It was a dark and stormy day in the village. It was clear to everyone that it was getting ready to rain. As the villagers hustled to make it to shelter before the rain started one villager took his time. Who was that villager? None other than Sasuke Uchiha he looked up as he heard a loud crack of thunder and saw lighting light up the skies above him, Saskue smiled to himself bitterly this should have been the time that Naruto would say "Teme your attitude matches the sky you know all dark and broody" to which Sasuke would roll his eyes and keep walking, but Naruto wasn't there…he wasn't anywhere to be found.
Flash Back:
Naruto had been sent on a very dangerous mission and he hadn't come back yet nor had he been heard from…that was almost a week ago. Sasuke had known that the Dobe was perfectly capable of taking care of himself but that didn't make him worry any less, after three days passed since Naruto should have returned there was talk about a rescue mission but the elders shut that down as quick as the idea was brought up. They still seen Naruto as a threat even though he'd done nothing to provoke those thoughts, once Sasuke heard that the task force for finding Naruto had been shot down he made his way to his and Naruto's shared home and began to pack if the bastards in the village weren't going to find Naruto then he would! As Sasuke made his way home he was encountered by the only person in the world who could stop him…his big brother Itachi Uchiha, Itachi had heard from his best friend who was set to be in the task force that the mission was a no go and that he needed to keep an eye on Sasuke…how right he'd been.
"Sasuke, where'd you think you're going?" Itachi asked as he looked down at his baby brother
"T-There not going after him 'Tachi! I can't leave him out there all alone" Sasuke said as he tried to keep his emotion in check, Sasuke prided himself on being able to hide his emotions but after dating Naruto for as long as he had the Dobe had managed to slowly break him down and showed him it was ok to let things out…even if it was only around certain people. Itachi let out a sigh, he knew that his little brother was scared, he knew that he loved Naruto and knowing he was missing and the village that Naruto loved so much wasn't doing anything to find him was breaking his little brother down.
"Sasuke you can't go after him and you know it" Itachi said as he pulled the young raven into a hug
"Someone has too" Sasuke said sadly as he buried his face deeper into his brother's chest as he was on the verge of tears
"You know Naruto can handle himself…I'm sure there's a good explanation for why he isn't back yet" Itachi said as he tried to comfort for emotional teenager in his arms
End of Flashback:
As another crack of lighting let loose Sasuke was snapped out of his thoughts, it had been three weeks since Naruto vanished and everyone was starting to give up hope for his return, Sasuke had pleaded with the Hokage and the Elders to send a rescue team or just himself but he got the same answer every time. As the sky opened up and rain began to fall Sasuke couldn't help but to let his tears fall as well. He was trying to be strong but he was a ninja too. He knew most likely Naruto was dead and with that Sasuke broke…he dropped to his knees and cried. Why did Naruto have to take that mission? Why couldn't someone else take it? How could Naruto leave him? Sasuke was so was deep in his mental breakdown that he didn't feel someone pick him up and start walking with him, he didn't notice that he was no longer getting pelted by the rainfall or that someone was drying him off, when he finally heard someone call his name he snapped his head up to see Itachi looking down at him with worried filled eyes.
"How'd I get here" Sasuke asked hoarsely
"I carried you here…you were in the middle of the street crying" Itachi said as he sat down beside the raven
"Thank you" Sasuke said as he looked down at his hands
"Squirt I think you've came to the same realization as I have" Itachi said
"He's dead" Sasuke said just above a whisper while a tear slid down his face
"I believe so, yes" Itachi said as he pulled Sasuke closer to him, he held his brother until he had cried himself to sleep.
