14
Disclaimer. Is Naruto still wearing too many clothes? Yes? Alors, il n'est pas a moi.
I'm not sure I got Chouji right, but hey, gotta cheer for big boned people! Eventually everyone will finish by passing through the story, but Ican't promise in how much depth, if you have a preference let me know, I'll write them in.
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Team bonding how things have changed !
Uchiha Compound
Sasuke had had second and third thoughts about moving back here from his small childhood appartment, but in the end, what better place to live in solitude?
That night Naruto had turned up at his door being loud as usual. Sakura was still up to her eyeballs studying the chakra blockers, and going over the reports she'd done on the carnage, so Naruto had decided to inflict his presence on Sasuke. Even more unfortunately he'd had a party to go to. Sasuke had refused of course and violence had almost broken out. Suddenly Naruto had stopped with a cunning look on his face.
"If you don' say yes, I'll tell Sakura-chan that you need lookin' in on."
Sasuke had choked a little thinking of what that tornado in female form would do to him if she thought he was in anything except tip top condition after being healed by her only one week ago. He'd grumbled but the steely glint in Naruto's eye told him that Naruto knew his weakness too well. Sasuke would do alot to avoid mixing Sakura into his life more than was necessary. Even if it pricked to see the hurt in her eyes when he pushed her away. He was good at hurt.
The party had turned out to be a secret drinking bash that needed a place to be held. And the empty Uchiha compound was a hell of a place for a party.
Kiba had managed to swipe a load of beer and had generously decided that as a rite of passage, they should all try the stuff together. History of seeing what all the fuss was about.
It had ended up Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba (and Akamaru, much bigger now,) Shino, Chouji, and Shikamaru who hadn't promised to do anything. They hadn't been brave enough to ask Lee, and Neji was on training.
After a slow start, due to the nasty flavour of the beer, they soon started to feel very happy; Naruto sat on the ground in front of the main house a silly smile on his face, half empty beer bottle held in one hand, a mostly empty one in the other. Kiba lay sideways propped up on one elbow, batting his empty bottles with his hands in an excess of energy, Shino sat impassive against a verander pole, still in his jacket despite the end of summer heat. Chouji was still sipping experimentally at his first beer,the gourmet in him was complaining. Shikamaru had immediately lain back and closed his eyes, an unopened bottle beside him.
Akamaru finished lapping his share up and suddenly let out a loud doggy burp. Kiba started roaring with laughter, Naruto joined in, Shino raised an eyebrow, Chouji grinned, Shikamaru tried his best to ignore them all. Quietly Sasuke sat a little back, occasionally sipping his own beer. He was aware that not everyone there was happy he was there, it was evidence of Naruto's influence that they were here at all. Sasuke was sure there was Sakura's hand in this somewhere. Maybe not the beer, Sasuke thought raising the bottle to his lips, but the party, and his not being alone. It had Sakura's meddling written all over it.
He wished she'd just leave his shitty life to himself. She didn't need to work herself into a lather over it. It was better if she and Naruto just got on with their own lives.
Before he could sink any further into a familiar black hole a small stone whapped him on the forehead.
"Stop it." He grumbled, not even bothering to look up.
Predicably another followed the first. Then a third, the fourth ended up easily captured in his hand. A dark look in his eye Sasuke glared at the assembled young men.
"Oi, you're the host, gettus something ta eat!" Kiba commanded.
Akamaru gave an affirmative yelp.
"I want watermelon!" Chouji added.
"Meat, barbeque!" Kiba yelled.
"Yeah! Barbeque!" Chouji agreed, eyes burning. "With sauce, and extra spice, and rice, and.."
"Chee, Chouji sit down, it's too hot to get worked up, even over food." Shikamaru complained.
"Ramen!" Naruto said punching the sky spilling some of his beer. "Any flavour, I'm easy."
Sasuke half sighed, half grumbled as he got to his feet, at least this way he'd get some peace and quiet for a while.
