The Madness And The Damage Done

by JustHereForCoffee

With Sasuke gone, Naruto has set up a life for himself and tried to move on from the scars his friend left him - both physical and emotional. But a chance meeting sends Naruto head first back into the struggle to save his friend, and into an underworld he had no idea existed in his city. AU Naruto/Sasuke fic in modern setting. Warning guys, this one's a slow burner.

13. Chapter 13

NF Chapter 13

"Holy shit." Breathed Kiba, dumbstruck.

"Holy shit," Shikamaru agreed, nodding in appreciation.

There was a short, almost reverent silence, and for a second you could hear a pin drop.

"For God's sake guys," Shino sighed, rubbing his temple. "It's just a fucking couch."

"Hey," Kiba, sitting on Naruto's new couch, scrambled up from the seat and turned round to face the rest of them. "This is not just a couch. This is pure comfort."

Shino and Hinata stood just in front of the door, exasperated, as Kiba had barrelled into the flat and jumped straight on the sofa. Shikamaru wasn't too far behind him, albeit at a slower pace.

"Okay, Naruto, serious question." Shikamaru asked, also leaning over the back of the couch. "Who'd you blow to get this thing?"

The rest of them laughed, Naruto slightly taken aback. As soon as he'd got off the phone with Sasuke a week ago, he'd been thinking of how to explain the new addition to his living room. Eventually he'd come up with something that seemed plausible.

"Hah hah," Naruto replied dryly, his face deadpan. "It's a cheap knock-off. From Taiwan, I think."

Kiba seemed incredulous. "Seriously?"

"That's what the guy in the charity shop said," Naruto shrugged, trying to sell it as he wandered over to the armchair. "Apparently the electronics will be fried in a month or two. And there's a big risk of the trusses breaking too, so no jumping on it. Especially Chouji. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He had to work," Shino said quietly as he squeezed himself between the two men on the sofa. He was about to continue, but Shikamaru activated the recliner on the right and Shino was caught with one leg up and one leg down.

Kiba, Shikamaru and Naruto laughed uproariously, Shino trying to remain dignified as he was knocked sideways, sighing. Hinata giggled and grabbed a chair from the dining table, bringing it between the sofa and armchair.

"Chouji will be here in an hour or so, he said to start without him." Shikamaru finished, still smirking slightly. "Although by the time Ino gets here we'll probably only be half an hour or so into it."

Hinata reached out and stroked the soft material of the sofa with a gentle forefinger. "It really is a good fake."

"Well it's a good thing your dad doesn't ask you to buy the Hyūga furniture, isn't it? You'd just be wasting his money." Naruto replied more gruffly than he'd intended, sounding harsh and chastising. In truth, Hinata's scrutiny had made him nervous: like Sasuke, she was very observant.

Hinata knit her brow, mouth opening slightly, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. It immediately made Naruto's stomach plummet, an intense shame washing over him.

What the fuck was that, Naruto?

"Sorry, that came out… wrong."

Hinata nodded silently, seemingly trying to keep her emotions in check. When she finally settled, she looked more concerned than angry. "Okay," she almost whispered.

Thankfully, Kiba broke the silence that followed. "Wanna get these in the fridge, Naruto?" He asked, holding up a carrier bag.

"Sure." He jumped at the chance to escape the awkwardness.

Shikamaru tactfully started the conversation again as they got up, asking Hinata about her Uni work. Kiba picked up another carrier he'd left by the door, as well as a bulky rucksack.

"Jesus, how much booze did you bring?" Naruto asked as the fully-laden bags were dropped onto the counter with a clunk.

"Enough," Kiba replied, smiling slightly. "Better to have too much than not enough."

Naruto grunted in agreement as he pulled beer bottles out of the carriers. Instead of a crate or four-packs, they had elected to try a few different varieties: as evidenced by Kiba's non-stop posting on Facebook the last week, he had recently discovered the big fuss behind craft beer. Now Naruto had to try and stack these loose, obscure bottles next to the massive crate he'd bought himself; he, too, had decided that more was preferable to less.

They stocked the fridge in silence for a second or two before Kiba spoke. "You know I'm not good at the touchy feely stuff, but… I dunno man, that didn't sound like you. Back there. Are you okay?" He glanced over at Naruto, uncharacteristically worried.

Naruto sighed, looking away and trying to concentrate on the task at hand. "You spoke to Shikamaru, didn't you? Look, I know you aren't homophobic, it's just the whole 'faggot' thing weirded me out for a second, and-"

"Woah-woah-woah," Kiba interrupted with a hand, frowning. "I didn't talk to Shikamaru about anything like that. What's this about me being homophobic? If it's about me using that word, I can stop if you like."

He didn't speak to Shikamaru.

Oh.

Oh shit.

Naruto could feel himself blushing hard, the heat rising in his cheeks. He'd really put his foot in it now. "Oh," he said, for lack of anything better. "There's been a… mix-up."

In hushed tones, he described what had happened the last time they were together. "I thought about it some more and, well… I think Shikamaru's right."

"Yeah, the way I see it is that you guys know I'm joking: I know it's not the most PC thing ever, but I don't just go around calling people faggots willy-nilly." Kiba paused, scratching his nose. "I really don't mind if it bothers you, you just have to say."