Time Skip 2 Weeks Later:
It had been a miserable two weeks for Sasuke he had finally accepted that Naruto was gone forever, Itachi had been trying to keep Sasuke busy so he wouldn't sit in the house all day and the young rave was getting sick of it, he knew Itachi meant well but he just wanted to lay in bed and cry and mourn the loss of the love of his life. Everyone had been coming up to him or calling him to give their condolences but Sasuke was sick of that too he just wanted to get away for a little bit. Sasuke got out of bed and got dressed he was going to a 'mourning' vacation in another village, somewhere that people wouldn't be constantly coming up to him to remind him of what he lost…Sasuke packed a bag and made his way to the Hokage's office to put in the request once there he ran right into Lady Tsunade she looked at him and seen that they had matching red rimmed eyes.
"I need to speak with you please" Sasuke said, she nodded and they went into her office as she sat in her chair she noticed a bag in Sasuke's hand
"Sasuke we've been over this…you can't go out looking for him" Tsunade said with her voice wavering at the end
"I'm not going to look for him" Sasuke said as he looked down at the bag full of clothes
"Then why do you have a bag packed?" Tsunade asked
"I need you to approve my request for vacation….I need to get out of the village for a little while…I-I need to clear my head and I can't do that here" Sasuke said
"And why can't you can't do that here?" Tsunade asked even though she knew the answer
"BECAUSE EVERYTHING REMINDS ME OF HIM" Sasuke screamed as he let tears flow down his face
"Sasuke.." Tsunade tried but was cut off
"NO! You wouldn't let me go look for him, you wouldn't let anyone go look for him! What if he was hurt and we could've saved him if only you would have sent someone after him?" Sasuke said as he dropped the bag on the floor and stepped closer to the desk
"I begged you to let me go look for him but you wouldn't…and now…now he's gone" Sasuke said as he tried to wipe away the steady stream of tears that were flowing down his face
"What if I had let you go after him and he was already dead when you or if you found him? What then Sasuke?" Tsunade spat back at the heartbroken teen in front of her, he acted like she didn't miss Naruto too
"If he would have already been dead when I found him at least I could've brought him home…at least I could have giving him a proper funeral" Sasuke said with sadness and hate laced in his voice
"Sasuke.." Tsunade tried again but was cut off
"Look, are you going to approve my request or not? Standing here yelling back and forth isn't going to bring him back" Sasuke said as he picked up his bag, Tsunade sighed she knew he was right yelling about what should have been done wasn't going to help anything…she looked over the scroll that had the request on it and signed it.
"I'll see you in two weeks" Tsunade said as she handed the scroll back to Sasuke he took it and headed out the office. As soon as he walked out of the Hokage building he saw Itachi he didn't want to tell him he was leaving over text so this worked out he walked over to his brother who was walking with his friend Kisame.
"'Tachi I'm glad I ran into you…hey Kisame" Sasuke said
"Hey squirt…hey are you ok? You look like you've been crying" Itachi said as he lifted Sasuke's chin up
"Yeah I'm fine…me and Tsunade had a meeting and it got kind of emotional but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about" Sasuke said
"Ok what's up then?" Itachi asked
"I asked for some vacation time so I'll be gone for two weeks…and before you say anything I'm not going to look for him…I just need to get out of the village for a little bit so I can think clearly " Sasuke said as he hoped Itachi wouldn't put up a fuss with him leaving
"Sasuke…are you sure that you're going to be ok?" Itachi asked worry evident in his voice
"I'll be fine…I love you..I'll call you when I get there ok?" Sasuke said as he gave his brother a hug and walked away before Itachi could struck out of the village he didn't really have a destination in mind he figured he'd know when he made it to the place he planned on staying at….before he knew it Sasuke had managed to make it three towns away it was getting dark so he figured he would settle down for the night, he made his way to a little inn and checked into a room he took a hot shower and got dressed in his night clothes and fell asleep to his memories of Naruto. The next morning Sasuke laid in bed well past the time he normally would it was the fact that he didn't have to put on a brave face or have to be polite to anyone that tried to made him feel better, he could just feel what he was feeling without anyone trying to take his mind off of what happened he could