Hekki bottom everyone,
Reviews:
Mkayemolina: Then you are really going to like this chapter because he spends more time with them and this chapter consists of all of them talking to each other.
inuyasha16451: Thank you. :)
Ambyantz: Thank you. This chapter is dedicated to you.
Enjoy the holiday's everyone.
It was Wednesday and Naruto was nervous to once again see his platoon mates. He was excited but he was still scared. Naruto thought back to the week as he spoke to his dad and mom.
(Flashback)
"Naruto you can come back home," Minato said to his son.
"I can't be here right now," Naruto said.
"Why?" Kushina asked.
"Because I can't be alone for too long my therapist said and Temari is always home with me. You two are always out or leaving town," Naruto answered.
"Are you feeling suicidal?" Minato asked.
"No," Naruto lied.
"Is it about the guns in the house because I can get rid of them?" Minato asked.
"That is one of the reasons," Naruto said honestly.
Naruto didn't tell anyone about his nightmares or his PTSD. He also didn't talk about the fact that he was suicidal with anyone. He spoke so solemnly about it that no one would even notice that he picked up those types of traits after coming back.
"You know that you can come home whenever you want you to know, that right?" Kushina asked tapping his hand.
"Of course, mom," Naruto said giving her a hug. "Now I came to tell you that I have been awarded the Medal of Honor," Naruto said.
"Really? That's so wonderful Naruto," Minato said excited for his son.
"I want you to come to the ceremony," Naruto said.
"Of course, when is it?" Minato asked.
"Friday, this week," Naruto said.
"We're there," Minato said with Kushina nodding her head in agreement.
(Flashback End)
Naruto heard the beeping and the howling signaling his friends being there.
"Is that them?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yeah loud as ever," Naruto said with a soft chuckle.
"Are you sure you don't want to live back at home with your mom and dad?" Shikamaru asked.
"Shikamaru I like it here and if it's okay with you and Temari I would like to stay here?" Naruto said.
"You don't even need to ask," Shikamaru said patting his friend on the back then beeping started up again. "You should get going," Shikamaru said.
Naruto walked down the stairs with Shikamaru on his heels. The moment Naruto got outside Utakata was getting out of the car and Tobirama was pulling him back in the car while Shinki sat there yawning like he had to deal with enough from the two of them.
"NARUTO FINALLY! Hello Shikamaru," Utakata said.
"Hello," Shikamaru said waving his hand.
"Let's get going," Naruto said hopping into the jeep next to Shinki. "I will see you later Shikamaru," Naruto said.
They drove off really fast making Naruto put his seatbelt on.
"Have they been like this all night?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, trust me they have been," Shinki said.
The two in the front were arguing back and forth but were laughing at the same time.
"All of us together again feels weird right?" Shinki asked noticing Naruto's faraway look.
"Yeah it feels weird, but I wanted to tell you guys something but not over the phone," Naruto said ready to bring up the dream he had.
"What is it?" Utakata asked in a serious tone that was barely used aside from in battle.
Naruto looked nervous and didn't seem to want to say anything.
"What happened?" Shinki asked.
"I had a dream the other night." Naruto started.
"About?" Tobirama asked.
"I had a dream about Asura," Naruto admitted.
"What?" Shinki said shocked.
"It was weird and it felt very real. You know when we all saw the therapist see if we were deployable again or not?" Naruto started and they all nodded their heads. "You know how they talked to us about how we would have dreams about what happened to us and that's part of the PTSD?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah like having flashbacks but in our dreams," Shinki said with Utakata nodding because Utakata was the one to have the most dreams.
"So, when this dream happened it was the same night, we all talked and..." Naruto said stopping to look out the window.
"What happened in the dream?" Tobirama asked.
"He said he will be home soon," Naruto said making Tobirama look at him and Shinki freeze.
Utakata didn't hesitate on pulling the car over.
"What?" Utakata asked looking back.
"In the dream, it was pitch dark and all I heard was his voice saying 'Naruto I will be home soon.'" Naruto said making everyone slightly freaked out.
"And this was the same night we hung out?" Utakata asked.
"Yes," Naruto said nodding his head.
"Do you have any other dreams about him?" Tobirama asked.
"Sometimes but they are of us in the battlefield and I am looking for him," Naruto answered.
"Did you talk to anybody about this?" Shinki asked.
"No," Naruto said shaking his head. "I just mentioned to you guys tonight," Naruto said.
"I've had dreams of him in the past while we were still there," Shinki said. "But I also had dreams of Zabuza and Yahiko," Shinki said.
"But we know they're dead would if he is still alive and got captured by the enemy?" Naruto asked.
"I agree with Naruto on this one," Tobirama said. "I have dreams of Hashi a lot and I know he's gone," Tobirama said.
"That was your brother though like your real actual blood brother," Shinki said.
