Thanks to all the people that reviewed me!
StarsOfYaoi: that's the first chapter! I hope you will like it and please, tell me what you think of it!
I needed a good team for Naruto, but I also needed to have it balanced. You will see who I chose and why. There is also some Sasuke in this chapter!
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Rating: T
Summary: (SasuNaru, NejiShika, eventually others) Naruto is trying to forget his former team, busy in Chuunin missions. But as his past is left uncover and many of his kind start to appear, old bonds are stretched to the maximum.
Warnings: yaoi, boy x boy relationship, angsty, torture, and such. Mental as well. Flames will be used to warm up food. OC warning as well.
Disclaimer: Not own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
–Flashbacks, memories, dreams–
……………………………………………
Normality
Chapter 01: Teamed
Naruto frowned as he entered Tsunade's office.
He'd been up since sunrise, almost excited about the new life that was waiting for him from now on, and he couldn't wait to see who he would be paired up with. That would be a fresh new start, a way to forget and start anew, and he wanted to do it well.
He'd wondered if Tsunade would place him in an actual group of Chuunin with a jounin, or if she would just have him in a Chuunin–only team, but he ended up realizing it didn't matter.
He was going to start doing missions, real missions, not D–rank ones, and with a team… a team he would try not to hurt or mess up things with.
The blond bit his lip expectantly, wondering if the new team would treat him fairly or be prejudged about Kyuubi.
Freezing on the spot, he felt his blood turn cold at the prospect of having to share missions with people that hated him for something he could not control; surely Tsunade would be attentive on picking his team members out, but he could not refuse the fact that… if there were not free places, he would have to accept whatever came his way.
No matter what.
He wanted to start again, and he was determined in forgetting everything.
Lifting his hand on the handle of the door, Naruto paused for a second; the corridor was silent, no one was there, not even Shizune, and the quietness pulled something inside him.
He still had a chance to go back… to refuse the promotion, to refuse to be placed in another team… he could still turn and walk away and continue his life with Team Seven.
Naruto's heart clenched painfully; no, there was no turning back. It was just an illusion, because nothing would ever be the same again. He had deluded himself far too much, because after the defection, the rescue, the breaking of their trust, the pain and the hurt, there was no way everything would ever return what it was before.
He had to accept that sometimes the only way to keep going was to change… for how afraid he could be of the outcome, if he were to refuse changes, then his dream to become Hokage would not be true.
He had to be strong and show the village he loved the place, and would die for them.
Naruto took a deep breath and pushed open the door, meeting the sight of a sleeping Tsunade.
Sure, that woman had a lot of work and had to stay up all night to finish it –or at least hope to finish it– but that was not the case; next to her head there were two empty bottles of sake and a cup, and by the light reddish tinge on her cheeks, the blond assumed she'd been drunk.
'I wonder how could such people have turned into two of the three most powerful people of the shinobi world' he muttered to himself, staring at the sleeping woman and mentally adding to the sight a mental image of Jiraiya peeping in an onsen. 'One is a pervert writer, one is a gambler and an alcoholic addict, and the third…' he shook his head.
Remembering Orochimaru only served him as a reminder of Sasuke's actions, and he was determined in ignoring it.
"Oi, Tsunade obaa–chan!" he nudged her head. "Wake up!"
No reaction.
'So much for being a trained ninja,' Naruto rolled his eyes.
"Oi! Obaa–chan!" he yelled in her ear.
Her eyes opened tiredly, blinking as sleep left her form. The moment her mind registered what the blond had said, she glared in the general direction where she knew he was, and punched him on the head in an Iruka–like fashion.
"Hey! What did I do!" the teen groaned in pain, massaging his head with a pout.
Tsunade stared impassively at him, stretching her back with a few pops, "because you're nothing but a disrespecting gaki!"
"Stupid old hag," Naruto muttered under his breath.
But both he and Tsunade knew that there was no animosity between them; the woman was very fond of him, mostly because she could see her brother in Naruto, and it took nothing to her to start considering him like family… Naruto was just Naruto.
She only wanted the best for him.
