AN: Here's the real chapter at last, my delicious biscuits. I apologize for its shortness and the last one's insanity. xD

Scarlet Letters - Thanks, and I can understand it must get tiring, lol. xD You have a right to complain. I really do fill it with too much angst and drama, and torture Naruto incessantly. I guess I tend to get bored when there's no drama. Originally, this was going to be a separate fanfic, so he wouldn't have been through all that horrible stuff in the last story, but the plot worked out differently. It's possible this torture is unnecessary, but I wanted to use it as a means to bring Naruto and Sasuke to an understanding if that makes sense. Sorry if it's tiring, but it's my guilty pleasure. ;) I'll write more upbeat, less torturous stories I'm sure once this one's out of my system, but for now, the angst warnings remain like crazy. xD

Red Storm

Chapter 12: Misplaced Anger

"It is the false shame of fools to try to conceal wounds that have not healed."

~Horace

Sasuke dashed into the locker room, slamming open the door. It flew into the wall with a crash and then slowly swung closed behind him with a soft click. Straining his ears, he listened for a sign of someone there, but the locker room was quiet. He searched frantically between the lockers which stood like silent soldiers blocking his path. Five gray rows of hollow metal boxes barred his way, the rest lining the walls. On the opposite side of the room were the white swing doors to the soccer pitch.

Would he be out there?

Sasuke hurried through the short white corridor and stepped out onto the pitch. His eyes scanned the pristinely-cut green field and examined the rows of bleachers encircling it. Not a person in sight.

He gave a quiet hiss of frustration and wandered back into the locker room with a frown, gazing around at the dull towers of metal boxes That was when he heard it. The soft, steady sound of rushing water. A nervous jolt shot through him as he turned slowly to his right facing the narrow passage that led to the showers.

Swallowing, he walked through the white tiled passage and rounded the corner. The sight that met his eyes chilled him to the bone. There, lying on the ground on the far side of the shower room lay Naruto's prone figure. His eyes were closed, his arms curled up towards his chest and hands clasped together as if in prayerful sleep. Only a single pair of black cotton boxers covered his usually tan body which had turned pale.

"Naruto." Sasuke blurted out before running towards him, fearing the worst. He fell down on his knees next to him and gasped as the shower's stream hit him. The water was icy cold. To his great relief, Naruto opened his eyes, his gaze slightly unfocused.

"S'suke?"

"Shit, Naruto." murmured Sasuke, "What did they do to you?"

He got up out of the icy pool of water that had already soaked the knees of his pants and out of the way of the cold stream that was freezing his arms. He stepped over Naruto and adjusted the heat until it became a pleasant lukewarm. Even so, the pitiful figure groaned as if in pain. He tried to prop himself up, but didn't succeed as his swollen shoulder gave way.

"It's too hot," he said.

Sasuke pulled off his jacket and threw it over a long steel towel rail attached to the wall beneath the shower pipes before dropping down beside him. He ignored the water that poured onto his hair and soaked his shirt.

"It just feels hot because you've been under the cold water too long."

He reached forward and began rubbing Naruto's arm and back which faced him now.

He saw Naruto frown out of the corner of his eyes, and he slurred slightly when he spoke.

"Whawr you doin'?"

"I'm getting you warm," replied Sasuke. He knew it was awkward, but he wasn't about to let the idiot get hypothermia.

Naruto said nothing, only shivering as his teeth began to chatter, and for a while neither boy spoke as Sasuke tried to generate heat in the ice-cold skin.

The chattering and shivering gradually grew to a stop, and Naruto reached up to stay the other teen's hands.

"That's enough. I feel a lot better now."

Sasuke nodded and helped him to push himself up into a sitting position. He then stood up and turned off the warm water. The tap squeaked as it was finally allowed to rest, and Sasuke grabbed his jacket from the towel rail. The sleeves were damp from the cold water from earlier, but the main body of it was warm and dry. He threw it around Naruto, draping it over his shoulders.

"Thanks," mumbled Naruto not meeting his friend's eyes as he hugged the material close to his body.

"No problem," replied Sasuke, crouching down next to him.

He finally had a chance to fully take in Naruto's state. His stomach already displayed a smattering of large, red bruises, and his shoulder and cheek were swollen. Silence reigned in the shower room for a few moments save for the drip drip drip of a tap which echoed around the tiled walls. It was Naruto who finally broke the silence, fidgeting with the lapels of the jacket.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke pushed back the wet locks of hair that had plastered themselves to his face. "I left my soccer boots in my locker. Then I met Kenta with a busted lip on the way here. I put two and two together."

"Oh," was Naruto's dull reply. Sasuke looked at him, but as soon as their eyes met, the other teen looked away, choosing instead to watch the last rivulets of water that streamed into the plughole.

"Are you…ok?" asked Sasuke. He knew it was a stupid and pointless question in a situation like this, but he wasn't exactly good at this comforting stuff, and right now Naruto looked as if someone had turned his head inside out and his world upside down. His eyes were hollow and expressionless. Sasuke hadn't seen that since…

"I'm fine," said Naruto with a nod. His face cleared a little and when he looked at Sasuke it was with a bit more…Naruto than there had been before. Sasuke knew better than to believe him, but he also knew better than to push further, so he switched tack to a more practical line of questioning.