"No, it's okay. Honestly. I think my new friend sees it the same way."

"Good," Kiba grinned sharply. "Then stop being a faggot and help me chill these drinks. I'm playing Fridge Tetris over here all by my lonesome."

Naruto snorted and began sorting the fridge again. But Kiba wasn't done. "So what's bugging you today then?"

Almost got away with that.

"Come on," Kiba continued, thankfully quietly. "You never speak to any of us like that. Especially Hinata."

"I'm fine." Naruto knew it didn't sound convincing.

"I'm worried, okay? It isn't like you to be this… high-strung. And if I've noticed you bet your ass Shikamaru and Hinata have too."

Kiba was right: the stress of bottling up his worries about Sasuke was getting to him, he could feel it. In the week since he'd received his new couch he'd barely heard a word from him, only that he was 'busy.' He didn't like lying to his friends either, but the thought of them finding out about Sasuke seemed worse. As much as he hated it, Sasuke had a point: he doubted any of his friends would welcome him back with open arms.

Does that make me an idiot for trusting him again?

It was something Naruto had thought about a lot the past month or so. He was happy to have Sasuke back in his life, the man that had turned his back on everything. Someone that hurt him so much, both physically and emotionally.

I don't care about what he's done. Is that stupid?

"Look Kiba, it's..." Naruto trailed off, trying to find the words. "It involves other people. And I don't wanna betray their trust."

"I understand Naruto, I really do, but you can't keep it bottled up." He was being unusually serious as he leant over, stashing a bottle of Jägermeister in the freezer. "Not if you're gonna take it out on other people."

Naruto, albeit grudging, knew he was right. "When did you get so into talking shit out?" He grumbled.

"You'd be surprised how much Shikamaru rubs off on you in a year." His voice changed back to the impish tone Naruto was so used to. "Besides, I met this really cute girl at college and she convinced me to go to one of these 'conflict resolution' lectures. It turned out to be pretty handy."

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "Of course it was a girl."

"What can I say? I'm both lovable and predictable. Now let's get this party started!"

"This isn't even a party Kiba," Naruto laughed as he followed Kiba back through to their friends.

"You're right," Kiba agreed, pirouetting and putting one foot on the coffee table in a heroic pose. "This isn't just a party: this is 'Bad Movie Night.'"

Shino gave a sarcastic cheer as Naruto start telling him to get his foot off the table, but was interrupted by his phone. "Oh, it's Ino. I'll put her on speaker."

A chorus of 'hello's greeted her as Naruto answered the phone and put it down on the table, shooing Kiba and his foot away.

"Hey guys! Am I on speaker?" Ino's voice rang from the other end of the line, chirpy as usual.

"Cutting out the middle man," Naruto grinned. "What's your ETA? We have shitty movies to watch."

"I should only be another fifteen minutes." She hesitated for a second. "Sai's just text me and he's got nothing to do for the rest of the night: do you mind if he joins us?"

Naruto groaned internally, pinching the bridge of his nose: after the first meeting, any further interactions with Ino's boyfriend had been just as aggravating. Kiba was vehemently shaking his head, drawing a finger across his throat. Although less dramatic, no one seemed particularly keen on the idea.

"Well, em…" Naruto started, running his hands through his hair. "What does everyone else think?"

There was a pause, no one wanting to weigh in. Shikamaru eventually sighed. "It's up to you Naruto, you're the host."

"Look, I know he's a bit odd sometimes, but I'd really like to make him feel included." Ino pleaded. "Naruto, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

"Yeah, sure." Naruto was a bit apprehensive, but grabbed the phone and went through to his room. Taking it off speaker, he brought it back to his ear. "What's up?"

Ino sounded tired. "I'm not an idiot, Naruto: I know you guys don't like Sai."

"Well, I mean…" Naruto tried to be diplomatic, but realised there was no way he could spin this. "Yeah, we aren't his biggest fans."

"I know he can be really rude, but he's a good guy, honestly." Ino hesitated slightly. "I don't wanna air Sai's dirty laundry, but there's a reason he's like this. And I think you might understand it more than most of the guys."

Naruto felt his stomach drop: this couldn't be good.

Ino continued after a pause. "I don't know all the details, but he's… he's like you. He's an orphan. He got adopted, but… they were awful to him."

Naruto sighed, the pieces falling into place. "That would fuck anyone up."

Ino, although she didn't know it, was much closer to the truth than she thought; he'd only ever told Sasuke about that one foster family. But it had only temporary for him. He couldn't imagine having to deal with that his whole childhood.

"Yeah. Honestly, at first he was just a good lay. I know, I'm shallow as fuck." Although she was self-deprecating, it was in good humour. "But I got to know him, and… there's something more under there. I'm determined to find it."

"This all makes a lot more sense now." Naruto sighed again, scratching the back of head. "Listen, thanks for telling me, I'll… I'll try make the effort, okay? And I'll convince the rest of the guys as well."

"Thank you so much Naruto," Ino gushed, her relief palpable. "I really appreciate this."

"I'd be a bit of an asshole if I refused, wouldn't I?"

"Well…"

Naruto laughed, glad to have a better understanding of the situation. "Okay, I'll see you and the boyfriend soon, alright?"

