bunny
rabbits
Chapter 4: Never Too Late
"Hey, hey, Itachi-niichan, will you play with me?"
He turned to look at her. The little blonde's big cerulean eyes were wide with innocent pleading, and she squirmed. The teenager smiled, but he said evenly, "You can play with Sasuke."
Naruto rolled her eyes. "He's at the meeting with Iruka-sensei." There was no reply, and she frowned prettily. "Please? Will you?"
"…"
"Please…?"
"I have work to do."
She huffed. "Argh. You always do, niichan. Can you make an exception and play with me?" Naruto battered her eyelashes, and she clasped her hands together tightly. "Puh-leeze?"
"Not – "
"Today," she cut in, snorting and quickly dropping her act. "I heard you say that Sasuke-teme at least a billion times about shuriken practice." She waved one hand in the air. "But if it's not today, it's not gonna be tomorrow either, so why bother saying 'today?' You can save your breath and simply say 'never.'"
Itachi looked at the talkative blonde with somewhat of an exasperated but laughing look on his aristocratic face. "Not today, sister."
"That's no fair, niichan! You're trying to get away with it by calling me sister which makes me happy and then I forget why I came to you in the first place," she complained. "Itachi-niichan, please? With a… a strawberry on top?"
The corners of his mouth twitched. "I thought it was cherry."
"Yeah, I know." Naruto made a face. "But then I tasted those artificial cherries on a cake and it was simply disgusting. So I changed the saying into strawberries." She looked up at the Uchiha with curiosity. "Why? You don't like strawberries, niichan?"
He shrugged. "It's alright, I guess."
Naruto grinned widely. "So now will you play with me? Since you like strawberries?"
Itachi shot her a mildly amused look. "I have to meet up with ANBU colleagues."
"Oh." The blonde deflated before suddenly perked up. "Then can you drop me off somewhere? At my friend's house?"
"I thought you know your way rather well around here in Konoha now, sister. You've been living in this village for almost a year."
She sighed. "Ever since that incident in Suna, Mommy told me that I can't get out of the house without… you know. Permission or someone to babysit me." Naruto wrinkled her nose. "She trusts Sasuke more than me. Says he gets less distracted."
Itachi nodded wisely. "I'll take Mother up on that."
"Hey! No fair! You're all against me!"
Itachi checked himself just in time to prevent a little chuckle to come out his mouth. He blinked, and the Uchiha prodigy turned to look at Naruto again. There was something different about her… A hidden charm, a bright magic. It must be the way her angelic baby-blue eyes would gaze into someone and make them feel alive – important even – and the way her mouth would always be in constant motion, whether in a smile or a pout or simply nonstop talking…
Yes, upon the little blonde's arrival, the family has changed drastically. The near chuckle from him of all people was evidence of it.
"N-niichan? You okay?" Naruto asked, tipping her head sideways. "Don't take that as a personal insult, Ichi."
He mentally shook himself. "Never mind. Very well, I will take you to your friend's house."
Her tanned face broke into one of those wild grins. "Yay! Thank you, brother!" The little girl then stopped and scowled. "Oh hold on. I have to go change. Kiba will make fun of me if I don't get into 'decent girl clothing.'"
Itachi scanned the child. Her hair was recently trimmed, and the golden curls fell to her shoulders. The blonde had a little pink clip that held her bangs up, and a red headband kept the hair in the back from poofing. Her clothes… well, they were just Sasuke's clothes. A black t-shirt with the Uchiha symbol, and she wore grey shorts with a shuriken pouch. "I see nothing wrong with your attire."
"Me neither. But they don't like me wearing Sasuke's clothes." Itachi raised a questioning eyebrow, and Naruto shrugged. "Eh. The girls are just jealous – naturally. But I don't know what's wrong with the boys. Kiba takes one look at me, and I can see the sulk in his eyes. Ugh. They're so weird."
Itachi smiled – second time that day. Looks like baby brother has some competition.
"So wait for me, kay?" Naruto ran to the door. "I'll be back in a jiffy!"
XXX
Her choice of clothes was rather plain. It was a yellow shirt with big, neon-orange words that said, "Smile," on the front and "Laugh" on the back. Her pants were just jeans with a little pink flower on the side as decoration. But it still was cute on her.
"Ichi?"
He looked back at the blonde currently latched on his back like a mussel. Unlike Sasuke, who had only let Itachi do this to him once or twice, Naruto felt no shame in allowing the older Uchiha give her a piggyback ride. To the blonde, well, she was the kid and he was the adult. Simple. "Do you know the difference between girls and boys?"
"Girls and…?"
"Yeah," she answered rather peevishly. "Girls and boys. Males and females. You know…"
Itachi grunted. "Why the question?"
She glowered, thinking of a memory that must've been not very pleasant. "Because…"
"Because?"
Sighing, the blonde started absentmindedly playing with Itachi's hair. "You know that Sasuke and I don't talk at all at school, right?"
"I did assume that."
"You guessed right. Anyhow, I play with Kiba and his friends, but a few weeks ago, Ino and her group – they're the most popular girls in my class – pulled me away to play with them." Naruto rolled her eyes. "I thought that they wanted to ask me billions of questions about Sasuke. They did, but they first let me play with them. And just last week or something, Ino and them started playing this game called 'house.' You heard of it before, niichan?"
He considered the name for a while. "I might have. But tell me about it nonetheless."
"It's simple. You pick a role in a family that you want to be, and you act it out."
