I think it's been a year. I think it's been a year and a half.
Despicable, no?
Ah, just shut up and read.
"There is no way I am ever training with him."
Slam.
Naruto's hand was smarting and by his side before he'd even realized what he'd done. Anger was coursing through his veins, turning his vision red with fury. He glimpsed Sasuke's face, an expression of shock residing upon it, white but for the red patch of flesh where Naruto had punched him.
And then Naruto was on the ground, his own face aching. Suddenly Sasuke was on top of him, pummeling his face, glaring at him with eyes filled with rage and something else. But the blonde boy didn't have time to think about it and kicked the raven off of him, rolling to the side on bruising grass, and jumping up into the air to try to prepare himself for the onslaught sure to come.
Why was Sasuke like this?! He wondered, irritated and incredulous at the venomous tone of the taller boy's voice. Sasuke had stood up as well, and was slowly and carefully advancing towards him. They struck at the same time, Naruto aiming for his stomach, and Sasuke directing his blow towards the tan boy's chin.
Naruto could feel the raven's taught abs retract as his fist made contact with them, and his head snapped back from the force of Sasuke's punch. His vision turned white, and he could feel the ache of a coming bruise. The ground turned wobbly before his eyes, and he staggered around, trying to straighten himself.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Sasuke's head turning, face screwed up, ready to charge once more. But nothing happened. Naruto blinked and gazed at the Uchiha prince, only to realize that Kakashi now stood between the two of them, hands raised to separate them, a mixture between an annoyed, amused, and bored look on his face.
"Okay, okay. That's enough," He spoke clearly, and almost condescendingly. "Well, at least that sorts one thing out."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "And what's that?"
Kakashi smiled. "You two must train with each other for now on!"
Naruto's jaw dropped.
"Are you completely insane?! Have you heard nothing I've said to you? Have you paid any attention to what just happened?! Or were you-" The dark-haired boy's voice caught as his eyes found the orange book dangling loosely in Kakashi's hand. "That's it." And with that he was stalking out across the field, across the garden, and through one of the majestic doors leading back into the castle.
"Wow."
"What?" Naruto's voice was suspicious.
"I think that's the most emotion I've seen in Sasuke since-"
"Since his mother died? Yeah, I've heard."
Kakashi looked down at him, surprised.
"You have?"
Naruto looked down and sighed.
"In case you hadn't noticed, Sasuke and I don't really get along very well," He began. "Well, I found him, crying in the training yard last night, and, well, helped him, I guess. Then, today, he's just been acting so cold and angry towards me. According to Mikkoku… Apparently I… Elicit his emotions?" He said awkwardly.
Kakashi was looking at him with one of the most serious looks he'd seen on him since they'd met less than an hour ago.
"Interesting… Yes, that would make sense. Sasuke folded in on himself when his mother died. Ever since then he's been an empty shell – emotionless, and cold. Of course, he's always had that restrained, calm air to him… But, then… And what with Itachi…"
"Itachi?" Naruto's ears perked up. A memory of that morning came to mind, and the intense and threatening look that the older man had used to silence his father.
"Never mind." Kakashi waved his hand dismissively, and his voice took on a tone signifying that their conversation was at an end. "Anyway. You shall come to training with Sasuke-san from now on. I will alert someone to come find you before you are to train. Generally, training is every morning, before or after breakfast. Usually after."
He headed back to the castle.
"Make sure you're always on time!"
Naruto sighed and grumbled something about annoying bastards and late teachers as he relocated to a more convenient spot on the training yard and proceeded to execute his own stretches, exercises.
Worried red eyes peered out of a tall glass window.
As the door to his room slammed shut, Sasuke sighed in relief. He was away. And the emotion which had raged so strongly in him over those few moments in Kakashi and Naruto's presence began to dwindle away and subside. But he could still feel it, as fresh day, when Kakashi's words had fallen lethargically from his covered mouth: the immediate quickening of his pulse, his heart slamming against his chest painfully, his breathing speeding up, his muscles freezing up completely.
