Chapter 15
On the second morning after Team Kakashi left for Sora-ku, Naruto opened his eyes. His back to the window, he faced Sasuke's bed.
Pat pat pat pat pat pat pat. The rustling of clothes. A pause of silence. Pat pat pat pat pat pat pat. The door creaking as someone brushed by it.
The corners of Naruto's mouth tugged upwards. Sasuke was not in his bed.
Pat pat pat pat pat pat pat pat. The door creaked again. More rustling. A pause of silence. Pat pat pat pat pat pat pat pat pat.
When the door creaked, Naruto slowly moved so his bed would not do the same; flat on his stomach, he positioned himself so he could have a good view.
He stilled only seconds before Sasuke came in, carrying the box of remaining takoyaki. The box itself was almost as big as him; he held it to his chest, his little fingers straining to hold the sides. He carried it longways so it blocked his vision, and only the tips of his black ears poked out at the sides. Even in the weak sunlight, Naruto could see how the soft fur moved differently from his hair; bouncing with every step Sasuke pushed off the ground, lilting with every landing.
Pat pat pat pat. The footsteps made by his bare feet were so small, their force barely equalled fingers drumming on a table. Though unable to see, Sasuke ran a perfect path to Naruto's open closet. A pile of clothes lay crumpled in the corner facing Naruto's view. Sasuke kicked aside the clothes he had recently moved back into place, shuffling the more stubborn articles with his tail.
A small, dark space was revealed, the piece of closet wood that usually covered it put up against the wall. Sasuke knelt and carefully put the takoyaki box inside.
Naruto blinked. He had forgotten about that space: as a kid he had stashed one or two things in there before realising that there was no one in his apartment to hide things from.
Sasuke straightened, put the clothes back in a heap, and swiftly glanced at Naruto's bed. He headed off two steps, already rooted in his routine, when he froze. He slowly turned back and found the blond watching him, chin resting in his hand, head tilted and a small smile on his face.
A full half-minute passed before one of them moved, swinging his legs off the bed. Another ten seconds before he spoke. "I like the takoyaki. We're sharing."
Sasuke's ears twitched. Naruto raised an eyebrow and glanced at the heap of clothes. Sasuke ran in front of it and glared at him, his stance sinking a little as he growled warningly in his throat.
"Fine, I won't look," Naruto shrugged. He made to stand, but flinched. The floor was cold. "But I want the takoyaki. You'll take that back out, alright?" Sasuke glanced back at his treasure hole, uncertain. "Or I could come get it."
Sasuke flinched, knowing very well there was nothing he could do to stop him. He reluctantly nodded and retrieved the box, forlorn purrs echoing in his throat. Naruto blinked. When had he been able to recognise the emotion behind those sounds?
Sasuke walked out with the box, his previously confident steps now wavering as he slowly approached the bed and set the box down at Naruto's feet. His eyes remained to the floor, his ears drooped as he rocked back and forth on the soles of his feet: a full blown sulking session.
"Sasuke. Come here." Naruto patted his lap. Sasuke turned away, all red cheeks and a determined pout. Naruto glanced at the ceiling with a slight shake of the head, then swept Sasuke off the floor and high into the air.
The disgruntled half-screech was lost as the kitten was hugged to a chuckling chest. His claws snapped out, ready to bury themselves into Naruto's face or arm –
And was smothered to the blonde's chest while a warm face buried itself between his ears. It lingered there for only a moment, and when it was gone Naruto was smiling a bit. Sasuke's arm fell limp, his claws receding. Never his father, his brother only when he was too young to remember, but at his current age only his mother had ever cuddled him.
"Quit staring already," Naruto complained, still smiling. "I just felt like it. Don't get used to it."
Sasuke blinked, purred and fell against Naruto's chest in quiet defeat. "Naruto?"
"Yeah?" the blond was still looking elsewhere.
Sasuke smiled. "Today's going to be a good day."
A short pause. The kitten knew without looking that Naruto was smiling.
"Yeah, today's gonna be –"
The sky roared. Naruto froze. Sasuke's ears pointed to the ceiling.
One drop. Then two more. Ten, twenty, a hundred… Before either of them could blink, thousands upon thousands of raindrops hit the roof, swelling into one continuous drone.
The sky flashed. And roared again seconds later.
The two stared at each other. Then, as one, they slowly turned their heads to the window and the sudden storm grumbling beyond it.
Damn rain.
"You shouldn't curse the rain."
At the swift reprimand, a pink and recently plucked eyebrow twitched. The owner turned to glare at the one who scolded her, who simply returned to rotating her ankle.
"You walked a little yesterday."
"Yeah." Green eyes nervously averted from the reason for the walking.
"How did you feel?"
"It was a little painful, but there were no physical inhibitions in my arthrodials or condyloidals."
Shizune laughed. "Sakura, you're already Tsunade-sama's top student and inheritor of all her medical knowledge. It's perfectly okay if you call a hinge joint a hinge joint."
Sakura blushed. "Sorry, force of habit. You've been with Shishou for so long Shizune-san, I always felt like I had to prove that I was up to your level."
Shizune gently lowered Sakura's left leg and moved on to her right, slowly bending the knee and pushing her leg back to stretch her hamstrings.
"Those days are long over Sakura. You've long surpassed me."
"Oh no, Shizune-san, there are things you can do that I can't even –"
"You inherited Tsunade-sama's ultimate technique. The Genesis Rebirth. She tried to pass it on to me, but it was beyond my ability. But you, you're so close. Just a few more months and…" Sakura looked up into a dimpled smile. "I'm proud of you."
Embarrassed, Sakura turned to face the window, while Shizune chuckled and moved on to her elbow. "Your body's pretty much back to normal. A few more days and you'll be out of here."
Her eyes suddenly glinted with the same stern glare that usually fell upon Tsunade. "You haven't been healing yourself, have you?"
"Of course not," Sakura sighed. "But I don't see why you can't use chakra for this."
"You know better than that, Sakura."
"Except when on the field, in battle or facing critical conditions, muscle and joint injury should always be allowed to heal as naturally as possible with minimal chakra usage and maximum rest," the textbook response was provided in monotone.
"Because too much forced healing will injure instead of heal. Therefore, when given the opportunity, traditional physical therapy methods combined with bed rest are the best medicines," Shizune finished academically, sounding no better than the textbook.
"Yeah, yeah," the grumpy response irked Shizune to the verge of another scolding, when she noticed the green glare reflected in the darkened windows.
"Why are you so impatient?" The green reflection blinked, its owner a bit thrown. "I meant it when I said you surpassed me. You know better." Sakura's forehead prickled under her nurse's dark gaze. "There's only one thing that makes you forget that."
Her intentions deduced, Sakura sighed, having nothing left to hide. "Naruto promised that he would bring Sasuke-kun first thing when he came to get those." She pointed to the forms strategically stacked on the bedside table.
"Oh, Naruto. I was wondering at the hole in the table those forms are hiding, and that dent in the wall behind the flowers."
The arm she was bending suddenly stiffened. "Relax, Sakura. I won't rat you out to Tsunade-sama."
"Thanks Shizune-san." The arm loosened. "I filled those forms out for him as part of the agreement," Shizune's eyebrow twitched, but she kept her comments to herself. "But even that idiot's not stupid enough to bring Sasuke-kun out in this weather." She sighed heavily. "It's not letting up either. I probably won't see Sasuke-kun all day today."
Shizune hmm'ed thoughtfully. "Sounds like you're attached." Sakura did not miss the accusation beneath Shizune's words, nor did Shizune miss the sparkle in Sakura's eyes.
"He smiles. He laughs. He's happy this way. I've," Sakura's eyes widened, never realizing the truth of these words until they were on her tongue, "I've never seen Sasuke-kun happy before." Shizune said nothing. "Is it really so bad if he stays like this a while?"
"Yes. It is." Sakura almost sat up at the cold response, when a hand somehow stronger than hers pushed her back down. Shizune stood over her, her eyes unmoving, the severity of her gaze trapping Sakura.
"You are not a child, Sakura. It is not beyond you to separate right from sentiment."
"But I just want Sasuke-kun to be –"
"You cannot accept a fake just because he's everything you wished he was."
"I'm not accepting –"
"If the means to change him back were right here in front of you, would you do what is right?" Sakura closed her mouth, whatever protests she had dying in her throat.
"Tsunade-sama is the Hokage as well as the world's greatest Iryō-nin. She cannot bow to sentimentality. By the laws of Konoha, and her own code as a medical nin, she cannot stop until a child of Konoha, until Sasuke is healed. If not of his physical mutation, then his mental aberration. You as Tsunade-sama's student and inheritor cannot bring shame to her by letting your emotions take over."