That's why she had accepted to take him away of Team 7; she'd seen the pain in his eyes, and despite knowing that running away was not the best way to confront what hurt him, she also knew that the betrayal had been too much for such a trusting soul.
He was too similar to Jiraiya in this sense, since even the white haired pervert had been deeply hurt by Orochimaru's defection. Jiraiya too, had run away from the truth, but Sasuke had been taken back to Konoha, whilst Orochimaru had not.
Tsunade had only one real weakness (because she would stop drinking and gambling any time if it was for the welfare of her cared ones), and that was Naruto. She would do anything for him; even help him run until he was ready to face his pain.
And… she could see that he would progress further if kept away from Sasuke. It wasn't anymore rivalry between them. Naruto would need some time, who knows how much, to accept, understand (because his heart would not let him forget completely) and confront Sasuke again.
The outcome, Tsunade could not know, but every battle in that sense, would make both of them grow up. And she knew Sasuke would have to digest his part of the situation as well.
The blond on his part, was glad Tsunade cared for him, since not many had before, and despite the way he called her, the words held nothing but affect. It felt comforting to know he had someone that would protect him…
Tsunade let out a yawn, before straightening up, knowing the time required a clear approach.
"Naruto, I called you here before your meeting with your new team mates because I wanted to make sure… is this what you really want?" her tone was serious, eyes flashing with worry.
Naruto smiled at her. He had long since decided his childishness was out of place in a shinobi world, and wanted to show everyone he was not just a loud blond boy, but that he was indeed a proud shinobi of Konohagakure.
"Yes," he stated equally serious. "I want to grow stronger, and I can't…" 'I can't do it in my old team' he inwardly added, falling silent. His last doubt, at least for the present, had vanished in front of this office.
Tsunade understood the unspoken words, and smiled at him, though her smile was holding such sadness it was heart breaking.
She wanted to see Naruto smile, for real, not one of the fake, cheerful smiles that hid his pain; she wanted to see a real smile… but she would never force him. He would smile again, and it would be true and sincere.
"I see," she smiled for him because Tsunade knew he needed reassurance from her. He was doing, if not the right thing, at least the next best choice, and in the future he would choose well. "Then I can do nothing but welcome your new team, you will be working well with them".
Naruto's eyes tentatively searched in hers, trying to find some clue on his new mates, but Tsunade shook her head, "they will be here any time now…"
That moment, there was a knock on the door, and she smirked, "come inside".
Naruto gulped. He could hear some footsteps approaching, and he breathed in and out once before turning to see who would be his companions from now on.
What he saw shocked him.
Totally.
"Naruto–kun! We will be showing our youthful flames together now!"
"Hn…"
"How troublesome…"
Naruto blinked.
Of all the people he would have thought, these were… well, not at all contemplated.
In front of him stood three of his friends, and the blond could do nothing but feel a tug in his chest at the sight.
The first one was Rock Lee, still dressed in a green spandex, still with giant fuzzy eyebrows, with a smile that could rival with the sun with its brightness. He was standing proud and defying, pointing his thumb upwards and his eyes were flashing with happiness and determination.
The second one was Neji. That could have been a good sign, since the Hyuuga and Lee worked well together and knew much of each others' style. Neji was still wearing one of his clan's clothes, refusing to wear the Chuunin's vest over it (but that was to be expected). His long hair were tied up in a lose ponytail, and though his expression revealed nothing, his eyes were warm instead of cold like before.
He looked happy to see Naruto.
The third one was the most unexpected of the three, and it was Nara, Shikamaru. As usual he was slouching, had a bored and tired expression, a frown, and the typical face of one who was annoyed with the entire world. Naruto couldn't but smile at him.
"You guys?" his blue eyes were widened in shock, and stared at each of them surprised; finally snapping out of his trance, he turned to a smiling Tsunade, and tried to suppress the urge to hug her.
A heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders the moment he'd seen them.
"Lee, are you a Chuunin?" Naruto turned again to the spandex–wearing teen, who simply smiled at him even more brightly.
"Tsunade–sama said my fight and my skills proved indispensable, despite my impossibility to use my chakra, and she said I deserved to be a Chuunin as much as you guys!"
