Title: The Holding Game
Genre: Angst/Suspense
Rating: T
Synopsis: While training in the forest one day, Sasuke and Naruto's pathological need to compete with one another causes them to commit a horrid act; after which their guilt and fear prompts them both to hold the biggest secret of their young lives.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The Holding Game
by Yamichik
(:Chapter 8:) Game Over
About two weeks had passed since that day at the hospital. Naruto was out and back to full health, and neither he nor the rest of team 7 had spoken of the situation since that day. Naruto had been spending a lot of time alone lately because of it, and it really got him down. It reminded him of his younger days when he was treated as a monster and hated by everyone. The memories were painful, and brought out a part of him that he didn't like. The part that told him that he still allowed people to hurt him; the part he had fought down for most of his young life. The part that threatened to destroy him even now.
It was Monday, and that meant training until 2pm. He really didn't want to go, but he figured it'd just be worse to sit around all day alone suffering inside like he was. He decided to go to training.
Naruto got to the meeting spot a little late, where he saw Sakura there as usual, the first to show up. He walked up to her and stood beside her.
"Hey Sakura." He said.
"Hey." She responded. "You know you're late right?"
"Yeah, I know it. Where's Sasuke? He's usually not late either."
"I don't know…"
the two of them stood there for a while quietly until Sakura reached for her cell phone, which was ringing in her pocket. She answered it quickly and let out a gasp. She then said 'thank you' and hung up.
"What's wrong?" asked Naruto.
"That was Hinata." She said urgently. "She said he was just on her way to meet her team and saw Kakashi sensei at the Konoha law enforcement building!"
"Did she say why?"
"No, but I don't think this is good Naruto." She responded in a worried manner. "We should go and see what's going on."
"Right."
The two of them made their way to the village as quickly as possible. They ran into Hinata near the law enforcement building.
"H-Hi Naruto-kun… Sakura-chan." She greeted shyly.
"Hi there Hinata, it sure is a good thing you called. We would've been out there waiting for hours for Kakashi sensei!"
"Naruto!" seethed Sakura. "This really isn't the time for jokes!"
"I wasn't even joking…" said Naruto under his breath to Hinata, who was turning bright red. "Well, anyway Hinata, thanks for the call. What exactly is going on here anyway?" asked Naruto,
"I don't know. I saw Kakashi sensei in there with some officers. Maybe he's in some kind of trouble?" Silent eyes darted around for a few seconds. "I should be on my way now… bye guys." With that, she turned away and left down the street.
"Oh no." mumbled Naruto. Just as the panic began to spread to Sakura, an officer walked out of the room where Kakashi was being held.
"Excuse me sir! Can you tell me what's going on with the man in there?" asked Sakura.
"Huh? Oh him?" He motioned toward the room.
"Yes." Piped in a voice from behind.
"Sasuke…" Sakura spoke quietly to herself. Naruto eyed Sasuke with an intense silent malice.
"That guy is being held on drug charges involving minors." All of team 7's jaws nearly hit the floor simultaneously.
"Whaaaat?! Kakashi sensei?? Drugs??" shouted Sakura.
"Yeah, apparently, he gave some kid some powerful sleeping pills and it almost killed him. It really seems like he's gonna fry for it too." With that he walked away.
Naruto dropped his hands and stared at the floor, Sasuke turned his face away. Sakura stood silently for a few seconds before the three of them walked out of the building together and left. They walked until they reached the bridge where they usually met. Naruto immediately slumped down on with his head on his knees. Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned against the bridge.
"This is only going to make things more difficult for us you know…" he said to Naruto. The comment finally pushed Sakura over the edge.
"Sasuke you jerk! How can you act like that?" Sasuke lifted his eyes to her. "Kakashi sensei is in there being punished for something you and Naruto caused! How can you just stand there thinking of yourself?!"
"Shut up-" started Sasuke when Naruto cut him off.
"No Sasuke! Can't you see she's right?" He cut his eyes at Sasuke as he stood up. "All of this stems from what we've done. Kakashi sensei is basically in there because of us, and there's nothing we can do to stop it… Even if we confess, it won't change that he trusted me with the drugs and I abused it, accident or not." He turned away again. "Our actions are causing so many to suffer… Kakashi sensei, Sakura… Even Hokage-sama…"
"And sacrificing ourselves will make all of that better?" asked Sasuke angrily.
"That's not the point Sasuke! This is bigger than you and me now, this is all of Konoha now… I can't do this anymore. I can't play this, holding game of lies anymore… Game over." Sasuke stood motionless as Naruto walked away from them. His anger grew as he knew what Naruto was going to do.
"It's not just game over you know!" he yelled after him. Naruto kept walking.
"It's freedom over!" Naruto ignored him again.
"Future over!" Naruto heard him, but paid no mind.
"Life over!" Naruto continued walking, and Sasuke's voice was just a whisper on the wind.
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Hi hi y'all! zomg, sorry for the long freakin wait for this chapter, we had an internet outage for a week! Talk about boring... Oh well, you all know the drill. Read it, review it, and love it all the way.
Peace,
-Sabs