"I'm not promising anything, but I'll see what I've got." Passing the still silent Shino, Sasuke asked. "You got any requests for my limited pantry?"
Shino shrugged a shoulder and drank some more beer. Sasuke shrugged a shoulder in return and entered into the cool interior.
Sasuke looked neither left nor right at the mostly empty living room, his parents hadn't been big on furniture when they were alive, and now that only he lived there he saw no need to decorate the place. He passed a little vase of dried wilted flowers, a house warming gift from Sakura. When she'd heard that he was moving back, she'd tried to move in too. When that failed she'd tried to redecorate the place, when that failed she'd given him the vase of Azalea flowers. The woman was inexhaustable. To shut her up he'd put them in the living room, and then never looked at them again. Sakura had smiled a little when he'd taken them, though he'd rather have strangled her on the spot. Grumbling to himself as he spotted them out of the corner of his eye, he promised himself he'd throw the damn things out.
In the kitchen he scrounged around looking for enough plates for everyone, piling things onto a platter he remembered he did have a little meat, and a small watermelon he'd meant to save for a really hot evening. Looking in the rice cooker he found it empty. Sighing he took out the inside pot, scrubbed it clean then added the rice and water before setting it to cook again. Digging around again, he found some half rotten vegetables that he chucked out, then of all things the fish he'd brought that morning. Tossing them onto the platter he stood up then moved back out through the main room onto the verandah again.
Naruto jumped up to help him unload things. Chouji took charge of the water melon whipping a little kunai knife out and chopping the melon expertly.
"Oi, there's no ramen!" Naruto complained, crossing his arms glaring at Sasuke as if he'd deliberately arranged this.
"Shove your ramen." Sasuke told him.
"Oi, this stuff's raw. I can't eat this." Kiba grumbled.
"What d'ya think I am? Your bloody maid? Cook it yourself or starve." Sasuke growled back.
"Hmm, no vegetables either." Shikamaru noted from the ground.
"Whaddya want green stuff for?" Naruto asked handing things over to Chouji.
"Unlike you Naruto, I'm trying to avoid future health problems when I'm an old man." Shikamaru complained.
"You are an old man, old man." Kiba snickered.
Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow as in a rare spurt of energy he replied to the snickering Naruto and Kiba.
"Old man jounin you mean."
Grumbling under their breaths Kiba and Naruto glowered at everything and anything. Both felt they had been cheated when Shikamaru had become a Jounin and not them.
Sasuke found he didn't give a damn, just like when he'd been a genin, he didn't care what level he had. He wasn't aiming for anything anyway.
"There's rice coming." Sasuke said to noone in particular.
"And the meat? Akamaru can eat this but I like my meat burnt up a little." Kiba asked more loudly than he needed to.
"Humpf." Sasuke started gathering the small pieces of wood that he always had around from so much breaking practice.
"Heh heh," Naruto chuckled. "You forget, you're talking to the great Uchiha Sasuke. Gentlemen I give you the human match." Indicating Sasuke Naruto grinned broadly at the others.
Kiba scratched behind his ear at the same moment as Akamaru. Shikamaru looked on bored, Chouji bit into a slice of melon, Shino sipped his beer.
Sasuke groaned under the load of an idiot for a teammate. A little self consciense he gathered his chakra and formed the seals. A modest fireball lit the grouping of wood. Kiba lifted his lip.
"Is that all? I've seen bigger farts from Akamaru."
Sasuke twitched.
"Oi! Lets cook!" Chouji appeared, the fish already speared, and the meat sitting in a bowl of marinade also already on little skewers. Looking behind Chouji, the others saw a neatly laid picnic blanket, with melon, snacks, cups for the beer and a salad waiting to be eaten.
"Eh? Where'd that come from?" Naruto asked trying to search his memory for any clues.
"Heh, an Akimichi is always prepared." Chouji said modestly.
Shikamaru shrugged his shoulder's at the other's shocked faces and set about eating some snacks.