Naruto felt warm inside. He had always believed Lee would made a great shinobi, despite his problem, and he knew he would manage everything, because he respected Fuzzy Eyebrows, and he had a determination that was just like his own.
Then the blond frowned. Had Tsunade put them together only to give him a team that would not judge him? What about the balance of the previous teams? What about Shikamaru's, what about TenTen?
He needed to know the reasons behind this choice.
"Why?" he asked her.
Tsunade smirked knowingly, before pointing towards Shikamaru, who looked ready to pass out right then and there.
"Your friend here will be happy to explain, I am sure".
Shikamaru glared at her (he spared no one, not even the Hokage) and straightened up, popping a few bones of his back as he did so.
"What Tsunade–sama is trying to say" he muttered, his hands on his hips, "is that she wanted to put together a good team that would be able not only to work together, but also to be strong. Normally a team of Chuunin would not be a good choice, but she knows our strengths and our weaknesses and decided basing on those that we would be perfect".
Shikamaru yawned again, pointing towards Lee and Neji.
"Lee is our speed. No one would be able to beat him into it, and he is also immune to Genjutsu because his chakra patterns are blocked and unreachable. That means Genjutsu can't affect him because they usually trigger chakra circulation, that he has not" Lee smiled sheepishly, but this time, his weakness had turned into strength.
Naruto smiled back.
"Neji has a useful bloodline, that helps him keep an eye on his surroundings, on the chakra patters of any enemy ninja, and his fighting style has a good range. He is trained on many Genjutsu and Ninjutsu, and his knowledge on illusions is useful".
Neji's eyes narrowed slightly but he nodded without saying a word.
"As for you Naruto, you are the pure strength. You have a poor use of Genjutsu, but your style of fighting is direct and powerful, that means you are perfect for straight attacks, and your chakra reserves and stamina are high enough to consent you to fight for a long time without getting tired easily" Shikamaru smirked at the offended glare he received when he spoke out of Naruto's weakness with Genjutsu, but the blond had to admit that Shikamaru was right about that.
"And you?" the blond asked with a frown.
"I am a strategist, as you all noticed during our mission together. I can analyze my surroundings, prepare traps on any territory because of this, analyze battle strategies, and give a back support by using my Kagemane jutsu, immobilizing the enemies with it… it's more of an infiltration quality, which is a helpful trait in a team like ours" he concluded.
Naruto blinked. If it came to him, he wouldn't have put together such a team because, face it, he was not an observer like Shikamaru.
The lazy teen had indeed worked out their weaknesses and strength together, and now that he thought of it, Naruto saw just how good of a choice that would be.
Lee would be on the first line in case of illusion based attacks, giving Neji the time to dispel them; Neji had a good sight but it tired him out easily, and that's when both Shikamaru with his blocking technique and Naruto with his stamina came into the play.
They were not experienced like jounin could, but they had managed to beat the sound five (the four plus Kimimaro) that proved they could work together flawlessly.
They knew and trusted each other, knew what to watch out for and what prevent when in mission, and of course worked well together.
Naruto could see the skills Tsunade had, because not only she had put him in a team that would not question or judge him, but also a team that could actually work out.
He smiled brightly, mentally thanking the old hag.
"I won't give you a mission right now," she said then, her hands on the desk in front of her. "I bet you have a lot of things to talk about, since now you are going to be team mates. Come here after lunch, and you will receive your first mission".
All of them nodded together and Lee, Shikamaru and Neji walked out of Tsunade's office; Naruto lingered for a moment, and seeing the three were out of range, he turned towards the Hokage and in a flash he hugged her.
Tsunade had barely the time to brace herself from the hit, and it lasted only a second; the moment she blinked, Naruto was already waving at her and exiting the room as well.
But she had heard his words when he was hugging her.
"Thanks…"
"No problem, gaki," she replied with a smile. She just hoped for him to be happy.
……………………………………………
"Naruto–kun, are you happy? I can't wait to get our first mission already!"
Naruto turned to Lee, beaming at him and lifting his thumb as well, "of course I am excited too! I can't wait to get started!"
