Disclaimer: Yea, I don't own Naruto.
Thanks for recent reviews. More are always welcome. Writing this chapter, as well as the last one, was pretty difficult. I don't want to depress anyone, but, this and the next few chapters will be somewhat sad and gloomy. Let me know what you think.
The Way Things Are
Chapter 9
"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune's voice was soft and full of concern. The Hokage released a small sigh. The dark room lit up with the dancing aura of blue chakra that surrounded Tsunade's hands.
"Did you send them out?" Tsunade closed her eyes. She tried her best to hide her stress. Shizune noted the Hokage's demeanor and quickly regained her own composure. She stood at attention.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama. Both Kakashi and Sakura are on their way now. I'm sure that the ANBU have noticed by now as well……….." Shizune's voice trailed off as she thought of Naruto. "Maybe I should have stayed…….I should have looked for him." Shizune looked away worriedly. "What if….What if the Uchiha kills hi-"
"He won't." Tsunade's voice was soft and reassuring. "He won't." When Tsunade repeated however, it sounded more like she was reassuring herself.
"And Anko?" Shizune looked down on the medical bed at the purple haired jonin. She was still unconscious. A trail of blood slid slowly out of the corner of her mouth.
"She'll be fine." The Hokage continued treating Anko. "How reckless of her……….and Naruto too." The cold wind blew swiftly inside through the open window in the room. It comfortingly weaved through Tsunade's long blonde hair. "I should've stopped this while I had the chance…………Damn Uchiha!" Tsunade moved her hands away from Anko and dispelled the chakra on her hands. She looked out the window at the ever bustling storm.
"I don't think he'll kill Naruto……….Not at this point at least………….But if anyone else gets involved-" Tsunade's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of fast footsteps approaching the room she was in. A frantic medic entered the room. His breathing was tense and hurried.
"What happened!?" Tsunade demanded fiercely.
"An ANBU member was found dead just in the outskirts of the forests." Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly at this remark. "Based on the type of wounds he received and from what others have seen of the attacker-"
"Who was it?" Tsunade interrupted, demanding an answer. "Who did this?"
"It was……..Kabuto!" Tsunade's eyes widened abruptly.
"What!?"
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The icy rain slashed at Naruto's frozen body. Each chilling breath he took sent more pain into his searing chest and lungs. His senses began to fail. His eyesight drifted hazily in and out of perception.
"Sasu-Sasuke……" Naruto managed to say weakly.
Sasuke was still there a few feet in front of Naruto. His back was turned on the blonde as he conversed with Kabuto. Naruto could only catch small bits of their conversation.
"Why here of all places?" Kabuto's voice.
"Hn. It's not your concern." Sasuke's voice.
"Nevertheless, we should be going." Naruto's eyesight returned just as Kabuto's gaze landed on him. Kabuto smiled sadistically at the blonde as he adjusted his glasses.
"Ah, Naruto." Kabuto walked towards the blonde ninja's body. He drew a kunai slowly. "I'll make sure you die this time. Without your precious Hokage around, this time you won't survive. That blow to your chest should be sufficient enough to-"
"Leave." Sasuke's voice was emotionless. All it did was command.
Kabuto scoffed at Sasuke. He began to chuckle lightly as he watched Naruto clench his fists in anger. "You should listen to me, Sasuke. We need to kill him now. Imagine if the Akatsuki got a hold of him and extracted the Kyuubi." Kabuto took a small step towards Naruto. "I also don't particularly-"
"Now." Sasuke's voice commanded. The next move he made would not be to dismiss Kabuto.
Kabuto turned and clenched his jaw tightly. "Fine." He leapt towards a tree. "I'll let you finish him, but, do it quickly. I'd rather not be caught by any more Konoha shinobi. Catch up to me soon." Kabuto tried to command the Uchiha in the way Sasuke had commanded him. However, they both knew that Kabuto's efforts would never achieve any success.