Naruto stepped back through to the living room, throwing his phone on the kitchen counter. "Okay guys, Ino and Sai will be here in about fifteen minutes."

The reaction was instantaneous: Kiba was the loudest, but there were several other mutters and groans. "Aww c'mon Naruto, I wanted to enjoy myself tonight."

"I'll be honest, I'm not particularly thrilled about this myself." Hinata piped up, looking awkward.

Naruto could understand where they were coming from, but it was still frustrating. "Look guys, it's not a massive deal: do this for Ino, okay? Sai's not too bad, and if he makes her happy we should support it."

"But consider this," Kiba replied, leaning over the couch again. "No."

Shikamaru leant over Shino and slapped Kiba gently on the back of the head. "Stop being a knob-head Kiba."

"What? I'm just saying-"

"Well don't." Hinata interrupted, louder than anyone was expecting. "She doesn't need you protecting her or anything stupid like that."

That stunned Kiba even more than the slap. Everyone was speechless for a second, until Shino spoke up. "So you have no strong feelings on the subject, Hinata?"

Hinata smiled gently, closing her eyes for a second. "Sorry, I got a bit… carried away. She knows how you feel, Kiba. But it isn't our decision."

"She's right, Kiba," Naruto said softly. "The least we can do is tolerate him."

Shikamaru just looked at Kiba in a way that said 'you know they're right.' Kiba eventually sighed, raising his hands in defeat. "I guess I'm being outvoted. Pasty McFuckface is joining us."

"Fantastic," Shikamaru said dryly. "Now that we're sorted, I'm going for a fag."

It didn't take long for Ino to arrive, Sai in tow. After initial greetings were out of the way, Sai awkwardly offered Naruto a bottle of vodka. "Ino said I should…"

"Thanks man!" Naruto tried to be warm, smiling and clapping him on the shoulder as he took it, trying to ignore the strange look on Sai's face as he put it in the fridge. "Would you two like anything to drink?"

Ino held up her own bottle of red wine. "I'm sorted, just need a glass. Sai?"

"I'm okay, thank you." He declined politely enough, but Naruto still had the feeling he wasn't being genuine.

"Is everyone sitting comfortably?" Kiba asked, standing next to the TV when more seats had been pulled up, everyone supplied with drinks. "Welcome to the first official 'Bad Movie Night!' I thought we could watch two today, a classic and a more recent one." He held up two boxes. "Up first we have 'Snowpiercer' – a serious movie that ended up really stupid, and then the classic 'Megashark Vs Giant Octopus.'"

As Kiba put the first DVD in the Xbox, Sai leaned forward in his chair. "Why are we watching objectively bad movies? What's the point?"

Kiba, obviously trying to be patient, explained. "Me and Shino have been doing this for a while now: you take a bad movie, get a bit drunk, and you take the piss." He looked back, smiling. "It's fun, trust me."

Sai looked less than convinced, but sat back without complaint. With everything set up Ino, sitting on the right of the sofa with Sai, leaned back and flicked the lights off.

"So the thing with this movie," Kiba started as the intro credits rolled. "Is that actually had some good ideas. Just done very badly."

"And they also have the balls to make you sit through intro credits." Shino grunted, sipping his beer.

"That too."

The movie eventually started, explaining that humanity had frozen the world while trying to fix global warming. The only ones that survived were on a world-spanning train that was moving fast enough to still generate warmth.

"Oh shit, Chris Evans is in this?" Ino said in shock as he appeared on the screen, standing defiantly in front of several soldiers. "How can he be in a bad movie?"

"That's the thing," Shino chipped in. "It's got a good cast. This was after Captain America too."

After a few minutes, more plot had been set up. "It doesn't seem too bad," Naruto said, not seeing the problem.

"Trust me, it gets worse," Kiba replied, knowingly.

"I dunno, setup is pretty solid." Shikamaru chipped in. "A bit heavy-handed with the classism parallels though."

"A whole lot worse." Kiba laughed, taking a sip.

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

About forty minutes later, and everyone was in agreement.

"This is so dumb," Naruto snorted, giggling hard. "Why are the guys with hatchets slicing up a fish to intimidate them?"

"It's, like, symbolism man," Shikamaru replied in a fake California surfer accent as the evil soldiers, all dressed up in what looked like fisherman's smocks, passed the fish around and soaked their hands in the blood. "The fish is, like, the good guys."

Everyone burst out laughing as Chris Evan's character, in all seriousness, came out with 'Be careful.'

"Yeah, cause I'm not gonna be careful when there's a bunch of assholes with hatchets ahead of us." Kiba laughed. "See what I mean?"

The doorbell rung as the men on screen began to fight, Naruto pulling his chair back to get it. It was Chouji, looking particularly disgruntled and tired. "Sorry I'm late guys, some fucknuggets wouldn't finish their meal quickly. Stayed in half an hour after we closed." He looked quizzically over Naruto's shoulder at the movie, still playing. "Why is Captain America fighting a bunch of fisherman?"

"I know, right?" Ino asked, giggling. She'd had quite a bit of wine already, and was slightly tipsy. Naruto wasn't too far behind her: he thought he should probably slow down, but the more he drank the less he thought about Sasuke.