mourn the lost of his Dobe…Sasuke looked at his phone and shot his brother a text letting him know that he was ok and he went to his photos he started scrolling through the many pictures he had of Naruto and himself then he started to cry, knowing that the only time he would see that smile would be when he looked at pictures he clutched the phone to his chest and sobbed until there were no more tears to cry. This went on for a week and a half Sasuke waking up letting Itachi know he was ok then looking at pictures and crying himself to sleep..he hardly ate the only thing that he didn't give up was showering and brushing his teeth. Sasuke looked at his phone's calendar and seen that he only had two days left before he had to go back home so he decided to at least try to do something besides stay in his room the whole time, after getting dressed Sasuke walked out of the inn and started into the village they were getting ready for some type of festival that night so people were hurrying around and not watching where they stepped. Sasuke was looking for a restaurant to eat at when he was suddenly knocked to the ground before he could open his mouth to yell at whoever knocked him down he saw feet in front of him, he looked up and saw a short brown haired woman standing in front of him holding her hand out.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you standing there…and oh my gosh are you ok?" asked the girl as she helped Sasuke off the ground, when he looked at her ready to yell he stopped. She was still babbling about how she didn't see him and some other nonsense that he couldn't quite make out. Sasuke couldn't help but think about Naruto while looking at the girl who was still babbling on..instantly Sasuke's anger washed away and a small smile work it's way onto his face he thought about all the times that Naruto did the exact same thing and just how accident prone he is…well…was. The brown haired girl was still talking when Sasuke cut her off.
"Hey…it's ok..really I'm fine" Sasuke said
"Are you sure?" asked the girl
"Yes I'm sure…just be careful next time" Sasuke said
"I will I promise….OH where are my manners my name is Akari" said the girl as she stuck her hand out to shake with Sasuke
"I'm Sasuke" said the raven
"Um well once again I'm really sorry about knocking into you but I have to finish helping my mom set up for the festival" Akari said
"It's fine..have a good festival" Sasuke said as he started to turn around and walk away but was stopped when he heard Akari yell for him
"Hey Sasuke! Um, would you maybe want to go to the festival with me? As friends I mean I could show you around..you know if you'd like" Akari said with blushing cheeks
"Festivals aren't really my thing" Sasuke started to say but was cut off by the bouncing girl in front of him
"Oh come on it's not that bad" Akari said while looking at Sasuke, he really didn't want to go but then he remembered that Naruto loved festivals seeing all the lights and games and of course the food, Sasuke sighed this girl reminded him so much of Naruto not that anyone could ever take his place but maybe it wouldn't hurt to hangout with the girl for the night, maybe he could pretend she was Naruto and his heart wouldn't hurt as much.
"Ok…I guess we can check it out for a few hours" Sasuke said as he watched the girl bounce up and down in excitement…just like Naruto use to do
"Great! So um want to meet here at say 7?" Akari asked, Sasuke nodded and the two parted ways. He finally got something to eat and then headed back to his room before it was time to meet up with Akari. Once inside his room Sasuke's phone rang he knew by the ringtone it was Itachi
'Hey 'Tachi" Sasuke said as sat down on the bed
"Hey squirt how are you doing?" Itachi asked
"As good as I can be I guess….I've only cried once today" Sasuke said
"That's good! Does that mean you're ready to come back to the village?" Itachi asked hopefully
"Yes…I'll be heading back tomorrow if I don't stay at the festival to late" Sasuke said
"Festival? You hate festivals" Itachi said now slightly confused
"I know but I was bowled over today by this girl and…" Sasuke started then stopped in the moment his idea about pretending Akari was Naruto sounded good but now that he was getting ready to tell Itachi it finally seemed to hit him with just how much of a bad idea this was
"And? What were you going to say?" Itachi asked
"If I tell you don't get mad at me" Sasuke said, he could've tried to lie about why he was going to the festival but Itachi always managed to get the truth out of him so really there was no point in lying
"I won't get mad..now tell me what's going on" Itachi said switching into protective mode
