- Chap 9 The sake bottle shattered into tiny pieces which glittered in their decent to the floor. The thrower of the bottle stood behind her desk, her chair over turned. "I want her dead!" she screamed. Shizune, Tsunade's best friend and lover, walked in hurriedly to see what was going on. Tsunade saw her and calmed almost instantly, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Hinata and Shikamaru saw this as the right time to jutsu themselves out of the room. Hinata seemed oddly stoic through the whole endeavor. As if she was plotting. - Naruto paid the delivery men after they had set up Sasuke's futon in Naruto's room. Naruto had managed to get him just before the men arrived and cleared a space right under the window for the bed. The model that Sasuke had selected had a wooden frame to it, which raised it off of the ground by a foot. It was slender and tucked nicely into the space made or it. It was directly across the room from Naruto's bed, which made Sasuke feel at ease because he could see the whole room from his bed, and could always be close to Naruto if he needed him. "Have a great day!" the blonde called out the door as the men left. Then they were down the hall a way, he closed the door and smiled at Sasuke, who was sitting on the couch, a large array of colored bags all around him. Things that Naruto bought for Sasuke, things that he had showed an interest in, but seemed too shy to ask for. Sasuke rummaged around in one of the bags until he found the box of markers that he had picked up and looked at while he though Naruto wasn't looking. The expanse of vibrant colors that filled the box made him want to draw, and he had lost that interest long ago, when his father had found his hidden passion and burned all of his markers and pencils. Naruto had not only picked up on the markers, but scooted ahead with that hint and bought three separate sketch books, an array of water colors and colored pencils. The whole expanse was now spread out before the raven and it made his mouth practically water. Naruto sat on the floor in front of Sasuke and smiled at the look in his eyes. "You've got to have something to do while you're resting," the blonde said and then laughed lightly. Sasuke glanced at him and nodded. He had so many ideas rushing through his head, but his hands itched to place pencil to paper so urgently that he couldn't settle on one idea to commit to paper. He picked up the largest book and the pack of pre-sharpened colored pencils and tucked himself up into the back of the couch. Naruto watched him and was glad that he was eager to do something. Sasuke seemed shy and reserved, scared of everything around him. Except himself. Sasuke was on a level of comfort with the blonde that he didn't have with anyone else. That made Naruto sad, but pleased at the same time. They had been alike as children, and close to each others hearts. They fought each others demons with pointy sticks and warms arms to hide in. Naruto felt his eyes get hot as he remembered all of those times when Sasuke had saved him, and not the honor was Naruto's. Naruto hadn't heard the knock on the door until Sasuke called that he was coming. Naruto jumped up and was at the broken man's side in an instant. "Wait, let me get it, we don't know who it is yet..." Naruto warned. Sasuke nodded his head and hobbled back to the couch. He picked up his book and went back to drawing with the bright colors. Naruto walked up to the door and opened it just a crack. It was Kakashi, but there seemed to be something wrong with him. Naruto glared at him pointedly and asked, "How's the mother?" Kakashi seemed taken aback. He squinted at him and then sighed, knowing the answer was something totally unrelated. "Terrible, but her jutsu is improving." he said, working the password into a casual answer. Naruto opened the door wider for the man to enter. Iruka, who was never, ever too far away, entered after him, carrying the rest of what Naruto just noticed that Kakashi was carrying. "We brought dinner!" Iruka sang in a happy voice. He settled the paper bags gently on the table and then Naruto smelled it. "Ichiraku's!" The blonde screamed and dove for his seat at the table. Sasuke looked up and shuddered. There was so much good food in the world, and this had to be brought over. Free food was free food, so he wouldn't complain out loud, but he would make the dobe buy more food tomorrow. Sasuke looked up at Kakashi and looked him over once, twice. There was something odd about him... then Sasuke noticed that slight bulge in his pants. He balked and turned his head back to his work, finishing up one little detail before he gently closed the book and got up, meeting them at the table. Iruka was taking the bowls out of the bags and ahnding them out. Sasuke noticed that he did not get a bowl, but Naruto got three. He looked up at Iruka, who took one of the bags that Kakashi had carried in and settled it in front of him. "I didn't think you would like eating ramen, so I brought you something else." Sasuke smiled meekly, and felt his heart beat a little faster in admiration. They ate and laughed and told stories that Sasuke felt left out of. During the time that they all were living their lives, Sasuke was hating his. He had been a coward and too scared of Her. He had even been too scared to end his life. Sasuke listened to all of them as he ate quietly, he kept his words and thoughts to himself, only chuckling mirthlessly as he heard the others laugh, making them think he was really taking part. Kakashi whisked Iruka and himself away as soon as dinner was over and the table cleared. He had other things on his mind that he wanted to talk to the teacher about... in a locked room. Naruto waved at them as they left and went to take a shower. Sasuke settled himself back in the couch and picked up his book. He opened to another page and gathered new colors to fill this one. He began to etch his horrors into life, right there on the paper.