Or so he kept telling himself.

Naruto took drinks orders while Kiba caught Chouji up to speed on the plot. Sai looked bored with the whole thing, so Naruto called him over to help with the drinks: if he was going to make the effort, he may as well start here.

"So are you enjoying yourself?" Naruto asked as he pulled bottles from the fridge, briefly distracted by laughter from his friends.

"I…" Sai hesitated for a second, his face blank. For a second, Naruto could see what his friends had said the first time they'd met Sai: he and Sasuke did look quite similar. "Ino said I shouldn't always speak my mind. She seems to think it's rude."

Okay, that's a start.

"It's fine, you can tell me." Naruto tried to reassure him: he wanted to know what Sai was thinking behind that inscrutable face.

"It's boring." He said flatly. "The only reason I came was because Ino asked me to."

Right. Not as good.

Naruto tried not to get frustrated, hoping to maybe find some common ground. "Well what do you enjoy doing?"

He thought for a second, like the question puzzled him. "I paint."

"Oh cool, you're a creative." Naruto felt he might be getting somewhere. "You know Shino makes music, he's into dubstep and stuff. You might be able to talk to him about that"

"I don't care." Sai said bluntly, opening a bottle.

He is far worse than Sasuke.

"Well what do you care about?" Naruto was beginning to feel ridiculed.

"Can I let you in on a little secret, Naruto?" Sai asked calmly as he chose another bottle from the fridge. "I don't much care about anything at all."

Naruto was incredulous. "Okay, now you're fucking with me."

"No, Naruto." He smiled like was like he was discussing the weather. "I don't really feel anything."

He made to take some drinks through, but Naruto stopped him. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Sai?" He whispered angrily, frustration getting the better of him.

Sai put the drinks down, wiping the cuff of his black shirt where some had spilt. "You know, Ino said you'd understand me better than anyone else. Let's see if she was right."

In that same dead tone, he continued. "I'm an orphan like you, Naruto. I don't remember my parents. When I was adopted, I was taught to repress all emotion. I just don't feel now. They thought that was optimal."

Naruto was horrified. He didn't try to stop Sai as he gave beers to Shino and Kiba. By the time he was back, Naruto had found his tongue. "I'm sorry." It was all he could say.

"Don't be. It's just how I am."

Naruto grabbed his arm. "If you don't feel anything Sai, why are you with Ino? Are you stringing her along or something?"

Sai looked down at Naruto's hand for a second, his expression not changing. "I…" He looked over at Ino, laughing her head off at the film and the running commentary by their friends. "I was curious. What it felt like, being with someone."

"It's been months now. Curiosity not satisfied yet? Or are you just using her?" Naruto snarled quietly, not wanting to alert his friends to their argument.

"No. It's just no one's ever cared for me before." Sai looked down for a second, seeming different than before. "I got quite ill shortly after we started dating. Ino showed up at my door the second I told her. She helped me until I was well again, despite the inconvenience it cost her. It is… nice?"

Naruto softened his grip. Ino was right: there was something behind the surface of Sai's cold exterior, rearing its head for a second before vanishing. "Why don't you drink, Sai?" He asked, having an idea.

"It was one of the first things I was taught: stay away from stimulus."

Naruto reached into the freezer and poured two shots of Jägermeister, handing one to Sai. "Drink up. Someone's fucked you up Sai. Ino and I are gonna help you out. So first thing I'm gonna try is my old friend Jäger."

Sai looked uncertainly at the dark brown liquid, but threw it back with Naruto all the same. "Hmm. This is quite enjoyable."

They were interrupted as Kiba noticed the Jägermeister. "Shots!" He yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

Laughing, Naruto took the bottle and a pack of plastic shot-glasses over to the coffee table, quickly heading back for the last of the drinks. "Take it slow," he advised Sai on the way back. "See what happens, okay?"

Sai nodded, taking a beer and sitting back next to Ino. She looked at the bottle, puzzled, before shrugging and downing a shot. They settled back down to continue to rip into the movie, Naruto casting furtive glances over at Sai every so often. He hoped his improvised therapy would work.

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

'They finally finished what they started, eighteen million years ago' came from the TV as the giant shark and octopus floated lifeless to the bottom of the ocean. Most everyone in the room, all fairly drunk, were killing themselves laughing. Naruto looked over at Sai, who was shaking his head and smiling. It seemed more genuine than anything else he'd seen before. Not that Naruto could focus much: he seemed to be a bit further along than the others.

"And that's pretty much it," Kiba wheezed, struggling to get the words out. "'Megashark VS Giant Octopus'"

Naruto sighed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Okay Chouji, you win: they both killed each other. Any leftover beer is yours."

"Fuck yeah!" Chouji pumped his fist in the air, finishing the last of his current bottle. Shikamaru, Naruto and Chouji had made a drunken bet on the outcome of the fight: Shikamaru favoured the octopus, Naruto was rooting for the megalodon, and Chouji thought they would kill each other.

"I don't know what my favourite bit was," Hinata giggled, rather tipsy. "The part where the shark jumped thousands of feet into the air and took down a plane, or when it eats the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Megashark was the best," Naruto agreed, and started laughing again. "Alright, more shots!"

