Naruto was shook from his beauty sleep by a loud bang on his apartment door. Such strong noise could only be created by our favourite pinkette konoichi, since we all know that she can wake the dead when she is up to it.
The poor blond hobble from his bedroom to the living room, until he reached the doorway. Sleepy, he opened the door, while rubbing his eyes as if it would make the sleep go away. It was like eight in the morning and he and Sasuke stayed up late the previous night, drinking themselves stupid. Said raven was in fact currently laying on his couch, since he had been too drunk to walk home.
The jinchiruuki just let Sakura in, because he cherished his life, and when she is on a mission to wake him there is no stooping her.
" 'Morning, Sakura-chan."
"Good morning, Naruto." – in her behalf, she really tried not to ogle him, but it's hard when the boy in front of you has only his boxers on, abs perfectly defined and an firm ass worthy of a drool. Just adding those blue eyes that could rival the sky and hair brighter that the sun, she hadn't been surprised when he got himself his own fanclub.
She was lucky to have such a hot and talented teammate.
Speaking of hot and talented, the Uchiha stirred in his sleep when she got in the living room. She guessed very accurately that they had been hanging out again without her. Oh, well, the sheet covering the tall pale body fell to the floor and she was presented with a nosebleed-worthy sight, so she considered them forgiven. While taller than Naruto, Sasuke was more slender but just as solid. His body was defined as well. Spending so much of her time with them on missions, especially since Sasuke was back, she also knew they were both well endowed. Such a waste…
Absentminded, the blond gestured to the kitchen hinting at Sakura to make herself comfortable. Not that she needed his permission, such things weren't necessary anymore. Still without thinking too much, the blond approached the couch, and put the sheet back on its place and prepared himself to wake Sasuke. From her place at the kitchen making them tea, she could watch the interaction between the boys, since the kitchen and the living room were separated only by a high table.
Naruto sat beside Sasuke, and supported himself by his right hand on the other side of the raven's body. He was still facing her, and she saw an ever adoring look on his eyes. His lift his left hand to smother the frown on Uchiha's forehead, with a gentle touch. Sasuke stirred again, and purred?!
"Hey, teme." – Naruto called sweetly. – "Wake-up. Sakura-chan is here." – Sasuke was not a morning person and with a hangover on top of it, he was just homicidal. The medic-nin admired Naruto's courage. Or not. Because the aforementioned homicidal person was bending himself to lay his head on the blond's lap, snuggling closer to the known warmth of Naruto, and had his arms encircling the other's waist, pulling him closer.
'Awwwww!' – were Sakura thoughts.
"Teme!! I'm not a girl." – Sasuke woke up immediately, and sat up, very startled (no, not scared, never scared) from Naruto's shriek. When he figured out what happened, he smiled sheepishly to Naruto.
He looked so human. It was a sight that even Sakura rarely saw, because this expression and the ones as passionate as this were meant only for Naruto. Sasuke only let Naruto in, he was the one that could see the raven's soul and not run away or get scared, he accepted the darkness and did not pretend otherwise. Maybe because he was so similar to Sasuke, but while Sasuke scowled, Naruto grinned. In the end, they both pushed people away with their acts. Sakura was one of the lucky people who the boys really trusted, although she was never going to be the one whom those true smiles and true feelings were going to be directed at, at least never with the passion they reserved only for each other.
They completed each other in a way people fight to find their entire lives. Their friendship was so deep and so strong that no one else would ever come between them or truly understand them.
'Oh, such dense and stupid boys they are.' - thought Sakura.
Sakura had been over her crush on the Uchiha for sometime now. She had thought she loved him, but it just faded with time, therefore was not real love. On another hand, Naruto had never given up; he had tried and tried and tried to bring the other back. And she knew he had never been willing to give up hope.
- Flashback -
"Where is he?! Where?!" – Naruto yelled at the blonde sannin, while dashing through the hospital hallways, searching for said 'he'.
It was late at night. He was on the top floor, the floor reserved for the prisoners of Konoha. They reached the emergency unit and he started to open doors, willing to look in every room of the entire floor for his objective. Finally, he turned left and was presented with the sight of Sakura, Kakashi and Iruka. On the other end of the hallway, there was an operation room, with the sight of 'in procedure' on.