He felt better now, because he had three companions he could trust with his life, and he would go far with them, he was sure of that.
Suddenly, but not unexpectedly, Naruto's stomach grumbled.
"Heh, sorry guys, I didn't eat this morning" Naruto laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.
Neji, Shikamaru and Lee all stared at him, but their eyes were not shocked. They could understand what he went through.
After Sasuke's defection, it was obvious that Naruto would be uncomfortable about him. That and his sudden promotion were surely why he'd asked the Hokage to move him out of Team Seven.
Knowing this, it was obvious he would have been afraid of who would be his new comrades.
"Well then, what about we go eat together?" Shikamaru proposed, yawning. "Walking around at this hour, much less waiting up to noon for our mission, would be too troublesome, ne?"
Naruto beamed at him, and before any of them could even think about complaining, he was already pushing them all towards Ichiraku ramen.
Neji sighed inwardly, his eyes turning towards the hospital where Sasuke was still held in. his hatred for the Uchiha had increased a lot after their rescue mission and what he'd heard about the battle at the Valley of End.
The Uchiha had tried to kill Naruto, and to Neji it didn't matter his mind had been poisoned by Orochimaru's cursed seal, it was still his fault because he'd let his revenge and his hatred control him.
To him, Sasuke was at fault.
Naruto had helped many people after all, Neji was one of them, and he would do anything to give happiness to the person that made him realize he had a chance in life too.
He would protect Naruto at any cost.
Even from Sasuke… especially from him…
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The silence in the room would have been deafening and unsettling for anyone else, but for the figure that was on the bed, it was nothing but comforting.
Time was like moving slower inside the hospital room, curtains closed, a cool comforting darkness enveloping everything so he could no longer distinguish one shape from the other; night and day were moving around him but he didn't care, people came, people talked to him and cured his body, but all the time Sasuke merely remained there.
Motionlessly, looking at the ceiling above him.
Everything was in a daze ever since he could remember, from Tsunade–sama entering the room and helping some of his wounds to heal, to the questioning, to the ANBU guards sealing the room with him inside.
He could see some of the sealing papers move without any breeze to touch them at the corners of the room.
When did this happen? When did this start?
Sasuke had no answers, no good ones at least; he could remember everything he'd done, everything he'd said, but it was like a distant memory.
He could recall what the Hokage had said to him, that the curse on his neck had altered his brain processing, making it easier for the darkness Orochimaru had implanted in him to grow and feed off his desire of revenge.
His whole body hurt; he'd strained it by fighting with the level two of the curse seal, knowing he was testing his limits a little too much, and now he had to take the backlash…
If he had the strength to, Sasuke would have hit his fist on the wall next to the bed. How? How could he have been so foolish? How could he have let the darkness corrupt him?
Was he that weak?
His only goal, ever since he could remember (he refused to remember the past before the massacre, it would only make him feel more pain in his chest than he already felt) was to get revenge on the man he once called brother.
His entire life had been rotating around this goal, making everything move in the back, disappearing away, not to be looked at again anymore; he'd never had friends, he'd never had free time, nor smiles to spare, no good times after his family had left him with a burden he himself had put on him.
He'd trained hard, trying to prove to everyone he could be just as strong as the person he wanted to kill, but in the end, only deluding himself.
Had his foolishness really reached such levels he thought he could have been able to defeat Itachi like this?
Where did his rationality go then?
He was twelve.
A kid, and yet, already a man, for his past, his present, his future and his decisions in life made him grow faster than needed.
But Itachi was more experienced, advanced. A genius. Deluding himself into believing he could kill Itachi like this… he really was nothing but a fool.
He would grow stronger and beat him with his own strength, no matter how many years he would have to wait… there was no need to hasten things up, since he believed no one would ever be able to kill, or even harm Itachi.
He was the one that could do that, and Itachi in some way had known.
But right now, Sasuke was nothing.
He'd let his revenge take over on his life, but this was not the right way. He would never get stronger like this, that's why he'd been falling behind lately, because he'd seen he wasn't progressing and he was unhappy about it.
