Love & Truth

13. Every Day, Every Night

(Ayame-san's POV)

Actually, I expected Namida... Naruto-san to wake up and return to that catatonic, apathetic face of his… but no… He did still cry, he was definitely sad… but he was not oblivious to his surroundings any longer.

Also… he did not stop drawing since then.

I took a quick glance at the drawing he left in our house before he went back to his own, after he switched back into being a girl once more.

It was drawing of a scenery, a flowery plain as to say.

It was a drawing of a family sitting under a tree, having picnic. I could clearly recognize me, Takeo and Haru as the members of the happily chatting family.

It would have been a happy painting if not for the figure that was looking at the family sadly from behind the tree.

I knew it was how Naruto-san felt when he saw us. He felt like he would never be a part of a family. Any family.

I so wanted him to know how welcomed he is here, but I did not think those words would get across to him.

'Too bad Neji-san left already.' I thought. He was the only one who knew the whole story that has led Naruto-san here.

He left already, two days ago. He said he had to return to his lover who has been worried about Naruto-san heavily.

And so after staying here for a day only he left, the only addition to the things he had with him being a picture Naruto-san had drawn him.

I was astonished at how quickly was Naruto-san able to draw something.

The one Neji-san got was done during the few hours before his departure. It was a picture of a pair with a child. I recognized one of the two as Neji-san. The other one must have been his lover. Gaara-…-sama? I understood that his position is quite a high one.

The child was shown as a bundle only from which a hand reached out.

„I'm sorry. I haven't seen Shin yet." Naruto-san smiled sadly when giving Neji-san the picture.

„You'll see him when you come to visit us with your own bundles of joy." Neji-san gave a reassuring smile back.

„I hope so…" Naruto-san replied only, falling back into the silence that I knew as characteristic to him. According to Neji-san however it was not how his personality used to be.

I recalled the conversation we had when Naruto-san was not in hearing distance.

„It's almost sad to see how much he has changed…" Neji-san sighed.

„I can't quite compare. He's been like this since he came."

„And how did he manage till now?"

„Quite good, actually, except… for the past week… As I said before… He must have been notified by his lover somehow… about their break up… I can't think of any other reason."

„The connection…" I heard Neji-san mumble.

„Excuse me?"

„They have a connection… They are able to speak to each other through it…"

„I was not aware…"

„I need to dig into the matter when I get back to Konoha…" Neji-san trailed off for a while then continued. „Ayame-san I need you to promise me that you won't speak about Naruto's identity to anyone. His life would be in potential danger if you do."

„How is that possible? Did he do something?"

„If that was the reason it would have been easier." Neji-san sighed. „He did not. It's just as he is the nine-tailed demon's carrier he is not very popular… village-wide."

„I promise then. I don't want to cause Naruto-san any harm."

Neji-san looked at me for a while and then smiled.

„You know… Naruto is lucky to have met someone like you."

The conversation then went on about small details only.

Once we were done talking Neji-san said his goodbye to me and Naruto-san and left.

„I still wish he could have stayed a bit longer." I said to myself looking at the picture hanging on the wall once more.

'He would take it easier if someone he knew was around.' I though. 'But then again…'

'…The one he wants to see the most would have been the best for him.'

L&T

(Third Person's POV)

Neji looked at the body by his legs, breathing heavily, and growled to himself.

'Just who the fuck was this?' He asked himself.

He took the mask from man's face and looked at sings on its inside.

„Warui [bad]… huh…" He said to himself. He was more concerned with the number under it though.

'Six… that means that there are at least five more like this one… I need to take this to Tsunade-sama.' He thought as he put the mask into his bag.

'Just what was this man part of?'

L&T

In Konoha there were more findings similar to the one Neji did.

Due to these there was a meeting called. For those involved only.

„We – meaning me, Sakura and Sai – took down number four…" Kakashi announced holding out a mask for Tsunade to see.

„Fushin [distrust]… Number four you said? Good job…What about the rest?." She then turned to others who were in her office.

„We took down number ten." Chouji and Ino, said giving village's head a mask to see.

„Otoru [inferior]… Does that mean that he was ranked the lowest among this unknown group?" The woman said to herself, looking at the mask.

„I have to disagree with you on this part…" the person who just opened the door said.

„What makes you think so cold bastard?" Sai said with his ever-present smile turning to the raven-haired man.

Sasuke only tossed another of masks to Tsunade's hands.

„Hikui [lowest]… number twelve… I guess this really is the lowest one…" She admitted.

„What is this new group Tsunade-sama? What is their goal?" Ino said worriedly.

„I don't know… I really don't know…"

'I have a bad feeling about this though.' She added to herself.