"I keep telling you guys not to underestimate Chouji." Skikamaru said lazily.
"Ah shut up old man." Kiba said digging into the snacks. "Who wants more beer?"
Naruto thought about saying no, after all his stomach was queasy already and the stuff tasted awful. A look at Kiba's smirk as he opened a third bottle with his teeth decided him for at least one more, then he could retire and still keep his manly pride.
Taking one, Naruto twisted the cap off with his hand, swallowing the pain from the sharp ridges. Naruto-Kiba 1-1. Grinning at Kiba, Naruto tossed back a gulp of beer. The bitter liquid hit the back of his throat too fast. Naruto thumped his chest and coughed in a manly fashion, manly tears in his eyes. Kiba roared with laughter, Akamaru joined in from where he was sitting next to Chouji calmly cooking the meat and fish.
"Geez Naruto, even Akamaru's laughing at you." Shikamaru complained from his prone position.
"Ah Shaddup." Naruto complained taking a small prudent sip of his beer.
"Oi, Shikamaru, you ain't touched yours yet. Whadda you waiting for?" Kiba said.
"Chee, if my mum smells beer on me, she'll kill me. It ain't worth it." Shikamaru said eyes closed, hands behind his head.
Naruto and Kiba looked at each other eyebrows raised. As one they jumped on the prone ninja, Kiba grabbed his arms and the unopened bottle. Naruto grabbed for Shikamaru's legs trying to hold him still. Using his teeth again Kiba opened the bottle. Shikamaru roared and tried to out twist them, but for all he was a Jounin, this was dirty ground fighting, and the two chuunins were very determined, bigger, and heavier than him. Shikamaru tried turning his head away but Kiba forced the bottle in between his teeth.
"If ya don't swallow it, it'll just pour all over you and then your Mum'll really smell it." Naruto warned.
Looking daggers at the two others, Shikamaru took a swallow of beer. Which nearly choked him as the bottle was vertical. Released from the death grip, Shikamaru sat up pounding his chest.
"There you go!" Kiba said in a friendly fashion, slapping Shikamaru on the back.
The slap sent Shikamaru tumbling forward. A snicker came from Shino. Turning to look at him the others realised they'd forgotton about him in his corner.
"Oi, Shino! You smashed yet?" Kiba asked grinning.
"Nah, my bugs convert the alchool too fast." He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I'd need to drink alot and fast before I got drunk."
"Is that a challenge?" Kiba asked.
Pulling another large box of beer from under the veranda. Shino raised his eyebrow.
"Yeah! We challenge your bugs to a drinkin' challenge!" Naruto said half way through his third bottle.
"We who?" Shikamaru asked suspiciously.
"Everyone!" Naruto said feeling expansive. "It's us 'gainst the bugs!" Naruto hopped to his feet and started a jig singing, 'us 'gainst the bugs, us 'gainst the bugs!'
"You are drunk."Sasuke said from beside the fire.
"An' you're a prick, Sasuke!" Naruto said still half happy, even broody head Sasuke couldn't bring him down now!
Beer was wonderful!
Sasuke considered beating him over the head a couple of times.
"Chee I ain't doing no drinking challenge, too much like work." Shikamaru complained about to lie down again.
Kiba and Naruto looked at him.
"Cheeee, you guys are a pain in the ass." Grumbling about a lack of respect, Shikamaru sat back up and took his bottle in both hands.
Kiba and Naruto turned to look at Sasuke and Chouji.
"You guys are annoying." Chouji said. "Does it have to be beer? It's pretty nasty stuff."
"BEER!" Naruto and Kiba announced side by side. Sasuke wondered if it was too late to run, even Sakura fussing over him seemed like a better option.
"Sasuke..."Naruto warned raising his little finger, the international symbol for girlfriend, in this case threatening Sasuke with Sakura.
"Yeah, Sasuke..."Kiba copied raising his little finger.
Thoughts broke through the haze of alchool. Kiba looked at his little finger, raised in the international symbol for girlfriend, and then at Sasuke. Shikamaru followed his eyes, as did Chouji, and Shino.