"He is in there, kit." – he heard Kyuubi say. – "He is badly hurt. Might not survive."
"No!!" – he screamed loudly, earning a confused glance from his friends. – "Baa-chan, tell me he is ok!" – she looked at him sadly. – "Please!" – in that moment, Sakura came near him, and hold him closely, trying to comfort him, but also looking for reassurance.
This was not happening, first the Teme leaves him alone in a village that hates him, and now is about to leave him for good. Is that guy stupid? Couldn't he see that there are people who need him? If he couldn't save his friend, he wasn't fit to save anyone else, much less himself. (1)
"If he dies, I can't bring him back." – 'I will loose all hope.' is what was left unsaid, although everyone understood perfectly.
At the moment, Shizune walk out of the procedure room, she had heard the blond's screams and she could understand the sorrow of loosing a teammate, a friend.
"Naruto-kun." – she called. She didn't know why, but she felt that he was the one she should address to, more than the Hokage or her patient's sensei. – "He is going to fully recover, although it might take some time; he won't be able to walk for about a month. He is going to be transferred to another room, you may stay with him, but please don't forget he is a missing nin and very dangerous."
'And he tried to kill you several times.' Tsunade added mentally, looking at Shizune and seeing the medic-nin agreed with her.
"Okay…" – the blond said pitifully, still in the pinkette's arms. Kakashi put an hand on Naruto's shoulder as if to calm him down.
They were all guided to an empty room and moments later a raven boy was brought to the room. All the emotions Naruto was feeling towards the teen laying in front of him just drained. Uchiha Sasuke was back. He was feeling so much he felt numb, and he was so confused at what he was supposed to be feeling from his group of choices, he didn't voiced any.
Iruka, just like Naruto, just stared at the last Uchiha from his spot leaning against the wall. This was the boy that hurt his adopted son, emotionally and physically, over and over again. The avenger almost took the only person he still considered family away from him. He hardly could feel sorry for Sasuke. And it was taking all his self control to accept Naruto's care for said boy. Kakashi leaned closer.
"He was still a boy. He was victim of the circumstances as well. Just keep an open mind and tried to find it in your heart to forgive him." – the scarecrow whispered.
While this exchange happen by the door, the blond was sitting in a chair by the bed, looking guardedly at his best friend. Sakura was holding Sasuke's hand, crying softly, happy for having his teammate back and alive.
Eventually, all of them fell asleep: Naruto on his sitting position, Sakura laying her head on the bed, her hand still holding the raven's. The older shinobi were asleep on the loveseat by the window, each laying their head on a arm of the couch.
It was for this scenario that Sasuke opened his eyes to. His first sight was his blond angel. Later he would deny calling Naruto an angel, let's not mention calling him 'his'.
Sasuke talks with himself a lot.
But at that moment, his mind still fogged from the anaesthesia, he just basked at the sight of his best friend, whom he missed so much and he only reason he had kept on fighting. After all, he still needed to prove to Naruto that he was the better ninja.
With difficulty, the raven lifted one hand and let it fall on the blond's head, caressing the soft hair, hoping for the angel to wake up. And he did. Blue eyes focused on onyx ones and they stared at each other for sometime.
Seeing so much sorrow and sadness and regret in the other's eyes, Naruto snapped and all the anger, all the sadness, all the loneliness, all the betrayal just compressed themselves in a deafening question.
"How could you?!" – Sasuke sat up straight.
The others were shook awake by the sound waves of such loud scream.
"Sasuke-kun! Thank god you are back!" – Sakura said, trying to prevent both boys from start a fight by standing between them to hug Sasuke and ignoring the tension. Reluctantly averting his gaze from Naruto, Sasuke looked at his female teammate and (shocker!) he smiled and hugged back. Sakura just gaped mesmerized at the sight of an honest smile from the Uchiha, even though it didn't have the happiness the smiles usually have or that Sasuke's eyes were still dead.