Sakura flinched, her face pale as though the last few days of rehabilitation were worthless. Shizune did not soften. "Sasuke-kun needs to smile and laugh as his true self. Amnesia's bliss is no substitute for overcoming true hardship."
Thunder cracked. In the bright room indifferent to the dark sky outside, pale lips drew into a firm line. Shizune saw this, and finally smiled. She clapped her hands together in front of her, squeezed her eyes shut and, "Sorry for that, Sakura," apologized weakly. The patient blinked. "I had to be firm just now. Tsunade-sama might need your help soon."
"My help?" Sakura finally regained her voice.
"We talked last night," Shizune frowned. "Jiraiya-sama told her some worrying things about Naruto. If Kakashi's team comes back with information, we can't predict how Naruto will react."
"You think he'll try to stop you?"
"Like I said, we can't be sure. Jiraiya-sama said it's nothing to worry about, but he has a bit of a soft spot for Naruto. If it comes to it, you might be a stronger voice of reason than any of us."
"That's why you had to convince me." Sakura fell back on her pillows. "I know we have to change him back. I'm sure Naruto knows it too. If he tries anything stupid, I'll beat some sense into him."
Shizune smiled, though she felt a bit sorry for the blond. "Good to hear."
She pulled back and, out of curiosity, picked up a few of the application forms. "Naruto couldn't fill these out?"
"Most of them. Look what he put for Sasuke-kun's date of birth."
"July 23rd… sixteen years ago." One second… two… three… "Idiot."
"Okay, so that's onions, garlic and…"
"Tomatoes."
"Oh yeah. Forgot. …Dried ginger – thanks… pepper – thanks… soy – thanks…" Naruto glanced at Sasuke as he took the soy. The kitten was sitting in front of the open recipe book, and had not moved from his spot or looked away from the book since taking his post.
He simply handed Naruto the ingredients using his tail. Naruto glanced at the absently swaying appendage. That thing was really versatile. And did it look a bit longer than usual?
Was that normal?
Naruto wondered this while staring at his best-friend-turned-kitten. It took ten seconds for the irony to slap him upside the head.
"…Okay, everything's good, so now the chicken…" the pan hissed loudly; volumes of white steam billowed towards the ceiling. "Okay… fire's good. So we leave the chicken in for… two minutes?! What kinda food poisoning –?"
"Naruto, we already boiled it. This is just so it'll get crispy on the outside."
"Ooh… you're right. Okay… and then next pour in some orange juice…"
"Lemon juice Naruto!"
It was too late. Naruto had upended the bottle over the frying pan, filling it up to the brim. The two watched as the chicken breasts and all other ingredients floated slightly in the bubbling orange pool.
Sasuke purred in his throat. It was not the good kind.
Naruto laughed nervously. "Orange juice, lemon juice, they're both fruits. It can't be that different."
"Mmrrrggg." Sasuke's throat noises brought no good expectations that day. "You put too much, Naruto."
"I'm telling you it'll be fine!" Naruto slammed down the cover on the pan, hiding the swimming ingredients from view.
Some juice splashed out at the impact, hissing as it hit the fire below. The burner sputtered as the doused flames petered out.
Sasuke's brow grew flat, his eyes half-lidded. He turned to Naruto with a distinct frown. The blond, whose ears were the perfect shade of embarrassment, silently reached for the lighter to ignite another burner.
Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed.
"That's probably what they're doing right now."
Tsunade stared. Jiraiya smirked. Tsunade scoffed and took out the wallet she kept in her bosom, pulling out a thick wad of notes. "All right, you're on." She slapped the notes on the table.
"You're sure you want to make that bet?" Jiraiya asked, his eyes on the wallet's bountiful home rather than the money itself.
"Positive," Tsunade sniffed. "There's no way that, in this weather, the thing on Naruto's mind will be cooking. The most he'll do is boil water for one of those ramen cups of his."
"I never said he wouldn't resort to ramen. But only after his attempt to make a real meal from scratch failed."
"No way," she dissented with a flippant wave of her hand.
"All right," Jiraiya shrugged and tossed an equal wad of money on top of Tsunade's. "We'll ask Naruto about it when he comes to report about the Know-Your-Village mission."
"Deal," she said, tying the wad of money together with a rubber band and putting it in the drawer. "But if he's really cooking like you said and it ends up a disaster, won't you be at a disadvantage if he decides to lie about it?"
"No need to worry about that. Whatever Naruto won't say, Sasuke will."
"Ah, that's true." Invigorated by the rush of placing a new bet, Tsunade turned around to tackle a new stack of paperwork. Half an hour passed in this manner.
When she finished the last of the stack and looked back, Jiraiya was staring out at the rain with the same irritating lost-in-forlorn-thought look on his face that made her resort to gambling in the first place.
"What's wrong." It was not a question.
Jiraiya jumped a little at the stern tone and turned to her, blinking guilelessly. "Huh?"
"Why're you staring out at the rain like one of the characters in your novels?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "You read them?"
Tsunade flinched, pink dusting her cheeks. "That's not the point. Answer my question."
The Sage glanced at the floor and back to her like a clueless child. "Nothing."
Tsunade glared. Jiraiya reared back a little. "Is it what Tori said to you yesterday?" He glanced to the floor again. "You know she doesn't know any better Jiraiya. You can't be so –"
"That's the point. You told me about Root. Naruto complained non-stop about Sai. I know about that awful training they did to erase their emotions. But even then, I didn't think they were so lost. Who would think that I would really call Naruto an idiot? No one thinks higher of him than I do!"
"That's the way Danzō raised her," dull anger throbbed in Tsunade's voice, "No emotions. No friends. No bonds. Someone like her asks no questions and leaks no information. Just what Danzō needed." She sighed. "They're all like that. Sai is trying very hard with Tori, with all of them, but I suspect only Tori's had her heart revived."
"You call that progress?!" Jiraiya burst.
"Yes, I do," Tsunade's tone was even, "It's slow. Painfully slow. But it's there. Tori managed to bond with Sai and like Naruto enough to defend him. For what Danzō has put her through, that's almost miraculous." Tsunade frowned. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Sai keeps her close, so she's gotten this far. But it's impossible for him to do so with all the others. And even Sai's not – all there himself. He only came out from under Danzō's control a few short months ago."
She glanced at Jiraiya. And smiled. She knew that look, that set of the jaw.
"You want to do something. That's why it's bothering you so much." Jiraiya said nothing, but his lips pressed together, becoming an even thinner line. "You can't help yourself. This is the Ame brats all over again."
The painful glance in her direction quickly made her correct her statement. "Naruto's almost grown now. He'll still need you around, but perhaps there's a whole new group of lost children right here in Konoha who need you more than he does."
Jiraiya sank into thoughtful silence. "You realise I'm not the best person for counselling people on how to be."
"Who is?" said Tsunade with a shrug. "But they need someone to guide them. They already fell through the cracks once. I can't let that happen again."
"You had this planned from the start." At the shrewd accusation, Tsunade cleared her throat, her nose slightly elevated in defiance.
"You're the only one with the charisma and free time to handle it. It'll be something for you to do rather than lie around here all day." She smiled sweetly and raised her fist, a vein throbbing between her knuckles. "But if this turns into another Root, I really will kill you."
Jiraiya swallowed, but he could not call himself a Sannin if he worried about death threats. With a sly grin, he leaned closer to Tsunade. "So you think I've got charisma…"
The door burst open and Shizune rushed in, interrupting Tsunade's near-stutter, cradling an old and dusty journal to her bosom like it was the world's last piece of food.
"Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, I found it! I really found it!" Shizune beamed, showing a full row of teeth. "I found a clue on what happened to Sasuke-chan!"
It was sweet. Candy sweet. And fruity, with the slight aftertaste of chicken. Meat made of oranges. Or oranges made of meat. There was a reason why such abominations did not exist in the natural world.
"Naru – Naruto," Sasuke tried very hard not to retch. "This is…"
Naruto shook his head, yellow locks swaying. "It's okay, Sasuke. Throw it away."
"N-no. You tried really hard to make it, and you can't throw away good food…"
"Good food, Sasuke. This stuff is toxic." Naruto took up the kitten's plate and his own, and dumped the chicken-flavoured confections into the garbage. Then he tied the bag with a double knot.
"Welp, let's try again." Sasuke blinked at his cheerfulness.
"Naruto?"
He stared at Naruto's grin, as the ninja picked him up and plopped him on the counter. "We've got all day to do this, right? And Ero-sennin bought plenty of meat. We'll get it right."
Sasuke purred softly. "Maybe we should make something else."
"Nope. We're making the chicken again." Naruto's eyes were solid in their determination. He flipped to the front of the recipe book and jabbed his finger at Jiraiya's message. "Mastering the Rasengan was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life. The only way I got it was by doing it over and over and over again until I almost went crazy. That's the only way I get things. So I'm gonna make this thing over and over and over again until it works."