Itachi was beginning to get where Naruto was headed. "And you didn't like your role."
She growled. "There was no other choice. I had to be the baby. But you see, the daddy place was open, but Ino said I couldn't do it. Only a male – like her precious Sasuke – could, and a girl like me couldn't. When I asked her why…"
"What did she say?"
"That I didn't have it."
"You...?"
"That little soldier. Ino told me that her mom said that all males have a little soldier, and we ladies don't." She glared at him. "Niichan, is what Ino told me true?"
If he were a normal man, he would've laughed and probably resulted in choking on his spit. But he was Uchiha Itachi, and although he was feeling rather – amused would be a good word – he still controlled himself. Coughing a bit, Itachi replied with a straight face, "I… suppose she can say that."
"Oh," Naruto sniffed indignantly. "I'll go ask Sasuke."
Would his baby brother know? Itachi thought with some mirth. "Where did you say you guys were meeting again?"
She frowned. "I think it was at the Konoha Tree Park. I don't remember."
"Why would you meet there?"
"To play tag. But Sasuke had that meeting, so…"
Itachi glanced at Naruto. "Why did Iruka-san want to speak with Sasuke?"
"I really don't know that," she replied. "I think it's to talk about his school stuff or something."
"There's something wrong with his grades?"
Naruto snorted. "Something wrong with that teme's grades? Nope. Not a chance in a zillion. Ha. That dude's a total nerd."
Itachi felt the corners of his mouth lift into a small smile. "And your grades? How would you be doing in the Ninja Academy? You're not failing, are you? Remember, two more weeks. Then you'll be graduating."
The blonde rolled her azure eyes. "I'm fine. My grades are almost like Sasuke's, except I flunk at writing."
"Writing?"
"Mhmm. It's like the paper has a grudge against me or something. When I pick up the pencil, I panic and I can't think straight. Then it results in me getting a big fat C on my paper." Naruto grinned brightly. "But boy, I'm so excited about graduating! After that is a long break, right?"
Itachi nodded. "Yes, from end of July to late August."
Naruto tensed immediately, and the fingers that were playing with Itachi's long ponytail gave an involuntary yank. Itachi cringed and peeked warily at the blonde. Her large cerulean eyes were big as dinner plates, and her mouth was wide open.
"Naruto?"
She gasped. "J-July? Ichi, it's july?"
"It… is."
Her tanned face turned pale. "It's not the… twenty-third, is it?"
"It is – "
She gave one loud and pitiful wail. "Dammit! How could I be so dumb?!" she screeched, burying her face into Itachi's hair. "Dammit dammit dammit!"
Itachi, sighing, placed Naruto on the ground, and bent down on his knees. He ruffled her hair fondly. "What's the matter?"
She flew into his arms and started crying. "Ichi! Don't you get it? It's July twenty-third! July twenty-third!" The little girl wailed hard into his chest, and Itachi brought up a hand and patted her back.
"I don't see anyt – "
July twenty-third.
In other words…
Sasuke's birthday.
Naruto must've felt Itachi stiffen, and she sniffed. "You didn't remember either?" There was no response. "I was so stupid. I sneaked into Sasuke's room yesterday night because I couldn't sleep. When I woke up, I saw him standing by the calendar in his room and smiling. I thought it was weird, but…" She started bawling again. "How could I have forgotten?! I'm such a dim-witted idiot!"
Itachi was stunned. He had forgotten his own brother's birthday. What was happening to him? How could he forget?
"N-Naruto?" came a voice. A dog barked as well. "It's… Naruto?!" Suddenly, a boy came running up, and he crouched down next to the crying blonde. "Oi, Naruto, are you all right? Did you…?"
Naruto took one look at the newcomer and flew into his arms as well. "K-Kiba! Help me! I'm such a dolt!"
Kiba hugged her protectively. "What is it? Who hurt you? I'll go kill – "
"Kiba? What's going on?"
A whole group of chattering kids – Ino, Sakura, Chouji, Hinata, Shikamaru, Shino, and even Neji – appeared. As soon as they saw Naruto weeping in Kiba's arms, they dashed over and straight away were attempting to calm down the girl.
Neji said coldly, "Gimme the name of the person that made you cry. I'll go have a talk with him…" His white eyes seemed to burn with a frozen anger, and the others shivered. Kiba glared at him.
"I already said that. Let the poor girl talk, will ya?" he snapped at the Hyuuga.
Naruto snuffled. "It's Sasuke-teme's birthday."
Ino yelped in delight. "Sasuke-kun's birthday? Really?" she squealed. "Oh Lord, I didn't know! Sakura, what day is today? I must memorize his birthday!"
"I forgot," Naruto whispered despondently. "I can't believe I forgot his birthday."
Shikamaru sighed, and he patted Naruto's yellow spikes. "Don't be so sad, Naruto. Geez, we can just hold a surprise party for him. It's not that hard to make o – "
There was a thrilled gasp, and Shikamaru was tackled by a blurry, orange blob. She jumped up and down in joy, kissing his cheeks – which were speedily turning into another color – over and over again. "Oh, Shika-chan, will you? Will you help me in giving the teme a surprise party?" she gushed out, sounding a little bit like Ino.
Shikamaru felt his face heat up, and glancing hesitantly at the other boys – who were turning rather green – he decided the best was to calm down the little sunshine that everybody loved. "Y-yeah… No problem, Naruto. Just… You can let go now."