"Thank you, Sakura." – he said. – "I would like to give you all an explanation, I believe you deserve one, as well as an apology…" - and he looked at Naruto, who huffed and got up, prepared to leave the room.
He couldn't have left before, not without knowing if the Uchiha was alright, but at the moment the negative emotions were kicking in at full force.
He was prevented from leaving by a tug on his wrist, tough. Looking down, he was not surprised to see a pale hand encircling his one. He could have easily let himself free, for the Uchiha was weak, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He now felt so fragile, knowing his emotions were clearly visible in his eyes and feeling them curse so strongly on his body making shake and the unshed tears in his eyes release themselves.
The other three felt like they were intruding on a private moment. With a glare from Iruka, a hug from Sakura and a reassuring pat on his shoulder from Kakashi, they all left, leaving two boys avoiding each other's gaze.
"You left. You tried to kill me. You tried to kill my friends. You said you didn't want our bond, any bond." – said Naruto, trying to keep his voice from sounding tremulous, looking straight into Sasuke's eyes. – "Why are you back, Sasuke? Why now?"
"I was wrong." – the raven instinctively knew that Naruto using his first name was not a good sign. He decided for the truth. What was the point of lying anyway? His pride was already shattered to pieces, right from the moment he killed his own brother. – "Killing Itachi didn't bring any good."
"…"
"You and Kakashi were right about everything. And my family isn't at peace because its killers are free. I don't have the strength to fight anymore." – Sasuke was still wearing his emotionless mask, but looking at Naruto made him feel vulnerable, because he knew Naruto saw trough it. – "And I'm sorry."
Naruto had been looking down, trying to control himself, his head snapped up and he gawk at Sasuke. He never had expected to hear an apology from the raven. But then here it was. And that was all he could ask for.
And although Naruto was still hurt about all the things Sasuke had done, he had a gigantic heart, and he couldn't turn his back if someone is suffering, much less if it was his best friend. He knew he was going to forgive the raven but he also knew that it was going to take some time.
Still very wary of Sasuke, his whole body was screaming to run away, but Naruto just reached slowly, giving Sasuke time to deny the touch. Even though Sasuke was uncomfortable with letting someone touch him, he reasoned that this was Naruto and the blond wouldn't hurt him, even thought he had done exactly that to the blond.
Both of them were contradicting their instincts as they slowly slid into each other's embrace. It was awkward at first, but soon, both of them relaxed and Naruto let Sasuke rest his forehead on his shoulder as he tighten his arms around the raven's shoulders. Sasuke hold onto the blond's waist. It was only when the jinchiruuki felt the avenger tremble that he knew Sasuke was crying and sobbing. He held him even close.
"I wanted to be the one to bring you back. Even in that I failed." – Naruto said quietly.
"Y-You didn't fail." – Sasuke sobbed. – "You were the one that brought me back. I only came back for you. I only have a place where you are."
Naruto blushed. He still wasn't used to have people appreciating him. His answer was to caress Sasuke's hair softly, as if to show him he was also important. They stayed like that a little longer.
At some point during the night, the Uchiha fell asleep, tired of crying. It was around the same time that Naruto laid his head on Sasuke's chest and fell asleep as well feeling the known heartbeat.
The morning, and Sakura, found Naruto laying on top of Sasuke, while the latest hold him by the waist with one hand while the other gently caressed blond hair. Naruto had his left hand on the raven's hair and the right one on his chest, above his heart.
They were talking quietly, probably telling each other their stories, what they had missed from each other's lives, she guessed accurately. And she knew there would be nothing left unsaid or hidden.
That was when the pinkette knew that no girl in Konoha could compete with the blond. And they all had been fools to even try to steal the Uchiha's heart when he had given it freely all those years ago, even if he didn't know it.
When the other shinobi visited Sasuke, they were all surprised to see the two rivals acting like they always did. They didn't like it, and Sasuke had never received so many threats as in that day.
They all meant the same 'You hurt Naruto, we hurt you.'
- End of flashback -
Sasuke then noticed Sakura looking at them with a thoughtful expression and his Uchiha face got in place, keeping all the emotions inside. The raven, disregarding completely every sense of propriety, just pulled a t-shirt over his head, and still in boxers, sit down in front of a blushing Sakura on the kitchen table.