"Yeah I know," Tobirama said softly looking out the window.
"Okay, you guys where are we going?" Utakata asked wanting to get off the sad topic.
"We can go to that family restaurant you looked up before we went to Naruto's," Shinki said.
"I know you guys want to jump off the topic but I really need to talk about it," Naruto said. "I don't have anyone else to talk to about this and I don't think I can deal with it by myself," Naruto said making everyone look at him.
Utakata took off his seatbelt and climbed to the back and so did Tobirama even though he didn't get into the back seat.
"Naruto, we don't know what that dream means," Utakata said shaking his head.
"Maybe it is something that you felt like it was left undone because we never found him," Shinki said.
"Naruto you don't... we know that you're going through it with how you took his disappearance and maybe that dream was to give you hope that he is still alive out there but we won't know unless he shows up and comes home," Tobirama said.
"Did you guys hear about the infiltration they did there and the fact that they found our soldiers there in cages?" Naruto asked.
"I was told not to watch the news from my therapist," Shinki said.
"Me too," Tobirama said.
"Speaking of which we don't know who was said to come home," Utakata said knowing what Naruto was talking about.
"He could be with that group," Naruto said.
"He could or he couldn't Naruto," Utakata said.
"There's no reason to get your hopes up Naruto," Shinki said.
"What did that dream mean then?" Naruto asked tilting his head back.
"Maybe it was a sign that you miss him or it could be guilt because we all know you felt guilty about what happened to him," Tobirama said.
"So, the dream could be about guilt?" Naruto registered.
"It could be but that is not something for sure just because I said it. I'm no doctor to tell you that." Tobirama said.
"Maybe your right," Naruto said looking forward.
"Oh yeah, I am definitely right now let's get going and eat then drink a couple drinks," Tobirama said tapping Naruto's knee.
They got to the restaurant in due time laughing about memories but things were about to get serious.
"So why do you all think I should get the medal?" Naruto asked.
"Because you deserve it, when the hell did you have time to get medical skills on the battlefield?" Shinki asked.
"I agree you bandaged me up pretty good that one time," Utakata said as he drank his drink.
"That's because you guys were idiots and didn't listen when the medic was giving basic knowledge," Naruto said.
"Hey, I resent that because I was listening," Tobirama said.
"Yeah yours was just bad," Naruto said laughing making everyone else laugh too. "Seriously you guys why do I deserve it over one of you?" Naruto asked.
"We all nominated you for it," Utakata sighed out.
"What?" Naruto said completely serious.
"Utakata was going to get it but he didn't feel like he deserved it and asked us to write recommendations for you," Shinki explained slowly.
"Is that why you were in the Capital?" Naruto asked annoyed.
"Yes," Shinki said shaking his hands.
"How annoying," Naruto said.
"We all feel like you deserve it," Tobirama said. "So please just accept it," Tobirama said looking down in his drink.
"Yeah Naruto it would be really uncool if you didn't after everything, we all went through for you to get it," Utakata said rubbing the back of his neck.
"Fine, don't say anything embarrassing in your speeches," Naruto said.
"Oh man, then I have to delete my whole speech," Utakata said making them all laugh.
"I have an embarrassing story to tell your girlfriend," Shinki said laughing.
"Oh no not that one," Tobirama said laughing seeming to know the story.
"What are you two keeping from me?" Naruto asked.
"That is a secret that I will have the pleasure to tell your girlfriend when I meet her," Shinki said.
"Do I know this story?" Utakata asked.
"Nope because you can't keep a secret," Shinki said.
"Only a few of us know well knew," Tobirama said.
"Who?" Naruto asked.
"Hashi, me, Shinki, and Haku," Tobirama said.
"I think Zabuza knew too because of Haku," Shinki said.
"Oh, come on you guys tell me," Utakata whined.
"No tell me, I keep secrets," Naruto said.
"No way," Shinki said laughing.
They were all enjoying being around each other for the first time in a while.
"You know when I first got back, I was so happy to eat a cheeseburger," Tobirama said.
"Fuck cheeseburger I wanted my mom's cooking," Shinki said making them shake their heads.
They were all happily eating.
"I wanted rice balls and ice cream," Naruto said.
"That's shocking considering all you ever talked about was Ramen," Utakata said.
"The last thing I ate the day before I was deployed was Suke's rice balls and her ice cream that she cried over," Naruto said.
"So, did you want her tears too?" Shinki asked with a smirk on his face.
"Shut up," Naruto said shaking his head with a smile.
"I wanted Ramen," Utakata said.
"Really?" Shinki asked looking at him.
"Hey, Naruto kept talking about Ramen so I wanted it and I had it. It was actually much more delicious than Naruto described it to be." Utakata said thinking back to the day they ate together.
