Author's Note: Hey guys. So after putting this story on a long hiatus, I felt it was time to bring it back. For those of you who were unfamiliar with this story, the premise behind it was to explore the ripple effects that Sasuke's passing could create across the pond. This is not a bashing fic!
In addition, I will be blending elements of the manga, anime and novelizations together. The pairing for this story is NaruSaku. There may be other minor pairings in the background as the story progresses, but the main focus of the story at its very core is going to be how Naruto & Sakura overcome the grief of losing their teammate. I'll save the rest of my comments after the chapter is over. Now, it's with great pleasure that I present to you the first chapter of It's Better to Share the Pain Redux.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishi does.
Chapter 1
It was a bright and sunny day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The streets were bustling with villagers and shinobi alike going about their daily routines. Not everyone was in such high spirits at the moment, however.
In one room of Konoha's hospital lay a 13-year-old boy wrapped from head-to-toe in white bandages like a mummy. His name was Naruto Uzumaki. He had just returned to the village a few days ago after his fight in the Valley of the End against former teammate, Sasuke Uchiha.
Flashback:
Naruto was standing atop a log that had been floating in the lake that ran through the valley of the end.
"Sasuke, why are you doing this? How could you betray the village, all our friends and Team Seven?" Naruto pleaded with Sasuke, trying to get answers.
"It's just as I said on day one. My goal has always been to kill Itachi and avenge my clan. The only way I can get strong enough to do that is by severing the bonds of those closest to me, including the one I share with you, Naruto."
"That's a load of crap and you know it." Naruto countered. "You're forgetting the most important lesson that Kakashi-sensei taught us from the beginning. Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."
"We are part of a team, Sasuke; a family. Don't you realize that if we stick together, it means we are stronger when we fight together." Naruto tried to reason.
"Family? How could you ever hope to understand what it's like to have a family when you've been alone from the start!?" Sasuke shouted.
Hearing Sasuke bring up those painful memories of his difficult upbringing made Naruto flinch a bit. Naruto may not have experienced something as horrific as what Sasuke was forced to bear witness to when he came home that night from school, only to find his parents dead bodies slain at the hands of his older brother. But what Naruto believed that allowed him to empathize and relate to Sasuke on some level was the feelings of loneliness and being ostracized by the villagers. The bond that they formed was something Naruto was determined to remind Sasuke of and hopefully reason with him enough to help his friend see the error of his ways, which had been clouded by Orochimaru's lies.
"It's true." Naruto said, looking down sadly at his reflection on the water beneath him, "I didn't have anyone to look out for me except Lord Third in the beginning. That's why I always got into trouble, pulling pranks and raising hell throughout the village. I just wanted someone to acknowledge me."
"It definitely goes without saying that we used to hate one another. I can't speak for you Sasuke, but I'd like to think that as we spent more time around each other and went on missions with Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei, we became best friends." Naruto added.
"Naruto, why would you go this far?" Sasuke asked.
"Don't you get it yet? It's because you're my friend. That's why I'm going to do whatever it takes to stop you and bring you home." Naruto replied.
Sasuke's eyes widened, although he wasn't too surprised.
"Hmph. Very well. I will fight you as an equal just this one time, Naruto. But be warned. If you intend to bring me back to the Leaf, you are going to have to fight me with every ounce of blood in your body." Sasuke said.
In the fighting that ensued after their brief exchange of words, Naruto was indeed forced to push himself to the limit. With each and every blow, things got so bad to the point that Naruto found himself on death's doorstep. That is when the Kyuubi stepped in, causing a familiar chakra to envelop Naruto and sprout a single tail.
The fight finally reached its climax when Sasuke and Naruto charged at each other head-on with their most powerful Jutsu in tow. It all came down to a clash of two differing ideals.
"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled at the same exact time.
As the Rasengan and Chidori collided, a powerful dark sphere surrounded the two, causing the valley to shake.
Once the smoke had begun to clear, Naruto noticed that his Rasengan had pierced through the left side of Sasuke's chest, completely destroying his heart. His former teammate and best friend was dead.
Flashback End
Try as he might, Naruto couldn't get his mind to stop playing the events of that day on an endless loop. The images of Sasuke's lifeless body were etched in his mind.
