Author: Shimizu Asuka
Story: Deceptions
Chapter: 14
Title: Because Its What You Would Have Wanted

In The Last Chapter: Naruto heads off on a yearlong mission and leaves Sasuke all alone. Sasuke falls apart and confines himself to his bed.

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Because Its What You Would Have Wanted

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A few months after Naruto left it was Sasuke's birthday. Sasuke spent the day like he did all the others. Lying in bed thinking of what he had. Trying to think of what he did to deserve what had happened to him. What had driven Naruto away? If only he hadn't left. Then everything would be normal.

Was it wrong for Sasuke to still love Naruto even after all that he had gone through because of him?

A part of him said yes. But the other said to give Naruto his time and surely he would realize how much he loved Sasuke.

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"Yo."

"What do you want Kakashi? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Busy doing what? Staring the sheets clean... Come on Sasuke, Tsunade wants to talk to you."

"I don't care."

"Sasuke, she said that it was important. It's regarding your future in the village of Konoha."

"I have no future without Naruto. I loved him and he left me like I... like what we had... was nothing."

"Naruto would have had a good reason."

"I'd really like to hear it."

"Come with me Sasuke. Go see Tsunade."

"Fine. If that's what it takes for you to leave me alone then I'll go."

A few minutes later; sure enough Sasuke and Kakashi were walking through the streets of Konoha to the Hokage tower.

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"Come in," Tsunade said when she heard a knock on her door. "Ah, Sasuke your here. Kakashi would you excuse us?"

"Of course Hokage-sama," Kakashi said exiting the room.

"What did you want Tsunade-sama?" Sasuke said with a cold look in his eyes. The trademark Sasuke glare. The old, cold and full of arrogance Sasuke who he had become in the past months without Naruto. He wore only a black t-shirt (no high collar) and black shorts. His skin had paled more and his eyes colder. His hair was grown out a little more and he was taller. There were unattractive bags under his eyes that took away from his masculine and sexy look. She knew that Sasuke didn't care about looking sexy anymore because he didn't even bother spiking his hair. It was long and he didn't want to tie it up; because he never wanted to look like Itachi. He was just begging for Naruto to come back, it's a shame because Naruto would not go back on his decision.

"Right to business then," Tsunade said looking at some papers on her desk. "It has been a while since you've been on any missions and I'm getting worried about you. He wouldn't want to see you waste away like this Sasuke. I'm sure that if you can get over this little bump in the road then you can do great things."

"What would you know about what Naruto wants me to do. You didn't know him like I did," Sasuke said with a burning look in his eyes.

"Now, now Sasuke; I didn't call you here so that you could be angry at me."

"Then what did you want?"

"I wanted to promote you to a higher level of ninja. But to do that you have to show me that you are still capable of doing missions and associating with people; because it is a guarantee that in this line of work you will have to go undercover and you cannot always be cold and reserved."

"You want to promote me?"

"Yes. Is that really a surprise?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I believe that you have the potential to be something more then a piece of flesh that can't even get out of bed. I would love to promote you but I need to know that it won't be a mistake."

"I'll do it. But not because I want to be an asset to the village."

Because that's what Naruto would have wanted me to do.

That is what both were thinking as Sasuke took the list of missions from the Hokage.

"Oh and Sasuke, Happy birthday," the woman said as she handed him a gift.

Sasuke accepted it with a less then warm thanks and took his mission list and his present back home.

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Sasuke walked into his kitchen. He had been assaulted by rabid fan girls on his way home and it hadn't been pretty. He had escaped with his life. But he knew that one of these days those girls were going to strangle him with their supposed 'love'. Just because Naruto wasn't in the village didn't mean that he would go and pick one of the girls. The way they swooned over him now was just like they did before. When he was twelve. That goes to show you the wonders of evolution.

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Sasuke finished all the missions in a matter of a week; which was no easy feat with all those girls trying helplessly to win some kind of love from Sasuke. Sometimes Sasuke wished they treated him like they did Naruto. Ignored and left alone. That was all he really wanted.

Sasuke went back to the Hokage tower and reported the missions complete. Tsunade looked a little surprised to see all the missions done but did not complain and paid Sasuke how much was owed to him. She then gave him the details for his next mission.

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Sasuke sighed as he opened the door to his home and went into the kitchen to get a drink. Things looked the same. The same empty house; the same lonely life.

'Maybe if I had talked to Naruto things might've been different.'

But he hadn't and the world was not going to stop because he was grieving over what had happened. It wasn't like Naruto had died and left him. He was going to come back.

'But he won't be mine.'

How he wished that he could've seen Naruto one last time before he left. Talked to him one last time. What would he have said? Was there anything left to say or was he just being selfish?

'Naruto doesn't want to see me anymore; so I have to move on with my life.'

Sasuke found his way through the house in the dark. It was silent; the only sound in the whole house was his footsteps and water dripping onto the floor.

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He went into Sasuke's house. He crept up the stairs and felt something wet on his bare feet. Was Sasuke crying?

His question was answered by sobs and some quiet calls for Naruto. He stopped deciding that Sasuke might not want an unexpected visitor at the moment.

"No, Naruto don't leave me again." A whimper that came from the room that Sasuke occupied.

He turned around and decided to watch Sasuke from outside. It would be easier for now.

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'Sasuke, my love, how beautiful your skin looks in the moonlight. Milky white and smooth. How I long to touch it. How I long to take you. How I wish you were not in so much pain.'

"Until next time my precious Sasuke." and then the shadow disappeared into the night until he wanted to be seen again.

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Sasuke looked at the tree outside his window. He could've sworn that there was someone there. He felt as if there had been someone watching him outside his window. How strange. Even though it was warm out Sasuke closed the window and the curtains.

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Sasuke groaned as he rolled out of bed. It was early and he wanted to go back to sleep but his body didn't want to let him. He went downstairs and into the kitchen to get something to eat.

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Sasuke went outside for a walk. He went to a secluded place so that he wasn't smothered by his fan girls. He wasn't so sure that he wanted to be alone in the woods after last night but he had to be alone here, at home or glomped by fan girls in town. He'd rather be here since he'd been in his house for the past few months.

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'Sasuke, its not safe to be so alone. You've let your guard down? When will you learn? Shame I can't teach you now, but I must go, very important business to attend to. I'll be by later though, and maybe I'll let you see me.'

Sasuke whipped around. He felt a small wave of chakra and then it was gone. This was just getting creepy. Was someone following him? Or could this possibly a coincidence? Sasuke didn't think it was much of a coincidence, he was getting a little scared now. He was all alone. He hadn't felt so alone in his life. If only he hadn't met Naruto. Things would've been different.

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--To Be Continued--

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A/N: Who is the guy who's following our poor Sasuke?

In the Next Chapter: Will the man following Sasuke finally reveal himself? Will it give Sasuke the answers that he is looking for or will it leave more questions?

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