"Right? It was delicious, now you two have to go with us." Naruto said excitedly.
"Oh no you look like an addict for Ramen so I'm good." Shinki declined.
"If you two don't go I will not accept the award," Naruto said glaring at the both of them.
"That's fucking cold Naruto," Shinki said.
"I will go," Tobirama said. "By the way, I didn't decline to go and I was going to go without your threat," Tobirama said leaning back.
"That makes one so you?" Naruto said turning toward Shinki.
"Fine I will go but you're paying for this date," Shinki said.
"Hey don't say that in front of Suke," Naruto said.
"Why? Does she get jealous easily?" Shinki asked.
"When we were high school, she did," Naruto said.
"What about now?" Shinki asked.
"I don't know, I told her how I felt and laid everything out on the line for her... and..." Naruto stopped looking away.
"And what?" Shinki asked.
"She's scared but I can't lie I am too but she's worse... she's scared that I will be called away again and this time I won't come back," Naruto said.
"Did you tell her you can't be deployed again?" Utakata asked.
"Wait... you can't be deployed?" Tobirama asked shocked.
"No, they said it wasn't... they said I wasn't mentally stable to be deployed again. That I had suicidal tendencies," Naruto said honestly.
"Naruto..." Shinki said shocked.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Utakata asked.
"I didn't know how to," Naruto said.
"Naruto... you can talk to us about anything. We all understand what you went through." Shinki said.
"That's why I'm telling you now," Naruto said.
"So why didn't you tell her that you can't be deployed again?" Utakata asked.
"Because I want her to be brave about it. I don't want her to know I can't be deployed again and I really don't want her to know the reason I can't be." Naruto said.
"So, you want her to make the choice instead?" Tobirama said.
"Yeah," Naruto said.
"I think that is the right thing to do," Utakata said with a smile.
"Thanks," Naruto said shocked.
"Don't look so shocked, it took my wife years to get used to the fact that I was in the army and she hated it but she loved me so she dealt with it," Utakata said. "If she is meant to be with you, she will accept you," Utakata said.
"The day I get relationship advice from you," Naruto said laughing.
"Rude I am happily married for nine years I will have you know," Utakata said.
"She must be an amazing woman to deal with you," Shinki said making Naruto and Tobirama laugh.
"That's not funny, but she is an amazing woman. She even talked about wanting to live here because she loves bugs and this place has big wildlife." Utakata said.
"Oh, so she's weird like you," Tobirama said nodding his head.
"What about you Tobi?" Utakata asked.
"I don't have a wife but my sister in law she is living in the town part of this village so I have been here since I got back," Tobirama said.
"Oh yeah we did live in Konoha together," Naruto said.
"Yeah, we should hang out more often," Tobirama said.
"No fair," Utakata whined.
"It's not our fault you live in another place." Tobirama huffed making Naruto and Shinki laugh.
The night was good for the four of them and as much as Naruto wanted to not think about that dream, he couldn't help it.
"Later Naruto," they all said as they dropped him off.
"Bye see you three on Friday," Naruto said before going into the house.
Temari was awake and watching T.V.
"Hey I'm back," Naruto said.
"Hey want to talk about your night?" Shikamaru said as he walked to where his wife was sitting.
"Yeah," Naruto said with a smile and walked to the living room with Shikamaru.
He stayed with them and they always seemed to understand something even Naruto couldn't so he was relieved. They never asked questions that were hard on him or did anything to make him freaked out so it was easy for him here.
"Suke called by the way and said that you should call her when you get back home," Temari said as he was getting up.
"Why didn't she call me?" Naruto asked.
"Because she wanted to give you some time to spends with your friends. She said to just tell you to call her when you get home," Temari said.
"Thanks," Naruto said and walked up to his room.
He pulled out his phone quickly and started to call her excited to hear her voice after a long day.
(Phone Call)
"Hey," Suke said.
"Hi," Naruto said biting his lip.
"What are you doing?" Suke asked sounding tired.
"Just got back about to lie down," Naruto said. "How was your day?" Naruto asked.
"It was good. I had a lot of meetings today that made me feel too tired to want to deal with again tomorrow," Suke said.
"Are you tired?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah but I want to hear about your day with your friends?" Suke said sighing in relief he believes.
"It was fun. I can't wait to see you on Friday," Naruto said.
"Me too but call me in the morning or I will call you at lunch because I got to get some sleep," Suke said softly.
"Okay... I love you," Naruto said.
"I love you too," Suke said.
"Good night," Naruto said.
"Good night Naruto," Suke said and then they hung up.
(Phone Call End)
Naruto felt a strong hold on his chest being lifted like he didn't have a weight on him anymore and that made him relieved. He fell on his bed and for some reason, he fell asleep right away that night and slept a dreamless sleep for once.
Reviews...
Moving one step at a time.