Sasuke looked around himself in confusion with a deep frown. He stepped through the gates to the Uchiha district, the sound of his sandals slapping on the ground seemingly magnified by the deathly silence of the streets. There was a slight chill in the nighttime air, strangely out of place for the middle of summer. The moon shone brightly overhead, illuminating his way. Sasuke walked through the deserted streets, eyes scanning the darkened buildings. A slight breeze blew a few leaves past his feet and upset one of the signs hanging over a storefront.
A sense of wrongness started to build in his mind. There was a feeling- or was it a voice?- telling him to turn back. With every slow, measured step that he took, the feeling grew until he could feel a chill slide up his spine. He quickened his pace, his feet automatically following his usual path home.
Sasuke tried to sense for the presence of another, but he couldn't detect any chakra signatures nearby. He listened attentively and let his eyes scan the shadowy alleyways as he passed, but nothing stood out to him. The uneasiness building in his chest was the only indication that something was amiss. He could see the main family residence up the street, perfectly intact and seemingly unperturbed. Despite this, it felt as though the closer he got to his home, the more the anxiety grew within his chest. Once he was standing before his front door, Sasuke silently drew a kunai and pushed the door open.
The house was expectedly dark and nearly silent, save for the slight breeze eerily blowing through the halls. Stepping inside, Sasuke couldn't help but tense. He didn't hesitate to activate his Sharingan and clutch his kunai tightly in his hand. This feeling was familiar. He could feel and see the oppressive and rancid chakra flowing through his home, tainting its normally comforting presence.
"Orochimaru?" Sasuke called out into the darkness. His voice remained level despite the ubiquitous Killing Intent seeping through the very walls. Any sort of fear that Sasuke would have felt was effectively drowned out by the cold rage flowing through him. He'd already slain the snake in a mild blood rage that had quelled only slightly upon watching the man burn until nothing remained. While his emotional state had improved remarkably once Naruko had woken from her temporary "death", shreds of hatred and darkness still lingered within Sasuke.
"I'm pleased to know that you managed to survive. This gives me the chance to kill you all over again," Sasuke smirked, his eyes swirling into the Mangekyo.
"Sasuke…"
Stepping onto the tatami mats of the washitsu, Sasuke narrowed his gaze at the unnatural darkness within the room. The darkness acted like a living thing, blocking any moonlight from filtering in through the shoji. From within the darkest corner of the room, a pair of golden, slitted eyes gleamed. Sasuke watched the disembodied eyes move in the darkness, moving along the walls and ceiling. Growing tired of Orochimaru's pathetic intimidation tactics, Sasuke tossed some shuriken at where he assumed Orochimaru's body would be.
"Ku ku ku," Orochimaru laughed from the ceiling, his snakelike body finally appearing through the darkness. Sasuke frowned at the sight of Orochimaru's body having stretched and twisted to avoid all the shuriken. Suddenly, Orochimaru hissed viciously and launched his body from the ceiling. Sasuke watched the man's fangs lengthen, poised to sink into his flesh. Channeling lightning chakra through his kunai, Sasuke leapt to meet Orochimaru halfway.
His kunai stabbed the man through the chest, cracking bone and charring fresh, but Sasuke continued to force the man back and into the wall. His kunai was buried in Orochimaru's heart, pinning the man to the wall behind him. He could feel the soft tissues and splintered bone rubbing against his hand that had lodged in the man's thoracic cavity. Sasuke couldn't stop the wicked grin that slid onto his face. An attack like this wouldn't be enough to kill Orochimaru, but that just afforded more opportunities to make the man suffer.
When Orochimaru coughed a splatter of blood onto Sasuke's face, Sasuke glared up at the man in disgust. Sasuke froze when Orochimaru's eyes shifted from his unnatural gold to a familiar bright blue hue. Slowly, Orochimaru's features faded away, replaced by her bright ones. A lump lodged in his throat, his stomach turned, and his heart throbbed painfully in his chest.
"Sas…ke?" her fragile voice questioned, full of hurt and confusion.
Immediately, he staggered back. Eyes blown wide, he watched the blood seep from her wound -the wound he'd given her- and drip down onto the floor at her feet. He was hyperventilating now. The sound of his own, ragged breaths seemed to snap him to attention. "Kai!" he shouted as he ceased his chakra flow. This had to be a genjutsu. That was the only explanation. There was no way he'd-
"Kai!" he shouted again, but she didn't disappear. This couldn't be happening, but it was. He'd really-
Not finishing the thought, Sasuke rushed over to her and removed the kunai as carefully as he could. "Sasuke, you… really wanted to kill me," she said and stared at him, betrayal swimming in her eyes. 'No!'
"Usuratonkachi! I can-" he started but stopped when she started calling his name.
"…suke…Sasuke…Sasuke!"
Snapping up abruptly, Sasuke gasped and reached for the kunai under his pillow. He lashed out at the body near him, nearly slicing through the intruder's abdomen. Recognizing his attacker, Sasuke froze in place. Itachi was standing calmly out of arm's reach, his hands raised palms forward in a placating manner. Sasuke released a shuddering breath as the kunai clattered onto the floor.
"Sasuke, do you know where you are?" Itachi asked in an even tone.
Recognizing the question as a check on his mental state and awareness, Sasuke tried to appear as nonthreatening as possible as he replied, "I'm in my bedroom in Konoha."
Itachi relaxed his posture, taking slow and louder than normal steps towards Sasuke. Trying not to startle him, as he were a wild, frightened animal. Itachi crouched slowly to pick up the discarded kunai and placed it on the desk behind him (and out of Sasuke's reach). Once Sasuke had gotten his breathing and heart rate under control, he asked, "Did I wake Kaa-san or Tou-san?"
"No. I sensed your chakra spiking. You were silently tossing when I entered," Itachi answered.
Sasuke nodded once and slumped forward slightly. Stopping the chakra flow to his eyes, Sasuke rubbed at them to soothe the residual burn. Itachi was still standing in his room, silently waiting. "I'm fine, Itachi. You can go back to bed."
"Sasuke, this is the third time this week that I've had to wake you from a nightmare."
"You don't need to-" Sasuke started, but Itachi quickly cut him off.
"It's Tuesday, Sasuke," Itachi pointed out. And because he felt the need to drive the point home, he continued, "You've had nightmares three nights in a row."
Sasuke didn't have a response that would satisfy, so he remained quiet. That seemed fine for Itachi, who had only gotten started with his lecture. "I haven't pushed you to discuss what has been affecting you because I assumed you would address it when you were ready. I haven't spoken to our parents about it, but Kaa-san is starting to notice how constantly exhausted you look."
Sasuke rubbed at his eyes again.
"If you don't wish to talk to me, I'd advise you to find someone you do want to speak to about what is haunting you."
"You don't need to speak so vaguely, Itachi. I know you already figured it out," Sasuke griped and moved to lay back down. Sasuke could feel Itachi's heavy stare, but he kept his eyes resolutely on his ceiling. Eventually, Itachi would resign himself to the fact that Sasuke wasn't going to speak about the matter any further. It's not that he didn't trust Itachi. Sasuke just didn't see the point in talking about it. Talking about his dreams would just give them credence. If he ignored them, eventually they would fade into the background of his life, locked away in a box where he kept the horrors he'd seen and done as a loyal Konoha ninja.
Itachi let out a soft grunt, seeming to come to a decision. Sasuke waited for his brother to leave but was surprised when Itachi shoved at his side. Sasuke let out a noise of objection but scooted over regardless. In astonishment, Sasuke watched Itachi climb into his bed and pull Sasuke's covers over himself. "Itachi-" Sasuke started, but Itachi's slightly annoyed voice cut him off. He'd almost completely hid the undertones of concern in his voice.
"I'd rather not go all the way back to my own bed just for you to wake me again in three hours. I'll wake you if you start having a nightmare, but I'll hit you if you kick me in your sleep," he promised from over his shoulder. Sasuke watched Itachi actually settle into his bed and try to go to sleep.