Sasuke watched Kabuto disappear out of sight. He heard someone come near him from behind. A hand tried its hardest to grip Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke peered out of the corner of his eye. It was Naruto. "Well you're pretty persistent." Sasuke thought. "He shouldn't even be able to move after the blow Kabuto landed on him, let alone walk over to me……………..then again…..It is Naruto."
"I…..I Won't-…I won't let you!" Naruto spoke through his contracting throat. He tightened his grip on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke stood unmoving and silent in the pouring rain. Naruto tried to endure. He gasped and grunted as he tried to ignore the pain. "I w-won't…" Naruto coughed forcefully. Trickles of blood splattered across the back of Sasuke's neck. Naruto fell to his knees onto the wet ground. Sasuke walked away from the blonde.
"Stay where you are. If you so much as move………….." Sasuke warned Naruto. "If you ever attempt to follow me again…….If I ever see you-"
"Y-you don't have to be…………"Naruto looked up towards Sasuke. "You don't have to be- you shouldn't be alone."
Sasuke turned and gazed into the blonde's cloudy eyes. "Yes I should." He walked until he stood before the kneeling boy. Sasuke reached his hand downward and grabbed a handful of Naruto's damp, yellow hair. He pulled on Naruto's locks until the other boy's head was uncomfortably looking up into Sasuke's eyes. Naruto wheezed painfully. The rest of his body sat limp underneath Sasuke's grip.
Sasuke watched Naruto fight to stay conscious. "Hell, Naruto is fighting to stay alive at this point." Kabuto had severed all the muscles in Naruto's chest. He probably even managed to damage or puncture the blonde's heart. Sasuke wished he could comfort Naruto. All he really wanted was to hold Naruto and make the pain go away for him. "Just to stroke his face……touch his shoulder………I just want to touch him."
"Why are you doing this?" Naruto questioned softly and sincerely. "Let's just go back to the Hokage." Naruto tried to convince the other boy. "Then we can go home………………Together." Sasuke gripped Naruto's hair tighter, as though he were warning the blonde not to continue. Naruto refused to obey. "Sasuke……………………………………..please." Naruto's voice was soft and somewhat calm.
Sasuke clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes to stop the oncoming sadness that was hitting his body. "Naruto…..I would….I would love…….To stay with you……..f-forever." Sasuke's voice unexpectedly cracked. He took a sharp inhale to cover the sound. "To forget about the past and pick up the future………with you."
Naruto's hand began to rise towards Sasuke's cheek. Sasuke stopped himself from saying anymore. He felt a boiling anger swell through his body at the sight of Naruto's loving gesture. He clenched his jaw and grunted angrily as he shoved Naruto's arm away. His fist landed squarely on the blonde's face. Naruto fell to the ground swiftly.
"But I just couldn't live with myself!" Sasuke spat corrosively. "So don't pretend this is a happy ending." Sasuke's tone was full of anger and disgust. Naruto writhed on the ground as Sasuke watched him cling to consciousness.
"No…….no……….Sasuke." Naruto whispered as he tried to form hand signs. "I won't let you…….." Naruto coughed loudly and dug his fists into the wet dirt around him. After a few more seconds, his body loosened up and relaxed as he lost consciousness. The last thing the blonde saw was Sasuke. He was walking slowly away from Naruto with his back to him.
"…………………………………………………………………………………………………."
The rain provided some relief to the ever present eerie atmosphere. For the second time in his life Naruto realized he had been betrayed, abandoned, and left for dead by Sasuke.
Naruto's breathing constantly changed. Time meant nothing to him at the time. Everything was blurry. The world spun and shook. "Am I still alive? Am I dead? Am I dying?" Naruto felt as though he was drifting between life and death.
Floating…………………………………
Falling…………………………………...
Everything was so slow. Empty. "Or is it all happening fast?"
His mind and body had abandoned all defenses. He felt nothing but the numbing bite of the piercing rain. He followed the current of his mind
………..deep……
…..deeper…
…………….Until he had reached its source.