L&T

Day later Neji arrived with the latest to this "collection". No one still knew though what is aim of this new group.

All of defeated members refused to even beep, fighting until their last breath.

L&T

(Sasuke's POV)

'I hate every new day that comes.' I told to myself throwing one of kunais precisely at the target.

'I hate every day that passes.' I continued rambling to myself, throwing yet another kunai at the target next to the previous one.

'I hate every single day… that I have to spend without dobe.' I sighed when I looked at straw targets before me, all of them having at least one kunai or shuriken where their supposedly-heart is.

'I think I'm going mad.'

I slumped under one of trees on training ground behind Uchiha complex which I was on.

I was just about to get up and continue when I heard someone calling from the main door… so I changed plans and went to see just who this visitor is.

L&T

„Hyuuga… huh." I said only as I opened the door.

„Can I come in? I need to talk to you…"

„What does Hyuuga want to talk to me about?" I growled, not being in my best mood.

„Will my saying "We should talk about certain blonde" do the trick?"

'He can't mean… can he?' I thought, my eyes wide open.

After giving it more than just a little thought I let him inside.

L&T

„You look like a shit, you know?"

Were first words he uttered after I closed the door.

„If you plan to comment on my visage I can kick you out of here you know?" I growled rubbing my temples.

„I just had to tell you that." He smirked. „I'm here for something more grave matter." He added frowning.

'I can imagine what.'

„I saw Naruto… a few days ago."

'Okay I did not expect this one.'

„And…?" I dared to ask.

„What made you… break up with him?" He asked his face as serious as it could get.

„And how do you know about it." I asked him narrowing my eyes as I said so.

„It's quite obvious… given his state."

I stopped at that.

„What… state?"

„I did not see most of it, but I got a lot of information about it from a woman named Ayame. She's been taking care of Naruto when he refused to communicate with world in any sort… for two weeks. He completely blocked everything out of his mind Uchiha. It went as far that Shukaku could not contact Kyuubi at all. It happens when Jinchuuriki dies usually…"

'I didn't know he was like that from outside also…' I groaned to myself feeling a sudden need to sit down on a nearest chair.

„That's not the worst just so you know…"

„What can be worse?" I voiced silently, not even wanting to hear the answer.

„He tried to kill himself… More than just once."

„Why?"

„Try to find an answer… Uchiha… He's shunned by most of the village he loves dearly… The number of his friends is considerably small… When his love for a certain bastard is finally returned… when he conceives a child, by what you can call a miracle, with this person he loves the most in the world… He's stabbed in the back by him… by this… betrayal of yours. Who wouldn't want to kill themselves? He's not as strong inside as you may think… He may smile most of the time, but his soul is fragile also… just as any human's is… You know… if not for Kyuubi and its healing abilities… he would be dead now."

I was shocked by news I just got… I felt guilty as I never did before… But most of all I felt rage.

„If not for Kyuubi than we wouldn't have this conversation at all!"

„I need you to enlighten me in this." He said as if he waited for it… but then again he probably did.

I groaned as I got up from the chair and pulled out an envelope from one of the drawers.

„This… is the reason…"

Hyuuga read the note quickly his frown deepening.

„Have you shown this to Hokage?" He asked after a while.

„She knows about it…" I said quietly. I hated even thinking about that cursed piece of paper. It ruined my life.

„You know… I think it might be connected to that new masked group… somehow…"

„What makes you think so?" I asked, not really getting his point.

He came closer to me and shown me the other side of paper, which I never bothered to look at.

Right in its upper left corner was something written.

„Four and… Fushin?" I blinked as it clicked in my head also. „Wasn't he the one Kakashi and the rest took down the day before yesterday?"

„That's the one…"

„So you think… that this group's target… is Naruto?"

„I'm afraid it will include all current Jinchuuriki…" Neji admitted, probably thinking of Sandfreak.

„So a new version of Akatsuki… huh…"

„But I don't get something…" Hyuuga said after a while of silence. „If their aim is to kill Jinchuuriki… why was Naruto not attacked already…?"

I thought about it also, not getting an answer when I suddenly remembered something dobe told me long time ago.

„He was…"

„Huh?"

„When he was headed to Suna, almost half a year ago… he said he was attacked by a man with a mask."

„Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten?"

„We need to go to meet the hag." I muttered, still looking at the small symbols written on the note.

„Ahem… Uchiha… hag?"

„Tsunade-sama… who else." I said, rolling my eyes, heading to the main door already.

Hyuuga only followed me silently.

L&T

(Tsunade's POV)

I looked at the paper that our village's two prodigies brought me.