When he'd been little, Sasuke had snuck into Itachi's room on multiple occasions to escape his childish nightmares. Itachi was always quick to pull back his covers and allow Sasuke to sleep with him, making sure to move Sasuke back to his own bed before their parents could wake. It was always best not to let their father catch wind of Sasuke's weakness, lest he have to endure Fugaku's lectures on strength and becoming a man.
Sasuke snorted. He didn't kick in his sleep (anymore). "At least I don't hog the covers," Sasuke mumbled and turned his back to Itachi. When Itachi's foot kicked the back of his legs, Sasuke was tempted to kick him back. Instead, he settled into his bed, Itachi's familiar chakra a boon at his back.
On some level, Sasuke understood what Itachi was trying to do. In an effort to spare Sasuke's pride while still satisfying his own need to meddle in Sasuke's life, Itachi was forcing Sasuke to accept some form of support (as unconventional as it may be). There was a part of him that appreciated Itachi, but there was another part of Sasuke that loathed himself for showing such weakness. Itachi was in ANBU. He'd been a shinobi since he was a child. Not once had Itachi ever shown signs of weakness.
~:~
He must have actually managed to fall back asleep because when his eyes opened, the sun was already high in the sky. Itachi had predictably left, probably risen before dawn as usual. Sasuke rolled over onto his back and stared up at his ceiling. He did feel more rested than yesterday but sleep still beckoned to him. He could try to get another hour or two, but that would just have his mother coming to check on him in concern. Besides, he had things to do.
Once he was dressed for the day, Sasuke made his way down to the kitchen to try to scavenge something to eat. His mother was in the kitchen when he walked in, busy washing the last of the breakfast dishes. She paused when he walked in, her eyes scanning over him. Sasuke remained still in the doorway to let her finish her inspection. When she turned back to the dishes without a word, Sasuke nearly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sasuke, I set aside some food for you."
Offering a quiet thanks, Sasuke retrieved the plate of food and sat at the table. She hadn't said anything about the obvious bags under his eyes or the slight pallor of his face. But there was an obvious tension in the room that he imagined she was considering the best way to break. His mother was an expert at maneuvering the men of her household. She had gotten copious amounts of practice on their father and knew the best ways to handle her sons' stubbornness.
"Sasuke, you slept in today. That's not like you. You don't have a mission today?" she asked in that soft and soothing tone of hers.
"I was going to stop by the assignment desk later," Sasuke offered.
"You've been taking a lot of missions lately."
It wasn't hard to tell where Itachi had gotten his ability to argue; as if he'd taken detailed lessons from their mother on how to trap someone with their own words. "If I can serve the village and bring pride to the clan, shouldn't I?" Sasuke asked and prodded at the rice in his bowl.
"Don't play with your food, Sasuke," Mikoto admonished when she turned to face him. Suddenly feeling six instead of sixteen, Sasuke placed his chopsticks to the side. "I'm proud of you, Sasuke. You've become a valuable asset to the village, and many have taken notice. However, I think you should take some time off. Hokage-sama will understand if you want to take a break from the back-to-back missions."
Sasuke frowned down at his half-eaten food. Of course, he would. It's not like the Yondaime was specifically asking for Sasuke to take on so many missions. It'd been Sasuke pushing himself as of late. Ever since he'd gotten back from Suna, Sasuke had tried his best to ignore the implications of obtaining his new eyes. Idle hands were the devil's playthings. He had just been trying to distract himself. But all of it was pointless if he still had nightmares when he was home.
"Sasuke?" Mikoto prompted. Sasuke glanced up to see his mother staring at him with a teacup in her small hands. She sat in front of him with her back straight and her shoulders back. Despite the soothing tone, Sasuke could detect the subtle command in her tone. She spoke the words of a concerned mother, but she had the posture and aura of the clan matriarch.
Sasuke let out a noncommittal grunt and returned to his food. But at his mother's stern "Sasuke", he knew that she was not accepting less than a proper answer from him. "Yes, Kaa-san. I need to go see Sakura at the hospital anyways."
And just like that, she slipped back into her concerned mother role. She rested a hand onto his forearm with a frown. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Sakura's been showing me medical ninjutsu. Just the basics," Sasuke explained.
Mikoto nodded to herself and sipped her tea. "Don't let your father know. He wouldn't approve of you learning medical ninjutsu. He believes healing to be a woman's skill," Mikoto said with a frown. Sasuke could feel an iota of shame niggling away at him. His father was a very rigid man steeped in not just clan tradition, but societal norms as well. The idea of disappointing his father almost made Sasuke change his mind about going to see Sakura. Almost. Sasuke watched as his mother started muttering to herself, "Which is complete nonsense. It's a valuable skill for anyone to learn, especially those who have a proficiency for it."
Sasuke smiled softly down at his food. His mother cared much less for traditions than most of the clan. Sasuke supposed it had a lot to do with Kushina's influence. Whenever he or Itachi (but mostly Sasuke) did something that displeased or unintentionally slighted Fugaku, their mother was always quick to intervene on her sons' behalf.
Sasuke could remember one such incident when he'd been about seven where he'd quite intentionally and bluntly insulted one of the clan elders. He'd met the elder (who'd smelled of mothballs and some unidentifiable scent that just screamed old) and had practically demanded to know just who the man was. When his father had told him that Furui-sama was a very influential and powerful clan member, Sasuke had stared up at the ancient and grey man in extreme skepticism before confidently proclaiming Itachi to be stronger. While he hadn't been wrong, Fugaku hadn't appreciated Sasuke's astute observation at the time. Fugaku had promptly chastised Sasuke while Furui-sama had declared Sasuke to be the most disrespectful child to be born of the main branch family that he had ever met. Sasuke hadn't felt that the judgement was fair, but Fugaku had quickly agreed and sent Sasuke away to his room. Itachi had wanted to go with him, but Fugaku had kept him from following.
As he was walking away with his shoulders slumped, Sasuke could hear Mikoto chastising his father for his harsh words. Instead of going to his room, Sasuke had hidden just out of sight and listened in. When Furui-sama had declared his mother to be an unfit clan matriarch for her insolence, she was quick to turn her ire on the wrinkly man. Sasuke had never heard his mother raise her voice before, but he was sure that anyone just outside the house could hear her loudly defending her children and herself. Furui-sama had left the house in a huff while cursing "that impudent woman and brat of a son". Sasuke didn't have any other memories of the old man after that.
"Alright. Thank you, Kaa-san," Sasuke said and returned to his food. Mikoto smiled softly and went back to sipping her tea.
~:~
"This is the best way to do this?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask as he stood on the pier at his favorite lake.
Sakura folded her arms raised a brow at him. "You asked for my help. If you want to learn the basics, this is where you start. Now, hurry up. I can only supervise for an hour," Sakura said and waved him off. Sasuke rolled his eyes at her before diving into the water. It took a few seconds, but he was able to resurface with a medium-sized fish thrashing in his grasp. "Good. Now let's begin."
Soaking wet, Sasuke held the flopping fish down onto the wood of the dock until it stopped moving. Once the fish was close to death, Sasuke began the Mystical Palm technique. Sakura kept a watchful gaze but offered no advice. He'd been taking instruction from her ever since they'd gotten back from their mission to Suna. He was adequate at best with healing, only having decent enough chakra control to perform the jutsus, but he wasn't expecting to save lives like Sakura any time soon. But if he could keep someone alive long enough for her or someone better trained to arrive…
He must have been leaning over that fish for almost an hour by the time it started to twitch slightly. "Don't forget to stimulate the secondary gill lamellae," Sakura reminded. The twitching was turning into a full-body flop now. A few more minutes passed before the fish began thrashing wildly on the dock. Sasuke sat back and watched the fish writhe until it fell over the side of the dock and landed back in the water with a loud splash. Although he hadn't moved in over an hour, Sasuke was sweating a fair amount. "Very good! Although I am a little jealous that you've picked this up so quickly. It took me a month just to get the fish to move," she finished with a grumble. Sasuke looked up at her with a smirk. When she saw his sharingan swirling lazily, she pouted. "Cheater," she huffed.