His life was a flicker in the darkness that was the forest. All that he felt connected to suddenly began to sever. Thoughts extinguished themselves deep inside the blackness of Naruto's subconscious. They slid from his vision and mind like water.
Sasuke's voice crawled in whispers inside Naruto's skull. He was trapped. Helpless. Alone. He felt it all consume him. The rising swell of the calling darkness. Naruto sunk lower and lower, until he was submerged deep inside the infinite void of his dying psyche.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Tsunade thought she would never forget the look on Sakura's face when she told her who had been in the village. "It was different-much different from what I expected……..Then again, Sakura has changed quite a bit."
Tsunade leapt through the forest. ANBU members surrounded her. The wind and rain kicked wildly at her face. It discouraged her from ever hoping to find Naruto. She needed to hurry. She knew that Naruto had probably engaged Sasuke. She then realized that that meant that Kabuto had probably intercepted both the boys. "He could be dead…….They both could be dead----- The potential wounds any of them could have received by now are too much even for Sakura to heal."
Two figures came from the Hokage's left and right. They landed on the same branch Tsunade had and kept moving with her.
"Anything?" Tsunade asked, her eyes constantly scanning the forest.
"Nothing." Yamato stated a bit dejectedly.
"Nothing." Yugao said shaking her head.
"Sai has gone on ahead with Kakashi and Sakura." Yamato informed.
"Good." Tsunade said as she quickened her pace. The two ANBU members stayed very close to her.
"Tsunade-sama?" Yugao asked curiously. The Hokage raised her eyebrow slightly as Yugao continued. "It's unlike you…… or any Hokage to go out in the field like this so spontaneously….." The ANBU member's voice trailed off. "Especially you." Yugao said a bit nervously as she waited for the Hokage to lose her temper. Much to her surprise, Tsunade answered calmly.
"You know very well that the kind of damage and injuries Naruto could have received can be healed by almost no one, except me." Tsunade leapt swiftly, rain whizzed around her body. "And if we don't hurry……………..He'll die."
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"Warmth."
Naruto's mind and body twitched slightly back to life. He felt cold and numb and almost wished that he hadn't awakened at all. His hand, however, felt the warmth of another's body. His eyes tried to open, but, it proved to be too much of an energy exertion. His ears hummed strangely as sounds that were forming became recognizable again. He tasted metal. He slowly realized that it was his own blood that he tasted. The air smelled thick and moist.
Naruto felt another hand wrap around his back. He was being lifted off the ground into a sitting position.
"Sasuke……" Naruto's voice reflexively whispered. He felt the hands on his body tighten slightly. His body struggled to regain its senses.
"-Ruto!"…………….A muffled cry buzzed in Naruto's ears.
"Naruto!" The voice came again. In Naruto's mind, it sounded as though the person was yelling through a pillow. He opened his eyes to a spinning world of rain, trees, and faces.
"Naruto!?" The voice cracked loudly. Hands gripped at Naruto's body. The voice didn't belong to Sasuke. Naruto stared deeply into the gleaming green eyes of Sakura. It was the only thing he could focus on. Rain slid down her face. "Is it really rain……….or is she crying?" Naruto's mind wondered.
"Why Naruto!?" She spoke hysterically and shook the blonde slightly. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me he was here!?" Sakura's face tightened in raw emotion. "We promised each other!" Naruto suddenly felt his eyes sear as Sakura continued. "We promised each other we'd bring him back together!" Naruto stammered as Sakura demanded an answer. "WHY!?" Her grip held strong for a moment.
"Why……………." Sakura released the blonde and clenched her fists. She closed her eyes tightly and began to sob uncontrollably.
"That's enough, Sakura." Kakashi's voice rang out sternly. "He needs help. We can all talk about this later." Kakashi stated calmly. Sai nodded his head in agreement, even though he knew that Sasuke was not the same kind of subject to him as it was to his team members.