Naruto got up from the couch and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower, mumbling under his breath something about 'sexy' or 'sleepy bastards', Sakura couldn't tell, and 'morning visitors' and 'embarrassing situations'.
Considering her expression, Sasuke just lifted an eyebrow.
"Don't tell you aren't over me, Sakura." – it was kind of a question. Sakura just blushed harder, but from anger this time. Self-centred, arrogant bastard. But long gone were the days she would fawn over him.
"Oh, no, Sasuke. I was just wondering if I should let you two alone and come back later." – oh, the joys of being the only medic-nin willing to work with the demon and the traitor, because they could never kill her no matter how mad they were, which meant she could tease them to no end. And seeing that slight pink on the Uchiha's cheeks and the half-angry, half-embarrassed glare was something priceless that only she and Naruto ever saw and that she often bragged to Ino, Hinata and TenTen about.
"Hilarious." – he said sarcastically.
She chuckled lightly. She loved taunting them. And the Uchiha was especially fun. She couldn't make fun of Naruto often because when he was embarrassed, he would just dash from the room, screaming denials, and the following day the Hokage would receive a lot of complaints. Naruto didn't deal well with the embarrassment.
"Well, Sasuke, actually I came here to talk to you." – she started, and he quickly understood that it was something serious. – "Naruto is receiving flowers."
"I know. Why, jealous?"
"Don't be stupid!" – which was translated to 'Yes! Very, very jealous!' – "Anyway, it was from Kakashi and Jiraya. I think it's kind of suspicious."
"What do you mean?" – Sasuke also thought that something was off, but that could be his bias talking, so he wanted to hear her reasoning.
"We all love Naruto, but just recently people started to show off. I think it's weird and I'm afraid there is something wrong with him. This all thing just seems like such a closing kind of thing."
"Maybe they are just praising him for becoming a jounin, or something."
"That was months ago, Sasuke. And has been heading out a lot to Suna, in missions so fake anyone knows they're fake. Maybe he is seeing Suna's medic-nins. After all, he is kind of a celebrity here."
What Sakura said was reasonable. Or maybe they were just overreacting. Not willing to take changes with everything regarding Naruto, Sasuke decided to play along with Sakura's drama.
- Scenery change -
Naruto got out of the shower and dressed himself slowly.
His eyes fell on the mirror where, strapped on its frame, were the letters from both of his sensei. He felt very happy for being treated so well, but he knew what it meant: Sai had talked about what he had seen. But still, his older friends' good intentions were not making any good cheering him up.
Deciding against thinking about it at the moment, he brushed his hair (quite an inutile task, if you ask Sasuke), and left the room. Sasuke and Sakura were in the kitchen having breakfast, so he joined them.
"Hey, guys!" – he exclaimed, earning a growl from the raven.
"Do you mind shutting up? My head is killing me."
"Then you shouldn't have drunk that much…" – the blond retorted, even though he did so in a lower tone.
"I still don't get why you don't have a hangover."
"The perks of housing Kyuubi. And we go through this every freaking time we drink together." – his answer was Sasuke banging his head against the table. – "Maybe Sakura-chan can cure you?" – and Naruto turned to his female teammate, who smirked.
"Like hell I would!" – she talk loudly on purpose. – "If you decide to drink until unconsciousness, you might as well deal with the consequences."
"Whatever. I'm going to take a shower." – the blond smiled at his friend antics. He and Sakura now got along great, and Naruto couldn't be happier for his best friends.
"You can raid my closet if you want." – he said. Sasuke nodded in appreciation. - "So, Sakura-chan, any missions for today?" – the jinchiruuki continued, as he sat and purred himself some tea and grabbed a toast.
"Yes, actually. We have to help Iruka-sensei in the academy today. Some teachers are sick and Iruka has three classes at his care. He is going crazy with so many kids." – she finished with a chuckle. Naruto laughed as well, but soon his laugh died.
"Wait up, why do we have to take care of the brats?" – she just glared at him.
"Because you, you fucking moron, stole Tsunade's sake the day before the chunnin exams!"