"Ooooooo." All the boys intoned. Kiba being a little ahead said.
"You've got a girl-" Sasuke grabbed his throat before he could finish and sat down quickly in the circle.
"LET'S DRINK!" He said loudly and a little desperately.
Chouji arranged the cooking meat and fish and then took a spot next to Shikamaru. The others giggled or snorted depending on how drunk they felt.
Shino obligingly shifted over to them and picked up an unopened bottle. In a feeling of rare comradeship the young men raised their bottles up.
"BEER!" Yelled Kiba, Naruto,Chouji, and Shino.
"Beer." Said Sasuke in a slightly depressed voice.
"Chee." Said Shikamaru. Naruto and Kiba shot him a look.
"Beer." Shikamaru corrected.
Later, Uchiha compound.
Shino was sitting impassive in his coat a circle of empty bottles around him. Kiba was flat on his back snoring the snore of the very drunk. Akamaru was beside him chomping on what was left of the meat left unguarded next to the fire.
Naruto swayed on the spot, trying to coordinate enough to keep drinking, muttering 'us 'gainst the bugs'. Chouji sat next to Shikamaru (who somehow still had his original bottle of beer unfinished) his face green. Sasuke half sat, half leaned back a dizzy feeling in his head, and a most curious sensation of freedom. His thoughts roamed everywhere pulled this way and that, by someone running just ahead. It was the strangest thing he'd ever felt.
Shino got up and kicked Kiba hard in the shoulder.
"Wake up stupid."
Kiba snorted one last time then opened a bleary eye.
"Oi, wha' chu wan'?" He mumbled trying to find a comfortable position on the ground.
"To tell you, you lost."
Kiba harumphed, and opened his eyes again.
"Oi, Sasuke! I need a piss. Where's your bathroom?" He dragged himself to his feet.
"Pissin da gard'n K'ba." Naruto said letting the last bottle fall.
"I ain't an animal!" Kiba growled. Akamaru growled, Kiba shot him an apologetic look.
"The first door after this room." Sasuke said.
"I need a bathroom too."Chouji said in a whispery voice.
"Uh, there's another upstair, third door on the right."
"Well den I'll pissin da gard'n." said Naruto standing up loosening his pants.
"Na-ru-to!" Sasuke growled. "I don't want my place to smell like bloody piss because you
can't hold on. Just wait for Kiba to finish."
Growling himself Naruto walked over the closed door and started pounding on it.
"Oi, 'urry up I needa piss too!"
Deciding he wouldn't mind a little bathroom time, Sasuke stood up and wandered into the living room again. Waiting for Chouji, he sat down on the couch, happy to get off his feet as his head wouldn't stop spinning. Beside him the sad looking vase of flowers sat. Leaning on the side of the couch Sasuke stared at the flowers dead dried heads.
"You look how I feel." He whispered drunkingly. "All dead and dry. Poor little flowers."
Slowly carefully he picked up the vase and cradled it in his hands.
"So little." He whispered. "Take care of yourself for me. That's what you mean. That's what she meant to say when she gave you to me."
Gently he touched a petal, it trembled an instant then fell onto the floor. Sasuke felt tears prick in his eyes.
"You see, I just break things, I'd just break her, again." Gently he placed them back on the table. "I'll throw you out tomorrow, no reason to keep you around."
A great tiredness overtook him and he slumped back into the couch. Chouji passing him broke him out of his reverie a little, and wandering a little side to side Sasuke climbed the stairs to the bathroom.
When he returned Kiba was bright red trying to shut Shino up, but Akamaru kept getting in the way.
"Shaddup! Stop lyin'!" He shouted.
"An' then, an' then..." Shino tried to speak around his laughs. "Hinata falls right on top of Kiba, and her father walks in! With Neji right behind him!" the other boys roared with laughter.
"'S'not funny!" Kiba shouted." They could've killed me!"