"It makes it easier to see the chakra flow," Sasuke explained and stood.
"And easier to memorize all the theory and applications," Sakura pointed out with a pout.
"You should be proud to have done it on your own without cheating," he said. He'd never told her before, but he did respect the amount of work she'd put in these past few years. He'd only received a crash course for beginners and gotten several headaches and eye strain from it.
"You're just trying to make feel better. But you are right," she said, preening.
Sasuke scoffed once and rolled his eyes. Sasuke considered Sakura for a few seconds, just observing her. He'd wondered how she would fit into his life after she'd given up on her crush on him. He had wanted to call her a friend, but he'd also considered Naruko a friend and it didn't feel right to give the title to anyone else. The relationships were just too different. But then he'd realized that it'd been much more accurate to call Naruko his best friend. Sakura was definitely a friend, but he still wasn't sure where the lines of their friendship existed.
"Sasuke-kun?" she asked him, frowning at his silence.
"Nothing. Just thinking," he answered, but didn't elaborate.
"Sasuke! Sakura-chan!"
They both turned and spotted Naruko standing atop the hill, smiling down at them. She landed at their sides in a single bound, grinning brightly. "Why didn't you tell me we were having a team meeting?"
"Not a team meeting, Naruko. I was just helping Sasuke-kun-" Sakura started, but Sasuke cut her off.
"Sakura, didn't you say you had something to do?" he asked. She had been surprised by his smooth change in the subject but had respectfully dropped it.
Sakura straightened. "You're right. Shishou is gonna maim me if I'm late. I'll see you later, Sasuke-kun. Bye, Naruko," Sakura said and fled.
"What was that about, 'ttebayo?"
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked but started walking away.
Naruko was quick to start walking with him, not paying attention to the direction. "Since when do you and Sakura-chan hang out?"
"Aren't we supposed to? We were teammates," Sasuke pointed out. He slipped his hands into his pockets, keeping his gaze ahead of him. Sakura had looked confused as to why he didn't want Naruko knowing that he was practicing medical jutsu. It wouldn't hurt for her to know. But there was a part of him that didn't want it to become common knowledge. He'd never expressed an interest in the skill before. It would definitely lead to questions that he didn't feel comfortable answering.
"Right. Well, I'm glad you two are friends now," she said.
"Hn."
"Do you want to train with me? I was training with Konohamaru earlier, but I'd like a good challenge," she said and grinned at him eagerly.
Normally, that'd be all it would take for him to take her up on her challenge. He could already feel his competitive spirit rising, but he was genuinely exhausted. The time he'd spent practicing medical jutsu had drained what little energy he'd regained this morning. He was sure that if they were to spar, she'd have him on his ass within minutes. She'd definitely be able to tell something was wrong with him then. "No thanks," he said. Her grin dimmed and fell slowly. Immediately, he felt guilty. He quickly came up with an excuse, "I have some clan business to take care of for my father."
"Oh. Okay. Tomorrow then?" she asked with a hopeful grin.
"Sure," he replied. As long as he managed to get some sleep tonight.
"I feel like I haven't seen you since we got back from Suna," she said idly.
That was because he'd been taking missions to avoid confronting his problems. It'd provided the added benefit of avoiding her as well. He had to admit that a part of him did miss her but being around her filled him with too many complicated feelings. He liked being around her but felt guilt over his past failures (no matter how brief). He wanted to be close to her, closer than they were now, but felt ashamed and embarrassed because of it. He wanted to hate her for bringing out these feelings in him and maybe a small part of him did, but he knew that the hate wasn't completely justified. She probably had no idea what she'd done. It was a confusing and highly embarrassing dilemma.
"I've been busy with missions."
"I figured. Tou-chan must be giving you hard missions. You look like a ghost, 'ttebayo," she said and poked his cheek. "I can ask him to give you a break or something before you keel over."
"Naruko," he warned.
She held up her hands in an attempt to pacify him, "I get it. I get it. You're an Uchiha and Uchiha too strong and disciplined to keel over," she taunted him, lowering her voice to try to match his baritone.
"That was the worst impression of me that I've ever heard," he insulted. She grinned up at him, everything about her lighting up despite his insult. As if the callous front to his words had rolled right off her back and instead revealed the fondness beneath. She could see it. She had learned when to take his insults at face-value and when to call his bluff. How deeply could she see through him? He rolled his eyes before reaching out to land a poke to her forehead. "Later, Usuratonkachi," he said and shushined away without giving her a chance to reply.
~:~
Family dinners at the Uchiha, main branch household were a very quiet affair. Maybe his father would converse with his mother about how he liked the meal or with Itachi about his missions. Sometimes, Fugaku would even ask Sasuke how he was progressing. But usually only the sounds of utensils clattering filled the air. So, when Itachi had spoken out of the blue at the dinner table, everyone stilled in mild surprise. And then the weight of his words had set in.
"The Yondaime has named me as his successor."
Sasuke blinked in shock at Itachi from across the table, while Fugaku had beamed with pride. Mikoto smiled gently at her eldest, pride making her dark eyes shine. "That's my boy," Fugaku says, reaching out to clasp a hand onto Itachi's shoulder.
"Congratulations, Itachi. This is wonderful news. We should hold a celebration," Mikoto supplied with Fugaku nodding along in agreement.
Sasuke raised a brow. "He asked you?" Sasuke blurted. He hadn't intended for it to sound like an insult, but Fugaku had taken it as such.
"Sasuke, this is an important moment for your brother. He has worked hard and is being acknowledged- an Uchiha is being acknowledged," Fugaku said and frowned deeply at Sasuke.
Thankfully, Itachi intervened before the situation could worsen. "He asked Hatake Kakashi first," Itachi answered Sasuke. Sasuke nodded once in understanding. It only made sense for the Yondaime to ask his own student first. Plus, Kakashi was a well-known and accomplished shinobi. "Kakashi-san vehemently turned down the offer, however," Itachi went on.
Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes. "That sounds like him," Sasuke scoffed. Kakashi had proven himself as a leader more than once, but the man was criminally lazy with an aversion to responsibility. "Congratulations, nii-san," Sasuke said with a smile. He did truly feel proud of his brother. And it wasn't like it was a surprise. It would take something extreme to make a shinobi as loyal and accomplished as Itachi not be considered for the position.
Itachi returned the smile before turning his gaze onto their parents and saying, "I've decided to accept his offer."
"Naturally," Fugaku nodded.
"I've also decided to move out," Itachi continued as he met Fugaku's eyes. Sasuke heard his mother's chopsticks clatter from her hand. He watched his father's eyes widen slowly as the weight of Itachi's words sunk in. "I'll be moving out of the compound and into an apartment on the edge of the village. I should have my things out before the end of the month."
Sasuke watched the proceedings quietly. His mother had gone wide-eyed and her jaw had dropped slightly. She still hadn't picked up her chopsticks. His father's stunned expression was slowly being replaced by a deep frown. "Itachi, we shall discuss this in private," Fugaku said in a no-nonsense tone and stood from the table.
Sasuke had to admire his brother's nerve because Itachi didn't flinch. "There is nothing to discuss, Tou-san. It's done. I've already signed the lease."
Sasuke heard his mother make a soft noise that almost sounded like a whimper. She cleared her throat and tried to smile. "You are an adult. I suppose it's only natural for you to want your independence," she said and picked up her chopsticks. Sasuke could see the mournful look she tried to hide behind understanding and love.
"Your mother is right. You are more than old enough to move out, but you are still an Uchiha. You will stay within the district. There are plenty of apartments available for rent," Fugaku said, his tone barely hiding the anger that was simmering in his dark eyes. He still hadn't sat back down, staring down at Itachi with an authoritative air.
Itachi continued to meet their father's gaze from his seat. Although his tone didn't change, Sasuke could hear the hard edge to it, "Soon, I will be more than an Uchiha. When I become Hokage, I will owe my life to the village."