She did, but not after she gave him another long kiss on his tomato-colored cheek. "Thank you so much!" Naruto grinned quickly at him, eyes now sparkling. "I can just imagine Sasuke's face when he gets home today!"
"Ah," Kiba managed to get out, scowling fiercely at Shikamaru, "When will he get home?"
She thought carefully. "It's around nine, right? Um, Daddy told Sasuke to go pick up some stuff for him after the talk with Iruka-sensei, so I'm assuming around… four, I guess. Do you think we'd have time?"
Ino snorted. Linking an arm around Naruto, she beckoned Hinata and Sakura as well. "Time? We have all the time in the world, Naru-chan." The girl nodded at the boys. "Get everything else ready. We'll be having it at Sasuke-kun's house, right?" Naruto nodded. "All right then. It's decided. You boys get the house dusted and cleaned and ready for the show while we girls get some shopping done. We'll meet at 3:30."
Chouji grunted, "Will there be food?"
Shino finally said something: "Yes."
"And cake!" Naruto added, smiling. "Thanks, everyone!" Then she noticed the silent Itachi who had stood up after the rest of the people appeared, and the blonde walked over to him. "Ichi, can you make it to the party? After your meeting with your colleagues?"
He nodded slowly, and Naruto grinned. She hugged Itachi and motioned him to bend down. When he did, she placed a little sweet kiss on his forehead. "Love you with all my heart, niichan. See you in a few hours, Ichi! Don't be late!" Itachi smiled and messed up Naruto's hair – like it wasn't untidy already.
"I won't, little sister," he answered. "Does your friends know the way home?"
Naruto tipped her head sideways. "Do they?"
"Oh jeez," Kiba said rather crankily. "We're not idiots. Just get going, Naruto." She looked at him, blinked a little, and a slow smile spread across her face. Without warning, she leapt at him and gave him a small peck on his tattooed cheek as well.
"And thank you, Kiba," she giggled.
Ino walked over and grabbed Naruto's collar. "Let's get going, princess…"
XXX
Sasuke strolled on the streets, holding the documents that Father had asked for. They were rather heavy, and the raven-haired boy scowled. Why did they always give him the dirty work? That dobe was so spoiled now.
No. It was his birthday. He wasn't gonna let that usuratonkachi ruin his day. But, thinking about his birthday just made Sasuke a bit sadder. He hadn't expected Father to say anything about it, and well, Mother and niisan were just too busy. And that blonde, blue-eyed dobe… Why should he expect her to remember? He only told it to her once, and that conversation was about dogs. Still, he remembered it clearly.
"Sasuke? Why are dogs so different?" she had asked.
He looked at her with annoyance. "Come again?"
"Dogs. Why are they so different? I mean, Akamaru's so small, yet just the other day, I saw this humongo mutt. It scared the hell out of me. So I'm asking why are there so many versions of them."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Why does this matter?"
"I'm just asking. Sheesh. If you don't know the answer, you don't have to mock the question."
"Hn."
She smirked. "You know, I'mma buy you one of those yippity-yappity dogs that'll never shut up. Ahaha. I wonder what you'll say. When's your birthday, teme?"
He glared threateningly. "July twenty-third."
"Oh…" There was a pause, and then, "Sasuke, why do cats hate water?"
The poor boy groaned inwardly. She can never stop talking. That dobe… She's a fox and one of those yippity-yappity dogs mixed into one. Ten times the noise. Ten times the headache. Joy.
That had occurred a long time ago, Sasuke realized. She's come a far way from the small girl that was thrown into his household that August. He sighed. And now, he can't imagine life without the dobe. He can't imagine waking up everyday without either seeing her sleeping contentedly next to him or hearing her voice screaming for pancakes in the kitchen. He can't imagine not hearing her call Mikoto "Mommy" and Fugaku "Daddy." She had picked up that habit during the New Year celebration. When they had to make a wish, she bowed her little blonde head and merely said, "My greatest wish is to have a family."
Sasuke sighed again. "Almost a year, huh?" he muttered quietly to himself. "Almost a year…" The boy trudged on, deep in his thoughts. And there was that meeting with Iruka. It was quite strange. The teacher had given him a swift look, and then asked about Naruto of all people. How she was, if she were feeling sad, if she wanted to move…
It was almost as if they were wondering if they should put her in another family.
Sasuke scowled. Somehow, he didn't like that thought of her living in somebody else's house. She belonged to the Uchiha estate. No one else. Let them try to take her. Father and Mother will never agree.
Oh god. Now he was beginning to sound like the spoiled brat of the family.
With a jolt, Sasuke saw that he was at the gates of his house. Eyes narrowed, he walked into the frontcourt. There was something strange. It was so quiet and still –
"Welcome home, Sasuke!"
And he was suffocated by a whole group of people.
"Wha – What?" he spluttered.
Ino, who had managed to latch on to his chest – ugh – looked behind his back. "Sasuke-kuuuuun, where's Naruto?"
"Who?" he asked stupidly.
"Naruto," Kiba repeated. His eyes were worried, and Akamaru yapped. "She went to get you at 4:30. It's 5 right now. Did you… You didn't see her at all, Sasuke?" The stunned raven-haired boy shook his head, and Kiba hissed a curse. "Would she have gotten lost?"
"I don't think so…" Neji said. "At first I thought she was joking when she told me, but she does have an extraordinary sense of sight and smell. I doubt she'll get lost in a village she's so accustomed to."