"Then you shouldn't be sneaking around in Hinata's house late at night!" Naruto crowed.
"I wasn't sneaking around!" Kiba cried out pained.
"Right, you were delivering your White Day gift. By the way did she like it?" Shikamaru asked eating melon.
"Don' know, never gave it to her, but now she thinks I'm a pervert!" Gnawing on his lip Kiba rocked back and forth.
"Ahh the trials of young love." Shino sighed.
"Shaddup! I'm not in love with her." Kiba yelled bright red.
"You so are." Chouji said.
"Whadda 'bout you big man?" Shino asked changing the focus away from the dying Kiba.
Chouji blushed lightly his hand buried in the snack bowl in the middle of the circle.
"Doesn't matter, she'd never like me." The boys sighed over the cruel nature of women.
"An' me, an' me? Don' you wanna know 'bout me?" Naruto asked grinning madly.
"Let's see, who could Naruto possibly be in love with?" Shikamaru said stroking his chin.
"Ummm, I think we know her. But I can't remember..." Chouji added also stroking his chin.
"Could be anyone, afterall Naruto plays his cards close to his chest." Shino said without the least trace of sarcasm in his voice.
"It's.." Naruto began.
"Sakura-chan." Sasuke stated flatly. Everyone looked around at Sasuke who sat on the veranda edge rather than join them on the grass.
"Yeah, an' you stay away from her you prick!" Naruto asserted puffing his chest out
"If you get her to love you, you'll have no problems from me. She's not one to have her head turned very easily."
"I will! I'm doing all the romantic stuff in Ero-sennin's books, she's gonna love me for sure. And I have my buttpants!" he said patting his form fitting pants, a gift from Ino.
His face turned red and a stupid grin plastered itself over his face.
"They're gonna make sure Sakura notices me. An' then, an'then we'll..." suddenly he seemed to notice the intent looks of the others.
"Heh, heh, heh," Naruto laughed scratching his head.
"So you're only interested in her body." Shino said shaking his head. "Women can smell that kind of thing."
"They can?" Naruto asked his eyes big. "An' I'm not only interested in her body, but it's definately part of it." The grin came back.
"Like you've ever even got close to feeling up Sakura, she'd kill you in a second flat." Sasuke said coldly.
"Have too!" Naruto asserted before realising what he'd just said. "Eh, that is, I mean..."
The others shifted closer, even Sasuke moved a little closer.
"You touched something?" Chouji asked.
"Feh, like what?" Shikamaru asked.
"Better not be her hand, we are past handholding being big." Shino warned.
Naruto tried to wave them off.
"Eh! Guys think about Sakura-chan! I mean, being a gentleman an' all, can't tell the secrets 'tween Sakura-chan an' me."
"Huh, it was nothing." Sasuke said "she wouldn't give up anything to you."
Naruto turned bright red.
"I touched her breast." Naruto practically whispered, turning more and more red.
Chouji's eyes grew round. Kiba grinned, even Shino maybe looked impressed. Sasuke leaned back against the veranda listening with half an ear. For all the world, completely bored.
"How? When, where?" Kiba asked.
"Hey! What d'ya think this is? I aint tellin' you jerks nothin'." Naruto said roughly, his cheeks still bright red.
"You better Naruto my man or I'm telling Sakura what you said." Shikamaru said slyly.
"Shikamaru! You wouldn't!" Naruto pulled his hair in crazed fear. "She'd kill me. And then she'd bring me back to kill me again!"
"You are so right!" Kiba yelled with laughter. "Whaddya choose such a hard chick for anyway? Ya shouldda choosed a chick like Hinata. All sof' an' timid." Kiba started mumbling to himself while the others stared.
"See you do love her." Shino said satifised
"Do not." Kiba said. Grinning he lay back on his elbows, dropping his head right back he looked at Sasuke.
"Sakura's not a hard chick." Naruto complained. "She rocks, when she does her med nin
stuff, and then she's all determined, an stuff..." Naruto trailed off.
