From April to June
Chapter 5
It had never occurred to him that one day old man Hokage would die. Never had there been a time in his life where he was not there. Orochimaru's attack had been surreal, but its aftermath was a cold reality. The day of the Hokage's burial he had stood silently while Konohamaru held his hand and wept. A feeling of anxiety had fallen over him and did not leave.
Sasuke and he had a strange bond, but he knew it was friendship. It was also still a rivalry. Sasuke had trained with Kakashi. So he had needed someone as well. Ebisu had not been an option, but Ero-Sennin had. He liked the hermit. He had reminded him of old man Hokage.
His encounter with Uchiha Itachi had seemed to complete the change he had known would come; and it had changed Sasuke terribly.
He had not understood why his friend had wanted to leave, and why to Orochimaru. Bringing old hag Tsunade back to Konoha was supposed to have made things better, but it hadn't. He had asked Sasuke why, that day at the Valley. He had told Sasuke that he saw them as brothers. Sasuke had told him they were best friends, but their bonds had to be severed.
The hurt he had felt after that fight had not come from his injuries. It had been the same as the pain from his childhood and from old man Hokage's death. He had hurt because he lost something he might have never had.