„How come we overlooked it?" I muttered to myself. The two of them only looked back at me.

„Sasuke… I need to show this to the rest - if we want to use it as a proof of some sort… You okay with that?"

The raven-haired man only looked back at me sadly as if saying "Do I have a say in this?". But he said something different.

„If it helps dobe then so be it."

I did not expect any less coming from his mouth. Really. He has changed so much from the boy he used to be.

„Okay… I'll send out a few messengers and we'll have another meeting in an hour. You got that?" I said simply. This situation did not deserve any more or any less.

„Understood." They both said and disappeared.

L&T

(Sasuke's POV)

„Everyone wants to kill me." I rambled to myself letting my body to fall onto my ridiculously cold bed.

The meeting went on… well… fine and not so fine.

Everyone agreed on the "new Akatsuki" part. That it really is probable that its new target are all current Jinchuuriki and unlike Akatsuki their aim will probably be getting rid of them for good.

What I was now really thinking about now was not some goddamn meeting, though it was loosely connected to it.

He was connected to it.

„Naruto." I whispered to the air of my room.

'Should I try to get to him on my own?' I thought as I studied the pattern of my ceiling.

'Should I try to speak to him somehow beforehand? It really is not good to just appear on his doorstep… Would he even want me to be there?'

'Why not try asking him?' I heard my ever-present company say.

'Is it even possible?' I asked back. 'I thought it's up to Naruto when we'll talk in dreams.'

'It might work if you really want it and I try really hard for it.'

'Do I look like someone who does not want to speak to the person who matters the most to them?' I asked back frowning.

'Okay okay… bad question… go to sleep I'll try… I won't guarantee anything though.'

'Doesn't matter if it does not work now.'

„I can wait for dobe every night.'

L&T

(Naruto's POV)

I was tired.

I was tired so I decided I might just go to sleep.

I definitely did not expect a certain raven to wait for me in my dream.

„Te… me…" I mumbled only as I watched the said raven approach me.

What he did the next I expected even less.

„I missed you so much." I heard him say softly as he wrapped me in a hug.

„What… are you doing?" I asked pleadingly, trying to get out of his grip.

„This is just some strange dream… isn't it?" I asked myself out loud as I tried to get away from him.

„Our dreams are always strange dobe." He smiled warmly.

I had to laugh softly at that also. „That's very true."

We stayed silent for a while. I so did not want to break that sweet moment of ours. I wanted to stay in dream just as this one was forever.

„I'm so sorry dobe." He whispered softly into the crook of my neck. „So sorry…"

As he kept repeating those words, adding sweet nothings every now and then, I felt my tears come down in new streams.

Because for once, they were not tears of desperation or sadness. They were tears of happiness.

Something I have not felt in a long, long, time.

L&T

I woke up way happier than when I went to sleep.

So much happier.

When Ayame-san came over I opened the door with smile on my face for once.

„Did something good happen?" She asked as soon as she saw me.

„Yes… It did."

L&T

(Neji's POV)

I arrived to Suna only few days after our meeting about the new threat that appeared.

I was really worried about Gaara's and Shin's safety.

„Neji!" I heard my name said, making a heavy burden of worry fall from my heart.

I wrapped my fiancé in a hug, making him a bit surprised.

„You came earlier… What happened?" He asked when we came into the room where Kankuro was set as our babysitter for a while. Once he saw us he only greeted briefly and left.

I was thinking about how to break the worrisome news.

„You're in danger."

L&T

(Third Person's POV)

In a certain village, on a certain day came a man to its gate searching for one person.

„A woman came to live here, about three months ago. She's with a child, I believe. Could you please tell me where I can find her?" He asked one of the men on the main road.

„Any closer specifics?" The man asked, eying the stranger. He was not even sure who was this man about.

„She has black hair and blue eyes..."

„Ah, you must mean Weeping Maiden." A man next to the asked one said.

„Weeping… Maiden?"

„She cries all day… everyone calls her that… I think most people here don't even remember her name anymore." He laughed.

„And… where can I find her?"

„Go along this road… the first house - well only one - you'll see is hers."

„Thank you very much." The stranger said, bowing deeply.

It was not until this stranger left, that the two men started arguing.

„What if he wants to hurt her?" The man who was asked initially started angrily.

„You did not see it in his eyes? There was no harm meant for her in those eyes…"

„He can act to look like that…"

„But still… don't you think he resembles Weeping maiden in something?"

„In what I have to ask."

„He looked as if he missed someone for very long... Thinking about this someone…"

„You think… that he was thinking of her?"

The man nodded at this question.

„Every day… Every night…"

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