"Well that explains the attraction." Shikamaru drawled.
"What I wanna know is who does Sasuke love?" Kiba said, a 'I love trouble' grin on his face.
"Sasuke loves noone." Sasuke stated glaring at Kiba.
"Man that's a shame, with your popularity ya couldda been getting some from whoever you wanted. 'Cept Hinata." Kiba added.
Sasuke shrugged and narrowed his eyes. Before Kiba could continue whittling away at the quietly steaming Sasuke, Akamaru suddenly started whining and turning in circles.
"A-akamaru? What's wrong?" Kiba asked trying to read anything into Akamaru's behaviour other than fear.
"What do you mean we're in trouble? I don't understand."
"I think I can explain what he means." A voice said.
A puff of smoke appeared next to Naruto who crawled quickly out of it's way.
"Yo." Kakashi said a bored look in his eye.
Naruto started a cold sweat, looking frantically for a hiding spot. Sasuke wondered if this was his punishment for being so supremely stupid as to have listened to a plan created by Naruto and Kiba together. Shikamaru dropped his head into his hands.
"Oh man, this is gonna cause so much trouble!" He groaned ready to give in.
Chouji crossed his arms and nodded his head in agreement, then turned a strong green from the movement. Shino looked around glad that his bugs had already eliminated all the alcohol from his system, like that they couldn't prove anything anyway. Kiba started to frantically hide bottles.
"You wouldn't be hiding the evidence now would you?" Shikamaru's Dad drawled appearing under a tree. "That would cause more work. And my idiot son has given me enough work for one day."
Kiba stopped hiding turning red and then white depending on whether he felt more embarrased or drunk.
"Kiba! I'm ashamed of you!" A women's voice boomed out. Kiba curled into a ball then tried to frantically crawl away.
"Aw no, not Mum too!" A hand hooked his hood holding the boy still, Kiba still trying desperately to crawl away.
"Oh Kiba, after all I've taught you, how could you shame me like this, just wait till I get you back to the house young man!" the voice continued turning high and false.
Kiba paused in his attempt for freedom and turned his head.
"Gai-sensei!"
Gai flicked his hand tossing Kiba back onto his butt easily.
"That's right! And though I understand a young man's zeal to be an adult, some things are just not right! How happy I am that my dear Lee is not here following your shameful example!" Gai sensei struck a pose (you know the sort). "Don't ruin your young healthy bodies with alcohol, you need to stay strong if you're ever to become a ninja like me."
Gai pointed dramatically at Kakashi's bored face and Shikamaru's Dad's listless figure.
"Just look at your future if you continue this shameless path of drunken behaviour!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow, Shikamaru's Dad hung his head shaking it from side to side.
The group of boys looked slowly between the examples of a ninja who drinks and a ninja who never drank. Or so he said. Before one of the boys could make a smart remark, Iruka-sensei appeared in a puff of smoke over the still cowering Naruto.
"NARUTO!" He yelled, his chakra embued voice created a strong wind in the garden.
Naruto backpedalled as fast as he could seeking shelter behind Sasuke.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? YOU KNOW DRINKNG AT YOUR AGE IS FORBIDDEN AND DANGEROUS AND WHAT'S MORE..." the wind was threatening to bring up small trees by the roots when Kakashi clapped a hand onto his shoulder.
"Iruka! Why don't you take Naruto home and you can really let him know what an idiot he is." Kakashi said offering the trembling ninja on a plate.
"Kakashi-sensei! How couldya aband'n me like this?" Naruto was heard to wail as Iruka dragged him off by the collar making strident remarks about promised punishments.
Kakashi sighed and regarded the remaining miscreants.
"Gai? Why don't you take Kiba and Shino home. If you boys thought you were getting off lightly just because your fathers are away on mission think again. I'm sure your mothers have a few things to say to you." Kakashi said.
"I also have a few things to say to you young boys, I only hope that you'll heed my words and abstain from this path of ruin and destruction." Gai promised, tears of feveur in his eyes.