"Where are you hurt?"

Naruto shrugged and then winced. "You can see that, I guess." He said, glancing at his shoulder and then looked down at the darkening bruises stretching across his abdomen. His face blanched as he brushed his fingertips over the sensitive skin, and he shook his head.

"Dammit," he said through gritted teeth. "I should have been stronger than this."

Sasuke frowned. "It was three against one."

The blond shook his head again. "It doesn't matter. If I'd been faster―"

Sasuke interrupted him. "Don't even go there. Three against one with a messed-up shoulder. Nobody gets out of that unscathed. It's not about being strong or fast."

"You would have," said Naruto in a bitter tone. "You'd have found a way."

Sasuke wasn't sure what to make of that. "No," he said quietly, "I wouldn't. If it had been me I'd be in the exact same position as you."

Naruto scowled. "Except it's never you is it? No one ever goes for you. They go for me, and you know why?"

Sasuke pulled back slightly. He had a feeling he was about to find out and the answer wasn't going to be pretty. For the first time since he'd arrived, Naruto finally met Sasuke's gaze and the dark-haired teen almost wished he hadn't when the blue eyes flashed with nothing but heated malice.

"Because I'm not protected by the Uchiha name, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and I don't get to have the popularity shield that stops people from caring if I'm fucking gay or not."

With each point, Naruto's voice grew in volume, practically yelling the last part, and each word ripped at Sasuke's insides, but he said nothing, only sitting quietly on his haunches. Naruto looked away, wiping at a small patch of blood that had formed on his skinned knee. When he spoke again it was so quietly Sasuke had to strain to hear.

"You could punch every single person in this school right in the face and they'd probably thank you for it. Nobody cares if you might be gay, but if it's me they…" he trailed off.

Sasuke didn't know what to say. The outburst had shocked him to say the least; each hate-filled word like a knife carving into his flesh, but that was nothing when the implication of what his friend had just said sank into his mind.

"Are you saying…did they do this because of the whole thing today…" He didn't want to say it. He did not want to say it. Sasuke swallowed, "This is my fault?"

Naruto didn't reply. He just stared hard at the floor. The tightening of his jaw and the expression on his face told Sasuke all he needed to know. Sasuke's shoulders slumped and he stared down at the bland, white tiles in disbelief. This had been his fault? He was the reason Naruto had been treated this way? Because he'd been thinking more about himself and his own gratification.

"I…I didn't think…I didn't mean for…" He shook his head and blinked slowly as his mind tried to catch up with what had just been laid before him. "If I hadn't…if it wasn't for me, you'd…." He buried his head in his hands, digging his palms into his eyes.

"Fuck," he said quietly. He didn't want this to be real. It couldn't be real. "I'm so sorry. I never meant…"

A hand touched his shoulder and he looked up. Naruto pulled away quickly, biting his lip.

"Look, I…" he stopped and gave a frustrated sigh before continuing, "I'm the one who's sorry, Sasuke. I shouldn't have said that. Those guys? They hate my guts. They'd have messed with me whatever." He snorted. "Hell, they don't even need an excuse. Just hand Kenta a baseball bat and a small helpless animal and you've made his Christmas."

Naruto fixed him with a serious expression. "I don't blame you, not really. I just…needed to vent." He pulled the jacket tighter around his body. "Truth is, I never should have blamed you. Well, ok, maybe a little for being such a manipulative prick about everything, but I know you were never out to hurt me, so…yeah." he finished lamely.

Sasuke frowned. But he'd gotten Naruto hurt, just like Naruto had gotten hurt for his sake one year ago. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. He glanced at Naruto who still sat in his damp boxers, his usually bouncy spikes plastered down on his head.

"We have to tell someone about this, you know. They took things too far."

Naruto gave a bitter laugh. "Yeah? Like who? Principal Stein?" He snorted. "You know he's just looking for an excuse to kick me out of this school."

"You've got Iruka on your side now," Sasuke pointed out calmly.

"Yeah," agreed Naruto. "And he's been in Stein's bad books ever since." He shook his head making a few water droplets fly from the tips of his hair. "No, I just want to forget this ever happened."

Personally, Sasuke thought this was a stupid decision, but it wasn't like he could make Naruto ask for help. Stubborn idiot.

"Fine," he said at last, standing up. He pulled at the wet material of his pants sticking to his knees. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Naruto screwed up his nose. "I don't need to go to a hospital. I'm fine."

Sasuke raised a brow. "I'm sure you are. We're going to the hospital."

His friend gave a frustrated sigh. "Fine. Whatever. Just for my shoulder though, so I can get it patched up."

It wasn't the best, but at least it was a compromise and Sasuke figured that was all he'd be getting out of him right now. He held out a hand to Naruto. "Can you stand?"

Naruto nodded and grabbed Sasuke's hand with his good arm, getting stiffly to his feet. The movement clearly caused him pain, and Sasuke supported him as they began to walk out of the shower room.

"Sasuke," said Naruto in a quiet voice, "don't tell Iruka, ok? I don't want him to worry."

Sasuke's ground his teeth, but nodded. Fine. Let Naruto have his under-the-radar no-fuss reaction if that's what he wanted. He could do things his way.

As for Sasuke? He made a promise to himself there and then that he was going to make Kenta and his gang pay.