Hinata nervously murmured, "I… I'm s-sure Naru-chan is f-fine. She's probably b-buying a present f-for S-Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke blinked. Present?
"But we already bought presents for Sasuke-kun," Sakura answered, glancing at the raven-haired boy and blushing deeply.
What presents? The perplexed boy cleared his throat and said courteously, "Um, I'm sure that dobe is fine, and if you guys finished your business here, you may leave."
They stared at him as if he were the biggest idiot in the whole world.
"Dude!" Kiba exclaimed. "The party didn't even start yet."
Definitely confused now. "What party?"
Shikamaru managed in a "How troublesome" before the rest of the group – except for Neji, Hinata, and Shino, of course – screamed, "THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, SASUKE! WHY ELSE DO YOU THINK WE WOULD BE HERE?!"
Whoa whoa whoa. What the heck was going on? Sasuke knew shock was written all over his face. "M-my birthday?" he demanded, flabbergasted. "How did you guys know it was my birthday? I don't remember telling you guys…"
Chouji replied matter-of-factly, "Naruto. She was the one that wanted this surprise party for you."
NARUTO?
Sasuke coughed, trying to regain his composure. "W-well, it certainly was a surprise party. I… I thank you all."
"Don't thank us," Neji said. "Thank Naruto. She was crying this morning when she realized it was your birthday and that she forgot about it at first."
Naruto was crying? Just because it was his birthday?
Uh-oh. His brain was beginning to stop functioning. Not good. Definitely not good for his reputation.
Shikamaru sighed. "How about we just start this party? I'm sure Naruto is okay. She'll just join later. We won't cut the cake until she's back, but let's get started on the games." There was a cheer, and Sasuke was dragged into the house.
Th-thank you, dobe…
XXX
At first, Sasuke had no thrill. He simply did not want to join their fun game of tag or hide-and-seek or whatever it was. But hearing them complain was more annoying. So at last, the birthday boy groaned and stood up, saying, "I'm… readytoplay."
They shouted loudly. Ino shouted the loudest.
After tiring themselves out, the group went to the living room and began watching a horror movie. Oh wonderful. Sakura kept on glancing "secretively" at him, and joy… Ino was snuggling against his chest. Sasuke didn't get it. Naruto always did that, but when the dobe did it, it was… well, it was different. He didn't know why. It just was. He used the excuse "I want to use the bathroom," and Sasuke quickly got into the hall, breathing in relief. And then froze.
He didn't notice Neji wasn't watching the movie. Instead, the Hyuuga was in the hallway, speculating at the picture that hung from the wall. Which one was it? Sasuke couldn't see –
Oh. That one.
Neji saw Sasuke, and the Hyuuga asked him stiffly, "When was this taken?"
Sasuke looked at it, and his mouth curved up into an involuntary smile. The Uchiha household took family pictures annually, and it would always be the same. Four Uchihas with their smiles fixed in place would gaze into the camera.
Except this year.
In the center was she, the disastrous miracle that fell upon his family. Grinning as widely as she could – angel-blue eyes sparkling like their usual self – Naruto's hand was up in a peace sign, and her other arm was around Sasuke's neck in a playful attempt to smother him.
They were all laughing.
Yes, Fugaku could be seen chuckling at the younger two, Mikoto grinning, and Itachi… He had a composed smile gracing his dignified face, but amusement danced in his eyes. Without much effort, without any of them realizing it, Uzumaki Naruto had become a part of the family.
"Oh, this year. Around February," Sasuke replied, shrugging. "It – "
"I beg all your pardon for being so late! You may all come out and welcome me home now, and I shall explain after we cut the cake! I'm starving, people!" shouted that all-too familiar voice.
There was a scurrying of feet, and then staggered gasps arose from everyone. Wanting to see what mangled thing Naruto probably dragged home with her, Sasuke ran to the front door with Neji following speedily behind him. The raven-haired boy looked over the heads of others, and his mouth fell open in astonishment as well.
Lip-gloss. Pink, shiny lip-gloss coated her red lips. She had on some blush, and her ocean-blue eye shadow brought out the color of her cerulean eyes. Her silky, radiant blond hair was curled and wavy and twisted into two little pigtails that hung over her shoulder. And her dress. It was a baby-blue dress that fell to her knees, and it was fancy. Beyond fancy.
She…
She was beyond fancy.
The girl in the center of attention snorted. "Shall I explain first? Then cake?"
"Please," Shikamaru said, eyes ogling at her.
Naruto rolled her eyes. "You guys do know looks aren't everything? So just because you've never seen me in a dress or makeup before, don't gawk at me like that. I'm still the same Naruto." The small blonde could tell by everybody's eyes that they didn't believe her, and she sighed. "Fine. I'll act like how I look." She pursed her shiny little lips and battered her alluring eyelashes.
"Funny story," she began in a high-pitched, girlish tone. "So, I was like, walking down the street, like minding my own business, you know? And like, I heard a splash, and well, what do you know? A little toddler fell into the river. Being the charming girl I was, I, like, jumped in, rescued the poor thing, and got to shore. But, like, I was, like, wet, you know? So the grandmother took me in, gushing about what a brave, young lady I was."