With every word Itachi spoke, Sasuke could see his father's face slowly redden. He heard his mother try to calm him down, but it wasn't having much of an effect. "Itachi, you would turn your back on your clan?" Fugaku asked, a warning weighing heavily in his words. Sasuke stopped eating, his eyes glancing between his brother and his father.
"I do not see how I would be doing so. Is the clan not a part of the village?" Itachi replied with a narrowed gaze.
It was an innocent question, but judging by their father's reaction, Sasuke felt that he was desperately missing something. Their father's anger had chilled, morphing into a cold fury. Mikoto rested her hands in her lap, frowning down at her food. Fugaku turned his face away from Itachi and spoke, "Itachi, you disappoint me."
Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched his father stride from the room, leaving the rest of his meal untouched. Itachi stared at where their father had stood, not saying a word. His mother just kept staring at her food. Sasuke had never heard their father so blatantly express disappointment in anything Itachi had done. Sasuke tried to catch Itachi's gaze, but his brother didn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kaa-san. I'm no longer hungry," Itachi said and picked up his dishes. Sasuke watched Itachi clear away his leftover food, place his dishes in the sink, and leave the room without another word.
At his mother's soft sigh, Sasuke turned to her in question but she was rubbing at her temples. "What a mess," she muttered. She got up from her seat to tend to his father's dishes.
Sasuke stared at his own food. He wasn't that hungry anymore. Collecting the remaining dishes, he cleared the food from them before giving them to his mother. "I can talk to Itachi if you want," he offered.
"No. That won't be necessary. Itachi's right. Your father is just stressed and said things he doesn't mean. I'll talk to him to try to get him to see reason. Don't worry, Sasuke. Everything will be alright," his mother said with a soft smile. Sasuke couldn't help but notice how much older she looked in that moment. The stress from dinner seemed to settle onto her features, making the slight wrinkles on her face and few strands of grey in her hair seem magnified. His mother was still as beautiful as she'd been when he was a child. He just supposed that he hadn't noticed that as he'd grown up, she'd grown older.
"Alright," he acquiesced and pressed his lips to her temple.
"You're such a caring boy, Sasuke," she said and smiled wider. He could see her laugh lines more clearly. He let her pat his cheek softly before he left her alone to seek out his brother. On the way to Itachi's room, Sasuke could sense his father's chakra rolling and spiking intermittently. He was genuinely angered by Itachi's decision. Or was it from Itachi's final words?
When he'd gotten to Itachi's room, he knocked twice on the door. No response. Well, no response wasn't a definite "go away". Pushing the door open, Sasuke paused at the sight of a few half-packed boxes on the floor. "I didn't even notice that you'd started packing already," Sasuke said as he closed the door behind him. Itachi's shoulders were tense and his movement were stiff as he folded one of his shirts. "Do you want some help?"
Itachi stared at him for a few seconds before nodding once. "Thank you, Sasuke."
"I'm not mad with you, in case you were wondering. I've been telling you to leave," Sasuke said as he took a pair of pants down from the closet.
"Leave the house, not the compound."
"Well, it's not like you're moving to Sunagakure or something. You'll still be in the village. Maybe the distance means you won't bother to meddle with my business anymore," Sasuke said and placed the pants into a box with other clothes.
"Sasuke, you're my little brother. Everything you do is my business," Itachi said as if it were fact.
Choosing not to bother dissuade Itachi from his belief, Sasuke brought up something that had been bothering him. "Father reacted pretty badly. I didn't think he'd be so upset. It's like you'd said that you were abandoning the village. But then again, I didn't think it was such a big deal not to live within the compound."
"It isn't. There's no law confining us here. Some people are choosing to shackle themselves to their beliefs," Itachi scoffed.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked and stilled. There was something going on- something he wasn't privy to. As Sasuke stared at Itachi, he could see his brother's walls going up. But before Itachi could change the subject or offer an excuse, Sasuke continued, "I can tell that something is going on, Itachi. I'm not stupid."
"I didn't think that you were," Itachi said and stared down on the uchiwa fan stitched into the back of one of his shirts. Sasuke waited for Itachi to say something, but he didn't expect his brother to begin moving through privacy seals. "What I'm about to tell you is not something you can repeat. Very few outside the clan are aware of this."
Sasuke straightened and gave Itachi his full attention. A part of him hadn't believed that Itachi would answer him. Sasuke liked to think that there weren't many secrets between him and his brother. But whenever his brother had chosen to keep secrets, they were always ones he guarded closely.
"You were too young to remember. Just after the kyuubi attacked the village sixteen years ago, there was a period of time where the Uchiha faced scrutiny from the village. There were rumors at the time that the Uchiha had somehow been involved with the kyuubi escaping and attacking the village. There are a few outside of the clan who are aware of the sharingan's ability to control the tailed beasts," Itachi said. The sharingan could control the tailed beasts? Sasuke had never heard of their eyes possessing such an ability, but he wasn't really surprised. He hadn't known about the Mangekyo until about a month ago.
"They blamed us. That's ridiculous. Why would we attack our own village?" Sasuke asked rhetorically. He just didn't see the logic.
"It was probably left over suspicion from Uchiha Madara's original attack on the village decades ago. It didn't matter. The idea got enough traction that the Uchiha were to be placed under suspicion. Our clan was relocated to the edge of the village during the village reconstruction. The relocation was passed off as an attempt to have the Police Force located closer to the prison to maintain control, but several clan members felt it was another attempt to ostracize the Uchiha.
"For a few years, the clan was watched closely while simultaneously being kept at a distance from the rest of the village and the government. There were whispers amongst the clan, dissatisfaction was rising. At the same time, the Yondaime made several attempts to appease the clan, but he was constantly at odds with the village council and many of his efforts were invalidated by public opinion.
"It was around the time that I had joined the ANBU when dissatisfaction with the village was starting to peak. The clan elders treated my new position as a way to get close to the village government. I was meant to act as a pipeline between the clan and the village, as if they were two separate entities," Itachi scoffed. "I didn't agree with the majority at the time and father received scorn from the clan for it. I was placed under suspicion from the clan for being a village sympathizer."
"You were just a kid," Sasuke couldn't help but interject. Itachi had been just eleven when he'd joined the ANBU. To hear that his brother had treated so poorly by the clan… Sasuke frowned.
Itachi continued on as if what Sasuke had said didn't matter. "Father doesn't know this, but while I was supposed to spy on the village, I had been ordered to do the same to the clan. Fortunately, I never had to carry out these orders. The Yondaime caught wind of what was happening within the village, what one of the former council members was orchestrating behind the scenes. An investigation was quietly launched, and enough evidence had been found to prosecute the man responsible.
"Shimura Danzo," Itachi answered, spotting the question in Sasuke's eyes. "He was declared a traitor of Konoha before a public execution. Afterwards, the Hokage issued the Uchiha a public apology for Danzo's actions against the clan as well as his own unknown complicity. Since then, the Yondaime has continued his efforts to reintegrate the clan in village affairs, but there are some within the clan who doubt his motives."
Sasuke frowned. "What did Danzo do? Making us live on the edge of the village hardly seems worthy of a death sentence."
Itachi smirked. "That was a minor slight to corral and distance the Uchiha. His major crimes included associating with the missing-nin, Orochimaru, providing Konoha citizens as test subjects for him, as well as desecrating Uchiha bodies to steal the Sharingan," Itachi answered.
Sasuke paled. Their Sharingan had been in Danzo's hands. And not only his, but probably that traitor Orochimaru's as well. Sasuke suddenly found himself wishing that he'd been the one to put an end to Danzo.
"As you can imagine, some clan members find it hard to forgive, despite the Yondaime's efforts. Old talks of revolting against Konoha are starting to have new life breathed into them. These are extreme opinions, however. The majority prefers to simply see themselves as victims in an unfair village. The Yondaime tries to appease the clan, but it never seems to be enough. It's a precarious position to be in. I think he's hoping that I can find a way to get through to the clan."
"Is that why you decided to take the hat?"