What was it? Why had he reacted to violently to Kakashi's proposal for he and Naruto to train together?
Ever since Naruto had first arrived, Sasuke had felt an onslaught of emotions; sadness, anger, and now, fear. Fear? Why on earth would he feel afraid? Because, a voice spoke in his head, You're afraid of Naruto. Afraid that he'll show you who you are... To yourself.
The Raven's breath caught in his chest. Who I am? I don't feel. I'm cold, and calm, and collected. Just like Itachi. He froze. He didn't want to be like Itachi. But, yes he did, didn't he? In another life...
A little boy, with black spiky hair and an injured foot rode on his brother's back... A brother whom he loved, he admired, and wanted to be exactly like. They gazed up at a blossoming cherry tree.
A little boy rested, on the edge of the dojo, his stomach flush against the cool tiles, chin resting on two uplifted palms, legs swaying lethargically in the slight breeze.
A man stood, knees bent in anticipation, regarding his eldest son as the latter executed move after move, perfectly, flawlessly. His dark eyes held so much admiration and love. But not for Sasuke. Never for Sasuke.
The small boy gazed up at those eyes which did not see him, only his elder brother, and made a decision. He would be just like Itachi. Cool, and calm, and collected. A genius at whatever he put his mind to. An incredible fighter. And his father would love him – just as he loved Itachi.
Sasuke's eyes opened once more. He stared ahead of him, at the dark, luxurious, silken bed, unseeing and unhearing. Yes, he wanted to be like Itachi. Like Itachi who had all his parents' love, who was smart, and had such incredible talent. He suddenly felt naive, juvenile and childish.
Time seemed to blend together, the present was the past, the past the future. He had met Naruto a hundred years ago. He was seeing Itachi's face for the first time as a midwife held him up for his older brother.
He wanted to be Itachi.
But no! No. He didn't. He let out a frustrated yell. What did he want? He didn't want to be like Itachi. Itachi who had disappeared for several years and then returned unexpectedly with no explanations. Itachi who had killed... Sasuke felt a searing in his brain, and let the thought go. He didn't want to be like Itachi.
And if letting his emotions finally express themselves... He bit his lip. Then fine.
It was night.
The forest was cloaked in darkness, shadows looming eerily, but only one of the three shrouded figures in the darkness seemed bothered.
"It is beginning to worry me," This one spoke, nervousness creeping into their tone. "Ever since Uzumaki arrived after the Uchiha brothers'… fight… and comforted Sasuke, they have been at each others' throats. At breakfast, the tension was palpable – not to mention Uchiha Fugaku mentioned the mother's death… And then, this afternoon…"
A silent look from one of the other figure's red eyes was enough to make the speaker continue.
"Uchiha refused to train with Uzumaki, and it ended up in a huge fight between the two of them. I am worried that this disagreement will cause Uzumaki to renounce the marriage. And, of course, if that happens…"
The third member of the party jerked suddenly upon hearing the last words.
"Our plans fail entirely."
Red eyes narrowed. "No. That cannot happen. You know that cannot happen," He glared at the figure overcome with nerves beside him. "You must do everything you can to reconcile those two."
A pause.
"If that is all you have to report…" A nod.
"And never forget – this mission is your life's purpose." The cold words caused the figure's eyes to widen and spine to chill.
And with a swish of cloaks, the figure sat, unmoving and silent, impossibly alone.
Bang.
Naruto groaned. Who on earth could be making such a sound at such an ungodly hour of the morning? He attempted to extricate himself from the cocoon of white, luxurious sheets, only to find himself caught. He tried not to yelp as a sheet wound around one of his legs caused him to trip over and fall to the ground. He landed on his knee, but managed to prevent severe damage by catching himself with his hands. He cursed under his breath and caressed his bruised knee and stubbed toe.
