naruto—"

"Is it gonna happen again?"

Tsunade sighs. "It's possible."

Naruto tries to pull his hands away. "So I'll end up—"

"Naruto!" Tsunade pulls him into a hug that he doesn't try to fight. "I know you're upset and confused, but it's okay. It'll be okay. We'll do our best to find out why, but until then…"

Naruto waits out her silence. Somehow, he feels that he should be worse, should be angry and defiant—

—you'll let me—

He shudders. "Tsunade-hag—" he has to clear his throat. "So there's nothing…you can't…"

"All we know, Naruto, is that it's a side effect of the seal. You know how you get chakra and regeneration because of the Kyuubi?"

Naruto shrugged up against Tsunade.

"We think it might be from some of instincts seeping through the seal."

"Do you…do you think that there will…be other things? If the seal's leaking, am I gonna get…better?"

Tsunade's voice is low and worried. "…I don't know, Naruto."

-::-

"Oiy…"

Sasuke opens his eyes to see Kakashi lounging at the wall by the window of his hospital room. "Kakashi-sensei."

"I've got some information for you."

"About?"

"You. Naruto." Kakashi shrugs. "But mostly orders."

Sasuke sits up and pushes back his hair. "Are you going to tell me what happened to him?"

"Ah, that's complicated and...I'm not allowed to really tell you," Kakashi laughs and shrugs at Sasuke's narrow glare. "But, here's what we do. Naruto will be staying at the Tower while Tsunade-sama works on figuring out the cause of Naruto's illness, and the Hokage has ordered you to avoid Naruto for the time being."

At the tower? Avoid him? They're trying to keep us separated—Sasuke keeps his face immobile and replies, "What about the team?"

"Oh, we'll still have minor missions, but our focus will be on training. I expect you to help Sakura up her skillset."

Sasuke feels his mouth tighten into a line and he snaps "Fine. Whatever. Anything else?"

"No, no, that'll be it." Kakashi strolls to the door and looks back over his shoulder. "Unless you want to say something?"

Sasuke isn't sure of why he speaks; his intentions were never to voice such possessive thoughts, but the words fall out of his mouth like bitter seeds. "If he comes to me, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi pauses and looks at him sharply, silent for a moment. "Well," he finally says. "When that happens, you'd best be ready for it."

And then he's gone before Sasuke can demand an answer to that statement, leaving him to scowl at the white-painted walls and swallow down his anger.

-::-

"So…when can I go home?"

"About that, Naruto…would you mind staying at the Tower with me?" Tsunade smiles reassuringly. "It'd only be until we figure out a cause and to make sure you don't have any strange side effects."

"But…" Naruto frowns. "What about my missions? My team?"

Sasuke…what about Sasuke?

"You'll sort of be on a paid vacation for while, so no missions."

"But—"

"It's necessary, Naruto, because this. This is potentially serious for you and I want to make sure we have a handle on it, in case it gets worse. It won't be forever—just think, you'll have plenty of time to train—" Tsunade stops and sighs. "I know you don't like it."

He didn't and she could tell; his hands were shaking.

Softly, she continued. "We have to figure this out. It's likely you'll have to live with this for a long time, and if there's a way to make it less of a problem, less of a danger, I want to be able to find it, Naruto. And for that, I need you nearby."

Naruto knows he can't protest this. He doesn't dare. There's nothing he can do. A danger to others, is one of the things she doesn't say.

But, Sasuke won't be around either.

"Alright," Tsunade responds, standing when Naruto finally exhales. "Are you ready?"

"I guess…do I get ramen?" Naruto slides off the bed, uncomfortable to be standing and feeling like his insides had a pinhole leak somewhere.

"If you want," Tsunade smiles down at him and rests a hand on his head.

The silence of the room fades as they leave; the hall is bright and noisy and Naruto unconsciously strays closer to Tsunade's side—

But what about Sasuke? What if—

—what if I don't care about Sasuke, Naruto shuts down the thought and reminds himself it's better to ignore that kind of thing because Sasuke was a fucking jerkwad. Yeah.

