A/N: I wrote this after re-watching the "Valley of the End" arc on YouTube. So, this is severely depressing and has character deaths, so if you can't handle that stuff, please skip this one-shot.
By the way, if you ever meet one of those skeptics who don't believe in the whole SasuNaru relationship...just make them watch this arc, all will be explained! XD Oh, also make them watch episode 16...that explains it, too. XD Enjoy the story!!!
One-Shot #42
Gambling
As Jiraiya found out, Naruto was good at gambling. He had a natural flare for picking winning numbers or lucky tickets. Particularly, Naruto was good at those silly rub-off tickets, the ones that almost anyone would give to underage children. What was the most a thirteen year old boy could win, right? Surely not the five-hundred dollar jackpot...but they were wrong. Naruto walked out of that shady place Jiraiya took him five-hundred dollars richer.
But, sadly, as Naruto soon found out, he was only lucky gambling with money. When gambling with other things, he didn't have the same knack at it.
Take for instance his constant gamble at keeping Sasuke's friendship. It was hard enough for him to obtain in the first place, let alone keep it once he had it. The stoic teen barely said three words to him, unless it was an insult. Yet, at the same time, Naruto could tell you Sasuke's entire life story, just from what he was told. He'd been hurt, just like Naruto…only maybe a lot worse. He'd said it at the Valley of the End, how could you know what I lost when you never had siblings or parents. He wasn't wrong, Naruto discovered. It was different; it may have hurt worse knowing and losing them the way he did. He was right, and Naruto knew it. Maybe he tried to deny it, maybe he tried to put his life on the line to protect his best friend, but in the end it wasn't enough. In the end, he couldn't save the boy he'd come to think of as a brother. With that gamble, Naruto lost and lost horribly.
Two and a half years later, Naruto found his best friend – brother even – and realized it wasn't the same person he'd known before. He was different. He was almost evil. In trying to regain his friend, he'd lost another gamble. He wasn't strong enough, wasn't fast enough – hell, he couldn't even move when Sasuke came near him. And, because of his hesitation, he almost died and Sasuke got away. Once again, a gamble he couldn't win.
This time, Naruto promised it would be different. He was older, smarter, stronger, and maybe a little luckier. It was a different kind of gamble, this time. The one type of gamble no one could afford to lose. Just like before, he'd place his life on the line. But, unlike before, he was more than willing to lose. Unlike before, he wanted to lose. This time, he thought he had Sasuke figured out. Maybe, once killing Naruto, Sasuke would see what he left behind. Perhaps his death could force Sasuke out of his darkness and into a new light.
But his death didn't. His death forced Sasuke to have a psychotic break. In a fit of rage, Sasuke succeeded in killing his brother…and himself in the process.
In the end, Naruto learned something. In the end, as his spirit clung to the Earth a little longer than he was supposed to, as he watched his best friend find his revenge, he saw that he lost his bet and lost a greater prize.
He was only lucky with money, a lesson Naruto should have learned sooner.
Thanks for reading! And to all who have Faved me in any way, I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you so so so much.
Please accept this cookie baked by Naruto as a token of my appreciation. Sasuke was too emo to give you anything...sorry. Naruto said he'd pay for it later. Although, somehow I think Sasuke will enjoy it...
