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Disclaimer: Once more, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. The song used in this fic, 'When I Come Around' belongs to Green Day. Awesome band, I'm a major fan (I have been since second grade).
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◦◦◦˚˚˚˚◦◦˚¤ Two ¤˚◦◦˚˚˚˚◦◦◦
Naruto briefly let his eyes open, only to find himself lying on a white stretcher. Somewhere to his left, he saw Sasuke. The boys ebony eyes were opened, as he looked at the ceiling. Naruto briefly considered shouting at the boy for his stupid battle against Gaara, but something told him he had no right to talk. He must be thinking deeply to not have noticed I'm awake. I don't blame him… I barely remember what I did myself. All I remember the fox's voice, and then I lost control. It took over and stopped everything.
Naruto suddenly found black irises on his own, and blushed, for some reason.
I heard you crying loud, all the way across town
You've been searching for that someone
And it's me out on the prowl
As you sit around, feeling sorry for yourself
Don't get lonely now, dry your whining eyes
I'm just roaming for the moment, sleazing my backyard
So don't get so uptight, you've been thinking about ditching me
Why, a monotone voice etched with worry asked. Naruto couldn't answer, his throat felt dry, his every bone seemed still. "Why", the same voice repeated? Naruto closed his eyes, suddenly wishing everything would disappear. But he knew he'd have to talk to Sasuke soon, especially about his incident at the exams. He didn't want to talk, mainly because he had no idea what happened most of the time through. The damned fox takes over after making me knocked out, I had no idea what it did to Gaara.
Much to his shock, he found Sasuke trying to stand up, even if the boy was badly injured. Using what strength he could muster, Naruto shouted at him. He told him to stop. Sasuke stopped, and looked questioningly at the blonde boy. In an instant, Naruto felt he shouldn't be here. With that, he sat up, and stripped himself of the white hospital blankets. He then stood up, despite his dangerous wounds, and began to exit the room.
"St-stop! Y-you c-can't l-leave w-with i-injuries!"
Naruto ignored the voice, and walked out the door. He had no intention of speaking yet, he had no explanation to give the world.
No time to search the world around
'cuz you know where I'll be found
When I come around
--
Naruto found himself walking aimlessly down a street in Konoha. For some reason, he didn't have the guts to face his fellow teammates yet. How could he explain what he'd done? Oh, I just got possessed by a fox. Did I mention this fox is the reason the Fourth is dead? Sakura would probably faint, and Sasuke would turn his back to Naruto. Naruto didn't want that, he didn't want his newfound friendship to melt back into the hatred he received most of his life through. He didn't want to be like Gaara, he liked being this way.
With visible worry, he found himself walking towards the one place he never should go. It was Konoha's busiest street, and it was always filled with people, be it at a festival, or during a mass ninja mission week. He never went this way, mainly because of his fear of the Villagers' hatred. As realization dawned on him, he was too late. There stood a group of villagers, staring at him with hateful eyes. Now they begin to tease me, this is just so wrong.
He closed his eyes, as he heard a woman scowl. As fast as he could power-walk, he raced down the street, through the crowd, and finally into an open field where he practically collapsed of exhaustion.
I don't understand. How can I tell Sasuke that I'm a Bijuu container? That too of the demon that annihilated most of Konoha's ninja population twelve years ago? Since when is this only about Sasuke? I have to tell Sakura and all of my other… friends. They'll go back to hating me, this time for the real reason. After that, no one will care; I'll be hated, like before.
I've heard it all before, so don't knock down on my door
I'm a loser and a user, so I don't need no accuser
To try and slag me down, because I know I'm right
--
Sasuke stared at the same doorway Naruto had just gone through. It was so unlike Naruto, it made Sasuke wonder what was going on. Naruto always stayed to argue, no matter how terrible anyone's condition may be. But after what happened at the exam, Naruto just seemed like someone Sasuke barely knew.
The exam! Naruto suddenly seemed so animal-like; he wasn't even like himself anymore. What was going through his mind at the time? What don't I know about my friend, my rival? What things could Naruto, of all people, be hiding from the population of our village?
He closed his eyes, as he couldn't think of anything. Nothing seemed to make sense; Naruto's behavior was just so out of the ordinary.
--
Naruto blinked when he heard voices sounding from nearby. His eye twitched when he found it to be Sakura's ever present screeching. She was shouting his own name. They must have found out I was gone, he thought bitterly. He waited for the blow, all of the questions directed at his reckless behavior during Sasuke's battle. He waited for the hatred she'd show because he tried to outstage her Sasuke-kun.
"Naruto? Kakashi-sensei and I heard you disappeared from the infirmary. We were worried sick! What's gotten into you?"
Naruto opened an eye, and looked to see Sakura's slightly tanned, ivory skin. Her pink hair coveted her face, and her emerald eyes twinkled, as she was basked in sunlight. "I just… felt like leaving", Naruto admitted. Who was he trying to convince? He could barely tell himself that he only just wanted to leave. "You always stick around to shout at Sasuke or brag, we're not idiots", Sakura said, being almighty right now, "Besides, one of the nurses didn't hear you speak the whole time though, except when you stopped Sasuke-kun from sitting up".