He was not a genius. He just worked hard, practicing up to perfection. But it would take him years to be strong enough to get to Itachi knowing he actually had a chance.
That's why, when Orochimaru had offered him immediate power, he'd accepted without thinking back. Of course. He hadn't wanted to wait and he'd lusted for power.
But he'd been wrong.
He would get no satisfaction in killing Itachi with a borrowed power, because it wouldn't have been his… and Orochimaru had offered him something to gain something back –his body.
Sasuke couldn't but shudder realizing he would have given the Snake his body only to kill his brother.
Where had this insanity come from?
This was not him.
And he had to stop avoiding to think about the other one he'd hurt in the process, as well.
Someone who had believed in him and had not renounced in being his friend not even when others did, who had trusted him, helped him, saved his life many times and in the end, took him back, knowing what Sasuke was doing was his worst decision.
Naruto…
The mere name brought a pain in Sasuke's chest he had not imagined he could feel.
Naruto was his best friend.
And he'd wanted to kill him only to obtain something that would not allow him to kill Itachi, but that would make him just like him.
Sasuke had to admit to himself that the curse had only made his real thoughts stronger. Because he really had felt he was weaker compared to Naruto, because he could see the blond moving away from him.
But what he hadn't seen was the way Naruto would always turn back and smile, offering Sasuke his hand.
They were rivals, friends, team mates, and family.
Sasuke had broken all of this because of revenge.
Naruto had never looked down on him with pity. He had always looked at him friendly.
'How could I have been such a stupid? I turned down my only chance at return normal again… I went deeper into my darkness, believing I could finally have my revenge… that my hatred would be enough to make me win, that just because I am in the right I would get justice. Life is not like this, life is unfair… a child alone can't beat a powerful and grown man'.
He'd been proud.
He'd been cold.
He'd been stupid all this time.
Refusing to live, doing what his brother had wanted from the very start –ruining his life with his own hands.
Oh, he still wanted to kill Itachi, to revenge his clan, but he knew he could not allow that to ruin his life, because one day he would be strong enough. But not now.
He was still young, he had much to learn… he had to let go of the hatred that had ruined the only relationship worthy the time…
Hatred would not help, not at all.
Sasuke let his tired eyes trail down his body as he traced the wounds he had, wounds that were hard to heal due to the curse seal on his neck, flaring painfully every now and then (Orochimaru knew he'd failed…), wounds that had been placed upon his body not out of hatred, but out of care…
Naruto had cared enough, the stupid blond had ignored what others would have accepted (that he was lost, and would never go back) and had fought him with all he had, to take Sasuke back.
Sasuke was back.
But in returning, he'd lost something important, something too precious.
Naruto's trust.
What was his pride confronted to his friendship with Naruto, something that ran so deep not even hatred stopped the blond from saving him?
Naruto had never come to him, but Sasuke could understand. It hurt, but he could understand. Even Naruto's never ending patience and carefulness was bound to snap… and he'd made it snap.
Was he even worthy trying to get it back?
Because the truth was, Sasuke wanted badly for Naruto to forgive him. He wanted to be friends with the blond again, because Naruto had been the only light in his darkness, even with his cursed seal hurting him.
He'd admitted Naruto was his best friend. The only one he'd told many things, the only that could understand him.
And he understood Naruto.
He'd finally realized what made Naruto different, and why everyone hated him, and he still thought Naruto was what he was –a loud, blond, pranking–lover, idiot.
His friend.
Despite demons, hatred and revenge.
He would do anything to gain Naruto's trust back, and this time Sasuke knew it would be all in his hands.
Naruto would not give him another possibility, not this time. He'd gone too far to turn back, but somehow, Sasuke knew he had to get Naruto back in his life like they were before.
Because Sasuke was selfish, and he wasn't going to renounce to Naruto's friendship, he needed it. He'd been the only one to see him for what he was, and not because he was an Uchiha.
Sasuke wowed again, over and over, that he would mend things, and never ruin their friendship again.
There had to be a way.
There had to, and he couldn't wait until their team reunited again.