-::-

It's dark, and Sasuke is already free of the hospital. He knows Naruto is already gone, inaccessible. Unreachable. He hasn't gone home, yet—there's no one to make sure he gets to bed at a decent time anyway, so he stands behind his home in front of a target.

Shuriken swoop out and land a fraction off-center.

"Bitch," Sasuke says to nothing. He swipes away sweat and twitches his fingers. The weapons jerk free and whistle back—Sasuke catches them by twisting a spare shirt into the trajectory to spare his hands a potential cut. Then he fishes them from the fabric and makes sure the wires are clear.

—shiii-uu-shunk-unk-k—

There. Sasuke lets a smile darken his features. Three little shurikens, all in a row. With a second jerk, the thoughts of Naruto are banished from his mind as easily as the weapons whistle back.

-::-

(27 days later)

"You know, this sucks. I'm bored. When can I go outside? Because this really really sucks."

Tsunade tilts his chin up without answering and turns his head to the left.

"Come on, Granny—"

"I know, Naruto," Tsunade flicks him on the forehead. "Close your eyes, I'm almost done."

Naruto quiets for an amazing fifteen seconds and smiles charmingly. Then he begins to fidget, shifting from side to side. "Well?" he prompts impatiently.

"Your chakra is unusually low, but you appear normal—"

"So can I go outside? It's been a month! A month!"

"I know exactly how long it's been, stuck in here with you—" the woman touches his forehead and chest. "Hold still and shut up for a second."

Naruto stops his squirming. "But—"

"Naruto—"

"A month! You said I'm normal—so I can go outside now, right?"

Tsunade pulls her hands away with a sigh and fixes Naruto with a frown. "I don't think so," she begins.

Goddamn whoever taught him how to use those puppy eyes.

"Please, Tsunade-hime-great pretty lady of all time—if I'm not—"

Frustrated, she flicks him on the forehead a second time. "Naruto! Listen to me, will you? Your body isn't returning to a normal state. You appear normal, and you feel normal, but only because you can't detect the changes yet." She pauses again and Naruto is watching her with large blue eyes. "I never said it was gone. It's simply weaker than before."

Naruto stops rubbing at his head and thinks. "…That's good, right?"

"Not exactly. One, there shouldn't be a change and two, your cycle is still there. You just…don't feel it, it seems." Naruto pauses at her words—maybe he'll actually listen to her—

"So can I?"

"God, alright—alright but only until six!" she yells after the blur of speed already zooming out of her office. Then she stops to rub her temples and take several deep breaths. "…stubborn brat…"

-::-

Sasuke's day is the same as any other. Training. Always training. Quieter, maybe, with the blond shut up in the Tower. He hasn't seen Naruto for over the last month and had no idea what was even going on.

Not that he cares—

—punch-punch-swingkick-elbow-punch—

But all of it—the orders to stay away, Naruto's not-angry reaction—his own frustration—all of it adds up and leaves Sasuke with a sense of unfinished business. He had planned to take it further. There was supposed to be more pain. More hurt. Because he couldn't leave it at that and let it die—

—kick-duck-punchpunch-sidestep-kick—

No. Sasuke is still waiting, filling time with a tangle of thoughts and possibilities—if Naruto came to him, what would he do? Ignore him? Do as the Hokage ordered and leave him alone? Play it further?

—punch—

Sasuke stops with his knuckles splintering the bark of the training log. He pulls his fist away and brushes off the fragments. If he wasn't careful, it'd be the third log this week. He stands there, lungs burning with exertion.

Play it further.

Sasuke exhales. If…

Play it further.

Inhale. Exhale. A thought, how, if he comes, how? passes through his head and—

—further—

—and Sasuke's eyes fly open as the burn of familiar chakra and his shoulders tense and he turns, casually wiping at his forehead.

Naruto has his hands laced behind his head, leaned up against a tree across the training grounds, watching him.

The sharp edge of triumph tastes metallic on his tongue and Sasuke almost—

—just almost—

—smiles at the sight.