"Okay," Sasuke acquiesced. "I hope it doesn't take a whole week though."
"It won't," Naruto grinned, tapping the kitten on the nose, "With my little helper by my side I'll get it in no time."
That made Sasuke smile, and he quickly handed Naruto a tomato so the blond would not notice.
"It belonged to the Third," Shizune smiled, opening the journal to the page she had marked. "I was going through his archives when I came upon it. It looks to be very old; from the dates it was probably written during his second to third decade as Hokage."
'March 3rd. It has been a long day. The last day of winter was only a week or two ago. With spring only in its infancy, the days are still cold. Thus I still find a hot cup of tea my closest companion. And for me, tea is usually accompanied with the Summoning of Enma, the Monkey King.'
"That grumpy old brute?" Jiraiya grumbled, only to be glared to silence by the Hokage.
'It's a quirk of mine, or perhaps an abnormality, but I never saw the reason to restrict Summonings to battles alone. Summons usually make good and fascinating companions. Today was no exception. The Monkey King and I sat on Mount Hokage, sipping tea in the cold and looking over Konoha while enjoying simple conversation.
'At least, that's what I thought. But then our discussion took an interesting turn.
"Sarutobi," he said to me. The Monkey King was always stern; I was surprised then to see him looking so wistful. "What do you think of me? Of Summons in general?"
'I had to think about that. To me, Summons were always there, a constant in the ever-changing world of shinobi. They were officially categorized as ninja tools, but both of us hated that label. It was wrong anyway. Enma was an invaluable comrade and close friend, both in battle and out. He always had been.
'I answered to that effect, and was gifted with another surprise from the stoic king. He laughed. "Straightforward as ever. That's just the answer I'd expect from you. But tell me, Sarutobi, have you ever thought about where we come from?"
'I had always imagined what the King's kingdom was like. Since the sternness returned to his eye, I knew I was off track. So I thought for a while and one and a half cups of tea later I felt I was ready to talk.
''Chakra' was the first word out of my mouth. Summons, unlike other animals, were gifted with strong and complex chakra systems, much like our own. It had always been assumed that this was the reason for their elevated intelligence, as well as their ability to form blood contracts with humans.
'By the Monkey King's expression, my answer was lacking. "It's not just chakra, Sarutobi. Geniuses can have less chakra than a babe from my kingdom, while idiots can have exorbitant amounts several times my own. Chakra can only give supernatural power, it cannot bestow mind or soul.
"When I look out over my kingdom, I see a vast schism between sentient and primitive that cannot be crossed by mere chakra alone. There is something, a piece of the puzzle that is made to fit inside that schism, but I cannot find it, nor can I imagine its shape. It is beyond me."
'Enma was a King from a great succession of kings. When I reminded him of this, he only shook his head.
"You mean to tell me that the answer lies at the origins of my lineage? Those are answers long lost in time and warped into fanciful legend, Sarutobi. Is the same not true of the heritage of shinobi?"
'I could not deny it.
"Perhaps that is why Summons like myself, the Toads, the Snakes and the Slugs create contracts with shinobi. There is no such ritual between us and our feral counterparts. It is not particularly our will or desire to fight enemies that have nothing to do with us. And being on-call like that is most inconvenient. Really, there were times when you summoned me that were just…"
'The King's ears turned red then, and he coughed nervously. Out of respect for him, I did not push the subject nor imagine the completion to his sentence.
"W-well, ahem, perhaps at the end of it all, we are naturally seeking out companions. Equals. We are animals, undoubtedly, but there is a side of us that is rather close to you humans and this thing called humanity. Perhaps the puzzle piece to the schism is shaped by the bonds we form with you."
'I remained silent, but not for long. The teapot had long run dry, and the King's visit was about to do the same.
'So I spoke. "Animals with humanity. If what you theorize is true, then I wonder if the reverse is possible."
"Humans with animality?"
'I had never heard the word 'animality' before. I was not sure if I would ever hear it again.
"Yes. Such things are popular in fiction and manga."
"Manga?"
'Perhaps I had revealed too much of my personal interests. But the reward was the King's laugh, so I did not regret my slip of the tongue.
"You truly are an odd one, Sarutobi. My partnership with you is one I have truly enjoyed."
'I could feel the tug in my chakra. It was time for him to go.
'Before he left, he told me one last thing.
"In acknowledgement of our friendship Sarutobi, I will tell you a secret. We can only be Summoned by humans. But it is not purely humans who summon us."
'I did not understand what he meant. But the chills up my spine spoke to the validity of his claim.
"Some who summon us are not all human. On the oath of our contracts, I cannot tell you who they are. But humans with animality, perhaps they are also seeking to fill the schism with bonds of their own. If that is the case," he smiled at me, "perhaps you will meet one someday."
The storm had slowly died to a trickle before starting up again, but that went largely unnoticed.
Between the two occupants of Naruto's apartment sat a lone breast of chicken, the last one they had. It was too brown. The vegetables wreathing it were unevenly chopped and glistened with excess oil. The lemon sauce was too runny.
But the aroma within the steam rising off the meal was not too bad.
Their empty stomachs, dissatisfied with the constant supply of slightly stale takoyaki, demanded that it be eaten immediately, but two things made them hesitate.
Unhidden dread. And a knock on the door that, for its softness, somehow rose above the drizzling din outside. Sasuke immediately purred and went for the door, his nose sniffing eagerly. Though Naruto did not recognise the knock, he trusted the kitten's reaction and opened the door.
For a moment, his brain froze.
Then Sasuke mewed happily and leaped into the arms of the blushing girl on his doorstep.
"Hinata." Naruto said her name in a daze, made worse by the nervous smile he received.
"H-hello, Naruto-kun." Sasuke purred loudly, nuzzling her face. "Hello to you too, Sasuke-chan," she said warmly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I…" she could not seem to look at him. All the courage Kurenai had given her when she went to visit had already dripped out into the large puddle of rainwater at her feet.
Naruto noticed the pool she was standing in and how her raincoat was almost dry. How long had she stood there before knocking?
"I – I…"
'N-no – sensei – I couldn't…'
'Weren't you able to speak to him normally?'
'N-no, I only told him that he was wrong in the way he was treating Sasuke-chan.'
'Telling him he was wrong takes much more courage than being nice, Hinata. Go see him. Give him the present you made for him. I'm sure it will make him happy.'
'Happy?'
'Yes. You're beautiful, Hinata. Having a beautiful girl give them a gift would make any man smile.'
When she said that, as she rubbed her rounded stomach, her eyes only reflected truth.
"I came out to do some errands and…"
"In the rain?"
"Uh, yes. I mean no – I – I waited until it eased up a bit. But, it started raining again and – I – your apartment was… um…"
She swallowed, unconsciously hugging Sasuke closer for support. Not that he seemed to mind.
"I brought these!" she finally decided on, shutting her eyes and blindly thrusting the large shopping bag into Naruto's gut. "I – Hanabi and I made them for you. Please accept them."
Her face fretfully scrunched up, her cheeks pink. Was it… weird that he thought she was kind of cute?
"Well, that's all, so I'll go and –" Thunder flashed, throwing warped shadows down the apartment's hallway of doors.
"Looks like it's getting bad again," Naruto gradually raised his voice as the shower swelled, pounding against the roof. "Come in."
"N-no – I've already taken up too much of your time and – uh – uh…" Sasuke had dug his claws into her raincoat. Even against the slick material, his grip was unshakeable.
"Uh, Sasuke-chan…"
"It's no use," Naruto shook his head with a slight smile. "When he gets like that, you can't get him off." He stepped aside, leaving the entryway clear. "Come in," he repeated his invitation, and this time Hinata took it.
Only after she had taken off her shoes, and Sasuke was assured that she was staying did the kitten release her coat; and clung to her normal clothes as soon as the coat was off.
Naruto walked ahead, still in a daze. It was obvious that this was the first time a girl was actually inside his apartment. He stepped into the kitchen, where it suddenly registered to him how filthy it was. Well, he had been cooking all day.
Hinata stared at the mess. Naruto, feeling ashamed, quickly got to work cleaning it up, but her gaze had already moved to the lone plate on the kitchen table. Finally, she eyed the full garbage bag tied and leaned up against the wall. Veins lightly rose around her eyes, and a tiny 'oh' escaped her.
When she looked up at Naruto, the boy looked a little stricken.
She balked. "N-no – I wasn't – I don't –!"
"Can you cook, Hinata?" the hopeless question made something in her chest ache. She nodded mutely.
But Naruto smiled from his heart, and made hers leap. "Got any tips?"