"It's one of the reasons. Mostly, I had no interest in becoming clan head," Itachi said and resumed packing. "I do apologize though, Sasuke. Because I am no longer a candidate, father will look to you to lead the clan."
"You can't do both?" Sasuke asked. Sasuke had never said anything within their father's earshot, but he felt that a lot of their father's responsibilities weren't too taxing. If anything, it was his position as police chief that kept him the busiest.
Itachi smirked and scoffed. "Do you think so lowly of the duties of clan head or so highly of my own capabilities?"
"Both?" Sasuke answered and tucked away another pair of pants.
"While I appreciate the compliment, I do not think I could do it all. The clan head has a duty to the clan. They must put the clan first and I can't do that. The village should always come first. For the Hokage, the entire village is their family. The responsibility of clan head should fall to the one best suited for the job," Itachi said.
Sasuke frowned. Would father really expect him to become clan head instead of Itachi? Sasuke had never considered such a thing. It was Itachi's birthright. But if their father did ask, what would he say? "Do you think that I could do it?" Sasuke asked in a small voice.
Itachi gave him a considering look before responding, "I think you could do so much more."
Sasuke turned back to the closet for another shirt to hide the pleased smile on his face. He folded the shirt with his back turned, trying his best to calm the happiness he felt at Itachi's praise.
"I would advise you to decide for yourself what you wish to do. Don't let father's words influence you too greatly. It's your decision to make. Just don't take too long to make it. I doubt father will wait too long before approaching you," Itachi advised. "Also, Shisui is planning a surprise housewarming party for me next week. Help him with it before he goes overboard and invites half of the jounin within the village."
"How is it a surprise if you know about it?" Sasuke scoffed.
"Little brother, I know everything."
~:~
Sasuke leaned back against a tree before sliding down the trunk with a soft grunt. Kakashi was panting softly from across the training grounds, stray jolts of lightning still running along his hand and arm. Sasuke closed his eyes for a few seconds as he took a few deep breaths. His chakra reserves were still decently full despite the several chidori and katon jutsus he'd used. Training with Sakura had definitely improved his chakra control and stamina. With another grunt, Sasuke pushed himself back up onto his feet. When he faced Kakashi again, the man seemed to slump slightly.
"Maa, are you sure you took a long enough break?" Kakashi asked.
Sasuke frowned. "Don't tell me you're getting tired already. Aren't you the one always saying that you're not that old?" Sasuke taunted. Sasuke could swear that even Kakashi's gravity-defying hair was starting to droop slightly.
"I wouldn't say that. This just seems out of character for you. You wouldn't normally come to me for an all-day slug fest," Kakashi said with a shrug. Sasuke's frown deepened, but he didn't know what to say. Sometimes he regretted spending so much time around geniuses.
Kakashi shrugged again with a deep sigh. "It's not my business, but I do feel somewhat responsible for the happiness of my cute, former students."
Sasuke couldn't resist an exaggerated eye roll.
Kakashi walked over to him before clapping a hand down onto Sasuke's shoulder. "Do me a favor and talk to Naruko. I care for her like a sister, but even I have my limits on how many times a day that I can be asked about you."
Sasuke flinched. Kakashi nodded once and said, "I won't pretend to understand what's going through your head. But for the sake of everyone else in the village, stop ignoring her."
"Sasuke!"
Without any hesitation, Kakashi vanished with a swirl of leaves. Sasuke couldn't say that he blamed the man. Refusing to look at her, Sasuke kept his gaze trained on the spot where Kakashi had stood. He could practically hear her stomping over to him, her chakra glaringly bright along his senses. "Teme," she started.
"Naruko," he acknowledged and finally looked at her. She was glaring at him with annoyance and anger in her eyes, but he could see the bits of hurt hiding underneath. As he felt the guilt start to nag at him, he considered fleeing the way Kakashi had. But only for a second. There was another emotion- an inclination to face her head on. He could see the value in avoiding this argument with her, it would spare him from having to confront his feelings through her. But at his core, there was a force that he couldn't explain nudging him towards her.
"Fight me," she demanded.
He knew what she wanted. He knew that she was trying her best to connect with him best way she knew how. Whenever they'd traded blows, he'd gotten his best view into her mind. It was yet another aspect of his bond to her that he couldn't explain. He'd tried explaining their connection to Sakura once to hoping that she could help him better understand it, but she hadn't been much help. The bond sounded foreign to her but incredibly "intense and romantic".
"Maybe later, Usuratonkachi."
"You said that days ago!" she exclaimed. "You won't fight me, but you'll train with Kakashi-nii and Sakura-chan. What's wrong with me?"
Luckily, they were alone because she was practically shouting at him now. "Nothing is wrong with you," Sasuke answered and tried to walk around her.
She moved to stand in his way, standing on the balls of her feet to give herself some height as she glared up at him. "Then what's wrong with you, 'ttebayo? And don't lie! Itachi-nii said something was wrong with you."
Sasuke almost swore. He should have expected Itachi to go behind his back and recruit Naruko. "Nothing is wrong with me," Sasuke hissed at her with a narrowed gaze.
"Then fight me damn it!"
Her wild exuberance would normally draw him to her and revitalize his mood. He wasn't too tired from his training session with Kakashi and he'd gotten a decent amount of sleep last night, but there was still a weariness that was starting to settle into his bones. He must have been staring at her for too long, because she was starting to wilt, and the anger was starting to fade. She looked like she was grasping at her anger, desperately trying to hide the hurt. Truthfully, he didn't care for either emotion on her face where he was concerned.
"I'm tired, Naruko. We'll fight another time," he said, pouring as much sincerity as he could bear into his tone without embarrassing himself.
She frowned and folded her arms over her chest. "Even I can see that, dattebayo. You look like shit," she huffed. He resisted the urge to smack her upside the head like he used to when she annoyed him. "If you're tired, why don't you sleep more?"
Sasuke clenched his jaw as he considered his options. He could be honest with her and spare himself from having to deal with her at a later date, but he doubted that she'd let him get away for too long. She was annoyingly persistent.
She glanced away from him for a second, her eyes looking anywhere but up at him as she rocked on her feet. "Look… I know that I'm not Itachi-nii or Kakashi-nii or even Sakura-chan, but I'm still your friend. Right?"
He furrowed his brows in confusion. Where was she going with this? "Of course."
"So, you can talk to me too, 'ttebayo. You're my best friend, Sasuke. I'd tell you anything," she said, still avoiding eye contact. She had to be doing this on purpose. She'd managed to flood him with guilt while practically bulldozing his reservations. "Tou-chan says that it's important to communicate with others when you're having issues, especially for shinobi. He says shinobi aren't tools, 'ttebayo. We're human so…" she said and grabbed his arm. He could have fought her off, but a part of him was curious. He let her pull him over to the shade of some nearby trees and down to the ground. He watched her sit at attention and stare unflinchingly at him.
There was a part of him that was ready to disregard her, but… She looked so serious. She looked determined, as if she was ready to physically fight whatever he said was ailing him. A part of him was touched and vaguely amused. Fine. He'd humor her. "I can't sleep. I'm having… nightmares."
"About what?" she asked with a confused frown. She was probably wondering what could possibly be haunting him.
"You," he answered. Immediately, she flinched and started shrinking in on herself. He rolled his eyes, immediately sensing where her thoughts were drifting. She was too easy to read. "Dobe, not about the kyuubi."
"Oh… I knew that, 'ttebayo!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're alive, but that doesn't mean that you didn't die," he said. Her eyes widen slightly, and she swallows. She opens and closes her mouth a few times, not sure what to say to him. Channeling chakra to his eyes, he lets his eyes swirl into the Mangekyo. Her eyes open even wider.
"What happened to your eyes?" she asked and reached for his face. She hesitated a bit, as if asking permission, but rested a hand to the side of his face when he didn't pull away.
"Itachi told me once that the Uchiha were once considered a cursed clan. The sharingan only manifests after experiencing powerful emotional condition, usually stress or loss of a precious person. The greater the loss that is felt, the stronger our eyes become."
