Chapter 16
Sasuke's Issues
I'm trying to speed it up. I wonder if you've figured out yet who knows the Life Transfer Jutsu yet...hmmm.
DISCLAIMER: You are gonna WISH I owned Naruto! I BET IT!
Sakura walked to the Godaime's office, and sat down waiting to talk to her. "Tsunade-shishou," she began, and sighed. "Do you need anymore help for Naruto's funeral preperations?"
Tsunade put down a stack of papers, and stared at her student. "Well..." she sighed, and put her feet on a clear spot on her desk. "We do need someone who knew him very well. I guess you'll do." Sakura spotted the humor in her voice, as if she were saying 'You're the obvious choice'. "But there is one matter you need to take care of first." The pink-haired kunoichi stared at her teacher with confusion in her eyes. "Sasuke..."
"What about him?!" Sakura whined, wanting to deal with Naruto. "What do I have to do with him?"
Tsunade sighed. "He's going crazy."
"Like he hasn't before?"
"Sakura," The Godaime sighed. "I mean really crazy. We're talking suicide here." Sakura gaped at Tsunade, but stayed silent. "Grief has taken a greater toll on him then it has you, Sakura. After all, Sasuke was Naruto's first friend, and that bond stayed strong, even after he left."
Sakura huffed. Why did she have to help that damn Uchiha. She was suffering more than him...wasn't she? She wasn't thinking about suicide, though it did seem that she had no reason to live. But she knew that it wasn't right to throw away your life.
Sakura-chan! No matter what, you cannot die! Nothing is worth throwing your life away!
Those words still rung in her head, and they came back everytime Sakura thought about dying. "So what do you want me to do?" she growled, and turned her back.
"I need you to talk to him," Tsunade answered. "Right now he needs some help...before we lose another great shinobi."
Sakura sighed and nodded her head. "You owe me, Tsunade-shishou." Slowly she walked out of the office, and down the stairs. Before she knew it, a chair came crashing down and slammed into a little boy on the ground, who happened to be Konohamaru. "Well whaddya know." she chuckled, and rushed down to help the little Genin. "You alright, Konohamaru-kun?"
Konohamaru rubbed his forehead which was bleeding, but nodded. "I'm fine. She's been doing that alot lately." he said, forcing out a chuckle. "Ever since Naruto-niichan took a vacation."
Sakura gaped at the little Genin. "Vacation?" she echoed, and Konohamaru nodded his head.
"Hokage-sama said that Naruto-niichan was on an extended vacation, so his little teaching session for the Genin were canceled." he answered, and Sakura again stared. "They said that Naruto was the first Genin in 30 years to ever go from Genin to Jounin," Konohamaru snapped his fingers. "like that."
Sakura smiled. Naruto did make that wonderful accomplishment, and yet here she was still a Chuunin. "Anyway," Konohamaru continued. "Naruto-niichan was supposed to come by and show us some jutsu that he learned, and to see how we were coming along." Then his eyes glimmered with admirance. "I really want to learn that Rasengan he uses."
Sakura chuckled. "I don't think you can, Konohamaru," she laughed, and smiled again. "After all, Naruto picked that up in one week according to Tsunade-sama. His father created the jutsu in the first place."
"One week?" he echoed in shock, and Sakura nodded her head.
"From what I've heard from Naruto," she continued. "is that the Rasengan takes alot of chakra, and percise chakra control like in medical ninjutsu. Or else it'll blow up in your face." Sakura said, and laughed at the last part. She too had tried to learn the Rasengan, but it exploded in her face. Good thing Naruto said that she couldn't learn the Oodama Rasengan, or the Fuuton Rasen Shuriken yet, or else the results could have been devestating.
"So where are you off to?" the little Genin asked, and Sakura's smile turned into a frown.
"I'm going to Sasuke-kun's house." she answered, and stood up. "You're all better, Konohamaru-kun. I'll be off."
As Sakura ran off, Konohamaru stared at her suspiciously. "She's not telling me something..." he muttered, and turned around.
Sakura looked behind her and sighed happily as she saw Konohamaru leave the area and walk up the steps to the Hokage's office. Now she had to go cheer up Sasuke, which was going to get on her nerves even more. She looked around for the Uchiha section of the village, and noticed it as she went by a large shinobi station with a fan on it. Sasuke's house was just a little ways down, so she walked the rest of the way trying to save time and keep her sanity long enough. When she reached the Uchiha's house, she knocked on the door three times.
It took about thirty seconds for Sasuke to come answer the door, and when he opened it Sakura stared shockingly at him. His hair was all matted up, and it looked as if he hadn't eaten or bathed in weeks. "Sasuke-kun?" she gasped, and shook her head. "What happened to you?"
Sasuke frowned at her, and gave her a harsh glare. "You're telling me that you haven't been feeling extremely lost without Naruto around?" he growled.
"No, I have," Sakura answered. "But I have heard that you have gone extremely crazy."
Sasuke muttered something under his breath, and invited Sakura in. "So what are you here for?" he asked, harshness still in his tone. "It's not like you to just stop by without a reason."
"Tsunade-shishou asked me to help you," she growled. "Because you've been thinking about suicide."
Sasuke grunted. "Like I care if I die..." he muttered. "I feel lost as it is." Sakura frowned at the Uchiha, and tried to keep her anger down so that she wouldn't hit him. "Naruto was the only person who truley and deeply wanted me back," Now Sakura had her mouth opened to say something but Sasuke continued. "Even you stopped wanting me to come back."
She couldn't argue with that. She thought that if he came back, it would split her and Naruto up because he would think that she would go back to Sasuke. That put a strain on her heart, but she was able to cope with it. "I know that I didn't want you to come back," she muttered, but her eyes were filled with love and care. "But only because I had fallen in love with Naruto." Sasuke stared at the kunoichi with shock in his eyes. "I...I thought that he would expect to go back to going after you-"
"Thank kami you didn't."
"and leave me..." Sakura finished, ignoring Sasuke's side comment. Every word was true.
Before Sasuke could speak, there were three raps on the door. Sasuke stood up and got it. Suddenly, he jumped back, and looked at Sakura. Sakura stood up, and glanced who was at the entrance.
Tsunade. "Sakura, you are done here." she stated, and glared at Sasuke. "I need you to come with me." The Godaime turned around, and walked stiffly out, Sakura following. When they were out of the hearing range of Sasuke, Tsunade stopped walking. "I need you to come with me to Naruto's bedside."
"Why?" Sakura asked, and cocked her head.
"Because," Tsunade sighed. "I need you to take a quick glance at him. Sakura nodded her head, and they continued towards the Konoha hospital. When they reached, Tsunade smacked at the wall, and a hole underground appeared. The two kunoichi slid down into the hole, and landed in front of a hospital bed.
Sakura rushed over to it, and pulled down the covers. There lay the lifeless body of Naruto, cold and peaceful. Like Tsunade said, she glanced up and down his body. There was a clear spot right in the middle of his chest, and it looked like it had been untouched. "There's a clean spot right here," Sakura stated, and pointed at the spot on his chest.
"Very good." the Godaime said, and put a piece of medical tape on it. "I'll mark it for later."
Sakura glanced again at Tsunade and sighed. "I'll be off." she said, and started climbing the hole.
Tsunade watched as she left the underground room, and she sneaked a purification potion on Naruto. "That should be enough," she said at the third drop. "I believe you will come back, Naruto-kun."
Okay...that was a look at how Sasuke is handling the situation...wow. Not so good. Please review!
Yamahato Yokimoko-san