Naruto couldn't hold back the sudden urge to choke the girl. He tried, but it came out as the urge to shout, say cruel words.
"Look, can't a guy have a change of hobbies or something? I just hate infirmaries, and I decided to get out of there and get somewhere quiet", Naruto growled. He was dangerously close to losing it, all because Sakura was testing his patience. "O-oh", she stammered, before turning to walk away. "I-I'm sorry Sakura-chan… I just get nervous when I'm near those kinds of topics", Naruto said, "I'll go back to the infirmary, care to walk with me? You can always visit Sasuke". Sakura blinked, before nodding. "I'd like that, Naruto", she said.
--
Sakura was seeing Naruto in a new light today. From the second he shouted at her, she saw he wasn't acting foolish. He was angry with her. Naruto never seemed angry at Sakura. But at that moment, he just seemed so angry. In seconds, he apologized, and he actually had a genuine apology. When he offered to walk with her to the infirmary, she just couldn't turn him down. Somehow, she could suddenly see something different in Naruto.
So here she was, walking with Naruto down a less crowded street, towards the Konoha Hospital. Naruto was really quiet, and he seemed to like staring at the ground. He was never staring forward. On his usual grinning face, there was a deep frown, and he was thinking a lot. Sakura hadn't ever seen Naruto like this, it was just different. She carefully took the chance to wrap her arms around Naruto's right arm. He noticed, and looked at her. "E-eh… heh", he said, flashing a grin.
So go do what you like, make sure you do it right
You may find out that your self doubt means nothing was ever there
You can't go voicing something if it's just not right
--
Sasuke carefully opened his eyes to find Sakura standing near his bed, someone else standing a bit away from her, being annoyed by the nurses. Naruto? Did Sakura bring him here? Doesn't she hate him?
He found Sakura soon walking over, a worried look on her face. He almost expected it to be directed to him, but much to his shock, it was shot to Naruto. "He's been acting so different, he lashed out at me", she said, before sitting infront of Sasuke. He was briefly taken by shock. Naruto loved Sakura, he would never hurt her. "He shouted at me, and then he apologized. Sasuke… he's hiding something from us, I can see it in his eyes", she said, "He's acting so distant from me, when before he'd open up without being told".
Sasuke closed his eyes, as he thought of what might be going on in the blonde's head. Naruto was the number one unpredictable Ninja, but this just wasn't like the number one unpredictable ninja of Konoha.
--
Naruto fumed when the nurses began to poke at his wounds. He did have an injury or two, but wasn't there an injured Uchiha lying on their stretchers? He folded his arms, closing his eyes, and blocking out the nurses rantings. After minutes of constant chatter from the nurse about how his wounds were going to get worse if not cleaned properly, or bandaged, he heard Sakura call for him.
He walked over, sighing in relief when the nurse disappeared to do some more work. He was relieved that the nurse had found a new victim. He then stood there, waiting for what Sakura wanted to tell him. To say the least, the silence was uncomfortable. He hadn't ever enjoyed silence, not unless he was in a deep thought process. Right now, he just wanted someone to assure him things might go back to the way they were before the exam incident. I doubt that. I'm going to face Gaara, and after Sasuke beats his next opponent… he'll face either me or Gaara.
"Naruto, I was hoping… I mean, Sasuke and I were hoping you'd come along for a walk with us. Sasuke-kun needs exercise, and I wanted to have us all together, even for a little while", Sakura said, twiddling her fingers nervously. Naruto sighed, before nodding.
He didn't catch the thankful look from the usually expressionless Uchiha.
No time to search the world around
'cuz you know where I'll be found
When I come around
--
Sakura was slightly worried about Sasuke. She'd told the usually silent boy he should stay at the hospital while she took Naruto to eat ramen or something. But Sasuke was dead-set on coming along with her. She had no choice but to agree, and come up with some way for him to be allowed to come. Fortunately, exercise seemed to be the only solution. It also gave her a chance to be near Naruto. She was really worried for both Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto was acting so, strange, and Sasuke had bad injuries. She was the only one who wasn't in the finals, and the only one who had substantial health.
So, they began walking down a path that wasn't full of any people. Normally, Naruto would be walking beside her, or trying to, and it would be Sasuke who's trying to keep his distance. But this once, it seemed Naruto was stopping and staring blankly at the ground, and Sasuke who was getting curious of the strange blonde boy. Sakura stopped once Sasuke did, and began to stare at what he was staring at. Once Naruto felt all eyes on him, he began to walk ahead of them, before he slowed down again.
After nearly thirty minutes of the walk, the three stopped to sit on a bench. Naruto chose to stand, seeing as how Sasuke needed to have room to heal. Sakura chose to sit beside Sasuke, staring at the handsome Uchiha's face. "So, what is it you guys are planning to do for the next fights", she asked, smiling? Sasuke looked at her, before giving off his signature grunt. Naruto blinked, before shrugging. Sakura felt like gagging. Sasuke can get away with not telling me, but Naruto just never does that! Why won't he answer any of my questions properly?
Sasuke suddenly looked straight at Naruto, locking him in a fierce gaze. Naruto looked surprised, before looking to the ground again.
No one spoke for the rest of the time they were there.