She was just smiling. Not a big grin like Naruto's or a not-quite-there smirk like Sasuke's. It was small and warm, full of simple content.
After cooking them a simple meal of beef and eggs, which was brain dead easy once Naruto saw someone else doing it, she took her place at the table for their late lunch. Her food sat untouched. After Naruto and Sasuke let out that first 'mmm!' she watched them enjoy their meal. She smiled, and she could not stop.
So when Naruto awkwardly asked his question, there was only one answer she could give.
"Cooking's tougher than it looks. But, I'm gonna be taking care of Sasuke now so… uh… I gotta learn right? So, if you're not busy or anything, maybe you could come over some time and give me some more tips."
"Yes."
"I mean – the last chicken turned out okay, even you said so. But I don't wanna use up all my stuff every time I try to..." Naruto blinked twice, squeezing his eyes shut the second time. He looked at Hinata, mouth open. "What?"
"I said yes, Naruto-kun. I'd love to come here and cook for you."
Naruto's ears burned. When she said it with that smile, he was a little overwhelmed.
So he mutely nodded and shyly asked for seconds. Wearing a definite grin, Hinata went to get them.
Lightning flashed outside. The air was chilly enough for the two to don the matching orange hats Hinata (Hanabi could do little more than watch) knit for them. It was another reason the Hyūga could not stop smiling. Sasuke's ears, poking through the custom-made holes in his hat, twitched. He glanced at the bedroom door and returned to his eggs.
The rain stopped again. Hinata returned with Naruto's seconds. Sasuke's ears slowly stood erect, quivering slightly. He stared at the bedroom door. Naruto, whose eyes were on his food (and a bit on the girl who prepared it) barely noticed when the kitten slipped away from the table and darted through the door that was left ajar.
Not a second later, a shrill scream pierced their hearts. And not another second later, Naruto and Hinata burst into the bedroom, chakra forming in their hands. Together they faced the grim, looming shadow with unnaturally large eyes glaring at them from outside the window.
They charged.
"So you lied to me," Jiraiya stated grimly. Oh how he missed the ability to fold his arms. Instead he could only glare at the toad Elders, who pursed their lips uncomfortably before him.
"You knew who did this to Sasuke. Who are they? Tell me."
"Listen, Jiraiya-chan," Fukasaku started, "If it was that easy we woulda told ya'a long time ago."
Jiraiya winced. He hated not knowing things that were important, and hated even more being treated like a child who should not know. Biting back the bitter irritation in his guts, Jiraiya searched for a better way to word his questions. "Is there anything at all you can tell me about them?"
"No. We're loyal to 'em. Just like we're loyal to ya. We don't go 'round tellin' 'em ya' business and it goes both ways." The toad settled there, his voice stern. Jiraiya would get nothing more from him. Nothing specific anyway.
"These humans with animality…" Fukasaku winced. Ah, that was something. The Sage was a long way from giving up – he knew how to succeed by squeezing even a drop of extra information from his victim.
"They're not called that?" The toad glanced away. "What are they called?"
But he was no match for centuries of wisdom. "Enough, Jiraiya-chan!" And Jiraiya froze, suddenly aware of how young he was before this Sage. "Yer gettin' inta things that're too big for ya'. There's a system ta' this world, and what yer posin' to do is gonna shatter everything!"
The elder yelped, a cream-coloured heel stabbing into his foot. His wife shrunk him under a yellow glare, hissing 'idiot!' under her breath.
But it was too late. "Shatter everything?" Jiraiya's voice was the grating of stones, a shifting foundation. "What 'everything'? What system are you talking about? 'Humans with animality' are just some villains who transformed Sasuke, right? A secret clan, some undiscovered Kekkei Genkai." Green lips pressed together, refusing to surrender an answer. Jiraiya's eyes opened. "You're entrusted with their secret. All Summons are." Jiraiya shook his head, white mane flying. "That's fine. They want to keep hidden from the world, that's their choice. But they messed with Sasuke. Naruto by extension - my godson. And who knows how many others. They asked to be exposed. You will tell me, jii-san, who. They. Are."
Two long suffering sighs filled the silent office. "Enough." The toads formed seals, the sound like soapy fingers clenching together.
Jiraiya's hair rustled, dormant spikes shifting. "Why? Your loyalties lie with me just as much as them."
"We can't help ya' with this, Jiraiya-chan."
"Do they at least have a motive?" He stepped towards the frozen toads. "Enma said they want to fill some kind of schism with bonds of their own. You can tell me what that means, can't you?"
The toads looked at each other, fingers still contorted into teleportation seals. They shared a slight nod. "There was one," Shima spoke shortly. "He wanted ta erase the schism."
"What happened to him?"
"Ridiculed. Ignored. Had a few followers but never got far." Fukasaku shook his head, his white Mohawk swaying. "We summons couldn't say anything because of our oaths to keep our partners' secrets. It's part of that contract that's signed by blood, we gotta adhere to it."
"So this guy is the one that did this to Sasuke?"
"Don't know," the toads' chakra spiked. Jiraiya put out his hand, trying to stop them. "We've told ya' more than enough, Jiraiya-chan. If ya' wanna be a Child of Prophecy and destroy tha' world by digging inta this, then do it." Even though he was resigned, Fukasaku meant his words. Jiraiya had the toads' support, whatever he decided to do.
"It's already fallin' apart," said Shima with a smile. "Started as soon as little Sasuke showed up. How is tha' darling by the way?"
Jiraiya blinked. Then surrendered with a smile. "As lively as ever."
Purple lips smiled and the two returned home in an understated puff of smoke.
"Well." Tsunade, who had silently entertained the toads in her office for the past several minutes, unlaced her fingers. Shizune watched her intently, still hugging the Third's journal to herself as she would Tonton.
Tsunade bit her thumb. "Katsuyu's next."
Naruto shuddered. He was glad, as he hunched over Sasuke, that the kitten's ears were so warm. They took some of the chills from his spine.
Sasuke stared at the storyteller with intensity only offset by his fear. He was glad Naruto's stomach was so warm, and the newly hatched butterflies fluttering around them were so beautiful: they made things a bit less scary.
Hinata sat on her knees. She was neither bored nor interested in a tale she had heard many times before. So she only half-listened while stealing free glances at a frightened (and rather cute) Naruto.
Shino had been the one standing outside Naruto's window. Backed by flashing lightning that gleamed off his glasses and made him look like a visiting extraterrestrial, he claimed he'd felt bad about scaring Sasuke with his insects the previous day so he wished to redeem himself.
The weather was perfect for a generation of cocoons to hatch, so after a good wor – a good several words put in by Hinata, Naruto carried Sasuke to see them emerge. The fascinating process amazed the kitten, and he immediately forgave the bug enthusiast. By the time they reconciled, it was pouring again. So, as the impromptu host, Shino kept his guests entertained with his only other talent besides insects.
Telling ghost stories.
"She opened the coffin."
"Idiot," Naruto whispered, hugging Sasuke closer. "Don't do it…!"
"And her daughter's corpse was inside." Sasuke squeaked. His claws extended and dug into Naruto's arms. The blond hardly felt it. "It was her daughter from seven years ago. Who was almost killed by an enemy shinobi's spear. The child she had been raising for the past seven years.
"She finally understood. The ghost-voices that haunted her were not her enemies, but her warnings. Warnings about the thing she had lovingly cared for all this time. 'Mother?' A voice from behind her, beautiful and pure like a bell. A kunai slid into the demon's hand, and she smiled. 'I told you not to listen to those voices.'"
Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's hair, eyes shut so tight one would think the story's demon was right in front of him. Sasuke barely noticed, since he did the same, clinging to Naruto's chest.
The two waited, letting the silence stretch.
Finally, "W-what happened? Go on with it Shino. W-we can take it."
"That is the end."
"What?!" Naruto glared up at him, all fear erased in his indignation. "What do you mean that's it? That's not an ending! What happens next?"
"Nothing. Why? Because that is the end."
"That's a rip-off! You get us all excited to know what happens and end it like that?! Think about your audience Shino!"
A faint negativity rose off of Shino, making the insects within him hum a little louder.
"That's how it is."
And Naruto only confirmed that there would always be something he just did not like about Shino. Though that story was pretty scary, and way more interesting than Ero-sennin's stuff.
"You should write a book," Naruto told him guilelessly, standing. "It'll sell."
Did the butterflies suddenly get more energetic? Shino was standing still, wearing the same expression (from what he could tell), so why did the insects look like they were dancing?
Well, it was probably just another weird Shino thing. Or maybe the butterflies had weird mood swings like the weather, which could not seem to decide whether to storm or drizzle. After another hour, and more stories told by a much more lively Shino, the rain finally petered out.