She was staring at his eyes, her own eyes stormy and conflicted. A part of him is hoping that she'll leave it at that and not look too closely at his words. A small part of him is hoping that she hears the meaning hidden in his words.
"I think I get it," she said. He stilled but kept his face blank. "You've been different since we got back from Suna. I could see it and I think I could feel it too. I don't really know how to explain it, but all I know is that it hurts," she said and gripped the front of her jacket.
His eyes slid closed as he started to breathe again. She had just confirmed his own hopes suspicions that she felt this bond between them. When she'd cried for Gaara, he'd felt and shared in her pain. And although he hadn't told her, she had been more than aware of his own problems. He wondered if he should be more concerned by how connected they were. It certainly wasn't the normal, run of the mill friendship. But the part of him that harbored his selfish desires couldn't be bothered.
After a few seconds, she nodded once to herself and moved to lean against a tree trunk and stretch her legs out in front of her. She made grabby hands at him which he resisted at first, but hesitantly gave in when she pulled his head down onto her lap. He laid down, stiff as a board with the tips of his ears warming. He stared resolutely at her feet as he tried to slow his quickening heart. He could feel her chakra flowing and swirling around them both. "Kaa-chan did this for me whenever I had nightmares as a kid," she said as if that explained everything.
He could feel how tense she was and hear the unsureness in her voice. He knew that she expected him to push her away and he probably should. But the training ground was so peaceful, and her chakra was flowing and wrapping around him like a heated blanket. Slowly, he started to relax. If anyone came by, he'd get up. But until then…
Her voice was growing in confidence now the more she relaxed. "I'm sorry for dying," she said softly and rested a hand onto his head. "I won't be going anywhere again, 'ttebayo. You're stuck with me forever."
"Great," he mumbled. She hit his head lightly but started raking her fingers through his hair. Sasuke felt his lids growing heavier.
"It's not gel. It's really like this," he could hear her whisper. He wasn't sure if he'd scoffed out loud.
"When you wake up, we'll definitely fight, dattebayo. I've been training hard to master my wind chakra and I'm gonna kick your ass, Teme," she said, but she was fading out. The last thing he remembered was her talking about finally managing to split a leaf before passing out.
~:~
"You know, when Naruko stopped coming by the hospital to ask me about you, I assumed that you finally told her how you feel," Sakura said as she walked through the village with Sasuke. Sasuke raised a brow at her. "But judging by that expression, I'm guessing that you haven't told her yet. If you're just using me as a way to avoid telling her that you love her-"
Sasuke glared harshly at her before scanning the crowd around them to see if anyone had heard her. Sakura snorted before laughing loudly in his face. "You really haven't told her yet? Oh, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said his name with so much exasperation that he couldn't help but frown.
"There's nothing to tell," Sasuke insisted.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Your denial was kind of cute when you were thirteen. Now, it's a little sad and very infuriating."
"I suppose you think I should take your approach and hound her for a date," Sasuke sneered. Immediately, he regretted his words. "Sorry," he awkwardly offered.
"Don't worry about it," she waved him off. "I was wrong in my approach. When you'd said no the first time, I shouldn't have kept bothering you. I know it can be irritating when someone won't take a hint. But at least I'd asked. You never know unless you ask. I don't see what you're waiting for. She'd probably say yes if you did. I can't think of a girl who wouldn't."
Sasuke felt the bit of hope fluttered in his chest at her words and promptly pushed it down. Changing the topic, Sasuke said, "My brother is moving out. We're having a housewarming for him tonight. You should come."
"I think I heard about that from Kakashi-sensei. No offense, Sasuke, but your brother intimidates the crap out of me."
"He has that effect on people. I think he just likes to mess with them."
Sakura scoffed. "Okay. I'll come. Pick me up at my house? I don't know the way," she said and stopped outside the door to her house. Sasuke blinked in confusion. He hadn't realized that they'd arrived. He nodded at her and started to leave as she went inside.
Maybe Sakura was right. Maybe Naruko would say yes if he asked her out. But it didn't matter. She already meant too much to him. Sasuke frowned deeply. She mattered so much that she'd managed to change the very makeup of his eyes. Sasuke couldn't fathom the idea of someone having that much of a hold on his emotions. A shinobi had no need for emotions. The list of people who truly mattered to him was a very short one. He didn't need to make it worse by emboldening her name on that list.
~:~
Even from down the street, Sasuke could hear the music playing in Itachi's apartment. He was sure that Shisui had to have brought over a stereo because the genre was far from Itachi's tastes. If he paid close attention, he could hear multiple voices speaking over the music. "I warned him not to, but Shisui still went overboard. It sounds like half of Konoha is in there," Sasuke said with a shake of his head.
"Maybe your brother is just really popular?" Sakura suggested. Sasuke gave her funny look. Had she met his brother?
Once they were standing at the door, Sasuke could hear all sounds within the apartment die down. He frowned in confusion, but Sakura was quick to open the door and push him forward lightly.
"Surprise!"
Sasuke watched with wide eyes as a few party poppers blasted in his face and got confetti in his hair. Sakura came around his back to smile brightly and pop another one over him.
"Happy birthday, Teme!"
Sasuke stared at everyone gathered in his brother's apartment with a stunned expression. His entire graduating class was here along with Kakashi, Shisui, Izumi and Itachi. Bright grins and some more subdued expressions watched him expectantly.
"Maa maa. He forgot his own birthday," Kakashi's lazy drawl supplied.
"How troublesome," Shikamaru sighed.
Sasuke quickly went through a mental calendar. "My birthday is tomorrow," Sasuke pointed out with a frown.
"Yeah. But this way we can wish you happy birthday at midnight," Naruko pointed out smartly.
"Dobe, you already said it."
She completely ignored him and grabbed a dark brown cupcake with a single candle. "We even got cake, dattebayo!" she exclaimed. He was about to point out to her that he didn't like sweets, but she cut him off. "It's not sweet. Kakashi-nii is weird like you and doesn't like sweets either so he gets his own cake. I made this one and I think it turned out pretty great, 'ttebayo."
She made him a cake? He glanced down at the frostingless cupcake. Rolling his eyes fondly, he squeezed the candle wick between two fingers and used fire release to light it. "Dobe," he scoffed.
"Make a wish!"
What could he wish for? He could think of a few things. But what was the point? Anything he wanted, he could figure out a way to achieve it. And for the thing he couldn't let himself have, it didn't matter anyways. He blew out the candle.
"Let's get this party going!" Shisui cheered and brandished a bottle with an excited grin. Sasuke should have seen that as the first hint that tonight would be a mess.
A gathering this large, especially in such a confined space, usually left him feeling uncomfortable. As if predicting Sasuke's aversion to crowds, Shisui was quick to ply him with drink after drink. Sasuke had only intended to have one drink, maybe two. But only an hour had gone by and he already had three empty cups in front of him.
Kakashi had ducked out shortly after telling him happy birthday so Sasuke was instead standing in the kitchen with Sakura. Itachi's apartment was quite open so it was easy to remain where he was and watch Naruko loudly proclaiming that Shikamaru was cheating at cards. He could see the flush to her cheeks and hear the slight slur to her words.
"So, what did you wish for?" Sakura asked and tipped her cup back into her mouth.
"Nothing. If I want something, I'll get it. Wishing won't change that," Sasuke said.
"Yeah. Right," Sakura scoffed and eyed where Naruko was pulling at her hair in frustration.
"I thought you didn't drink," Sasuke said and eyed her cup.
"I'm suspending my beliefs for the night. I've been really stressed lately between the hospital, training with shishou, and travelling to Suna."
"Suna?"
"I've been giving them lessons on poisons and treatment," she explained. "And nice try changing the subject. But since I'm a nice person, I won't bother you too much right now. It is almost officially your birthday after all."
"How considerate of you," he replied sarcastically.
She shrugged. "I just want you to be happy, Sasuke-kun. Naruko makes you happy. It seems simple to me."
