CHAPTER 27
Our Moment
(私たちの瞬間 Watashitachi no Shunkan)
Note: Readers beware. In this chapter, Naruto's attitude and gestures will be a bit more cutthroat towards Sasuke, which is not normal for him. There will be no tenderness of words in here...until the very very end...
The silence in the room had taken over in that moment, letting the two young men look at each other with indifference and inquisitiveness. Icy blue eyes pierced through obsidian ones as the raven-haired criminal turned away from the apprehensive blond. Sasuke realized that Naruto's eyes had became...so cold...so cold that hell could have be frozen over three times. He had no idea that the blond could even show such a...disturbing disposition. His eyes are usually filled with warmth and brightness, but now...those qualities that Naruto had were not even present.
Naruto crossed his arms as he leaned against the metal bars of the cell. He let out a sigh as he tried to get his thoughts together. He wanted to shout and holler at the raven for leaving and coming back like it was nothing, but he knew that doing that was not going to get Sasuke to talk to him. In any case, it would push him even further away. He had to come up with a way to start the conversation properly. Whatever he was going to do, he had better do it soon because he only had thirty minutes to speak with Sasuke.
Not dwelling on it, Naruto started the conversation with a simple statement, "For starters, I'm glad that you're back in the village, Sasuke. I didn't have to drag your ass back this time. I heard that you and your team had taken care of the Akatsuki. Is that true?" he asked, seeing what the raven would answer the question.
"Hn." Sasuke had said nothing. Nothing more and nothing less. Yes it was true that Taka had defeated the Akatsuki with teamwork and more importantly, Sasuke had defeated Tobi as well after learning the hidden truth behind Itachi's death. This was something he didn't want to talk about with Naruto. In fact, he wasn't even comfortable enough to tell him yet, so he brushed off the subject by smirking that smug, arrogant smirk that always grated on Naruto's nerves.
"I don't speak 'grunt' and 'asshole', Sasuke. You're gonna have to talk for real at some point otherwise you'll never get the chance to talk again. Even I won't be able to save you if it gets to that that point..." The blond answered back with a vice.
Sasuke studied the blond's expression. There wasn't even a hint of kindness coming from Naruto. He hasn't even cracked a single smile ever since he came back. Naruto was being extremely cold to him. This...this was something he did not expect. This kind of behavior...was not becoming of Naruto at all. It didn't suit him.
"Are you gonna sit there and look stupid or are you gonna start talking to me? Because, you're wasting what little time I have left in here, you know. Tomorrow...tomorrow is the day that will change everything. Aren't just a little concern about it? You will have to fight for your rights all by yourself and I'm not gonna lie...it doesn't look good for you..."
Sasuke said nothing once again. He just turned away from Naruto and listened to him, even though no amount of words were going to change his mind nor help him at this point.
"Tomorrow, the Elders are going to do everything in their power to have you dead and with the Daimyō on their side, there's really nothing you can do. The sad thing is that no one can represent you or speak on your behalf. If that happens, it would look like that person is betraying their alliance for the village for your sake...But..." Naruto explained. 'I would, but I can't...!'
Naruto grounded his teeth as he remembered why he couldn't help Sasuke. The Elders had gave specific orders to Tsunade that he and along with the members of Konoha 11 were excluded from coming near the Konoha Precinct House until the trial was over. They admitted all the jonins from the teams because they were high-ranking ninja, but Naruto was no fool. Those damn people just didn't anything or anyone to obstruct them while they put Sasuke through pure hell.
"And what if I want to die..." Sasuke finally said after a long and painful silence. This made Naruto stare at him with wide eyes, wishing that Sasuke did not really mean what he had said. "...Naruto..."
"You won't, Sasuke..." The blond answer behind hooded eyes.
"W-What?" Was the raven's only response.
"I won't let you die..." Naruto had said with emotion hidden in his voice. "You...you can't die..."
"What the hell are you talking about?" That...was a stupid question on Sasuke's behalf. He knew what was going to come next and he didn't want to hear it.
"I'm through with listening to what others have to say to me about you on this matter. I'm saving you because I want to, not because I have to. I don't care how much it demeans me or you...you're my best friend and I won't let those people take your life away..."