"If you wish to visit again, I won't turn you away," was Shino's quiet goodbye as the three departed. When they were a good distance from the Aburame compound, Naruto sighed.
"Hinata. How d'you survive on a team with that guy?"
Hinata smiled sympathetically. It was nearing Konoha's dinnertime, and she could tell that Naruto's feet were already shuffling towards Ichiraku's. She was about to hand Sasuke over and take her leave when Naruto stopped. He fixed the nearby ramen stand with a detached gaze.
"Hey, Sasuke, we had ramen the day before yesterday, right?"
"Yeah."
"Hm. Let's eat somewhere else."
Lightning split the sky, followed by a roar of thunder that shook the buildings. Hinata, and a few other citizens swiftly walking the streets before the next shower hit, froze into place and slowly looked at the black clouds.
"U-um, Naruto-kun, why would you wish to do that? Do you not like ramen anymore?"
"No, I love it. It's just… well, Sasuke's a baby and he needs good stuff to grow, so… Once in a while is fine but eating ramen all the time isn't that good for you."
Before the last word left Naruto's mouth, a massive streak of lightning hit Konoha's power plant with the terrible noise of electrocution, plunging the village into darkness.
Everyone walking the streets jerked to a sudden halt, shocked into perfect silence.
Sasuke squirmed and clutched his nose as the stench of ozone and fried circuits burnt out his senses. He growled, sniffing furiously, but his nose would not stop buzzing.
"Poor Kiba-kun." Hinata whispered.
"Kiba-nii?" Hinata started a bit at the tiny voice below her chin. She smiled at Sasuke. "Lightning strikes like that are terrible for him. Especially since it hit so much electrical equipment. The stench will stay with him until morning." True. Even now Sasuke could barely catch another scent, a great rising of chakra from somewhere far away. He scowled at his failure and cuddled closer to Hinata, hating the lightning. His ears were gently stroked for his troubles.
"Hinata-neechan?"
"Yes?"
In the pitch blackness, no one moved beyond a quick grope in the dark for any others they were with and a swift huddle closer together. Beyond that, it was quiet. Konoha citizens knew when to run and when to wait for the problem to be fixed. No alarms went off, no explosions rang in the distance, no unidentified flying objects (or ninja) littered the skies, so they concluded it was a waiting time and waited in silence.
So Sasuke, speaking naturally without a care for the subtle tension in the air, was plainly heard.
"Is this Naruto's fault?"
Hinata, glad for the swallowing darkness, gave the only true answer. "Yes. It is."
"How come?" a nearby villager whispered.
"He denounced ramen."
And numerous glares were directed at the unanimously accepted cause for the lightning strike. Sasuke effortlessly ignored any waves of negative energy radiating from the blond. "So what do we do now?"
"Wait for the generators to kick in."
"Oh. How come the hospital's all lit up?" Still holding a bit of a grudge, Naruto and anyone nearby reflexively turned their eyes to the white lights streaming out of the building's windows.
In one of the boxes of light, Naruto saw a familiar slender figure withdraw from the curtains. A rush of empathy hit him: he could imagine what it was like to be alone in a hospital room, hoping that someone would come visit.
Empty hospital room, empty apartment, that hope was probably the same.
"The hospital has its own generators that power on immediately," Hinata explained. "The ones for the rest of Konoha have not been used for a long time, so they'll take a little longer."
As though to prove her true, Konoha's streetlights flickered to life. Those in the open streets breathed a sigh of relief and quickly continued on with their lives.
However, after hearing Sasuke's voice, a few latecomers to the kitten's appearance hung back to take a glimpse of him, and a picture or two. Only one amongst those actually acknowledged the presence of the other two, and greeted them with a friendly wave.
"Chōji!"
And just like that, it was decided what they would do for dinner.
"Really? You're giving me the last piece, Chōji?" Sasuke looked deeply moved by this unexpected act of kindness, yet to learn that the Akimichi was full of them.
"Yup. Go ahead."
Sasuke bowed slightly to the pleasingly plump shinobi and took the last bit of pork off the grill with reverence. He slowly ate the meat, openly savouring every bite in order to respect Chōji's sacrifice.
Naruto did not expect this to be the way the Uchiha and Akimichi bonded, but looking at it now, it did make sense. They both had the same voracious love of meat. Hinata quietly decided not to point out that barbecue was no healthier than ramen; for courtesy's sake, and certainly not because she was enjoying her third cut of pork belly.
It was too late to take Sasuke back to the Akimichi's compound – the kitten was already starting to look drowsy – but there was one last place they could visit before calling it a night. Despite the weather being a valid excuse, Naruto felt guilty about Sasuke only meeting one new clan for the day, especially when the previous day had been so productive. And Chōji had a promise to keep on threat of Ino.
So they found themselves at the Yamanaka's flower shop.
Inoichi, a rare sight, was standing behind the counter wearing a white apron. And beside him, looking subtly content was an elegant gentlewoman whom Naruto had never seen before. Hinata gently nudged him. He knew staring was rude but he only did so because her brown eyes, which inexplicably lacked pupils like Ino's, refused to look away.
But then, the woman smiled.
"So is that the kitten you've been making such a fuss about, dear?"
Sasuke, now in Naruto's arms which he preferred when he was sleepy, blinked at the woman's mention of him. His ears stood upright as he shamelessly took in the appearances of the two new adults.
"Oh, he's vigilant. Very good."
At the unexpected praise, Sasuke mewed in surprise and leaned back into Naruto, suddenly shy. This made the woman's smile grow and she moved from behind the counter up to Naruto.
She did not ask permission to hold Sasuke like Hanabi had. She simply held out her arms with gentle but unshakable authority, and Sasuke went to her without protest. She held him like Tsunade had done, stroking his hair and ears with a gentleness that rivalled Hinata's.
"Yes, yes," she was not singing, but her voice flowed like a melody. Her gaze was tender and Sasuke could not look away from it. "You're a good child, aren't you?"
Sasuke purred softly, snuggling a bit closer to her.
She smiled one last time, then turned to Naruto. The tenderness in her eyes had frozen and shattered, effectively snapping the blond out of his trance.
"He's healthy. Clean. Grooming needs some work but he's presentable." Her eyes hardened and Naruto took a step back. "You're doing a good job, so far."
Was that supposed to be a compliment? When a gaze of steel backed those words, Naruto could not be sure if they were a good thing.
"But there's a lot you would not know, and even more that books can never teach you. If anything happens with him that baffles you, or you don't know what to do, do not hesitate to come to me. Understand, Naruto-kun?"
"Yes… yes! Yes, I understand."
"Splendid."
The steel disappeared from her eyes as she turned to Chōji. "You brought them here for the Know-Your-Village mission, Chō-chan?"
"Y-yeah. I know it's late, but Ino really wanted him to see the flower shop."
"Ino-neechan?" asked Sasuke, tilting his head. "This place smells just like her."
"Oh yeah, you said something like that at the meeting, right Sasuke?"
"So you were smelling the flowers from her shop," Hinata noted. The woman's gaze turned to her briefly, but before she could ask, Sasuke's ears lowered in displeasure as he remembered.
"She smelled nice, but she was way too pushy."
Hinata yelped softly. Inoichi and Chōji froze. Naruto blinked, completely oblivious to what was going on.
The woman laughed. "You're right. My daughter has some unfortunate traits and I simply cannot fathom where she got them."
Naruto blinked as though he was watching a rock give birth. "Daughter? Huh? Wait – then you're –!"
Mrs Yamanaka cleared her throat loudly and Naruto shut up. "Well, since you're here, would you like to take a look around?"
Sasuke nodded, so they did. And almost immediately, he was fixated on the fiery orange lilies. Hinata and Mrs Yamanaka frowned.
"These flowers aren't right for you," Ino's mother stated, already moving on to the red carnations.
"What's wrong with these?" asked Naruto, liking their bold colours.
But Hinata gently shook her head and shooed him along to where Mrs Yamanaka was brushing the soft, ruffled petals of carnations against Sasuke's face.
The kitten purred in approval. "These are nice."
"In flower language they mean fascination, distinction and love. Three things that, I think, suit you."
"Distinction…" Sasuke pondered. "Hey, my clan was pretty special, right?"
If she was thrown by the question, she hid it with flawless grace. "Yes. You always knew an Uchiha when they walked down the street. They had a whole different air about them."
Sasuke seemed pleased with that response. He rubbed his face against the carnation again.
"I like this flower," he said decisively. "Are there any others like it?"
He quickly gravitated towards flowers' meanings rather than their looks, and became fond of edelweiss (courage and power) and pear blossoms (lasting friendship).