"Actually Naruto, I should get going." Shikamaru groaned, interrupting his pouring with a hand. "I've got early class tomorrow."

"Yeah, I have work." Chouji agreed.

"So do I, at one," Naruto snorted. "But you don't hear me whining about it."

"It is getting quite late," Ino chimed in, standing up unsteadily.

"Yes, you've had enough I think." Sai murmured quietly, but wasn't looking too stable himself

Slowly, they all made their excuses and gathered their things. "Aw c'mon guys," Naruto moaned, messily downing a shot. "I wanna keep drinking!"

"And we're not stopping you," Shikamaru replied, throwing his coat over his shoulders. "But I think you should call it quits too. You've been going quite hard tonight."

Somewhere in the back of Naruto's mind he entertained the possibility Shikamaru was right, but it was immediately dismissed. "I just wanna have fun dude."

"I'm just glad we don't have to drag him home." Shino muttered.

Hinata reached out from next to Naruto and gently touched his arm. "I'll stay with you for a bit Naruto."

"Horaaay!" Naruto cheered weakly, slurring slightly. "See, Hinata knows how to party."

He got up to let his friends out, hugging Shikamaru and Chouji. "Thanks for coming guys."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Chouji smiled, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Take care of yourself, okay Naruto?" Shikamaru said, looking more serious.

"S'fine. I'm good, okay?" Naruto tried to seem unconcerned, but for all the good the night had done him he was still feeling anxious.

He didn't seem convinced. "Mhmm. See you around."

Naruto patted Shino on the back as he left too, Kiba stopping to give him a bear hug. "Look after yourself buddy," he laughed as he squeezed the air out of Naruto.

"You're starting to sound like Shikamaru," Naruto grunted, trying to breath.

"How dare you? He might be zen but he isn't nearly as pretty as me."

Naruto pushed him out into the corridor to join the rest of his friends. As Ino and Sai went to follow, the latter turned to him. "Uh… thanks, Naruto. For, you know. I think it might be working."

Naruto grinned lopsidedly, glad something had gone right that night. "That's great! Here, hang on." He grabbed a pen and ripped the top off an old bill lying on his dining table. "Here's my number: if you need to talk, just let me know."

Sai gently took the paper, folding it up in his thin fingers and nodding as he slipped it carefully in his pocket. "I will."

Ino, in a state comparable to Naruto's, only noticed the exchange as she was halfway through the door. She didn't say anything, but quickly glanced back at Naruto, mouthing a grateful 'thank you' as the door swung closed.

Naruto leaned his head against the door when it closed, smiling softly as he heard the gang troop down to the outside door, a smattering of badly repressed laughter echoing up the stairwell. He almost forgot Hinata had stayed until she chuckled.

Making his way to the couch, he collapsed into it, sighing. "Here, you haven't tried the sofa yet, have you? Come on." Head back and eyes closed, he patted the couch cushion next to him.

In a second he felt the couch dip slightly as she carefully perched herself on the edge of the middle seat. He looked up and grinned mischievously. "No, no, you have to really lie back to enjoy it."

He leaned over the edge, hitting the electronic switch for the footrest. Hinata yelped as, like Shino, she was flung sideways. They both burst out in full-blown laughter as she ended up lying across the couch, feet in Naruto's lap. It died down into a comfortable silence as Naruto gently stroked her calf absent-mindedly.

"This was always such a comfortable position." Hinata sighed, closing her large, pale eyes.

"For you, maybe," Naruto said cheekily. "Half the time I ended up rubbing your feet for you."

"Mmm," Hinata agreed, stretching out like a cat. "You did give the best foot rubs."

There was another small lull in the conversation. "Hey," Naruto started awkwardly. "I'm really sorry about earlier. When I shouted at you. I've just been really stressed, and-" he sighed, cutting himself off. "I shouldn't be taking that out on you though. I'm sorry."

Hinata didn't seem too bothered. "Don't worry, it's okay. It was a bit… unexpected." She looked up at him and smiled. "Kiba gave you a telling, didn't he?"

Naruto exhaled though his nose, chuckling awkwardly. "Yeah. Yeah he did."

"He means well."

"I know, I know." Naruto smiled reassuringly. "I needed it though."

Hinata sat up slightly, hesitating. "Naruto, are you okay?"

He sighed, scratching his jaw. "I'm getting asked that a lot."

Hinata looked a little taken aback. "I'm sorry, I don't want to pry, but-"

"-Let me guess, you're worried?" Naruto cut her off, exasperated. He took a second, trying to calm himself down. "I'm sorry, I'm doing it again."

Hinata sat up, frowning. "Well something's obviously up. Shikamaru's noticed, and so have I."

Naruto rubbed his hands over his face: he wasn't drunk enough for this. "Look, I hate keeping you guys in the dark, but I can't tell you."

Hinata leaned forward, concerned. "I'm not asking you to tell me anything. But you don't have to do everything alone. If I can help, if any of us can, please say."

Naruto looked away, feeling guilty for being so irritated at her. Not only this, but now Sasuke was on his mind again. "You're right. But there's nothing you can do. I'm sorry, Hinata."

I can't stop thinking about Sasuke. I haven't heard from him in days… and 'busy' with what exactly?