……………………………………………
"So, if you are with me now, what about your teams?" Naruto asked, biting his lip. The thought returned to him full force now that they were out of Tsunade's office, and he wanted to know.
"TenTen decided she would get some training from her dad, since her family masters weapons, and Gai–sensei decided to take another genin team this year" Neji replied looking at the blonde. "He still will train us whenever we want".
"Of course! Gai–sensei is the best teacher we will ever get, and he is eager to look upon our growing with a burning flame!" Lee added, his respect for his teacher was similar to the one Naruto had for Iruka (but Naruto would never admit that… besides, he would never walk around dressed like Iruka–sensei…).
"Chouji asked for a place at the academy" Shikamaru revealed.
That shocked Naruto so much he almost tripped on a rock.
"What!" he could not imagine Chouji teaching, not at all.
"Well, he won't be teaching, he is still too young," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "But he will help around for a while. He will also do solo missions, or with Asuma–sensei and the other Chuunin".
"What about Ino then?" Naruto questioned.
"Ino… well," Shikamaru scratched his nose. This was indeed troublesome.
He didn't want to remind Naruto of his old team, because by the looks of it the blond was trying hard to not think about his two ex–mates, but he needed to know.
"Since you are with us, the teams needed to be redone… and she got assigned for a while to Kakashi–sensei, as new member of Team Seven" he mumbled.
Naruto fell silent.
So Ino would be joining Sakura, Kakashi and…
"I… I am happy for her, then" Naruto forced a smile. "But I don't think she'll get along with Sakura at all!"
Neji glared and stepped towards Naruto, blocking his path.
"Don't force a smile, not one like this" he growled. "There is no need for fake smiles with us".
Naruto blinked, and saw both Lee and Shikamaru staring at him, and Neji too.
He was already worrying his new team members, and friends. He'd promised himself he would not be an annoyance, and there he was, already moping around.
What a stupid thing to do.
Besides, they cared for him.
"Yeah," he murmured, glancing at the ground.
The next second he stared up again, his eyes brightening up, "let's go eat ramen now!"
"Naruto!"
Naruto smiled brightly as he spotted his old academy sensei, Umino Iruka, walk towards him with a big smile on his face.
"Iruka–sensei!"
A second later, despite the odd looks he received from his team (he would get used to call them team now…) Naruto jumped on Iruka and hugged him senseless.
He was glad he could see his mentor before his first Chuunin mission, because he wanted a good advice from him before actually starting off.
Iruka was part of his life, like a father (as he'd admitted once…) and he would never back off from his advice.
"I heard of your promotion" Iruka smiled warmly down at him, aware of how strange both looked to the blond teen's friends, but finding out he couldn't care less. He was used in Naruto's acting and he liked it himself, it was warm and affectionate. Shikamaru, good of your special mention".
Lee smiled and started saying something about youth, whilst Shikamaru and Neji merely nodded in greeting. They remembered Iruka since they had both had him as a teacher at the academy as well (even the Hyuuga, one year older than the others, had him).
Naruto smiled again at Iruka, "we're going to have something to eat before we get our first mission," he explained his teacher eagerly. "But when I return I expect you to offer me ramen to celebrate!"
Iruka had a battle inside. For once, he was glad Naruto was so eager and happy (it had been too much since he'd last smiled this sincerely) but on the other part, he feared the offer. He would spend all his pay on Naruto's ramen!
Naruto looked up at him expectantly and Iruka groaned inwardly –he could not resist this look. He was happy when Naruto was happy.
"Yes, I will… but be considerate of my salary!" he tried to add.
Naruto wasn't really listening after the 'yes I will' so he just sighed and shook his head.
"Naruto, I have to go now," he said, realizing he was going to be late for the morning lesson. "I know you'll do your best in this mission, so good luck to you all!"
With that, he walked away, with a smile on his lips. He wanted to see Naruto happy, and seeing him this excited made him remember the first day he became a genin.
He would be doing fine, just fine, he thought.
……………………………………………
StarsOfYaoi: thanks for reading this, and if you liked, leave a comment here :)
I don't like Sasuke's part a lot, I may reserve the chance to go back and change it one day.
Review?