After explaining that the edelweiss seeds were imported from a land far away, Mrs Yamanaka gave him a small sprig of each. He gave the pear blossoms to Naruto without a second thought. And Naruto could not look at anyone for a while for fear of losing whatever status he had as a shinobi. He did not approve of the edelweiss though: the petals weren't pretty at all and the middle looked like a bunch of google eyes.
But Sasuke was happy with them. He held the sprigs close, lost in thought while fingering their thin, fuzzy petals.
"Naruto?" he called in a soft, pleading voice. Mrs Yamanaka, having heard that tone of voice too many times before, handed the kitten over with a sympathetic look. Not five minutes later, Naruto was buying a mixed bouquet of carnations and edelweiss, while a contented Sasuke looked on.
Sakura turned her face. Naruto flinched.
They were the only two in the hospital room. After saying goodbye to Chōji, who promised to show off his techniques to Sasuke the next day, the kitten flat-out refused to visit Sakura in the hospital. Instead, he wanted to go back to the apartment with Hinata to take care of some… important business.
He refused to tell Naruto the nature of this business, obviously. This irked Naruto, obviously.
But Hinata quickly placated the situation, saying that the bouquet needed to be put in water right away and she had left some things at the apartment anyway.
With that they went their separate ways.
And Naruto was left to fend for himself against a heavily disappointed Haruno. The peony he had given her, and its meaning of medicine and healing, were left discarded on the bedside table.
"So you just came to get your Application Forms and leave. You didn't bring him."
"I-it's not like that, Sakura-chan. I wanted Sasuke to come, but he didn't want to…"
"Even if he was sleeping, I wanted to see him."
"I know. I know it sucks with just me here, but I promise – I really promise I'll bring him tomorrow Sakura-chan, okay?"
Sakura's body stilled before she slowly turned to Naruto, who was bowing his head. A cold shiver ran through her.
"Raise your head, Naruto," she snapped, unable to stand the sight. Naruto quickly straightened, staring apprehensively at the pink girl.
Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry. It doesn't suck with just you. I'm happy you came to see me, I just…"
"I know. I get it. Tomorrow – I'll bring him tomorrow for sure."
"What if it rains again tomorrow?"
"It won't rain. I promise." Naruto put a fist to his heart with absolution.
Sakura gawked. "Naruto, it's okay really. You don't have to swear on your life's blood. And you can't even make a promise like that anyway, you idiot," she scolded.
"I'll still try."
"Naruto…"
"I'll find some way to climb up to the clouds and tell them not to rain."
Sakura snorted. "Naruto, cut it out already…"
"And if they won't listen, I'll hit them with my Rasengan."
Sakura laughed. "N-Naruto… enough…"
"And if that won't work…"
"Enough!" Sakura collapsed onto her pillows, laughing spiritedly. "Okay, I get it okay? So enough… Laughing so hard hurts…" And the fact that she could realistically picture Naruto yelling at the clouds did not help matters.
"Okay. I forgive you, okay? So no more…" She breathed out, exhausted. Naruto smiled happily.
Sakura opened her eyes, looking at the white ceiling. She blinked.
"Naruto? Where is Sasuke-kun?"
"My place."
"Your place."
"Yup."
"And you're here."
"Yeah. I wanted to see you."
"Oh. I see." She leaned over the side of her bed.
"What're you looking for? Can I help?"
"Oh no, I'm good. Just stay standing right there, Naruto."
And from under her bed, she pulled out a medical journal five times the size of her romance novel, and with an even harder cover.
She looked at Naruto for a moment, then lifted the book slowly until it was in a distinct throwing position…
By the time Naruto realised she had been taking her aim with that stare, her arms were already reared all the way back, ready to let that missile fly.
"Hinata! Hinata's with him! I didn't leave him alone! Hinata's there with him!"
Naruto cowered right back into the same depression he had left in the wall a night prior. Or tried to, the table got in the way and he banged himself against it, upending all the flower vases.
Sakura blinked again and put down her concrete slab of a book as easily as a stuffed animal.
"Hinata?" she asked guilelessly.
Naruto flinched, but when he realised she had put down her weapon and was waiting for an answer, he exhaled.
"Yeah. Hinata's there with him. He said he had business to take care of, so they went back together." Something wet was soaking into his pants; Naruto looked back at the table, winced and took some dirty linens from the basket by the door.
"Went back? Hinata was in your apartment before?"
Naruto's cheeks turned red as he sopped up the water and righted the vases. "Uh, yeah, kind of."
"Explain that to me."
"Uh, actually, we met Hinata in the streets and –" Sakura's fingers twitched around her book "– okay, okay! I'll… tell the truth."
When Naruto finished his story, his ears were so red they glowed. So did Sakura's.
"So you spent half a day with Hinata?"
Naruto blinked. He had not thought of it time-wise, but Hinata was there for lunch and dinner, and the entire time in-between. "Yeah. I kind of forgot about it. But since I asked her to give me cooking tips, I'll probably be around her all the time…" Naruto trailed off, humming a little in his throat. "Yeah…"
When he looked up, Sakura was giving him an amazed smile that did not feel like it was for him. "I see. Tell her I'm happy for her."
"Uh… okay."
They chatted on. Sakura was given another reason to punch Shino, and tried not to laugh at the ghost story that Naruto hilariously butchered, but finally lost control when he recounted his first time meeting Mrs Yamanaka.
But as he was describing the 'ugly-as-sin' weed (edelweiss) that Sasuke liked, he cut himself off and stared at the window.
"Naruto?"
"Oh, uh, sorry. I just started thinking and… maybe a girl would get it better…"
"Hm?"
Naruto fixed her with a serious stare. "Why is Sasuke so hooked on Hinata?" Sakura blinked. "He…" Naruto gestured, trying to find words, "He liked her right away… even before the Know-Your-Village mission. You remember, right? When he said she's the prettiest?" Sakura nodded silently. "Why? I mean – do you think Hinata wears perfume with catnip in it or something?"
"Perfume with catnip?" Sakura echoed.
"Oh, yeah, it's like pheromones." Her jaw dropped. Did Naruto just say a word like 'pheromones' without stuttering or coming up with an idiotic alternative? "They put it in perfumes because it attracts butterflies and repels mosquitoes and stuff. I wouldn't blame Hinata for using it with Shino (Naruto shuddered) as her teammate. And then there are some people who really love cats so…"
Sakura inhaled in astonishment. When had Naruto gotten so knowledgeable about cat trivia?
She held up a hand to stop him from continuing. "Sorry, Naruto, I zoned out for a bit. What were we really talking about?"
"Why Sasuke likes Hinata. I think it's the catnip. She probably doesn't realise –"
She held up her hand again. "Sasuke-kun… didn't tell you?" she asked quietly.
"Tell me what?"
Sakura hesitated for a moment. But under Naruto's eager gaze, she talked. "Hinata looks like his mom. To his eyes anyway."
Naruto looked so lost that Sakura pitied him. She opened her oversized medical journal and beckoned him closer while flipping through the pages.
"Here. This is a picture of Sasuke's dad." Looks as harsh as Hiashi, thought Naruto. "Itachi looks like him."
She ignored Naruto's startled glance, looking sadly at the picture. "Who expects their son to be a psychopath?" She was talking to herself. At least, Naruto hoped so. That was not a question he could even begin to answer.
"Anyway, do you think Sasuke looks like him?"
"Not at all."
"Right. He has to look like someone. So if not his dad, he has to look like his mom." Naruto was starting to get an annoying smirk on his face. "Quit picturing him as a woman, Naruto."
"I – I wasn't…"
"Anyway, what are Sasuke-kun's most easily identifiable characteristics?" Three blinks. That was code for 'I'm an idiot so can you please explain so that a child can understand?'
"Fine. What are Sasuke-kun's basic looks? As basic as you can get?"
Naruto closed his eyes to think. "Pale skin. Dark hair. Dark eyes."
"Right. If that's him, then that's his mom."
"Okay," his eyes were still closed.
"So now picture Hinata. What do you see?" She did not miss the small smile that came to Naruto's face as he thought. That was good, since the expression was short-lived. His eyes opened, glazed in mild shock.
"Oh…"
"Pale skin. Dark hair. White eyes, but gentle just like hers used to be. A child his age… you can't blame him for missing the nuances."
Naruto did not know how to feel.
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Sakura told him, closing her massive book. "There's no right way to feel about it. It's just how it is. Sasuke-kun adores her. Well, he loves you so I guess this can't be too surprising."
Naruto stood up. "Sit down idiot." Naruto sat down. "Let's give them some more time together." She picked up her peony and gently fondled its petals.
Naruto leaned back in his chair, wondering if he should still talk to Sasuke about it. If he was just using her as a replacement for his mom, then it wasn't very fair to Hinata…
"You know, it really scared me when I heard that you told Sasuke-kun about his clan." Naruto was physically startled. That had come from nowhere, but from Sakura's distant eyes, she'd wanted to say this for a while.