Hinata looked on, concerned as he poured himself another shot from the rapidly depleting bottle. "Don't you think you've had enough, Naruto?"

"Nah, it's a game I've been playing tonight." Naruto screwed up his face as the alcohol hit him. "It's 'drink every time I worry about him.'"

Hinata didn't find it funny. "Every time you worry about who? Kinda pot calling kettle here, don't you think?"

"Oh, with-" Naruto went to reply, before realising what he was about to say. "-no one. Just a friend."

"Well it seems like your friend's stressing you out a bit." Hinata's expression softened, and she reached out to hold his hand. "Naruto, you can't solve your problems with alcohol."

"I dunno, it seems to work for him…" Naruto muttered, before lying back in the couch. "I'm sorry Hinata, I'm being a shitty friend right now."

Hinata was quiet for a while, pouring herself a shot and downing it. Naruto raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "You're not being a shitty friend, Naruto. We've all been there, at least once. But sort it out."

As Naruto nodded silently, Hinata seemed to have a realisation. "Wait, this isn't about Sai, is it?"

"What?" Naruto was quite taken aback. "No, no. Sai's just got… issues. I'm trying to help him out, you know?"

"You can say that again." Nevertheless, Hinata smiled sadly. "Oh, Naruto… you're always ready to cut yourself open, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "I like helping people."

"It's what makes you special, Naruto. Just be careful people don't take advantage of that."

Hinata took another shot, leaning back and into Naruto's shoulder. It was nice, for a time: they just lay there, comforted by each other's touch. It reminded Naruto of old times, when the two of them would fall asleep in each other's arms, sleepy and content…

But these aren't old times.

Naruto sighed, trying not to get too comfortable with the arrangement: as lonely as he was, he didn't want to lead Hinata on.

Although how nice would that be? One more drunken night with her…

Naruto shook his head, hoping the motion would stop that train of thought dead. Even without the complicated nature of his and Hinata's relationship, he wasn't taking advantage of either of their drunkenness.

Stop it. You're not that kind of guy.

Sitting there on his couch with Hinata, he had a sudden Jäger-induced epiphany. "You ever just sit there and wonder what you're doing with your life?"

Hinata groaned and stretched again, one eye open. "I dunno, Naruto. I mean, sometimes I look at all my Uni work and think… 'why am I doing this?'" She sat up, a bit more collected. "'Am I doing this for me, or cause my Dad wants me to?' I enjoy biology, but… I just don't know where I'm going."

"Oh man, I didn't know that." It had caught Naruto by surprise. "I just see you and Shikamaru, studying, Kiba well on his way to do vet-med, Chouji and Ino in line to take over their parent's businesses… I just feel like I've got nothing compared that. Hell, even Sa- that friend, the one I'm worried about, has done more than I could ever dream of."

Hinata thought for a second. "You need a goal, Naruto."

"A goal?"

"Yeah, something you're driving towards." She smiled. "Think about it. And find something you wanna do."

Naruto said nothing, mulling things over. 'You don't have to do everything alone' – the thought of Sasuke, maybe hurt, needing his help, it pushed him over the edge.

"Hinata, can you keep a secret?" Without waiting for an answer, he dove in head first. "It's Sasuke. He's back."

Hinata's eyes widened in realisation, and for a moment she seemed too shocked to say anything. "He's back?"

"He's been back for a while now." Naruto gulped, careful not to say too much. "I met him and… well, we had a drink."

"Oh no," Hinata whispered, before her eyes shot to Naruto's. "He didn't hurt you again, did he?"

"No, no," Naruto said quickly. "The opposite. He… wants to make up for it."

Hinata looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped. She sighed. "Do you trust him?"

It wasn't a difficult question. "Yeah. Yeah, I trust him."

Hinata seemed to steel herself. "It's like I said about Ino: I've gotta trust you to make your own decisions. But… but I don't like it Naruto."

Naruto snorted. "It's not like Ino at all, I'm not dating him."

Hinata gave him a look, but said nothing.

"Does it make me an idiot?" Naruto asked quietly.

"I think… I think it makes you brave." Hinata whispered. "Braver than most. Braver than me, that's for sure. Because now I'm scared for you, Naruto."

"You haven't seen him. Not now, now he's…" Naruto tried to find the words. "He's hurting, Hinata. I've got to help him."

Hinata leaned forward, finishing the bottle as she poured out two final shots. She handed one to Naruto, holding hers steady. "I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but you be careful, okay? You can only cut yourself open so much before, well… before you bleed out."

"To being careful, I guess." Naruto smiled, clinking their glasses together and downing the shot. He looked at the empty bottle, grimacing. "Christ, did we drink the lot?"

Hinata nodded, a bit unsteadily: she was catching up to Naruto now. "Yup… we did."

Naruto exhaled deeply, sitting back. It felt instantly better saying it out loud. He wouldn't go into detail about Sasuke had been up to: he felt like he'd said more than enough for Hinata's comfort, and far too much for Sasuke's.

"Look, you can't say anything about this to the rest of them." Naruto blurted out. "Sasuke, he… doesn't think you'd all forgive him the way I do. To be honest, he's convinced he doesn't deserve it."

"Maybe he doesn't," she replied quietly.

