CHAPTER V

Friends Again

Everything had changed.

He knew that once Sakura hesitantly told him what had happened while he was gone: how he was found, impaled by the solitude of the forest, half dead and strangely rigid from head to limb, how they told her that he was trapped in an unpredictable coma that could last for years, how she had wept for him until she couldn't weep anymore… and one of those particular news served as an unbearable breaking point.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she had said, he looked at her with his injured pair of eyes,

"There's nothing to be sorry about Sakura-chan," he gasped, trying to cover his hurt,

Perhaps he was gone for a bit too long this time.

Naruto didn't move while she told him some of the essential things that had gone through Konoha: some of their friends had married, some of them had kids, some of them died, some of them just generally became somebody else different, his tongue failed to speak and he didn't grimace while she said the things she said— he gave her a small grin instead, and after two days in the hospital, when he was finally freed from that sanitary prison, they hadn't made eye contact or met with each other ever since.

Sakura just stayed with him that day; even if they didn't talk at all she just stayed with him until she had to go home. He knew that their perfect bond and so called relationship was gone. Damaged to the point of hypocrisy, it was impossible to mend and it pained him to know that they will never feel what used to be solace.

His apartment was in shambles when he got home. It seriously needed dusting— and cleaning his trash-ridden floor would be cool too— but Naruto just stayed there, doing nothing but lie down on his bed and sulk to his heart's content. His liveliness left him the moment he lost his place and title in his life, and he planned to be like that until the end of his miserable, screwed life: and old man without any teeth, good looks, and color.

Naruto told himself that he was too late and that the reason for his survival was miserably lost forever, much to his bitterness inside. He hid his feelings behind a mask of courage, recovery, and fractured joy—but he was devastatingly howling inside; he cast away all forms of content and felt estranged in this part of the universe he used to call home.

Because Sakura was already married to the person he would least expect.

And that person happened to be the new Hokage of the Leaf, the very position he lived for.

Earlier on Shikamaru arrived on his door, and told him that the Hokage wanted to see him… good ol' Shikamaru. How could he refuse somebody who barely changed over the passing of time?

In other words Shikamaru was still the lazy bum he was five years ago.

"So," Shikamaru murmured, "How're you doing?"

"Oh, fine," Naruto said, his voice giving off some sort of strange euphoria, "Just peachy,"

"You could just bail out on Hokage-sama." Shikamaru said after minutes of stillness, "I could tell him that you're not feeling well and all,"

Naruto stared at him, surprised that he actually made an effort, "But that would just be too troublesome soo— sorry. You needed to get out of that stinkin' dump, though."

Much, MUCH better.

"Gee, thanks," Naruto mumbled while Shikamaru patted his back, just like he used to do,

"It's good to have you back, Naruto," It was at these moments which made him feel special. Shikamaru wasn't that close to him before, but they were close to the point that they were also thought up as a good team, and were usually brought together whenever there was a very difficult mission that the Godaime (aka. oba-chaan) couldn't deal with because of other certain important situations.

They talked for a few more minutes until they reached the building where the new Rokudaime was clearly working. Naruto told him that he was better off going in there alone, and accepted to be left with his thoughts and apprehension. So Shikamaru tentatively bade him good luck.

Naruto cynically thought to himself that it was kind of insulting for the new 'Hokage-sama' to invite him to his office after his recuperation, but now that Naruto was walking to Hokage-sama's office he knew that he was marching on to the point of no return. He MUST face him somehow, since the Rokudaime was, in one way or another, mind-bogglingly respected.

It was like a dream where he didn't care about everything around him because he simply didn't WANT to care, and all he could see was the door in front of his face which needed opening. Even the pain which reverberated in his body was outmatched by the excruciating ache he felt in his heart, because every time it pumped blood in his arteries he felt the world turn black.

Right now, the door in front of him was colorless and bland, and was screaming at him like some annoying banshee, telling him that it wanted to be opened right away.