Naruto sighed in mock tragedy. "At first, it was simply wonderful, hearing the old woman tell me how magnificent I was. But like, I already knew I was outstanding, so like, she didn't need to rub it in my face so many times, you know? So, to get her to let me off, I told her I had to, like, attend a party. And guess what?" She stopped and glanced around the room. Everyone held in their breath, and Naruto grinned. "She turned out to be like, a fashion designer! Isn't that dazzling? So she, like, dressed me up, which took, like, a looooong time, and now, here I am!"
Nobody spoke, and after a while, Naruto gave one snorting laugh. "Oh c'mon guys," she said in her normal voice. "I had no choice! I couldn't tell the granny no. She was such a kind lady. I'm going to change right now." She didn't walk one step forward before the mass of people glomped her.
"NO!" everyone screamed. "DON'T CHANGE!"
Naruto blinked, and then deadpanned. "Oh my god, it's not my birthday. C'mon guys, makeup sucks. It feels like my lips are gonna dry up and my eyes are coated with tar. And I detest dresses, all right? It's funky running around in my underwear."
All the boys – including Sasuke, he had to admit – blushed. Ino gasped and clasped a hand across the blonde's mouth, though she took special care as to not touch the blonde's lip-gloss. "Naruto! You do not talk like that! You're a lady!"
Naruto rolled her eyes another time and was about to make a retort when she saw Sasuke standing in the back. And her face split into a huge, foxy grin that was meant for him. And only him. "Sasuke!" she cried in an elated baby manner, and leaping upwards, she managed to get away from the throng of people and race over to the surprised – but pleased (no way is he gonna confess that) – Uchiha. Throwing her arms around his neck, Naruto crushed Sasuke into a big embrace. And he found out that he didn't mind it at all.
"I'm so sorry Sasuke," she whispered, cringing. "I completely forgot."
He smirked down at her. "I didn't expect you to remember."
"Hey!" Naruto punched his stomach lightly. "Be quiet, teme!"
"You do not act like that. You are a lady," he replied, lips twitching, and Naruto growled in irritation. But she gave him another warm hug, which he found himself returning. What? No, he did n – Oh, whatever. It was his birthday. The blonde, as if knowing what was going on in his mind, smiled at him and kissed both his cheeks.
"I'm gonna change," she said in a louder voice so the other people could hear her. "And that's that," Naruto added swiftly when they opened their mouths to argue. "I hate this icky, disgusting – "
"I like it."
Naruto's eyes flickered upward to meet Sasuke's. They stared at each other for a long time before Naruto asked for everyone else in the room, "What did you say?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked at her inquiringly. "What do you think I'm saying?"
She spluttered, "Sasuke! I hate dresses! You know that!"
"Yeah… so what?"
"So I don't want to wear one!"
Smirk. "It's my birthday. I make the rules. You wear the dress."
"Sasuke!"
"It's not gonna kill you."
She scowled in defeat. "Fine. But you know what?"
He looked at her suspiciously. "What?"
"I'm going to eat ten slices of cake and get so fat that I won't fit this dress anymore. So there, teme."
They all began laughing.
"Stuff your face as you like," Sasuke grinned – Ino and Sakura swooned, and even Hinata looked like she was blushing. But Naruto grinned wildly back.
"Oh, you bet."
XXX
Itachi felt sort of guilty. He hadn't kept his promise, and he came back as late as ever. So when he arrived home, he expected an angry blonde standing at the doorway. But all was quiet, and there was only a candle lit in the family room. Curious, Itachi walked into the room and saw his two parents smiling tearfully – and joyfully – at the camera. Mikoto, upon seeing Itachi's return, beckoned him over, and he looked at the pictures that the camera took.
Her face shone brilliantly in all of them, and her outfit! Itachi blinked. Where had she gotten that? And the makeup…
"Isn't she adorable?" Mikoto sniffed. "She's the sweetest thing that ever lived on this earth. I cannot thank the Hokage enough for bringing that precious angel into our family." Fugaku chuckled.
"She does look like an angel, doesn't she? I do question about her apparel. Where? It couldn't be Yushika-san, could it? But that dress looks just like the ones Yushika-san used to make when she was younger."
Mikoto smiled. "That doesn't matter. That child's one hundred percent angel." The woman then sighed. "I wish I were there when the party was still going on. It must've such a blast…" She rested her head on her husband's shoulder.
Meanwhile…
She had heard him come in, and the girl tapped Sasuke's shoulder. "Ichi-niichan is home."
He grunted.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Sasuke, what's the difference between girls and boys?"
Sasuke opened his eyes to look at her with exasperation. "The difference?"
"Yeah."
The raven-haired boy shrugged. "I don't know. Boys are stronger?"
"Why? Is it because of that soldier you guys have? So you think you're stronger?"
He rolled his eyes. "What soldier?"
"You know," she persisted. "That soldier." The expression on his face must've blank, for Naruto snorted. "Oh never mind. It doesn't matter."
"Thank you," Sasuke muttered sarcastically. "May I go back to sleep now, since it is twelve o'clock?"
"You are such a grouch at night," she hissed back. But anyhow, the little blonde wiggled closer to Sasuke's warm body – forget the "stay in your own bedcovers" rule – and she placed her head next to his chest. Bah-bump. Bah-bump. Bah-bump.
"Why do you always do that?" he asked out of curiosity.
"Do what?"
"Put your head there."
"Oh." She smiled tiredly. "To listen to your heartbeat."
"What? My heartbeat? What for?"
Naruto frowned. "Well, I really don't know. But just hearing it like that makes me contented, like… like it's proof that you're alive." He glimpsed at her, but her face was serious so he didn't make a comment. The girl sighed. "I'm weird."