"Believe me, Hinata, you could never be as angry at him as he is at himself."

"I won't tell anyone, Naruto, you have my word on that." Hinata sighed, her vision suddenly unfocused. "Oooh… all the booze just hit me there."

Naruto nodded, starting to feel the effects himself. "Come on, let's get you home: I'll walk you."

Hinata started to get up, but stumbled slightly. "No, no, I can get myself home okay…"

"You're only fifteen minutes away, don't be daft." Naruto replied, staggering as he too managed to leave the couch's embrace to get his shoes and a jumper.

"I'm not getting a choice, am I?" Hinata huffed as she struggled with one of the armholes of her jacket.

"You know me too well," Naruto grinned.

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

"Naruto… Naruto..."

He groaned as he slowly came to, face down on his bed, becoming aware of a hand shaking his bare shoulder. He said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Mmm, fuck off."

"That's not a very respectful thing to say to your teacher, is it?"

Naruto jumped at the voice, twisting violently in the bed to face Jiraiya. Instantly a wave of nausea hit him, his head throbbing. "Oh, Jesus."

"Jesus indeed." Jiraiya agreed, but he was laughing.

Naruto held a hand to his forehead, trying to make sure his brain didn't explode. "Fuck… what time is it?" He looked around for his phone, but couldn't see it. "Where's my…"

"It's on your coffee table, out of battery, with quite a few empty bottles." Jiraiya grinned. He suddenly leaned into Naruto's ear and yelled. "How's the hangover?"

Naruto fell back, groaning. Now that he knew Jiraiya wasn't mad, he felt a little better. But only a little.

"It's just past three," Jiraiya continued, getting up and striding round to the curtains, throwing them open.

Naruto's heart dropped through his stomach as he squinted against the glare, suddenly feeling worse than before. "Past three? But…"

"Yeah."

I'm two hours late for work, and my boss showed up at my flat to find me.

I'm so fired.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry Jiraiya. My alarm was on my phone, and I must have left it in the living room and-"

"It's okay Naruto, relax. I'm not here to tear you a new one." Jiraiya came back to sit on the bed again, still smiling patiently. Now that Naruto really looked at him past the headache and bleary eyes, he noticed Jiraiya was sweating, his forehead damp with perspiration.

That's… unusual.

"The real reason I'm here is, well…" Jiraiya scratched his nose, looking slightly sheepish. "I kinda over-reacted. You didn't show up to work, which is very unlike you: you've never just blown it off. I tried calling, but the phone went straight to voicemail. Again, odd, since you're a kid, you're glued to those things. So I… thought you might be in trouble."

"I'm sorry," Naruto ran a hand through his hair, feeling guilty. "You must have been so worried."

"Half out my mind," Jiraiya laughed, still extremely cavalier about the whole thing. "I'm still waiting for Orochimaru to poke his slimy head out of the shadows. Imagine how glad I was to find you here, passed out amongst bottles of Jäger."

"We only drank the one bottle…" Naruto grumbled, but sat up. "So… you're not gonna fire me?"

Jiraiya was taken aback. "Jesus, of course not! Someone with your good record and work ethic, there's no way I'd fire them for a one-off bender like this. Especially not my Godson." His voice became more serious, almost schoolmaster-esque as he look down that long nose at Naruto. "Assuming this is a one off."

"Y-yes. Sir." Naruto stammered.

"Come off it, you don't need to call me sir," Jiraiya laughed heartily, throwing his head back and slapping Naruto on the arm. Unprepared, he was almost knocked over. "Whoops. You know you don't have to call me sir. Now come on, I've just boiled the kettle: you need some coffee."

Jiraiya left him to get dressed, and soon enough he was sipping a steaming mug of black coffee. He went over to the fridge but found Jiraiya's arm holding the door closed.

"Trust me, it works better black." He grinned, slightly enjoying Naruto's discomfort.

"So the milk's being held hostage?" Naruto asked, smiling slightly and shaking his head. "Yes sir," he added mockingly.

"It's for your own good. I was in that position too many times when I was your age. Got some stories that'd make your toes curl." Jiraiya teased, sipping his own coffee.

"I bet."

They milled about a bit, just chatting until Naruto felt better. "So do you want me to come in tomorrow, do another shift to make up for it?" He asked as he washed their mugs.

"Don't worry about it," Jiraiya waved him off. "More hassle than it's worth. Besides, I know you were looking forward to that three-day weekend. There is something you can do for me though."

Naruto didn't like the sound of this. "Yeah?"

Jiraiya has an evil look on his face. "You can complete your scheduled training today. Both Kakashi's and mine."

"Counter offer: no." They shared a laugh for a second before Naruto added. "But seriously, counter offer: mind taking the glass out as you go? I'll be hard pressed to both clean this up and sort my life out."

Jiraiya accepted gallantly, waiting patiently as Naruto gathered up all the bottles in a bin bag. By the time he was done it was bulging at the seams, looking like it was gonna go any second.

Jiraiya hefted the bin in one hand, waving sarcastically with the other. "See you tonight."

Naruto sighed as he shut the door and looked at everything else he had to do. He wandered over to the TV and switched it on. He was ready to switch over from the default news channel to find something for the background, but he found himself captivated by what he saw.

