Chapter Two: Nothing
He's an asshole and he knows it. A bastard, a jerk, and all the things that Naruto says he is.
He knows that.
And if it was any other day, he wouldn't have given two fucks about it. But this wasn't any other day, this was one of the two days in a year that he didn't have any quick comebacks to shield himself from the accusations of his wrongdoings.
Especially those coming from himself.
As Sasuke loads his 9mm with another magazine, he hears his phone ring. It's probably Naruto. He's been calling non-stop since this morning, and he's not sure why the dobe bothers. The idiot knows where he is, hell, probably everyone he knew knows he's in the shooting range.
And it's not like he's actually going to answer.
Sasuke sighs and, with everything forgotten and the incessant ringing of his phone disregarded, he commences his yearly ritual. With a focused eye and steady hands, he blasts the human shaped targets into oblivion.
Now if only the sound of gunshots could drown out her voice.
Naruto gave up on calling him right around ten. Thank god, at least the dobe has limits. Sort of.
But now, it's midnight and he's only gotten home, smelling like sweat and grass from the cemetery. No, he didn't go to Asami's grave. That would have been borderline sacrilegious— an offense to both Asami and her.
Today, it was Itachi that he needed to talk to.
His brother had always been a wise man. Quiet and always listening. Maybe that's why he always knew what to say.
Too bad that's all his brother can do these days. Listen, right from six feet under. And Sasuke himself was never a man of many words. But even though silence is all they had between them, it was comfort enough.
Itachi always said that being able to let everything out was winning half the battle.
Sasuke walks barefoot, in nothing but his favorite navy blue pajamas, and stares outside of his bedroom window instead of heading straight to bed. The voices are disappearing, sure, barely rising above a whisper. But it'll be a while before he can sleep.
Because now at midnight, it would be six years today.
And it was like he was seeing her oddly-colored, cotton candy hair for the last time again, as she walked out of this house and into the wide world where he couldn't— everyone couldn't— reach her.
"I'm not leaving because of you Sasuke-kun. I'm leaving for me. So you don't have to think too hard about this. In fact, you don't have to think about me at all."
Such an annoying woman, he thought. It was so like her to fuck with his mind and make him do just the opposite.
"Teme! Why haven't you been answering my calls?"
Sasuke looks at the walking disaster that is his bestfriend. He was breathless, like he ran all the way to his office. "What do you want?"
The blonde's blue eyes soften at the sight of… of what exactly he didn't know. The permanent scowl etched on his face? His rumpled hair and shirt? Or maybe his completely bloodshot eyes? Whichever it was, he admittedly felt like crap. And looked like it apparently.
Naruto sits on the chair in front of his desk. "Hate to bother you today man. Just that, Hinata-chan's been acting weird, and I really need your advice."
He raises an eyebrow. How on earth could he help? He barely knew anything about the girl. Yes, they've been friends for who knows how long, but the Hyuuga girl really had problems with … communicating.
"Whatever problems you have in your relationship is between the two of you Naruto."
"You haven't even heard me out! Come on, I'm always there for you whenever you decide to be a complete bastard and regret it later."
That's true. Though of course, he never asked Naruto to be there for him. Sigh. And so he listened to the blonde's tale of woes: Hinata's acting weird, and cold, and she doesn't want to have sex anymore! She doesn't eat what I make anymore. Plus she's left the house a couple of time without telling me where she went! All she says is she visited Karin in the hospital, though why she'd want to hang out with that psycho I don't even know.
"You do remember that that 'psycho' is your cousin right?"
"Shut up Sasuke. Anyway, you think she's cheating on me?"
Sasuke wants to say 'yes' and kick the blonde out of his office. But anyone who has eyes, except maybe the dobe himself, can see that Hinata adores Naruto. The one thing that he absolutely knows to be true about the Hyuuga is that she's been in love with his best friend since the moment he accidentally threw a baseball through her bedroom window.
And besides, he already had a suspicion about her 'weird' behavior. Honestly, Naruto can be so dense sometimes. He tells him as much.
"You're no help at all teme!"
Sasuke stands up, finally full of it. "And what help am I going to be?!"
"Well you're a detective aren't you? And you have a lot of underlings here in the police station. Find out what the deal is."
"Hn. No."
Naruto sighs and Sasuke readies himself, already knowing what the blonde's going to say. "Come on teme, this is the only thing I'm asking of you. As your friend."
Well that's just not true. Sasuke can still remember the last time his bestfriend asked something from him. One that he pointedly ignored.
And the manipulating asshole knows what those words meant to him. At least he looked like he was fucking guilty about using his trump card on him.
Sigh. "Fine."
"Damn it you bastard! You go after her now or I'm kicking your ass!"
Sasuke can still remember Naruto's tear stained face when he found out what happened. For once, he had no demeaning insult to hand-out. Nothing about how he looked like a sap or that he's acting like a pussy. He just didn't have it in himself to say anything at all.
That was the first time he ever really asked anything of Sasuke.
And Naruto's been holding it over his head ever since. Idiot.
Sure, he told Naruto he'd check up on Hinata. But that was just to get the blonde off his back. Besides, it was obvious what the 'problem' was. Sasuke smirks, his bestfriends about to be a father.
Bless that child; at least the kid would have Hinata.
It's afternoon and he leaves the station early. The paperworks, he gladly left to the newbie, Suigetsu. Partly because the loud mouth idiot needed to learn how to respect authority... but mostly because he called him chicken-ass. Take that, asshole.
Sasuke returns to one of his old haunts, the ol' Konoha Highschool. The students are already gone and it's just him, the soccer field, and the awkwardly painful memories of his teenage days.
It was a time like this a hundred years ago, the balmy afternoon sun heating up his face, that he met Asami; tall and statuesque, long brown hair flowing in the wind. And it was a day that was almost the opposite, when everything fell apart.
"I never pegged you as the sentimental type Sasuke."
He looks up to see Kakashi, an old highschool teacher and a close, close, family friend. With one hand he waves hello, and with the other, he's holding a six pack of some Kirin Lager beers.
"I thought drinking on school property was prohibited," Sasuke chides as he takes and opens a can.
"That didn't stop you before now did it, Captain Uchiha?"
They sit there in companionable silence, watching the sun descend until it was no more. Though Sasuke can still feel the burn of Kakashi's fleeting glances. He had this habit of looking 'underneath the underneath.' Something that he regularly practiced with the ever stoic Uchiha.
"That time of the year again, huh?"
Silence.
"You know…" Kakashi began, and Sasuke almost got up to leave. The old man also had the annoying habit of giving lectures to people who don't need it. "The school's going to be renovated. They're going to be bulldozing the old wing."
You know, that place where you spent most of your formative years— with friends you almost never see anymore? The place where you met the most important people in your life?
"You want to have a look before it's reduced to a pile of rubble?"
Sasuke thought about it. He really wasn't the sentimental type.
Sasuke took one last swig at the can of beer and threw it as far away as he could. Sometimes, some things were just better off left behind.
Too bad that had never been his strong suit.
Without another word, just a familiar and curt salute, Sasuke started walking away.
Before he could get very far though, Kakashi hollers at him to stop. "Sasuke! I'm supposed to pick up the architects tomorrow at the airport. But my car's still being fixed. Mind picking them up with me?"
Che. What is it with people asking him favor today of all days?
A/N:
And here's another chapter!
When I write, I really take the time to set up the backstory. I've read others that just dove in into the action and that's fine too. What do you guys think? Tedious or necessary?
Anyway, the title is from Nothing by The Script. Try listening to the title songs as you read.
I do not own any part of that song, or the anime, Naruto.
I look forward to the reviews!