Sakura only nodded sadly. Chakra engulfed her hands. The light flashed brightly and forced Naruto to close his eyes. He felt Sakura's trembling palm run over his body. It felt a bit comforting for a moment. She gasped loudly and pressed her hands closely to Naruto's chest.
"Oh God…………" Sakura said worriedly. Her hands brightened with a flare of blinding intensity as she went to work healing Naruto's upper body. "Kakashi-sensei……..These wounds! I don't think I can help him!" Naruto grunted and fell back to ground. Sakura lowered herself suddenly and touched Naruto's chest. "Hold on Naruto!"
The voices faded into echoes as Naruto began to drift back into darkness. Footsteps were all around him. Sakura's hand moved away from Naruto's chest. More light appeared on Naruto's closed eyelids. Tsunade's hands blazed like fire as she rushed to heal the blonde.
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Naruto's eyes fluttered open. "I'm awake." This was his only conscious thought. He glanced around slowly. After observing his surroundings, he realized he still couldn't find a single answer to any of his questions. All that was known was that he was in a hospital room. He was tucked tightly into a bed and had the covers pulled up somewhere below his bare chest. He watched his upper body rise slowly as he inhaled. "I really am alive."
He looked as though he hadn't moved at all in his sleep. His body was laid perfectly straight on the bed. His arms sat at the sides of his body. His head and neck were elevated slightly because of a rather large pillow that sat underneath him. He tried to move, but, felt instant pain consume him.
Memories suddenly filled Naruto's mind. "How long have I been here?" The room was dark and silent. It was night. The pale moon lit the room with a dull glow. The window was open and sent uncomfortably chilling breezes towards Naruto's body. He shivered reflexively.
"Sasuke." Naruto wondered momentarily if Sasuke would come and warm him like last time. He decided not to think about anything for now. It was all too much to deal with. He allowed his body to fall back asleep.
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"I really don't think you should move yet." Kakshi warned Anko as she forced herself out of the hospital bed. "I'm fine." She reassured the other jonin. She looked across the room to the other bed. Naruto was still asleep.
"He's the one you should worry about." Anko said with a small smile. The daylight filled the room with warmth. "That little knucklehead didn't know-"
"It was Sasuke, wasn't it? He's the one you fought, right?" Kakashi interrupted calmly. Anko lowered her head and clutched at the bed sheets.
"I lost another chance at finding that bastard…….." Anko's voice trailed off. She looked up at Kakashi. "Yea, it was him alright."
Kakashi nodded and walked towards Naruto's bed. "Did you happen to see what happened between Sasuke and him?" Kakashi asked as he gestured towards Naruto. Anko shook her head.
"Naruto tried to attack. I barely saw anything. But I think he was holding back. I hate to say this but….I think that the Uchiha and Naruto…." Naruto shuffled in his sleep and opened his eyes. Anko stopped talking.
Naruto opened his eyes. His gaze met Kakashi's right away. "Naruto?" Kakashi asked calmly.
A weak smile spread across Naruto's lips. "They can't get rid of me that easily." Kakashi chuckled briefly. Naruto's eyes traveled across the room until he met Anko's wide grin. If Naruto had been able to jump he would have. "Why is the scary chunin exam proctor here!?" He whispered frantically to Kakashi. Anko licked her lips and walked over to Kakashi.
"So the little guy managed to survive, eh?" The purple haired jonin teased Naruto. Not a word came from anyone's mouths for a moment. They all stared at each other quite seriously.
"Is he…….Where's-" Naruto's words were cut off.
"Now's not the time, Naruto." Kakashi sighed. "We'll get the Hokage and everyone else who knew anything about this……..and we'll all talk about it later." Naruto sat himself up in the bed. He looked downward.
"I don't want to…….." Naruto said weakly. Kakashi raised his eyebrow in curiosity. Naruto stood himself up and moved slowly away from the bed. He pulled on a folded shirt that looked like it was laying there on a chair for him. Anko and Kakashi looked at each other as Naruto walked over to the door.