Breath— in… out… relax…

His fingers shook as he reached for the knob but paused once again, his arms stretched in front of him, poised to open the door. The strength in his palms suddenly disappeared and he just stood there like a stone-cold statue of bitterness.

He finally opened the door.

The Rokudaime was still engrossed in some paper work which piled on his desk like miniature towers, looking like it could topple on his head at any moment.

'Puh, I wish…'

He couldn't help but feel that the very reason he was being ignored right now was because both of them weren't ready to face each other in different terms. They still have different outlooks in life, and both views were just about to clash which can create deadly sparks at any moment— nothing unusual for them both.

The new Hokage tried to be docile, though, which heavily contrasted to Naruto's behavior: tense, furious, and not to mention heavily breathing like a bull.

"After all these years, Naruto, this is how we meet again: with contempt," he said, his eyes still stuck on the document he was still scratching on,

"I guess so, Hokage-sama," Naruto said, trying to cover up his pent up emotions which he couldn't confine anymore,

"I just called you here to tell you that you have two weeks of rest and after that…"

"Don't lie to me Hokage-sama. I know very well why you called me here,"

He finally stopped writing and had enough courage to look into Naruto's eyes and see fire. The man didn't flinch, but his face did wield that innocent look he used to have before that dark period of their lives, which spilt out like some continuous flow of dominoes in their minds.

A tension filled pause engulfed the humungous room, suffocating both of them at once, "Sakura told me about how you reacted, and I guess that being in a coma for five years must've been a drag." He said with a smirk, which disappeared as quickly as it came, "She always visited you, anyway, and I guess everybody will be happy to see you again,"

"I hope so," Naruto said incoherently,

In this time of his life Naruto felt that the world around him rotated on the other direction, he couldn't think of anything else but what he was doing right now. This man stole everything from him; everything that he ever wanted, everything that he ever dreamed off, everything that he ever lived for. His dreams were stolen by some mere recaptured 'hero' who decided to repent all of his crimes and get back where he left off, on the right time in the right place.

HIS place.

"Nobody has forgotten you, Naruto,"

"We'll see."

Another silence filled the air with a thickness which failed to ebb away, "I'm…"

"Just screw the sorry business and tell me what the hell happened," Naruto bitterly said,

Uchiha Sasuke seemed to understand him, looking apologetic enough even if his face was entirely unreadable, "Somebody attacked Konoha years ago, and I was the one who came back and… drove them away. While doing so I was given amnesty and also gained everybody's trust ever since…"

"And you gathered everybody's esteem, right?"

… silence…

"Everything has changed—"

"No shit,"

"Naruto, I'VE changed. I know that I did some stupid things before, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Yeah, right, how am I supposed to believe that when, in one bloody day before I apparently got into the stupid coma, you tried to 'DESTROY' me with your usual crap, and now here you are… a frikkin' monument of the leaf," he spat, "I gotta hand it to you, you handled the grudge you had against me quite well."

That burst of emotion was totally uncalled for, but otherwise Sasuke still tried to stay placid, "I forgave you for that many years ago, because I knew that you did what you had to do to protect everything and everyone who protected you. I know that you've given up on me…"

"No, Sasuke," Naruto said, "YOU gave up on us, remember?"

"I didn't have a choice, I was confused. I wanted to do what I thought I was supposed to do, so I did what I did and it's all in the past. THIS is what's happening now, Naruto, you can't run away from it."

How DARE he!

"No, YOU did this on purpose. You knew that you had a chance of revenge without me getting back at you, and then you saw my life dangle like some meat on a string and took it for yourself. How in the world did you get here unscathed, huh?"

"Don't pin your blame on me, Uzumaki, I DIDN'T take your so called life because IT was the one who took me. I didn't even know your condition before I got here!"

"You frikkin' asshole! Do you think I'm that much of a pimp to believe you? What did you do? Wake up one day, save the Leaf and decided to get merry with Sakura in bed!"