"I'm starting to regret spending so much time with you. You're becoming as annoying as Itachi," Sasuke pointed out. She wasn't wrong, though. It scared him how happy he felt around Naruko. He loved and hated how much control she had over him. He loved how powerful she made him feel when she stood at his side, but he hated how weak she made him with just a look. He could take that plunge like Sakura had suggested. But he hesitated. It was enough to just be her friend.
As if sensing where his thoughts were headed, Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. In a surprising show of childishness that he blamed on the alcohol in his system, Sasuke stuck out his tongue back at her. His reaction had surprised her, but she quickly recovered from her surprise and started laughing. He felt his cheeks warm even more than they already were. He was about to say something mildly teasing to get her to stop laughing at him but stopped when he heard her snort loudly. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes going wide. A smirk grew on his face.
"Shut up," she commanded. He barely held back a laugh. She eyes narrowed at him threateningly. She was about to say something else, but a loud laugh escaped his mouth before he could smother it down. He watched her cheeks flame and had to look away to try to get his laughter under control. As he was getting himself under control, he noticed that everyone was staring at them in surprise.
"Huh… I didn't know Sasuke knew how to laugh," Kiba commented, probably far louder than he'd intended. Hinata tried to shush him, but he shrugged in response. For several seconds, Sasuke didn't know what to do. He briefly entertained the idea of just walking away and maybe sequestering himself in the bathroom while he tried to gain control of himself, but before he could move Shisui was pulling the attention back on himself.
"Who wants a refill?" he shouted and brandished yet another bottle. Just like that, time started flowing again.
"That was so embarrassing. And now Ino's coming over," Sakura muttered. Sasuke tossed his empty cup in the trash and moved around Sakura to leave. Now was the perfect time to go splash some water on his face. "Coward," Sakura hissed at him as he past. He preferred to think of it as a tactical retreat.
~:~
Itachi was ready to pull his hair out. He watched his brother leave the room without a backward glance before shifting his gaze to where Naruko stared at his brother's back. The blonde girl had been shooting his brother glances all night but remained surrounded by her friends. She'd smiled and laughed with them, but her smile would falter slightly whenever she glanced at his brother chatting with the pink-haired medic. Itachi was sure that nothing was going on between his brother and the medic. He'd gleaned enough of their conversations from reading their lips. The medic, Sakura, was trying to push his brother to confess his obvious feelings for Naruko. However, his brother was being as stubborn as usual.
Maybe he was going about this the wrong way?
Itachi focused his gaze on where Naruko was staring into her cup with a small frown. He patted Izumi on the arm softly before leaving her side and heading over to Naruko. "Good luck," he heard her whisper after him, already aware of his personal mission.
Once he'd gotten close, Itachi said, "Naruko-chan, I didn't get a chance to thank you. You put in a lot of work throwing this party for my brother."
Naruko looked up at him and beamed. "I know he doesn't like parties, but this is the first birthday I got to spend with him in years. I guess I wanted it to be special."
"I'm sure he appreciates it."
"Yeah. He looks like he's having fun," Naruko said in a soft tone. She downed the rest of her drink with a grimace. She tried to smile, but it looked brittle to his eyes. She wore her every emotion on her sleeve, blatantly obvious to anyone who paid a modicum of attention. How had his brother missed it?
"Naruko-chan, would you do me a favor? Shisui's been pretty generous with the drinks and we're starting to run low. Can you get some more from the guest room?" Itachi asked and took the empty cup from her. She nodded at him and left the same way Sasuke had gone. Itachi wasn't sure what to expect but he hoped that an impromptu run in and a lack of inhibitions would loosen Sasuke's tongue long enough to make him confess his feelings. And if this didn't work, he'd keep trying. The night had just begun after all.
~:~
Sasuke wiped the water off his face with one of the towels before examining himself in the mirror. His cheeks were still flushed and even his ears had gone pink. But he felt a bit more in control of himself now. He'd just slow down on the drinks and eat something. Then maybe he could leave without embarrassing himself any further.
Leaving the bathroom with a sigh, it was pure reflexes that kept him from bumping into someone outside the door. "Sorry," they said quickly and Sasuke froze. "Oh, Sasuke."
Sasuke tried to move around her and said, "Sorry. You can go ahead."
"No. I was getting more drinks," she said showed him the bottles in her hands. Sasuke nodded and felt the words die on his tongue. She hadn't moved and was staring at a spot on his chest. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. There'd been plenty of silences between them before, but it'd never felt so awkward. They'd managed to restore some normality to their relationship after he'd talked to her about his nightmares. But they'd only opened another can of worms when he'd rolled over and woken up on her lap. For a few blissful seconds, he'd stared up at her in admiration and everything was right with the world. He'd actually managed to have pleasant dreams and a restful sleep. But then their positions had fully sunken in.
"Are you having fun?"
"Yeah. It's a good party," he said and hoped that he didn't sound as awkward as he thought he did.
"Thanks. Itachi let me plan it and have it here," she said and smiled.
"He told me Shisui was throwing him a housewarming," Sasuke scoffed.
"At least you were surprised."
He had definitely been surprised. He hadn't expected her to go through so much effort for him. At most, he was expecting his mother to make his favorites for dinner and his family would wish him a happy birthday. "Thank you," he couldn't stop himself from blurting.
She looked up at him in surprise before grinning. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and bounced on her heels. She was saying something else to him, but he wasn't registering the words. His eyes scanned her face, taking in every minute detail. He watched her mouth as she spoke, his eyes catching on her tongue when she licked her lips. He stared at her eyes that seemed to express too many emotions all at once with the long eyelashes framing them. Her bangs were getting long. They were almost in her eyes. He brushed them to the side before he knew what he was doing. Her mouth had stopped moving and she was staring up at him in question. He could feel his heart starting to pound in his chest and his temperature skyrocketed. He could see her lips moving, recognizing the words leaving her lips. "Sasuke?"
This couldn't be natural. He'd tried multiple times to rationalize this pull she had over him, but he'd always failed. She was objectively pretty with her bright and somewhat exotic features and slim yet curvy frame. But he'd seen plenty of pretty women, even some objectively more attractive. But none of them had aroused such a deep attraction. It often felt like he had no control of his body where she was involved. As if her very presence caused him to act in ways he never would with others. "Why is it always you?" he couldn't help but ask. Her brows furrowed in confusion, but his body was already moving before she could respond.
His hands cradled her slender neck, as his lips came down on hers. She had frozen up instantly with a surprised squeak. His hands moved to the back of her neck before his fingers tangled in her hair. He pulled her closer to him, her body heat seeping into him. Idly he could hear the sounds of the bottles shattering just before her hands slid up his chest to his collar. Suddenly, she gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him further down to her level. He tilted his head, leaning more into the kiss just as he felt his back touch the door. Her slim hands were tangling in his hair now as she seemed to be trying to merge their bodies into one.
When he heard her moan softly against his lips, he felt both cold and feverish. He withdrew from her firm hold and stared down at her. Her eyes were still closed, and her fingers rested on his chest. He could smell the alcohol on her breath as she panted softly into the space between them. When her eyes fluttered open, she looked completely dazed. He wasn't sure what to say to begin explaining his actions. He could feel some panic start to form the more time passed. He blurted the first thing that came to mind, "I have to pee."
He could tell that his words hadn't fully registered yet but reached behind him to open the bathroom door and slip inside. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He could hear his heart beating out his chest, as his face flamed, and his lips tingled. He tried to calm his breathing, but he wasn't having much success. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the door.
"Teme!" he heard her shout from the other side of the door before she pounded on the wood.
Sasuke nearly cursed. He should have known that she wouldn't leave him alone after that. After tonight, he was never drinking again. Alcohol impaired his decision making far too much.
"Teme! You can't just kiss someone and then run away!" she shouted and banged on the door. When he heard the chatter of the party die down, Sasuke briefly contemplated throwing himself off the Hokage monument. Suddenly, Sasuke could hear what sounded like Shisui laughing up a storm while Sakura's voice called out (probably so he could hear her), "What an idiot."
"Naruko-chan, please don't break down my door," Itachi called out.