"Naruto…….." Kakashi said with concern and a bit of frustration.
"I'm fine." Naruto said as he left the room. "I just……..I need to think." Naruto walked away. Anko took a step forward but was stopped by Kakashi.
"He'll be alright. I need you to tell me about everything that happened. Anything you know about Orochimaru as well." Kakashi said seriously. Anko nodded in disagreement after clenching her jaw at the sound of the Sanin's name.
Tsunade nearly slammed her fist into a wall when she saw Naruto walking the hallways of the hospital. She and Sakura were on their way to see the blonde ninja. Naruto noticed them and tried his hardest to give a large smile to both of them. Tsunade placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose at Naruto's expression. Naruto lowered his head and walked past the two women.
"Thanks Grandma." Naruto spoke softly. He looked towards Sakura and looked away as he suddenly remembered his last encounter with the girl. "Uh……. Hey Sakura-chan." Naruto attempted to smile once again before leaving. Tsunade sighed once the blonde boy was out of sight. "Fucking fox does wonders………" Tsuande thought amused.
"Tsunade-sama? Should he be moving?" Sakura looked up and stared at the smile on her master's face.
"You should talk to him Sakura. I think you two could use each other's company."
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Naruto sat in the warmth of the sun. There was a slight breeze that slapped placidly at his yellow hair. He looked around at the grove he had been in when Sasuke came back. "How many days ago was that anyway? I guess I shouldn't have left the hospital in such a hurry…………………Geez I'm hungry."
Naruto began to wonder why he had returned to this spot. He had almost hoped that Sasuke would be here or that he would come back if Naruto arrived. Naruto looked up into the blue sky. He was somewhat startled by the sound of footsteps approaching him.
"Sasuke?" Naruto's mind mused. His mind was actually hoping at this point.
"Naruto……" Sakura said warily from behind the boy. Naruto didn't move. "Do you want to talk?"
Naruto smiled largely and tried to reassure his team member. "Nah……I'm ok Sakura-chan I just-"
"Naruto…..I'm sorry." Sakura said sincerely. She saw past Naruto's act. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…..well when you were in the forest….I didn't mean to yell like that." Sakura sat down next to Naruto.
"Ah, that's ok Sakura." Naruto smiled and lied again.
"You don't have to be like that Naruto….You can talk to me. I can't imagine you're feeling any better than I am." Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"I……Sakura it all just happened so fast…..I'm sorry." Sakura closed her eyes as the wind comfortingly brushed across her face.
"It just-It hurt. It hurt. When you didn't tell me that he was here…. And when I found out…It just hurt, Naruto." Sakura sighed. "It still does."
"I didn't mean to-" Naruto tried to comfort Sakura.
"It's ok Naruto……I never developed anything compared to what you two developed together. Whether it was hate or…….You two definitely had something. I can understand the lack of trust with me on the subject." Sakura's body shook. "He came for you……. Didn't he?" Sakura asked softly.
"Sakura………." Naruto knew it was too late for excuses.
"I know…….I know he'll never l-love me." A sharp sob escaped from the kunoichi. "But I still……..I still love him, Naruto." Sakura stood slowly. "I want you to trust me next time….." A tear landed on the ground. Sakura lowered her head and began to walk away. She stopped abruptly and spoke.
"The marks…… on your neck from the other day? Was it……were they from…." Sakura couldn't finish the sentence. Naruto knew there was no point in flat out lying anymore. However, he still didn't know what to say.
"He…………..Sakura…….I don't know what to…….-I'm sorry." Naruto looked up in time to see the girl's head bob farther downward.
"I-I see." Sakura managed to say weakly. She walked away slowly and left Naruto in the silence of the grove.
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Phew. These last few chapters have been rough. By the way, the parts in this chapter that are written strangely, like Naruto's near death experience are supposed to be like that. I was trying my hand at surreal, almost poetic, writing. Let me know what you think. (That means review please.)