Play with fire and get burned—

"If you can't accept it you must because nobody can ever change that," Sasuke returned,

"Oh I'll accept it," Naruto angrily stood up, "Over YOUR dead BODY! Good thing that you didn't poison me while I was out… oh, wait, that's right, WOULD IT LOWER YOU? So you just pretended to be the good little angel you are and steal what's supposed to be MINE?"

"Oh, great, there I was trying to be frank with you, and you just kill the moment with your usual idiotic—"

"Oh, you're calling ME an idiot?" Naruto spat, "Well you're just OBTUSE! HOW'S THAT FOR AN IDIOT?"

"I did this out of HARD WORK!" Sasuke pressed, also standing up as if he was tackling headfirst against Naruto's insolence, "I became who I am today because I've put my brother behind me and I wanted to be somebody else than an avenger. I'm OVER that now, why don't YOU get over YOURS!"

"Well I find that hard to believe," Naruto shakily sighed, he turned his back on the fuming Uchiha and covered his face with both of his hands, looking like a lost child instead of some adult who lost five years of his life. He paced left and right, seemingly not withstanding his existence anymore since it was taken by somebody else who was eventually more AWAKE than he was at that time.

"Why don't you just let our differences go instead of…" Sasuke sighed, aggravated, "Instead of acting all immature and self-centered,"

He ran his fingers through his blonde hair which used to be filled with life but now paled in comparison. He felt old and lost… how was he supposed to pick up his life and start over? "You're not the only one who worked hard here," he muttered, "I sacrificed life and limb…"

"And you can do that again because I know you. You never gave up, why should you give up now?"

And then it snapped:a willful feeling suddenly burned through his gut and exploded into some monstrous, powerful force which Naruto himself couldn't deny. It felt right and wrong at the same time, and he must admit that he liked it. He couldn't describe it, but what went into his head in that moment of volatile feelings was that it felt like a drug. The air around them grew red, and an invisible force drove the Hokage's paper-work into a tornado filled with chaos and hate. On the other hand, Sasuke still stood his ground, his face still impassive and defiant to Naruto's fury.

"— BECAUSE YOU STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Naruto roared, literally— the fox demon's roar…

That tumultuous resonance made a small invisible explosion coming from Naruto's heaving body. The articles which floated around them in an angry circle followed the explosion; jolting back, away from both of them before it flew in reverse on Sasuke's desk as if nothing had happened.

Naruto failed to believe it. He was utterly manipulated by his anger… and the Nine-tails. It scared him to think that he did what he did. That explosive form of anger was something he never witnessed until now as his face revealed a strong disturbance as his chest violently heaved, his breath materializing in small forms of gasps. He just couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it.

"I'm willing to repent since…" Sasuke, looked down on his feet, "Since I seemingly stole 'everything' from you," Sasuke lowered his head remorsefully, "I'm sorry…"

"No," Naruto said, "I will never forgive us both for being too weak from our stupidity."

They looked at each other in silence, Naruto with despair and Sasuke with poignant eyes. At least they understood each other in some strange way.

"I never forgave you, Sasuke," Naruto said, "Even if Sakura eventually did, I won't."

"And I will ALWAYS have a grudge against you, Naruto, not just because you killed my brother, but because you assumed me to be lower than dirt." Sasuke said, "I was stupid to ask for your forgiveness,"

"You shouldn't have called me here, for Sakura's sake,"

"… for Sakura's sake, we must patch this up before it consumes us—"

"But we'll always be enemies…"

… It was some sort of a twisted mutual agreement between them.

AN: I am SO evil, MUAHAHAH! Oh well, that's life. Plus this is a part of the mystery, although I promise you guys a VERY good ending. I'm already thinking of Naruto and Sakura's kid in the sequel! Oh, plus, madnarutofan, if you're reading this... I LOVE YOU! Man, I just looved your review XD. I couldn't help but jump for joy, dude, you're cool. By the way, is that e-mail of yours your real e-mail?

... OH, right, I don't own Naruto and please review... wasn't that a bit lame? Oh well...