"Naruto..." Sasuke had clenched his hand into a tight fist and he stood up from his prison futon. "You still don't get it. I'm not asking for you to save me. I never wanted you to save me! Why can't you just accept the fact that I don't want to be saved? I can't be saved! I deserve to die...and don't want a second chance at life! If I do, I'll just end up walking down the wrong path again. The best thing for me, everyone, and the shinobi world itself is to seal my life away permanently..."
"As long as I'm still breathing and walking on this Earth, I'm gonna keep trying until I reach out to you!" Naruto declared while taking a few steps forward. "I won't let it happen!"
Sasuke chuckled from the blond's comeback. Naruto was just as stubborn as ever. "Hmph. You are still blinded by your talks about bonds and your promises that you can't see the reality right in front of you..." he mused.
"I'm not the same person I was a few years ago. I have gotten a strong grip about the pains of reality, but an even stronger grip about life in general. I'm trying to save a comrade from meeting an earlier end...and to give him a chance to start over..." Naruto bit back in slight anger.
"Are you gonna throw that high and mighty speech shit at me again?" Sasuke questioned dangerously.
"Trying to find an easy way out...just makes you look like a coward."
"...?"
Sasuke only hoped that he had heard wrong because if he didn't, he would really get the death sentence by murdering Naruto in this cell. "What the fuck did you just call me?"
"You heard me, Sasuke. I called you a coward because that's exactly what you're acting like right now! Are you that afraid to let yourself turn over a new leaf? Are that ashamed of how much you tarnished the Uchiha name with your actions and decisions? Are you really that-"
"Shut up! Just shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled out. "You're the last person I want to hear that from! You don't understand! You can't possibly understand! You're still a child living in a fantasy, hoping that things would just fall back into place and pick up where they left off! Life doesn't work like that, Naruto!"
Naruto was trying to be reasonable, but if Sasuke wanted bark and yell at him, then he was going to do the same thing. "And you're a child still trying to run away from your problems, Sasuke! In case you haven't noticed, life doesn't work that way, either! You think you're being responsible, but you're not! All you're doing...is running away...As if that is gonna help you!"
"You're hurting yourself for my sake...I want you to stop..." Sasuke said and he hollered in aggravation. "...stop trying to be the damn hero all the time and leave it alone for once in your life!"
The next thing Sasuke did not see coming. A tan fist had collided with the left side of his face and he stumbled onto his side on the ground. The raven had sat up and he saw a clearly agitated blond in front of him with his body leaning over and breathing hard.
"People are calling me a fool because of you! Everyday, I train and train myself until I drop...just so I can get stronger to try and bring you back! Kakashi still has faith in you...but everyone else has given up on you on returning to the path of good...even Sakura-chan! She even told me to give up on you and you know what I told her? I told her I couldn't go back on my promise! Here I am, trying to save your sorry ass and you're still acting like an asshole and being ungrateful! I have to deal with it enough as it is and I don't need this shit from you right now!"
That cruel declaration from Naruto...had silenced any other words that either of them would have to say to one another. After a while...it became quiet and not one of them had spoken another word...
XxX
At her home, Sakura was in her room watching the stars through her open window. She was thinking about the trial tomorrow and her heart was softly palpitating, dreading the outcome of what would possibly happen. Sakura was worried sick about Naruto. He couldn't do anything to keep Sasuke away from the Elders' wrath. She couldn't really do anything, neither. All Sakura could really do was hope and pray that a miracle would happen...
"Naruto...please...help Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whispered to herself. "Save him falling into the depths of hell...for our team...and save him for yourself...Naruto..."
'You're the only one who can...I know you will...'
XxX
Back in the cell, Naruto and Sasuke were still silent from the verbal / physical altercation from earlier. Sasuke had a red bruise forming on his cheek from when Naruto had hit him. After a while, things had calm down for the two of them. Naruto anger had subsided and Sasuke was talking a little bit more, which made the blond feel a little better. Not too long ago, Naruto had asked him why he had came back to the village and Sasuke had willingly told him the reason for his return, but this had took a rather interesting turn...
"So...you came back for my sake? And that someone was going to try and kill me? I know you way too well, Sasuke. You wouldn't come back here on your own free will just for that. So I'm asking you one more time...Why did you come back?"
Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had just told him entire truth of why he came back and Naruto didn't believe him? In a sense, Sasuke couldn't blame the blond for having his suspicions. On the other hand, Naruto wanted to believe him, but his mind was telling him otherwise. His heart knew there was truth to what Sasuke was saying to him, but...
"Naruto, I need to know something. Have you met the young girl that Taka was traveling with yet?" Sasuke asked.
"Miyuki? Umm...no, I haven't. Why do you ask?"
"When you see her, try not to catch a heart attack..." Sasuke said with a smug smirk, secretly wanting to see how Naruto would react. Well, he had no room to talk because that's exactly what almost happened to him when he saw Nariko for the first time.
'What the hell does he mean by that? I guess I'll have to find that out when the trial is over...'Naruto was about to make a serious jump in the dark with his next question, but he hoped that Sasuke wouldn't skin him alive for asking him such a thing. "Sasuke, is it possible...that it has anything...to do with your brother, Itachi and Tobi...?"
A serious nerve was struck. Naruto did not just go there...
"Naruto..." Sasuke said, warning him not to prod any further. "...this isn't something you should worry about. It's not that important. Besides, it's my problem, not yours..."
So the blond was right. It did had something to do with Itachi...but if Naruto wanted Sasuke to tell him on his own, he would have to back off of that subject for a while. "Sasuke, you may think I don't understand your feelings, but I do. Deep within your heart, in some way...there are things that are important to you, isn't there...?"
Naruto was now in arm's reach in front of Sasuke and he takes the last few steps to close the gap between them. "Believe it or not, you're important to us. You're important to Kakashi-sensei...you're important to Sakura-chan and...you're important to me as well...especially to me..."
The talking had ceased and the two boys were now looking at each other with intense eye contact, which had the two of them feeling uneasy at the moment. Being bold, Naruto had raised his right hand and placed it on Sasuke's smooth cheek. The two of them were lost in their own world and right now, nothing else in the world existed to them.
They were only inches apart now and they can feel each other's body heat radiating from the other as Naruto's eyelids had become slightly heavier. Unable to take it anymore, Naruto softly pressed his lips against Sasuke's and obsidian eyes widen in shock from the action that Naruto had took. Sasuke didn't know whether to stop him or not, but Naruto's lips against his weren't so bad. In fact, they felt nice...nice and soft...
Sasuke was indeed surprised that the blond had took the initiative to kiss him on his own, but he didn't it mind at all. In fact, he welcomed it by placing his arms around the small of Naruto's back and kissing him back with a searing kiss of his own. Naruto had also wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and continued to kiss him with all his worth. After a short while, Sasuke pulled away and glanced at Naruto who still had his eyes closed. Naruto felt something soft and wet licked his bottom lip, almost asking and tempting him to open up for entrance.
When Naruto realized it was Sasuke's tongue, he parted his lips slightly and let the raven slipped his hot appendage inside of his moist mouth. The kiss deepen and Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's head and pulled him closer to his body, closing the gap between them. Naruto had gripped the back of Sasuke's shirt and the swirling of their tongues commenced, teasing and tasting one other in a fight for dominance. Of course neither of them would give the other the satisfaction of letting the other person win, so they continued to ravish each other's lips with their kiss.
Shortly after, they pulled away from each other, a shining trail of clear liquid was connected to their lips and it broke. The two shinobi panted in small breaths, reminiscing about the first kiss that they had just shared willingly. They waited so long...so long for that one kiss and it had finally happened. Even though Sasuke didn't want it to happen so soon, he was glad that it did happen. At least he would know if he was to die tomorrow, he was able to kiss Naruto and convey some of his feelings for the first and possibly...his last time.
The blond shinobi pressed his forehead against the raven's and waited for him to reply or say something to him. Nervousness had settled in when Naruto saw that Sasuke's hands had slowly went to the zipper of his orange jumpsuit jacket. Naruto pulled his eyes away from Sasuke for a moment as his hands had placed themselves on the raven's chest. If Sasuke was feeling even a smidget of what he was feeling at that moment, then his heart was pounding at an alarming rate.