"I cried. And I yelled at Jiraiya-sama. And for a moment, I hated you."
Naruto gulped, his stomach filling with frozen acid. For all the beatings and yellings, 'you're annoying' was the worst insult he had ever received from Sakura.
She really meant it. Back then, she had really hated him.
"But I was wrong. Though I wish you had talked to me first, you did the best for Sasuke-kun by telling him the truth. I saw it back then and I see it now. Nothing's changed from three years ago. When it comes to Sasuke-kun, you and I are on the same page."
She looked at him, jade eyes solid with resolve.
"We messed up the first time and let him go. Now, he's ours again. You won't leave me behind this time. This time, we will both give our lives for him to live in peace."
Under her unmoving gaze, Naruto only held out his hand. Surprise drew a short blink out of the pink girl, before the corner of her lip quirked and she confirmed their vow with a firm handshake.
"Well, that's that," she said lightly, turning back to her peony. "So tell me more about the flowers. I heard from Ino that she got some Moondust the other day that I've been dying to see."
"Hinata-neechan, do you love Naruto?"
Hinata stuttered and almost lost her grip on the vase she was carrying. Swallowing, she set the vase down carefully and placed the flowers inside.
"Wh-why would you ask that?"
Sasuke stared shrewdly at her. He was sitting on the kitchen table where Hinata put the vase, his legs dangling over the side. "I love Naruto lots," he said as a matter of course. "So I know when someone loves Naruto," he stated with unhidden pride.
Hinata smiled. He was cute, not understanding how his love and hers were different.
"You love Naruto lots too," Sasuke said, sounding a bit unhappy. "You, Jii-chan and Iruka-sensei are the only ones whose feelings don't lose to mine."
That surprised her. His radar was better than she thought.
"But, Naruto knows that Jii-chan and Iruka-sensei love him. He doesn't know that you love him."
"Th-that… um…"
"Tell him when he gets back. He's dumb so he won't understand unless you say it plainly."
"No!" Sasuke froze. Hinata's face turned red. "I-I'm sorry, Sasuke-chan. But I cannot tell him."
"Why?"
"The way I love him is different from you and Jiraiya-sama and Iruka-sensei. I-I can't tell him. Please accept my feelings." A polite way to resolve a difference of opinions. Sasuke would not have it.
"I don't accept it. Now I'm mad at you, Hinata-neechan."
Hinata froze. Sasuke was glaring at her. "I said you don't lose to me. It's an insult to me if you don't tell Naruto that you love him. That means I'm equal with a coward." Sasuke folded his arms, his dark eyes boring into her quivering white ones.
"Sasuke-chan… you really don't understand. I have no right to love Naruto." She turned to the flowers on the table. Her fingers moved delicately, absently arranging them. "He's bright. He's like the sun. He warms up everything and everyone, but he's so far away. I watch him, I run after him, I try to be strong like him. But I haven't reached him yet. All I ever keep doing is borrowing from his strength. He deserves someone better than me; someone as brilliant as he is and worthy to stand in his light."
"I don't get it," Sasuke pouted. Hinata nodded in her self-defeat, knowing he would never understa - "I'm way weaker than you, Hinata-neechan. But I already told him I love him. So how come someone strong like you can't say it?"
Hinata was speechless. The kitten was genuinely confused, and that robbed her of any rebuttal. But more than that… Sasuke Uchiha thought she was strong?
"You're wrong," he concluded after some thought. He said it like it was the only truth in the world. "It's like… if you're the police, it only matters if you tell people that they're breaking the law. So, if you love Naruto, it only matters if you tell him that. No one in the whole world can tell him that but you."
Sasuke smiled at the stunned girl. "I was scared too. I thought he'd laugh at me," Sasuke frowned for a moment. "But you know, it makes Naruto really happy when you tell him you love him. He gets this really big smile on his face!" Sasuke stretched his arms up to show her how big the smile was. "He'll smile when you tell him too."
Hinata did not miss the 'when' in his statement. In his eyes, this event might as well have already happened, and as such no longer needed to be discussed.
To that point, Sasuke leaped off the table and looked meaningfully at the Hyūga.
"I need your help. Follow me." He disappeared into the bedroom before she could nod.
She blinked, took her hands from the flowers and smiled when she remembered Naruto's words.
'Ice-prince authority', huh? I think I might have been a bit harsh with you, Naruto-kun. He really is…
"Hinata-neechan!"
She smiled again and followed.
The closet door was open. Sasuke was standing on top of a small stepladder, rummaging through the assortment of clothes. He held up one of the shirts Naruto had bought for him, looking at it with some displeasure.
"What is it?" The shirt (blue with orange sleeves) looked fine to her.
"It's mine," he muttered, ears lowering. "It's mine but look at the back," he pushed the shirt closer.
Hinata tilted her head a little, trying to see what was wrong. Sasuke, what she remembered of him, always wore those wide-necked shirts but they were plain. There was nothing special about the back…
Wait. It had caught her eye when she entered the room, but she had glanced over it. Now she looked at Sasuke's new bed properly, with his clan's symbol engraved into the bed head. The back of his shirt now looked woefully empty.
"You want me to sew on the clan symbol for you?"
Blushing, Sasuke nodded. When he caught her questioning glance, the shyness dissolved.
"My clan's dead." Hinata flinched. Those words were awful, yet Sasuke flung them out so coldly. This was coldness she recognised, unable to ever forget Neji's harsh and painful speeches about destiny. This ice bore a terrible kind of acceptance, forcefully adopted in order to keep pushing oneself forward.
In a sad epiphany she realised that, when filled with this acceptance, Sasuke's expression returned to the characteristic blankness of his 'before' days.
Sasuke continued, his tone lifeless. "Nii-chan's bad. I'm the only real member of the clan left." His voice picked up, life and uncompromised duty in his words. "Naruto's my family, but I'm still an Uchiha. I'm the only one who can carry the clan's pride on my back."
"Sasuke-chan…" Hinata was touched that he found her worthy of this. But, this did not feel like her place.
"What about Naruto-kun?"
She expected him to look uncomfortable. The outright fear he displayed threw her off completely.
"It's wrong to ask Naruto to do this."
"Wrong?" Hinata was worried. The kitten was paler than usual. And his eyes were wide and glazed over in subtle terror.
"He doesn't give up, Hinata-neechan," he spoke in an empty voice. "He doesn't stop until he gets something. If I ask him to do this, with needles, he'll keep trying. And he'll fail. With needles. And keep trying. With needles."
And suddenly, Hinata saw. It was an image of Naruto, and many, many, many needles, coming together in painful and tragic chaos to create a living cactus.
"I'll take some clothes tonight," she said without any more thought, pulling some shirts from their hangers. "I won't tell Naruto-kun about this. You should come up with something to tell him too."
"I'm covered," Sasuke waved his hand, fear gone and a smirk in its proper place.
Hinata smiled. "Could you bring the bag I brought the hats in, Sasuke-chan? I think I left it in the kitchen."
Sasuke nodded and ran off. Hinata gathered as many clothes as she thought she could manage and rearranged the closet so that Naruto would not notice anything missing. She turned around, only to find that Sasuke had not left the room. He was crouched in front of a picture on the dresser.
The kitten was eerily still, not a hair twitching even when Hinata called his name. This was the first time he had ever noticed the picture. Illness, grief and long stays in the hospital had made him oblivious to such a small detail in the room he now shared with Naruto.
Facing the impossible image, Sasuke shuddered. He knew, always, that he was right in the way he remembered everyone. Nothing Naruto or anyone else said could have changed that. But this one picture, taken in poor form, without proper poses or expressions, made him doubt himself more than Naruto's assurances that he was the one who was different ever could.
He was older. Colder. Meaner. Looking away yet somehow glaring at Naruto like the bane of his life. And Naruto readily matched him; hot hate clashing against cold.
The front door opened as a worried Hinata's fingers grazed his shoulder. Sasuke turned to the door, waiting. A pair of shoes dropped on the floor and bounced, landing in their usual haphazard positions. He waited. Lazy footsteps moved to the kitchen.
Sasuke hissed. Hinata jumped, and failed to call him back in time.
Sasuke darted into the kitchen just as Naruto raised a glass of water to his lips.
"Bad manners, Naruto," he scolded. The blond's shoulders twitched; he whipped around to find Sasuke rudely standing on the kitchen table, glaring at him.
"You're supposed to say 'I'm home' when you come home." Naruto stared blankly at him, causing Sasuke's frown to worsen. "How else am I supposed to greet you and say 'welcome back' when you don't say anything when you come home? Even Nii-chan would say it."