"I wouldn't have to break it down if he'd just open. The. Door!" Naruko shouted and punctuated each shout with a pound of her fist. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke quickly opened the door wide enough to pull her inside before shutting it and locking it with a click. His hand was over her mouth before she could get a word out. Her eyes were blazing and honestly, he saw that coming.
"Keep it down, Usuratonkachi," he hissed. She was glaring at him, but she didn't look like she was going to keep shouting so he released her.
"Why'd you kiss me?" she asked in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper. Sasuke clenched his jaw and looked anywhere but at her. "You shouldn't kiss people when you don't like them that way, Teme."
He stared at her in shock. "Dobe. I wouldn't kiss someone if I didn't like them," he said as if he were insulted by her assumption.
"Then why'd you kiss me?" she asked and folded her arms. Naruko could be a little slow on the uptake and quite dense, and it seemed that alcohol did nothing to help her.
"Why'd you kiss me?" he fired back. Immediately, her face flamed. She avoided his gaze, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head. "This is stupid," he said and approached her again. She froze up for a second but was much quicker to respond to his kiss this time.
"You like me?" she had to ask in a soft voice. "You have a funny way of showing it, Teme. I thought I did something to make you hate me."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You've been avoiding me again. I thought I'd made you mad or something. It's nice that you and Sakura-chan are better friends now, 'ttebayo. But you two were spending time together without me and I know I left for three years-" she rambled. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You know I don't like Sakura. That's obvious, Dobe. She's too annoying, like Itachi. I don't think she likes me that way anymore anyways."
"Oh," she said. Sasuke rolled his eyes at her again. "Well, I like you even though you can be a prickly bastard, 'ttebayo."
"You're not so bad for a loser," he shrugged.
"Teme," she said without heat and stepped up to him. An excited happiness filled him, completely silencing all the guilt, doubt, and fear he'd been harboring. As he leaned down towards her, he felt her hands wrap around his neck and roughly pull him the rest of the way down. She kissed like she did everything else, enthusiastically and instinctually. But he wasn't about to complain.
"Oi! Quit hogging the bathroom! Some people have to take a piss!" Kiba's voice shouted from the hallway outside.
"Kiba-kun!" Hinata objected in a strained voice.
~:~
When Sasuke opened his eyes, he immediately shut them again and groaned. He covered his eyes with a hand and tried to breathe through the nausea rolling through his gut. When he heard a soft thunk, he cracked an eye open. He stared in confusion at the glass of water and the napkin with two pills resting next to his futon. His eyes glanced up to watch Itachi's back as he left the room.
"What happened?" Sasuke croaked through dry mouth.
"You indulged. Don't worry. All of your friends made it home in one piece, I think," Itachi said over his shoulder. Sasuke sat up slowly and blinked at the bare surroundings. It took a few seconds for him to realize that he was in Itachi's guestroom. Sasuke reached for the glass of water and nearly moaned in relief. "Happy birthday, otouto," Itachi said with a smirk. Downing the aspirin with the las of the water, Sasuke returned to the comfort and darkness of the covers with a low groan.
When he opened his eyes again, Sasuke poked his head out from under the covers. He felt remarkably better, but still slightly nauseous. Pulling himself out of bed, he left the room behind and stepped into the living room. You couldn't even tell that there had been a party here last night. Itachi had thoroughly cleaned up and was now sitting at the table with a cup of tea. "There's some food in the fridge if you can keep it down," Itachi said with a small grin.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What's with you?" he asked and shuffled over to the fridge.
"Nothing. I would advise you to speak to Naruko-chan as soon as possible though."
Sasuke frowned. Suspicions raised, Sasuke asked, "Why?"
"Because she has shown up at my door twice already asking for you. I believe she went to the compound looking for you before that. I've done my best to convince her to give you some time to recuperate, but I don't think she'll be turned away again," Itachi said and hid a smirk behind his teacup.
Sasuke was about to question Itachi further when flashes of the previous night came back to him. He could remember groping hands and sloppy kisses in a dark bedroom. Sasuke nearly cursed. "I'm never drinking again," he promised.
"That's probably a wise decision. You two were quite attached when I went to check on you at the end of the party. It was a bit of a hassle to convince Naruko-chan to head home. Sakura-san was very patient with her," Itachi said.
So she hadn't spent the night with him. Sasuke nearly breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he hadn't considered the notion of being intimate with Naruko. But that was a step he wasn't ready for yet. Not only that, but he'd regret it if he was too drunk to remember his first time. A sudden knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Like clockwork," Itachi mused and went to answer the door. "Naruko-chan, come in," he greeted and immediately left them alone.
Sasuke froze at the sight of her. She was glowing, practically bringing the sunlight in with her. She looked no worse for wear, as if she hadn't been throwing back drinks with him last night. He pouted at the bright smile on her face. "Why don't you look like shit?" he huffed.
"The kyuubi treats alcohol like poison and clears it away," she said with a shrug as she stepped up to him. "Ano… do you remember what happened last night? I think I do, but there are some blanks."
"One too many hits to the head," he teased softly while reheating some leftover onigiri.
"Teme," she chided and frowned slightly. She seemed to be warring with herself, her eyes clouding with hesitation and worry. Sasuke stared down at her, wondering what could be going through her head. He watched as she suddenly came to a decision and looked at him with fiery, determination in her eyes. "Sasuke, I like you. You're my best friend and I like you. I don't know why. I just do, 'ttebayo."
It didn't take a genius to see what she wanted from him. After hearing her little speech, there was a part of him that wanted to deny her- refuse to give her any more hold over him. There was another part that envied her ability to say such things so easily. She'd never had an issue with expressing herself and he'd always envied her for it (Rule #66: A shinobi must never show weakness).
If he turned her down like he'd done so many others, she'd get over it eventually. She'd get over it and eventually move on. She'd find someone else, date, marry… Would she have kids? He frowned at the uncomfortable feeling in his chest. A selfish thought suddenly popped into his head, 'Would she have time for him?' Maybe… She still found time for him now. But if she found someone who cared about her half as much as he did…
His hand moved before he could change his mind. With two fingers, he poked at her forehead and said, "Dobe, I told you last night, didn't I?" Her eyes widened comically as a deep flush raced up her neck and covered her entire face. He could almost see the wisps of steam floating off her face. "What the hell are you thinking about?"
"Nothing!" she shouted. She was so obvious he wondered how he hadn't picked up on her attraction to him before. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke cradled her cheeks with his hands, tilted her head up and brought his lips to hers. Maybe he was being selfish. But when Naruko practically threw herself into the kiss while pulling him in, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to care too much.
~Omake~
He wasn't having nightmares anymore. He should be happy by this change, but Sasuke couldn't help but feel like he'd traded nightmares for something far more problematic. Although he couldn't sense anyone behind him, Sasuke quickly glanced over his shoulder. He'd left the lights off and used his sharingan to help him see through the darkness of the house. He read off the settings on the washing machine before selecting "Normal" and tossing in his sheets. The sounds of the washer were soft, but still loud enough to magnify the embarrassment he felt.
Were the nightmares worse? Objectively, yes.
Did it mean that he wanted to sneak around his home in the middle of the night because he didn't want his mother to-
Sasuke frowned deeply. Talking to Naruko had managed to help. She even snuck into his room once or twice to help him fall asleep. He was usually sleeping through the night now, except for nights like these. He'd already had to ban her from sneaking into his room at night. He appreciated the sentiment, but it only made it more embarrassing that she was one still haunting his dreams.
Sasuke froze when the lights suddenly switched on. He could tell who it was by the chakra signature and he refused to turn around despite feeling the heavy gaze on his back. His entire face must be red. When he didn't hear any teasing, Sasuke risked a glance over his shoulder.
Itachi was staring at him, expression blank. After a few seconds, his brother turned around and left the way he came without a word. Sasuke was about to breathe a sigh of relief but then he heard his brother say (a bit dramatically in Sasuke's opinion), "This memory is going to haunt me for the rest of my life."