He smirked. "Uh huh." Then his onyx eyes softened, and he lightly pulled the girl's head nearer to his chest. "Good night," Sasuke murmured, closing his eyes again. The boy added, "Thanks for the birthday party, dobe."
Bah-bump. Bah-bump. Bah-bump.
"No problem. Anytime, teme."
XXX
Sasuke sat on the normal spot above the lake, brooding and staring at his reflection. He sighed. What happened last week… He couldn't get it out of his head. Shisui… dead? And what was with niichan's eyes? They were different than the normal Sharingan. Did… did niisan really kill Shisui?
And then there was Father. Was Sasuke just merely a replacement for Itachi? That when Father and Itachi's relationship becomes strained, Sasuke was finally remembered? The raven-haired boy scowled and immediately regretted it. Learning that fire jutsu sure had some drawbacks.
Against his will, his mind conjured a memory…
"You know the saying 'it's never too late?'"
"Y-yeah?"
"Don't believe in that crap. It's not true. Not one tiny bit of it. There's a time limit to everything, and well, if you don't grab the chance when it's there, you might never get the opportunity again. Nothing lasts forever."
Grr. Usuratonkachi.
She had been gone for two weeks. The Hokage seemed to want to take the little blonde on a trip to Lightning Country. The dobe was coming back in two days, and Sasuke felt something like discomfort bubble up in his chest when… when he realized…
That he missed her and couldn't wait for her to come back.
The predicaments that were now arising in the family… Was it because that the dobe wasn't here that these problems have begun appearing? Every fiber in Sasuke's being protested venomously against this thought, but he couldn't deny the doubt in the back of his head. Was his family so dependent on that tiny blue-eyed, blond-haired freak? That if she were to leave, his whole family would just collapse?
Argh. Headache.
Sasuke sighed again. He decided the best way to work off all this stress is to train. Train, train, and train until he drops.
Or until the dobe comes ba –
No way.
He…
All right. He missed her.
"Hurry up and get your butt home so you can calm down the tension in the house," Sasuke muttered, standing up. "You usuratonkachi."
XXX
Eh.
Maybe she should've taken up that offer from the Hokage when he suggested bringing her home…
Huh.
Her eyes flickered from left to right.
Mm…
She nervously shifted from one foot to another.
Okay...
Her eyebrows twitched.
Um.
"Just where the heck am I?!" Naruto finally shouted, throwing up her hands. Her voice resounded all over the place. Not that it mattered. Nobody was here to hear it except for her. Great. She was lost? Okay, at first, she took the wrong turn. But then, it ended up with more wrong turns, and now, she was in this huge desolate court with no one but herself. Wonderful. Absolutely spiffing.
Naruto began walking forward. Oh well. She'll manage somehow. And if it really comes to it, she'll survive on rats and all that. And not bathe for like, ten years. And grow long, filthy hair. And become "wild."
Not.
In.
A.
Billion.
Years.
Suddenly, the sound of people talking in whispers – but not really whispers because they think that no one will hear – floated by and Naruto perked up. She quietly tiptoed over, and the little blonde listened to the conversation from behind a corner.
Naruto didn't know how badly she would regret it later.
"You understand?" a man asked in a business-like manner.
"Yes."
Naruto frowned. She had heard this voice before.
"Everything counts on the success of this mission. If you were to fail, this whole thing will fail. I hope you will take that to mind, boy. And don't make the killing too messy so that people will wonder like they did with Shisui's death."
"Yes."
The man grumbled. "All right. I'll leave this to you. Don't screw up." There was a shadow that flashed against the murky, indigo night sky as the person left. Naruto stared unseeingly at the ground, heart thumping. Mission? A mission…? Are they… Are they criminals? Were they going to try to kill the villagers? If so, what –
"Come out of hiding, Naruto," the remaining person said coolly.
She jolted.
How did he know…?
Trembling, she timidly walked out from behind the wall.
And gasped.
"I-Ichi-niichan?" she whispered.
He gazed emotionlessly at her. "When did you get back?"
"J-Just now, niichan. I g-got lost."
"How much did you hear?"
She bit her lip. "The last few sentences."
Silence.
Naruto's eyes darted to peek at Itachi's face. A quick emotion flitted in the Uchiha's blank eyes before it disappeared, and the blonde wondered if she imagined it. Both didn't move, and the howling of the wind slashed in the dry, autumn air.
His next word made her blood pound heavily in her ears.
"I am sorry, Naruto."
She froze and her eyes snapped to glance at his face again. Itachi's bloodshot Sharingan eyes caught her attention, and she gazed into them. The mark in the center of the pupil was different than the regular Sharingan Naruto had seen before.
Her lip quivered. "Wh-what's going on, big brother?"
There it was again.
The emotion that she thought she had imagined.
She didn't.
It was there.
She felt like her heart was going to jump out of her throat.
Naruto suddenly had a desire to laugh. Everything was happening so slowly, so muddily. Like she was watching everything from underwater. Itachi's arm bit by bit was raised, and the little sword's blade glinted in the moonlight.
And she accepted it. She was going to die. End of story. Her shivering stopped, and Naruto straightened herself, waiting. Was it going to hurt? Does a heaven or a hell really exist? Where was she headed? Heaven or hell?