The half-asleep blonde leaned back against his bed, silently mourning his newly acquired injuries.
Bang.
Again! Naruto thought in outrage, his foggy mind struggling to process what it could be while remaining suitably annoyed at the recent accident. He struggled to pull himself up, and staggered towards the door to figure out what was going on. He opened it slowly, only to jump back as an unexpected face was situated directly in front of his door.
"Iruka!" He yelped in surprise.
"My lord," The man bowed perfunctorily before raising himself again. "I did not wish to… Ah… disturb you, but you are required at the training yard in twenty minutes for your lesson with Hatake Kakashi and Lord Uchiha Sasuke."
"Twenty minutes!" Naruto groaned. "Great. Thanks, Iruka."
"You are most welcome, my lord."
Naruto turned from the door, expecting Iruka to simply leave now that his task was complete, and began his search for something to wear. He opened the dark mahogany wooden chest of drawers and started rummaging around.
"I… Heard about your fight with Lord Sasuke-sama," Iruka began carefully. Naruto whipped around, surprised that the servant was still there. "He may seem cold and …difficult… but inside he really is not. When his mother was alive, he was... Happy. But you, you make him feel emotions again. You must try and uncover the ones of happiness too."
Naruto stared at him, shocked. As much as he detested hierarchies and class differences, this was ridiculous. A servant was ordering him, a prince, to make his master happy? In any case, even if he wanted to, he wasn't exactly getting very close to befriending and bringing joy back into Sasuke's life. He snorted.
"Yeah, fat chance of that ever happening."
As he glanced back at Iruka, he noticed a look of disappointment mixed with something else on his face. The blonde boy sighed.
"Look. If I can somehow talk to him without him screaming or glaring at me, maybe I'll try." Iruka seemed somewhat satisfied, and gave Naruto a small smile before departing.
"Fifteen minutes, my Lord!"
Sasuke leaned on the railing encircling the training yard, a bored expression residing on his face. As usual, he was the first one there. He wouldn't be surprised if Kakashi was three hours late. But of course, if Sasuke were to come late, Kakashi would choose that particular time to come early. Murphy's law. And yes, it had already happened.
But that wasn't the only reason he was there early. He needed to talk to Naruto. He felt rather queasy about the upcoming conversation, though. He hadn't exactly been polite on their previous encounters, and the numerous times Naruto had attempted any sort of reconciliation, the raven had pushed him away, screamed at him, and slammed the door in his face. He turned his head to stare at the dirt ground of the training yard, guilt and shame flooding his body at having reacted so violently.
But no, this time would be different. He shut his eyes tightly, and tried to concentrate. Kakashi would be late, since Sasuke was early, and that would give him a chance to talk to Naruto. He wondered vaguely if Naruto would accept his explanation, and then quickly pushed the idea aside. He would tell Naruto that... What would he tell Naruto? 'Oh, sorry I've been such a bastard lately, it's just – I realized that I didn't want to be like my brother anymore. Sorry.'
The raven let out a hollow laugh, and turned his head up sharply. There, a few feet away, was the blonde in question. Tan face tense, beautiful blue eyes guarded, blonde hair swaying slightly in the light breeze. Sasuke's breath caught in his throat, and he debated whether it was from nerves of their upcoming encounter, or something else.
But Naruto ignored Sasuke completely, and walked right by him, without a single glance. The dark-haired boy shook himself, and lifted an arm quickly, effectively reaching out a hand to grab Naruto's shoulder.
"Look," He began, eyes downcast, searching for words. "I know I've been... Kind of..."
"A bastard?" The blonde had turned around, and stared at Sasuke's pale face. This was lifted sharply, an amused look on his face.
"Yeah," The pale boy smirked. "But anyway. What I'm trying to say is... You... Do something to me. It's not... I mean, it's like you..." Sasuke let out a frustrated sound. "When I was younger, my brother was... well, he still is, I suppose... a prodigy. A genius in every way... whether it be in combat, academics, reading, writing, everything. My... father... loved him. Loved him like he never loved me. He was a god, in my father's eyes. And I... I wanted to have that same respect, that same love, from him too. So... I tried to be... exactly like him. It didn't work very well," Sasuke let out another hollow laugh.