Kiba started shaking from the thought, even Shino looked disturbed. As a pair their shoulders slumped in defeat as Gai started to regal them wth tales of hopeless loss and depression caused by the evil drink. They shuffled off towards the gate.
"Cheee. Well I'll take these two home. Chôuji, your father is at home waiting for you, he's busy consoling your mother who thinks you're an alcoholic. Shikamaru, Mum's waiting for us at home. Now we're both gonna get it." Shikamaru's Dad slumped at the thought walking towards the gate not bothering to check if they were following him. "Cheee, this could take all night, she's really pissed."
Shikamaru slumped as well.
"If it wasn't so much trouble I'd move out of home already."
"Beerugh, I don't feel well." Chôuji whispered.
"Ahh, don't throw up on me! That's the last thing I need." Shikamaru complained as he followed his Dad slowly.
Wavering in his friend's footsteps, Chôuji followed.
Sasuke sat, beer bottle idly in hand, leaning against a verander post. The sick feeling in his stomach was rising. It made his eyes prick.
"Beer?" He offered Kakashi, a sardonic smirk working it's way onto his face. He took a long swallow of beer, burped for effect and settled back to see what Kakashi would do.
"Well, I know I'm not your father, but I have a few things to say to you. One is..." Kakashi paused for effect. Sasuke waited hiding his impatience.
"I'm very glad you decided to throw a party for all your friends! Though when the other parents find out you organised a drinking party, I doubt they will be. Knowing some of the mother's you'll be getting a couple of angry calls. Disconnect your phone for a few days." Kakashi paused.
Sasuke found his thinking patterns hampered by the amount of alcohol he was drinking, he just couldn't seem to care what Kakashi said. There was an overwhelming sadness building in him. Everything was just so sad.
"Two, you're on punishment for the next week from me, same with Naruto. Three Tsunade-sama knows about the swiped beer, she will be talking to all those involved, very loudly I don't doubt." Kakashi kindly looked away from the huddled boy.
On the verander steps Sasuke found himself unable to stop the embarrassing flow of tears, it was stupid, he wasn't sad. If only he could stop the sniffling sounds maybe Kakashi wouldn't notice.
"Four, and this is a good point, because Tsunade-sama knows about this, so will Sakura. I expect that she'll be here tomorrow morning ready to tackle the nasty hangover you're going to have."
"Gaaah!" Sasuke growled, unsure if he was more angry at the thought of Sakura here seeing him sick, or at his inability to stop crying.
"You don't make a good drunk Sasuke." Kakashi informed him.
"Why won't it stop?" Sasuke asked scrubbing at his face. "I'm not sad! It's so stupid it's all so stupid!"
Kakashi said nothing. Furious Sasuke punched the post beside him.
"Being back in Konoha, being with Naruto and Sakura again. It's stupid!" He panted with the effort of speaking and crying at the same time. "Why do I even bother! Why won't they go away?"
"Ties that bind Sasuke. They cut both ways you know. You're here because of them, they're here because of them. All the ninja of Konoha fight for them, because to lose them is to lose the sense of life." Kakashi said watching the moon.
Aware that Sasuke had probably ignored him, he turned his eyes back down. Sasuke sat tired and defeated on the veranda steps again.
"Why am I crying?" Sasuke asked again. Kakashi sighed.
"I'd like to say it's because you feel the emptiness you're trying to fill inside yourself. But I know it's probably just the drink." Picking Sasuke up easily and supporting him on one side they hobbled up the steps together and into the house, tears running ceaselessly down Sasuke's face.
"You're just depressed because of the alcohol, it happens sometimes." Kakashi said. "In the morning everything will seem better, except for the hangover."
Sasuke nodded, too tired to argue or move, he was asleep before his head touched the pillow.
A cold voice whispering nightmares in his ear all night.
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I hope you enjoyed it, the Sakura chapter will follow next week, watch for a little Sakura/Naruto moment!
Ja né.