She realized…
Naruto smiled gently, attempting for the last time to make a smile come to Itachi's face as well. "I forgive you, Ichi-niichan," she whispered only for the man in front of her to hear. "Don't worry. Sasuke will save you. I promise. So please don't look like that."
The look of desperation.
The blade fell upon Naruto's body.
XXX
Sasuke opened his eyes groggily.
It hit him.
Was it all a dream?!
Sasuke jolted upright in the bed – and winced. His left shoulder… That's where niisan had cut him with the kunai. It was no dream. It was the whole, damn truth. The Clan was dead. Father and Mother… Dead.
If she didn't make that little whimper, he would've not even noticed she was in the room. But there the petite blonde was, sprawled out on the table next to his bed. Her eyebrows were furrowed tightly, and she twitched involuntarily in her sleep as she tried running away from whatever monster was chasing her. Sasuke gazed at the girl, and his onyx eyes rested on her back. It was bandaged up tightly, but the wound… It must've not been stitched up very well, for blood was soaking through her white hospital gown.
She had survived…
"Dobe."
Cerulean eyes snapped open, and they stared – unfocused – at Sasuke for a few moments. But then she recognized the raven-haired boy, and the girl's bottom lip started trembling. "S-Sasuke…"
He said the first thing that came to mind. "Welcome back, usuratonkachi."
With a loud wail, she flung herself at him, and he caught her. Tears filled his eyes as well, and he said in a thick voice, "Thank the gods that you're alive. It… It was terrible. Naruto, I…" The words caught in his throat, and he couldn't speak anymore.
She shook her head frenziedly. "Sasuke, I have to tell you some things," the blonde whispered hysterically. "Please listen. I'm afraid that if I stop, I won't be able to continue anymore. So… I beg of you. Just listen, all right?"
Her bright-blue eyes were etched with panic and shock.
He nodded slowly.
Naruto took a deep, shaky breath and began. "You were asleep for two days. I woke up the next day after… you know, and I was surprised I was still alive. Kakashi-sensei and Hokage-jiji told me I was lucky; the hit missed my spine by a mere centimeter." The blonde looked at Sasuke square in the eyes. "But you know what I think? It wasn't luck. It was done on purpose." He opened his mouth, but she cut him to it. "Let me finish, please."
He nodded again.
"I was on the way home after Hokage gramps and I arrived back in Konoha. It was around seven or so. I got lost in an area I don't think I've ever been to before, and then I heard voices. When I went to snoop on them, It… It was Itachi talking with some other guy. About completing this mission vital for something."
Naruto's eyes once more flickered upwards to catch Sasuke's, and an understanding passed between the two. "Something happened when I was gone, right? There was something weird with Ichi-niichan's eyes."
Sasuke glanced away. "Yes. A bunch of people came to the house when you were away. They said that Shisui – niisan's best friend – had committed suicide, but they were accusing Itachi of killing him. And that night… Niisan told me about it when I got home. About why he killed Shisui. To gain a special kind of Sharingan. That's why his eyes were so weird; Mangekyou Sharingan. You kill your best friend to gain those eyes."
Naruto bit her lip. "So that's why…" She stopped, contemplating. Then, in a hurry, she hissed, "Don't tell anybody about what I'm about to say."
He stared. "What?"
"What I'm going to tell you. Don't tell anyone," she answered, biting her lip harder. A trickle of blood dripped down her chin, but she didn't bother to wipe it. "If you tell too many people, the situation will get too complicated and we might never see him again."
"See who?" Sasuke asked, black eyes narrowing.
"Niichan!" she exclaimed.
His blood boiled. Sasuke snarled back resentfully, "Why would we want to see him? Usuratonkachi, he killed the Clan. Father and Mother, he killed them. Do you not understand that? Are you that big of an idiot?"
She grabbed his shoulders, ignoring the throb that ripped at her back. "Sasuke! No!" she whispered back, tears dripping down her whiskered cheeks. "He didn't do it. Niichan… He did it for the mission."
He blinked. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Didn't I tell you?" she asked frantically. "I saw two people that night. Niichan and his partner."
"What?"
She bit her torn lip again. "I… I don't know. I told you. Someone was blabbing on to Ichi-niichan about a mission. And that Ichi-niichan couldn't screw up. There's no way a skilled shinobi like Itachi-niichan could not kill me from that point-blank range. Unless… Unless…" Naruto caught Sasuke's eyes again. "Unless he didn't want to kill me. I saw it in his eyes, Sasuke. He didn't want to kill me. I'm sure he didn't want to kill the Clan either. Niichan needs our help. Sasuke, he must've been controlled. Or forced into it."
The information echoed around in his head. "So…"
"Yes. I don't know why this has happened, or if even this is true. But this point is obvious: we need to save Ichi. Who knows what the leader or whoever it is would make niichan do?" Naruto stopped. "Do… Do you believe me?"
He looked at her. Two large, azure eyes gazed back. They were burning intensely with determination.
"Yes. I do," he at last said.
Naruto's face broke into a wan smile. "Good. I didn't want to do it without you. And about the massacre, Sasuke…"
He tensed.
"Daddy and Mommy are still alive."
His mind went senseless with happiness.
"But they're in dire condition. And in a coma," Naruto added wretchedly. "The doctors don't know when they'll wake up." She sighed, and like she used to, the little girl placed her head against Sasuke's chest.
Bah-bump. Bah-bump. Bah-bump.
He realized what she was doing. "Is it there?"
Bah-bump. Bah-bump. Bah-bump.