Naruto's eyes grew wide. Sasuke tch'ed and turned his face, annoyed. "Well, anyway, welcome back Naruto." He grabbed Hinata's bag from the table and returned to the bedroom, uncaring of Naruto's eyes on him.
Hinata was preparing to jump out the window. She took the bag from the startled kitten, stuffed the clothes inside and put one foot on the roof –
"Hinata. You're still here?" She froze in the cold night air. "Ah – I'm an idiot. You can't leave Sasuke alone so of course you're still here." She should have made her escape while he was talking. But no matter how she reprimanded herself, her iced-over muscles would not move.
"Uh… Hinata? What are you doing?"
She slowly turned her head and looked at his feet. Whatever strength had possessed her washed away in the rain. This was Naruto's home. This was Naruto's room. Naruto was standing a mere three meters away.
It was not her. It could not have been her that stood in Naruto's light without fear. It was another Hinata. That 'other' Hinata laughed with Naruto, talked with Naruto, even teased Naruto. Not her. Not this worthless girl who could not even look at him now.
She had forgotten her place and grown bold. But now her reason returned to her, and she could see her error clearly. And she loathed herself for it. What could have possibly made her forget what she was in the first place?
"Hinata-neechan!" Her Byakugan almost came to life as her head snapped up. Sasuke's eyes met hers. "Watch."
He leaped into Naruto's arms and touched noses with the startled blond.
"Naruto. I love you."
"Wha –"
Sasuke did not receive the big smile he wanted to show off to Hinata. Instead, Naruto froze, speechless. But the Hyūga unfroze. Sensing the movement of chakra, veins bulged around her eyes instinctively.
What…was this? She had never seen anything like this. Sasuke was pulling Naruto's chakra into his body. And any chakra Naruto lost was immediately replenished by Sasuke's own. A mutual exchange of chakra. Was such a thing possible? One can give chakra or take it but an exchange was… bizarre. What purpose would it serve? She would have to ask her father. Perhaps his eyes have seen this. Whatever this chakra movement was, it was on the level of a high-rank healing technique. Truly bizarre since baby Sasuke was the one to initiate such a technique.
Naruto yelled. The volume returned the Hyūga to earth.
"Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing, Sasuke?!" he stuttered in an eerie imitation of Sakura from the night before. "You can't just do that all of a sudden! Wha –" Naruto froze again. Sasuke was scowling at him.
"You were supposed to smile," the kitten grumbled.
"How can I smile when you just shove it in my face like that?" Naruto argued, angry and genuinely confused.
Sasuke's ears twitched. His sour expression turned a bit sad. "So you're not happy? I thought it made you happy when I tell you I love you." Sasuke's eyes and ears lowered. "You don't say 'I'm home' either," he muttered, a hint of pain in his voice. "I thought you were nice. I thought we were family but… you're really mean, Naruto."
Naruto's arms tightened around the child. Pained blue eyes slowly looked to the floor and he muttered something that Hinata could not hear.
"What?" Sasuke's ears caught the muttered words but he could not understand them.
Naruto lifted his head a bit so he was face to face with Sasuke. But his eyes refused to stay on the kitten.
"I don't know how to be a family," the admission was quiet and full of shame. It was like speaking aloud about a secret deformity on the body that was kept hidden for years.
Sasuke tried very hard to understand. But Naruto's words were strange. Being family was not head knowledge like jutsu – you either were or you weren't.
Naruto continued, unaware of the kitten's confusion. "When I'm with people I care about, I always have to wonder if being with them is what family is. They're great. All my friends, Ero-sennin, Iruka-sensei, they're all really great. But I never had a family like yours, so there was never anyone here waiting for me to get home. There's no point in saying 'I'm home' to no one, right?" He smiled a little and finally looked at Sasuke.
"But now you're here, so I'm gonna have to try. And… you know… no one's ever said they love me. You're the first person I've ever heard it from." The pained gasp from the lavender figure at the window went unheard. "So when you say it, I freeze up and I don't know what to do. But I am happy. It's embarrassing, but hearing it makes me super happy." He brought the kitten close, the tips of their noses touching. "So you can say it as much as you want."
And then, Naruto smiled that smile and the whole world grew dim.
Hinata's breath was stolen by the light. Sasuke was relieved. After a moment, he brought his hands up to Naruto's cheeks.
And shoved Naruto's face away from him.
"You're too close. And too mushy. It's gross, Naruto."
A red crease throbbed in Naruto's temple. "That's why I yell at you, you little brat! You're the one who started the whole nose-touching thing!"
Sasuke frowned. "It's okay if I start it. You starting it is too weird." The last strand of Naruto's restraint snapped. Whatever he yelled next was loud enough to wake the entire apartment complex, and was quickly interrupted by Sasuke's claws poking painfully into his chest. "Too loud," the kitten scolded, ignoring his (much quieter) complaint completely. "You'll upset Hinata-neechan."
"Hi –" Oh yes. She was still here, wasn't she?
Naruto's face turned a ripe shade as he slowly turned to face the blushing girl. The two parties seemed ready to stare dumbly at each other until the sun came up, until Sasuke snapped them out of their trance by giving a surreptitious thumbs-up to Hinata.
"Um…" She looked at Naruto, who blinked back blankly.
She smiled in defeat and lowered her head. "I saw what you wanted to show me. Thank you, Sasuke-chan. But I can't say it yet. I'm sorry."
She turned from them, finally climbing out onto the waterlogged rooftop. "Good night." She leaped away, disappearing into the darkness.
Sasuke sighed. If not saying it made her that unhappy, what was the point? He didn't get it.
So he thumped Naruto on the head with his tail.
"It's your fault," Sasuke accused, wiggling out of Naruto's grip and dropping to the ground. He headed for the bathroom, coldly ignoring the blonde's confused stutters.
After their bath, they wrapped themselves up in a big blanket. Naruto leaned back on the pillows, Sasuke leaned back on him, and both stared at the photo that stood at the foot of the bed.
Sasuke asked his questions. "Did you hate me?"
And Naruto answered honestly. "Yeah. I did. You were really skilled and popular, so I was jealous of you. But you were also my closest friend."
The kitten tilted his head back, looking up at the blond to see if he spoke the truth. The eyes that looked back at him were not fake.
"Hn. Did I hate you?"
"Yup. I… might've been kinda annoying back then."
"Back then?"
"I got better!"
"Hn."
"Sasuke…" He rubbed his knuckles deep into the kitten's hair. Sasuke tried to get away but the blanket's warm folds trapped him. He purred unhappily, fixing his messed up hair so it was slightly less spiky than it always was.
"You were my closest friend."
Surprised, Naruto asked, "How do you know?"
He knew Sasuke was smirking. "Because I'm me. If we were on a team together, then you were definitely my friend."
Warm arms closed around him in silent thanks. Sasuke accepted the hug with a silent smile.
"That's Sakura, right?" Sasuke pointed to the pink girl crouched cutely in the front. Naruto assented. "She was on our team too?" Another affirmation. "She's cool," was the simple conclusion. "Big forehead, though."
Naruto snorted, but quickly stopped. Paranoia struck him – Sakura might somehow find out that he laughed at her forehead. It never mattered if it was Sasuke's fault; he was the one who would be shoved into another wall, or through a few buildings.
"Who's the weird guy behind us?"
Naruto cleared his throat – it was a little dry from his Sakura-punch phobia. "That's Kakashi-sensei."
Sasuke stared at his apologetically smiling eye. "What's with the mask?"
"Dunno."
"Ever seen him without it?"
"Nope."
"Ever tried to take it off?"
"We failed."
"Oh." Sasuke vaguely remembered him from the hospital. He had asked him why he never said 'nyā', and Sasuke had answered with something. But he had been napping during the visit, so everything was fuzzy. There was one shining detail though.
"He has a Sharingan, right?"
"Yeah. Oh! He's not an Uchiha –"
"I know that, Naruto. I'm the first one who can tell a member of my clan."
"Oh."
"How'd he get the Sharingan?"
"I don't know. I don't think he ever told anyone."
"Oh." He shook himself free of the blankets and crawled towards the picture, taking it up in both hands. "Team 7," he muttered. "So I'm really…"
"Sasuke?" Naruto leaned forward a little, worried when the kitten did not respond. "Sasuke?"
Fuzzy ears twitched and Sasuke slowly turned to him. "I need your help. There's something I gotta do."
"Okay, what?"
"Later. Let's sleep now."
A/N: First, thank you, thank you, thank you all for sticking with me this far. All the reviews, favourites and follows are immensely appreciated. And wow what an epic delay. What can I say: work, school and learning to become a better writer actually took me away from writing for a while. The irony is painful. Anyway, the plot really starts moving from here so look forward to it.
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you next time!