As he continued to stare at the dull white ceiling, Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness echoing inside. Not only had Naruto lost someone that he had come to deeply care about, but he felt miserable over the fact that he couldn't fulfill his promise to bring Sasuke back to the girl that had adored him.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered.
Naruto wasn't sure what he was going to tell Sakura when he saw her. Just the thought of having to break the news to her that he had killed their teammate was making the already gut-wrenching feeling in his stomach even worse.
Naruto was afraid that Sakura might hate him, potentially even going as far as to say that she wouldn't want to see or speak to him ever again.
He was pulled out of his train of thought when he heard a gentle knock on the door to his hospital room. As it slid open, the Godaime Hokage strode in. She gave Naruto a small smile as her eyes met his. "Hey kid. How are you feeling?"
"I've been better Granny," Naruto replied sadly.
"Sakura is outside, waiting to see you. Is it okay with you if I send her in?"
Tsunade could tell that something was weighing on Naruto just from the way he tensed up when she mentioned the name of his pink haired teammate.
"I'm scared, Granny. The one thing I've been afraid of most since I returned while carrying Sasuke's body on my back was how Sakura-chan would react. How can I bring myself to face her, or even tell her that I couldn't keep my promise to bring Sasuke back to her?" Naruto said.
The Godaime let out a deep sigh.
Tsunade had heard of this so-called promise of a lifetime from Shikamaru when he made his report upon returning to the village. The busty Hokage was well aware of the fact that Sakura had a huge crush on Sasuke. She surmised though that Sakura's feelings for Sasuke were probably nothing more than the byproduct of a childish infatuation.
"Look, Naruto. You aren't the only one who has been in a situation like this. Jiraiya and I went through something similar when Orochimaru defected. Jiraiya tried his best to bring Orochimaru back to the village, but to no avail."
Pausing briefly, Tsunade continued, "The best piece of advice I can give you right now is just be honest with her. She will no doubt overreact and may say some things that she doesn't mean, but Sakura needs to remember at the end of the day that she is a Shinobi. Part of that means our lives are in constant danger when we're out in the field and there is always a chance that someone may not come back." Tsunade said.
"Sakura is a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders. It may take her some time to process the news of Sasuke's passing in her own way. I'm sure she'll come around." Tsunade said in an effort to reassure Naruto.
Taking a moment to mull over his options, Naruto finally said, "Okay, Granny. Send her in."
Tsunade nodded as she walked back over to the door and slid it open. "Sakura, you can come in now."
Tsunade stepped aside to allow for a pink-haired teen who wore a red qipao dress, green biker shorts and a pair of blue sandals to enter the room.
"I'll give you two some time alone." Tsunade said, sliding the door shut behind her.
"Hi Naruto. How are you feeling?" Sakura greeted her blonde-haired teammate as she walked over to his hospital bed and pulled up a nearby chair.
"Hey Sakura-chan." Naruto smiled weakly, trying to put on a brave face. "I've been better. But as you can see, I'm covered in bandages from head to toe and look like a darn mummy."
Sakura chuckled a bit before going on to say, "Yeah. It sounds like you were really pushing yourself to the limit to bring Sasuke home."
That's when Sakura noticed Naruto's facial expression became a bit distraught. This sent up a red flag in Sakura's mind.
'I wonder why Naruto reacted like that just now when I mentioned Sasuke. Could it be that he is hiding something?' Sakura tried to reason.
The pinkette knew that the only way she would get an explanation of what happened with Sasuke is if she pressed Naruto for more information. Trying to get answers from both the Hokage and her own sensei had proven pointless, as they both used the same excuse, simply stating that it was classified. Squeezing it out of Naruto was her only option left.
"I know it's been a few days since you returned and you're trying to rest, but I really hate being kept in the dark about Sasuke. When I tried to ask Lady Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei what happened to him, they both gave me the same answer, stating that it was classified. If you really care about me as a friend and teammate, Naruto, please tell me the truth." Sakura begged.
"I'm sorry Sakura Chan, but I don't remember." Naruto lied, "When the fighting was almost over, I passed out from chakra exhaustion. Next thing I knew, kakashi-sensei was carrying me on his back when I woke up with Pakkun beside him."