"…another excellent win for the city in the increasing problem of gang activity, the arrests of criminals referring to themselves as the Sound Four. These five men, going by their given names of Sakon, Ukon, Kidōmaru, Tayuya and Jirōbō, were apprehended after extensive evidence was compiled against them. They face charges of first degree murder, arson, burglary, and many more minor charges."

Naruto was stunned at the faces paraded upon the screen: it was the Sound Four all right, the men they'd met last week.

So this is what Sasuke means when he says he'll take care of a problem…

The anchor continued. "Although they are believed to be just one small facet of a larger organisation, this provides an excellent step forward in combatting increasing reports of gang-related crime in the area."

More information was passed across the screen, but none of it told Naruto anything useful. He sank into the sofa, eyes transfixed, as he rewound the report and scanned it again, and again.

But that was all he was getting: Sasuke got them arrested.

Naruto was blown away for a second. He suddenly decided he didn't want to watch television anymore; he changed to music and tried to forget it for at least a second, and get lost in the repetitive task of cleaning.

It didn't work.

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

"And… exhale."

Naruto almost collapsed as his lungs deflated. Dragging his leaden limbs to the bench at the side, he tried to ignore Konohamaru's chatter and practically inhaled his water bottle. Training had been an absolute nightmare, the paracetamol he'd downed before coming not at all relieving the headache. He couldn't help but think of what Sasuke had said the last time they'd met, about training with Kakashi. Add in a big helping of distraction from the Sound Four situation, and he definitely wasn't in top form.

Kakashi was suddenly at his side. "Hey Naruto, fancy going out for a drink tonight?"

Naruto felt himself throw up in his mouth a little at the very mention of alcohol. "With all respect, Sir, get fucked."

Everyone that had overheard thought this exchange was hilarious, Naruto grinning reluctantly. Kakashi seemed to see the funny side too, now that training was over at least. Saying that during a session would get him running laps backwards till he puked.

"Thought so. How bad is it this time?" Kakashi asked playfully.

Naruto breathed hard, trying to focus on not dying. "This is a level nine hangover." He exhaled hard, reconsidering. "Nine and a half."

He seemed surprised, judging solely by his eyebrows. "That bad? You did pretty well."

"Thanks," Naruto smiled weakly. "Listen, Kakashi, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

"Absolutely." He turned heel and walked away, motioning after a moment for Naruto to follow. "What's on your mind?"

Naruto decided there was no subtle way of asking. "Do you remember a student called Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha?"

"I wondered if this would come up." Kakashi pondered a second. "He's a rather hard man to forget, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, you can say that again." Naruto scratched his sweaty scalp, not having planned this far ahead. "Well he's a friend of mine. And I didn't know this before, but apparently he used to train with you. I was just wondering what… well, what you taught him."

Kakashi frowned, looking up and to his left. "Sasuke was particularly… troubled. He hired me for one-on-one training, apparently on your recommendation. We started on some advanced techniques. He was frightfully strong. I don't think I've since met someone as intense."

"Soon I went from the physical to the mental." Kakashi continued. "I tried to... well, counsel him, I guess, between the sessions. I just talked to him, tried to teach him some methods to calm himself down. It didn't take. He got worse and worse. One day he just stopped calling. His number no longer existed."

"I thought as much," Naruto muttered, disheartened he hadn't got any further. "Let me guess, he disappeared about the time I got injured, right? About three years ago?"

Kakashi frowned again. "Two."

Naruto thought he'd misheard. "What?"

"It was two years ago I last saw Sasuke. He started maybe six months before that." Kakashi confirmed. He looked down at Naruto's arm, linking the two statements. "Wait, your arm- he did that?"

Naruto said nothing, trying to resist the urge to rub the injury. "Thanks Kakashi."

"Hang on, you're saying the guy that did that to you- I helped him?"

"Look, it was a snap decision, okay?" Naruto winced once he realised his choice of words. "He's not like that. Honestly."

Kakashi looked shaken. "Look Naruto, if you see him again don't go near him. I don't know what you think you know, but that kid is dangerous."

"I'll see you next time, Kakashi."

And with that, Naruto gathered his stuff and left before his instructor could say anything more.

Jiraiya met him at the door, a good-natured snarky smile on his face. "Ready to get stuck in?"

Naruto stared at his shoes, not in the mood for it. "I guess. I mean, I deserve it."

Jiraiya's smile instantly dropped. "Naruto, are you alright?"

Keep up appearances Naruto. You have to keep up appearances.

"Sorry, I'm fine." Naruto answered eventually, trying to force a smile on his face. "Let's go."

Jiraiya shook his head, smiling gently. "No, I think you've had enough for tonight. I'm not trying to kill my Godson, after all." He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a tattered old wallet, handing a few notes over to Naruto. "Here, I meant to give you this earlier: it pays for half the couch."

Naruto gingerly took the money. "Jiraiya, I can't…"

"Don't be silly, Naruto. It's the least I can do."

Naruto felt awful taking money from Jiraiya anyway, let alone for something he didn't even need, but when Jiraiya got this way there was no arguing. He eventually conceded. "Thanks."

"Right, let's get you home. I think you've had enough excitement for one day."

That was an understatement.