"Yeah."
Bah-bump. Bah-bump. Bah-bump.
"How does it sound?"
Bah-bump. Bah-bump. Bah-bump.
"Healthy."
Sasuke wrapped his arms around her. "Dobe, you're bleeding really badly."
"I don't care."
"If you die as well, I don't think I want to continue living." Naruto's breath instantly caught in her throat, and the blonde stiffened. Sasuke looked at her in puzzlement. The grip Naruto had on his shirt was slowly tightening, and she started biting her lip again. "D-dobe…" Sasuke said, shocked. "What's the matter?"
She stayed quiet.
"Dobe?"
Naruto finally said softly, "That reminds me of another thing."
He didn't like the expression on her face.
Dead.
Beaten.
Forlorn.
"Dobe?"
She closed her eyes. "Sasuke, I'm leaving."
His mind wouldn't register what she said.
"I…" Naruto murmured, cheeks beginning to get soaked again. "Sasuke, I'm leaving."
It… clicked.
And he didn't like it. Sasuke's arms became rigid, and he searched Naruto's blank face in disbelief. "Why?" he whispered feverishly. "Why are you...?"
Naruto still didn't open her eyes. In a vacant voice, she answered weakly, "Gramps took me on that trip to Lightning Country to tell me of something he had been thinking of ever since I arrived back in Konoha. Being the child of the Yondaime, people will want to kill me. So he devised a plan. When he decided that it wasn't safe anymore, he was gonna send me to his old friend's house up in the mountains, where possibly no one will search for me."
No response.
"Who knew that it was gonna so soon?" Naruto then snarled out, lip curling in disgust. But her face softened, and her lip quivered dangerously again.
The mountain of fiery emotions burst out.
She buried her face into Sasuke's chest and sobbed her pitiful little heart out. The pain… it slashed at her body, and she felt like she was going to split in two. Someone was grabbing one side of her stomach while another person was tugging the other side. It hurt so much…
Why did all this have to happen?
Sasuke felt his own tears beginning to trickle down, and he held the blonde closer. "When?"
Her voice was muffled when she replied. "This afternoon."
Sasuke's eyes snapped to the clock on the wall.
Great. Twelve.
It was noon already.
His hands gripped her arms almost painfully. "If I didn't wake up today, would you…?"
He couldn't finish.
Naruto shook her head furiously, face still pressed against his shirt. "Never," she hissed. "I wouldn't have gone. They can't take me. I had to talk to you. Had to."
He begged, "Then stay. Don't leave. I… I don't know how I'm going to…"
Naruto choked in a sob. She lifted up her face and stared into Sasuke with beseeching, angst-ridden eyes. "S-Sasuke, don't do this to me… I… I have to leave. For the safety of everyone in this village. People from the other countries are going to investigate into the Uchiha Massacre soon, and if they find out that I'm back, the villagers are going to get hurt because of me."
He turned his head away from her, glaring at the wall. "That's not fair," he snarled with clenched teeth. "It's not fair why you should leave just for everyone else."
Naruto looked at the floor, not wanting to see his tormented face either. She murmured miserably, "It's not fair that they should get hurt if I were to stay."
His temper got the best of him, and the raven-haired boy broke out of their grasp. He leapt out of the bed – which was now drenched with blood and tears – and he glowered at the blonde. The boy roared, "Why do you care about the other people in Konoha?! Why do you give a damn about them?! Is this your charity thing? About how you have to be heroic for every crappy person there is on the planet?!"
Terrible silence.
She stood up slowly, and her bangs covered up her eyes so he couldn't see her expression. Then… like every second passing was really an hour… she looked up. And instead of seeing something, he saw nothing. Her eyes were blank and guarded, her face no emotion. Just like when he first saw her. With one hand raised, she wiped at the blood that trickled down her lip.
"You're right, Sasuke," she said coldly. "I don't give a damn about them. I don't."
Silence.
Like in slow motion, he saw her move.
One step forward.
No…
Two steps.
What did he do?!
She was walking by him.
He wanted to reach out to her, to apologize.
Now she was walking behind him.
He couldn't talk. He couldn't stir. He couldn't do anything.
She reached the door.
He didn't bother to turn around. Why should he? To agonize himself further?
The door creaked open.
She's leaving.
And his eyes widened in incredulity.
"Teme, don't you ever forget. Don't you dare believe in that 'it's never too late,'" she spat out in a spiteful voice. "You never did tell your father about how you thought, huh? Well, look at what happens. I hope this serves as a lesson for all of us."
Silence. He didn't budge.
Without any warning, without any chance for him to prepare for it, Naruto barked a sharp laugh, and then shouted at the top of her lungs, "You know what, Sasuke?! You're right; I don't give a crap for the other people in Konoha!" Her voice suddenly cracked, but she shrieked piercingly, "I'm leaving because I give a damn about you, you dumbass bastard! You and only you. I…" In a hiss, she muttered, "Goodbye, Uchiha Sasuke. It's been a good year."
When he turned, he saw only her bloody back and the ends of her golden hair.
The words she had hollered and her loud footsteps resounded throughout the entire hall.
He couldn't breathe.
She's gone…
XXX
Sorry!
I know a lot of you picked "d," but that was becuz you wanted Itachi to be good.
Okay then. So I made Itachi good, but for the story plot, it was also necessary for Naruto to leave. You'll see.
Yea. Please review! 3 plz. ;)