"Don't lie to me Naruto. I saw the way you reacted a moment ago when I mentioned Sasuke's name." Sakura said. "My gut tells me you are hiding something, so please just tell me what happened."
"Fine… I'll tell you the truth, but I need you to promise me that you'll hear me out and listen to everything I have to say." Naruto requested.
Giving him a gentle nod, Naruto took this as a sign to continue.
"Sasuke isn't with Orochimaru." Naruto began.
"I don't understand. If Sasuke isn't with Orochimaru and he didn't return with you after facing him in the Final Valley, then does that mean…" Sakura's voice trailed off as she started to get a bad feeling.
"Sasuke… Sasuke died during the fight." Naruto said while trying his best to hold back some fresh tears that had begun to flow from the corners of his eyes.
Sakura gasped in shock, covering her mouth. Some tears started to run down the sides of her face.
"After it was all over, Kakashi-sensei arrived with Pakkun and he helped me carry Sasuke's body back to the village." Naruto finished.
The room fell silent for a time after that.
Naruto carefully observed Sakura's movements and listened for the faintest sound of crying to see if he could pick up any clues of how the pinkette might react.
"How could you, Naruto!? You promised me that you would bring Sasuke back home, alive!" Sakura shouted through her tears.
Naruto took off his shirt, tore through some bandages, and pointed to a large scar from the wound he had sustained near his right shoulder.
"Do you see this, Sakura!?" Naruto yelled in frustration. "This scar is the spot where Sasuke nearly killed me with his chidori!"
"I did everything I could to try and get through to Sasuke. I tried reasoning with him, hoping to remind him that we were stronger together. In the end, Sasuke's thirst for revenge against his brother combined with the effects of the curse mark tainted his mind. He left me no choice but to fight back with everything I had."
"That doesn't mean you had to kill him!" Sakura angrily countered.
Naruto couldn't believe Sakura was still clinging to a thread of hope that Sasuke could have changed. Did his life mean nothing to her?
"Sakura, do you even care if something bad happens to me? I risked everything to bring Sasuke back home. Not just for you, but for all of our friends too! If you can't see that Sasuke cared for you as a comrade and nothing more, then I don't even know why I'm wasting my time."
Sakura was in disbelief. She couldn't believe that Naruto was talking to her this way.
"You still don't get it, do you?" Naruto asked.
"What do you mean by I still don't get it?" Sakura rebuked.
"Sakura, I was about to die. If it weren't for the fox, I probably wouldn't even be here, talking to you right now." Naruto said, suddenly realizing that he had just let a kernel of the truth about the Kyuubi slip.
'Fox? Just what did Naruto mean by that? He must be hiding something. The only way I'm going to get some answers is if I press him for more information.' Sakura reasoned in her mind.
Staring at Naruto with a serious look in her eyes, Sakura went on to ask, "Naruto, what did you mean when you said that you would have been dead were it not for the fox? Is there something you're hiding from me?"
"No, it was just something that I blurted out by accident." Naruto lied.
"I know you're lying, Naruto. There is clearly more to the story about your fight with Sasuke, and whatever this fox you mentioned has something to do with it. Now out with it!" Sakura demanded.
Knowing that the cat was out of the bag, Naruto took a deep breath to calm his nerves before going on to say, "Sakura, do you remember what happened on the night 12 years ago when Lord Fourth died?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, of course! He lost his life after he defeated the nine tailed demon fox. I still don't understand what this has to do with your fight against Sasuke though?" Sakura inquired.
"Lord Fourth didn't beat the fox. Even for someone as strong as him it was too powerful. So he sealed it within a newborn baby and that baby was me." Naruto stated.
Sakura gasped in shock.
"From what Pervy Sage said, Lord Fourth used a special seal that gradually allows my chakra to mix with the dumb fox's. That's why one of the things he had me working on during our training before the final round of the Chunin exams was learning how to tap into that power a bit further." Naruto started to explain.
"Do you remember seeing an orange chakra around me at one point during my fight with Neji?" Naruto asked the pinkette, who gave him a gentle nod in reply.