"She found out? I didn't leave any evidences."
"And that's why she found out! Only you know where the sake is and have full access to her office. And now we have to do this stupid mission."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grinned guiltily. Sakura sighed. 'Helplessly childish.' – she thought.
By the time the blond finished his breakfast, Sasuke walked out of the bathroom, wearing his own clothes, but not the ones he was wearing the previous day. Answering his teammates questioning looks, Sasuke shrugged.
"I found my clothes in your closet. I must have left them here the last time I slept over."
"Oh, my, already having a drawer for Sasuke, Naruto? I didn't know things were going so well." – Sakura put in.
Predictably, Naruto blushed and yelling a few incoherent sentences of 'making guys look like lovers' and 'misunderstood friendship' and 'bastards who didn't know how to keep their mouths shut', he left the apartment, heading to the Academy. Sasuke mustered a half glare and, looking a bit satisfied with himself, followed Naruto. Sakura just did the same.
The path to the school ended up a race track between the three of them. Of course Sasuke and Naruto arrived at about the same time, being impossible to tell who won, and thus each boy was claiming the victory to himself, which ended in a sparring fit.
"Uzumaki Naruto! Uchiha Sasuke!"
Both boys stopped immediately at the sound of Iruka's professor voice being used on them.
Iruka had been in his classroom waiting for the team who was supposed to help him, looking out of the window, lost in his thoughts. And then he had seen the well known blur of blue and orange, that in Konoha meant Sasuke and Naruto were fighting. He had nearly fainted when he understood why they were there. Deciding it was time to discipline those two, he had transported himself outside.
Looking down to his feet both of them said sorry. A few feet away, Sakura just laughed her heart out, watching the chuunin getting control of the two jounin, as he always did.
He was the only one to put the mission room in order, since all the jounins respected him a lot (and thought he was a little scary). Kakashi, Genma and Raidou still shuddered at the memory of an angry Iruka when the scarecrow had drawn some flowers and hearts on his mission report. And Sasuke almost had nightmares from the memory of an even angrier Iruka when he had had a mother-hen attack and demanded Sasuke's imprisonment for hurting his boy. Yeah, scary Iruka, but also very kind and sweet, as Naruto and Kakashi can confirm…
"Okay, boys. You are going to give the kids today's taijutsu training. Sakura you will help me with the chakra exercises. Are we clear?"
"Crystal." – were the three answers.
However their plans were postponed for a little while, because when they got to the classroom, there was a beautiful bouquet of white daisies. Old Team Seven just froze. Then, Sakura reached forward and grabbed the card.
"It's for you, Naruto."
Said boy leaned in at collected the flowers in his arms. He took the card from Sakura and read it quickly. Then his head snapped at his teacher, who had been watching him from the doorway. His eyes were shiny all of a sudden. Gracefully he put down the bouquet, and ran to hug Iruka as if for dear life, who was more than happy to return it and whose eyes got shiny as well. With a last squeeze, they let go and sniffing cleaned their eyes.
Sasuke and Sakura had left the room when they realized that it was a private moment, and were now exchanging looks outside of the room, silently agreeing in calling the Rookie 9 and Team Gai to help them in their mission to find out what was wrong with Naruto.
Later that day, Naruto and Sasuke will walk home together and without a word, Naruto will hand the card that came with the flowers. Accepting the action for what it is, Sasuke will read, both enjoying the knowledge that they are important for each other.
'There is a flower, a little flower
With silver crest and golden eye,
That welcomes every changing hour,
And weathers every sky.' (2)
And that's what you mean to me. You've made your to my life and brought the sunshine back. You've become my family and I will always be there for you, as the family you desire as much as I do.
Umino Iruka
1. I don't agree with this, I think it's the other way around actually, but I believe Naruto is the kind of person that sees the others' salvations as his own objective, and therefore considers himself a failure if he doesn't help them. And I also think that all his motivation speeches are ones that he gave himself one hundred of times, and that somehow still needs to hear.
2. This a poem from James Montegomery in 'A Field Flower'.
I apologize for my inability for poetry, but I think I made good choices with the poems.
Thanks for reading...