And he was right. Naruto felt Sasuke's heartbeat and it was beating just as much as his was. Just like in the dream that he had about him in the past. Naruto didn't have much time left and he wanted to feel Sasuke's lips against his one more time before he would have to leave. As if reading his mind, Sasuke had turned the blond's face towards his and he pressed his lips against his once again. It was little rough, but it was also sweet, which was not what he expected to feel from Sasuke at all. While Sasuke occupied Naruto with his mouth, the hand that was on the zipper began to pull it down.
Sensing what Sasuke was doing, Naruto had stopped him and ceased his kiss with him. It's not like he didn't want to go further; he just didn't want to do anything...crazy at the moment and especially not in a jail cell. That was absolutely out of the question. Besides, now was not the time to even be thinking about that. Zipping up his now open jacket, Naruto took his hand into his and looked at him with a calm yet bound expression. "Sasuke, there's something I need to ask you...It's very important..."
The raven's eyes widen ever so slightly from the blond's question and his brow furrowed from the look that Naruto was giving off. Sasuke knew that look better than anybody and he figured that the blond was about to tell him something serious or he was about to do something incredibly ludicrous. It's not like his words were gonna stop Naruto from doing what he was gonna do, so he saw no point in trying to convince him otherwise. "What is it, Naruto?"
"Sasuke, when this...and everything else is all over...would you...can we-"
The loud boom the metal door and hard footsteps shattered Naruto's train of thoughts and he realized that his time was up. Naruto was a little disappointed that he couldn't tell Sasuke what was on his mind, but if Sasuke made it through the trial, then maybe he would tell him. Not dwelling on his thoughts anymore, Naruto has turned around and made his way to the steel bars of the cell, waiting for Shikamaru and the ANBU accompanying the shadow user to come and open the gate for him.
Naruto gripped the metal bars in grievance and he whispered in a driven voice, "Sasuke, I don't care what you say because I'm not just saving you to keep the bond that we used to have. I'm saving you from your own self destruction. Honestly, I want to help you, Sasuke...I want you to see the light again...I want you to know what happiness is once again...to embrace the feeling of being alive and living life...Everyone deserves a second chance, because no one is perfect...not even you. We all make mistakes and the only way to mend them is by staying alive to fix them...You can't do that if you're dead. Remember that..."
When the ANBU had came and opened the cell up to let him out, Naruto had walked ahead of them as he put his hands into his pockets.
"Naruto, did you..." Shikamaru really didn't know how to ask Naruto how things went between those two. He usually didn't concern himself with such troublesome matters, but he knew...deep within his heart that Naruto had possibly shared some...harsh words with the raven. "...did you do what you have to do...?"
From hearing the question, it was that moment when the usually strong-hearted shinobi had let a bright white trail slivered down the left side of his face. It wasn't a moment later when the white liquid dripped down his chin. "Yeah..."
Sasuke had turned away from the metal bars that kept him locked inside his cell and faced the small square opening that gave him the perfect view of the full Moon. After the footsteps disappeared and the loud clang of the metal door was closed shut, he brought his cold fingertips to his lips and he pressed, feeling some of the soft moisture that was left from when Naruto had kissed him. His expression was indifferent and somewhat confused and lost at what Naruto had said to him. Sasuke finally understood why Naruto was going so far for him, but he wanted the blond to stop. He wanted Naruto to stop fighting for him. He did not want to take Naruto down with him...That was something he did not want to do...
Sasuke hung his head low, letting the long midnight fringes of his bangs hood his eyes. Not wanting to acknowledge it, he felt a stinging sensation in his eyes as he bit his gum from inside of his mouth in anger and oscillation. His best friend was destroying himself...all for his sake...and his happiness, which he thought he didn't deserve. Naruto was hurting...because of him...it was all his fault...He truly was the source of Naruto's agony...
'Naruto...you're important to me, too...'
Ignoring his own feelings, a shining white trail cascaded down the right side of his face until it stopped at the end of his cheek and the salty liquid that was called tears had made itself known on the stoic Uchiha's face. Nor did he bother wiping the tears away nor did he cared, because tomorrow was the day that he would atone for everything that he had done...and there was no stopping it...
* * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * *
The next chapter of Changing Fate is:
Day of Reckoning
(で清算の日 Seisan no Hi)
Shinobi from all over world are gathering...the air is thick with mixed emotions...one shinobi fights for another while the rest wanted him dead...The day...has finally arrived...