"By tapping into the Nine-Tails' chakra, I was able to heal some of my wounds, just like this scar where Sasuke nearly pierced my heart with his chidori healed so fast." Naruto elaborated, pointing to the same scar once as before on the upper-left side of his chest. He then continued, "That same power is what also allowed me to recover from Neji's Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms technique, even after he sealed my chakra points. Unfortunately, using the Nine-Tails' power comes at a big risk."
"When I start using too much of it I lose control of myself and these terrifying feelings start bubbling up inside of me. The reason why my fight with Sasuke was so different is that when the Kyuubi takes control of my emotions, all I begin to feel is rage and pure hatred. And because I was risking everything to bring him home, to fulfill the promise that I made to you." Naruto finished his long explanation, trying his best to hold back some fresh tears that had started to form in the corners of his eyes.
Sakura was absolutely speechless. She had no idea that Naruto had been willing to go this far all just to fulfill his promise to her.
After seeing the current condition he was in though, there was no denying it. Naruto had put his life on the line time and time again to save her.
It was just like that one time when she had gone to thank Sasuke for saving her during the Sand-Sound invasion, only to learn that it was Naruto.
Flashback
"Sasuke, I just wanted to say thank you, for that time you rescued me from the grip of Gaara." Sakura said.
"The one who saved you was Naruto." Sasuke said.
"No way. You're just being modest. Sure, Naruto is getting stronger, but that sand guy…" Sakura said, only to be cut off by Sasuke before she could finish her sentence.
"It's the truth." Sasuke cooly said. "Naruto risked his own life, fighting tooth and nail to save you. He displayed a kind of strength the likes of which he'd never shown before."
Flashback End
Ever since that moment on the day of team assignments when Sasuke had called her out over the way she treated Naruto, the pinkette liked to think that a sense of trust and mutual respect now existed between them as teammates. These new revelations, however, had started to cast some doubt on said notion. The more she thought about it, there were still a lot of things that she didn't know about Naruto.
Having had two bombshells dropped on her seemingly out of nowhere, Sakura reasoned with herself that it was probably time to go. She had gotten some answers with regards to Sasuke, but she now felt a pang of guilt starting to form from pressing Naruto a bit too hard for information. Sakura felt a strong urge to reach over and embrace her blonde-haired teammate in a hug, if nothing at the very least to let him know that she was there for him. But she needed some time alone to come to terms with everything.
"I'm sorry, Naruto, for bringing up what I'm sure were painful memories for you as a child. Nevertheless, this has been a lot to take in. I need some time alone to think and process all of this. I'll talk to you again soon." Sakura managed to get out as she stood up, trying her best to maintain some semblance of composure.
The pink-haired kunoichi walked over to the door and slid it open. She tried her best to put on a brave face and exited the room, carefully closing the door behind her.
As this was happening, Naruto could only watch on in sadness. He hoped that by giving her the time and space she needed, Sakura would come around as Tsunade had said.
Sakura's head immediately hung low, turning into the hallway. She started to trudge her way towards the exit when she perked up as Tsunade was marching towards her, most likely coming to talk to Naruto about something. Sakura was about to pass the Hokage when a warm hand found her shoulder.
"He'll be just fine, Sakura, but please if you need anyone to talk to, the door to my office is always open." Tsunade said, with a reassuring look and a warm smile.
Before Sakura could respond Tsunade had already slid shut the door to Naruto's room. She needed to collect herself, emotionally and mentally. Sakura took a deep breath, closed her eyes and began solemnly pondering her teammates past as she walked out of the hospital.
End Chapter 1
Author's Note: Okay guys! I know this chapter is pretty short, but the tone I'm trying to set in this revision is very different. One of the things I learned in hindsight was the pacing for the material set in Part 1 felt very rushed. This time, I will be focusing a bit more on that material and adding more things that I felt were missing and hopefully will make this story a pleasant experience for you all to read.
As I said before, this rewrite has been in the works for quite some time now. I finally decided to bring it back after my friend Awpingyou returned recently. This project wouldn't have been possible without his help.
I don't have a particular update schedule, so if there are gaps between when a new chapter drops, please be patient with me! Like many other fic writers, this is a hobby I do in my spare time and I have a lot of responsibilities in my personal life.
If you enjoyed this first chapter, please feel free to drop a like, fav or even leave a comment to tell me what you think. Until next time, this is Nate, signing off.