"Then, my mother was killed. And I was... Well, afterwards, I suppose I achieved my goal. I was exactly like Itachi - Cold, empty, and emotionless. And now... you come along... And... I..."
Naruto didn't smile. He didn't laugh. His face was expressionless.
"Ugh! I can't do this anymore!" Sasuke let out, frustration and annoyance at himself coloring his tone.
"I guess this is the most I can hope for as an apology?" Naruto finally smiled.
"Uchihas don't apologize," Sasuke smirked, relief at having been understood, and the tension having been lifted.
"Well, I accept your apology anyway," Naruto was now grinning, a huge, bright smile that the raven had never seen before. He found himself liking it.
"Do you think they'll ever get on better terms?" Mikkoku's voice was worried and nervous. She gazed out the window at the two boys, slashing away at each other before Kakashi's lax eye.
"Doubtful." Kiba's responded, his attention on the white creamy page in his lap.
"I don't see why Sasuke should react so violently to my new fiancé. I mean, he could have chosen anyone else. Anyone. He could have chosen you!" Her voice rose with emotion and despair as she glanced back at Kiba's bent, messy head of hair.
"Mmhmm."
"But he had to choose Naruto, of all people. What if Naruto decides he doesn't want to have Sasuke as a brother in law? What if he decides it's too much for him, that he would prefer another girl without a deranged, psychotic brother who has absurd, inconvenient emotional breakdowns? What if he decides to turn back on the marriage? What if he decides to leave now, to cancel the wedding, to leave me, and go home?
"Oh come on, there are plenty of other fish in the sea, as they say." Kiba looked up, the hysteria in her voice catching his attention. He had never seen Mikkoku as anything but shy and demure, so this was quite the development.
"Yes, but Naruto's the only one for me, don't you understand?" Her eyes were beginning to brim with tears. "He can have all the suitors he wants, but I will only ever have him. It's him, or no one. If he abandons me, because Sasuke scared him off, my life will be over. Don't you understand?"
"No, I don't. What's stopping you from marrying some other prince from some other land? There certainly is no shortage on eligible royalty, if that's what you're worried about." The letter swam in his lap for a moment, forgotten, before he caught it back up. But his eyes remained fixed on Mikkoku's back, trembling in agitation.
"I just - You wouldn't – I can only marry Naruto. I have no future, except with him. He's..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "He's my life."
Kiba's expression was of utter disbelief. "You've known the guy for what, two days? You cannot be this infatuated with him yet."
She glanced back at him, as though searching to remember his name to emphasize her point. Unsuccessful, she proceeded regardless. "I've spent my whole life indoctrinated with the knowledge - the dream – that I, Uchiha Mikkoku, would marry Uzumaki Naruto, prince of Konoha. I have spent my whole life looking forwards to this moment, preparing it, and constructing my vision of the rest of my life around it. You cannot understand the terror of having your whole life's ambition on the brink of being torn away from you because of some superfluous, stupid disagreement. You cannot."
"Guess not." Kiba was more surprised than anything else. He had physically recoiled at her speech, his eyes had widened in disbelief. He gazed at her for a few moments; she had now turned back to stare out the tall glass pane. He gradually turned back to his letter himself. Shikamaru was wondering how they were faring in Uchiha-land. Kiba had been deliberating for the past hour (and listening to Mikkoku's own breakdown and sob story hadn't helped) whether he should make up some superficial lie about their great, fun time at the Uchiha's – or just come out directly with the truth about this god-awful place. He dipped a brush in the inkwell, and suspended it above the page. Truth... lie? Truth... lie? Truth... lie?
Okay. He had it. He would write both, and then send whichever one turned out best. Genius!