"So this girl knocked me down today and she…she reminds me so much of Naruto….I mean she doesn't look like him or anything but her personality is just like his was" Sasuke said
"Ok but that still doesn't explain why your going to a festival" Itachi said as he was trying to see where his little brother was going with the conversation
"Well she asked me to the festival and at first I said no….but then she asked again and I started thinking about how much Naruto loved these types of things and I thought that…well…well maybe I could go and just pretend she's Naruto for the night" Sasuke said feeling ashamed of himself for trying to pretend that someone else was his Dobe, Sasuke heard his brother sigh into the phone
"Sasuke…pretending she's him isn't going to make you feel better" Itachi said softly
"I know…it seemed like a good idea at the time but now that I've heard it outloud I know it's wrong" Sasuke said
"Look go to the festival and be honest with her so she's not led on…and try to have a good time…if not for yourself then do it for Naruto" Itachi said he could hear Sasuke sniffling on the other end
"Ok 'Tachi…um I have to go I told her I'd meet her at 7" Sasuke said as he wiped away tears, once he and Itachi got off the phone Sasuke washed his face and made his way back into town, he had made it to the spot that he met Akari at and soon heard someone call his name out
"Sasuke! Hey I'm so glad that you showed up" Akari said as she bounced up and down
"Yeah…um look I have to tell you something before the night starts" Sasuke said
"Oh? What is it?" Akari asked while cocking her head to the side
"Um…I think your a nice girl but my boyfriend just very recently passed away and you kind of remind me of him and that's why I agreed to go to the festival" Sasuke said while looking at Akari who just blinked
"I'm really sorry that you lost your boyfriend" Akari said as she walked closer to Sasuke
"You're not mad or like freaked out?" Sasuke asked
"No..I know what it's like to lose someone you care about…when I lost my boyfriend it took me a long time to move past it everyone around me kept trying to keep me busy so I wouldn't think about it but when something like that happens it doesn't matter what your doing..all that's on your mind is the person that you loss" Akari said as she grabbed Sasuke's hand
"Your totally off the hook if you don't want to go tonight…but if you do and if your comfortable with it I'd really like to hear about your boyfriend..especially if I remind you of him" Akari smiled and tightened her grip on Sasuke's hand as he nodded and gave a small smile back. The two start walking down the streets of the village looking at all the beautiful lights and vendors that were set up, they made small talk and laughed and Sasuke felt free for once since his life fell apart he didn't feel sadness or anger he felt normal.
"Hey it's getting kind of loud, you wanna see something cool?" Akari asked Sasuke nodded and then was led off by Akari pulling him through the crowd. After a few minutes they reached a hill after a few minutes of climbing they sat at the top. Looking down they could see the whole village lit up and when they looked up they seen stars shining bright they set in silence for a few seconds before Sasuke spoke
"Thank you…for well everything" Sasuke said
"Your welcome…if you're ok with it could you tell me about your boyfriend?"Akari asked hesitantly
"His name was Naruto and he was the most annoying loudmouth idiot there was but he was also the most caring and genuine person you would ever meet. He always made everyone around him smile no matter what the situation was he always had the brightest outlook on life, he lost his parents the day he was born so he basically was on his own and he never let that turn him into a bad person, he always wanted to help people even when they pushed him away he was stubborn and pushed back until he made them accept his help. He was the person that no matter what you could always count on him, he saved me from myself so many times and I never thanked him for it…I remember the day he left I was to busy to give him a kiss and tell him that I loved him" Sasuke said as he looked up at the sky wondering if Naruto was watching him from above
"Sounds like he was a wonderful person…but what made me remind you of him?" Akari asked
"Because your so light hearted and when you knocked me down earlier the way you babbled on because you was nervous is the exact same thing he did and he loved festivals" Sasuke said as he finally looked at Akari
"Do you have a picture of him?" she asked as she watched Sasuke pull out his phone and go to his photos. A few seconds later he had a picture of Naruto pulled up. He looked at it for a second and then gave the phone to Akari. Her eyes widened and she looked at Sasuke
"Wait this..this is your boyfriend?" Akari asked as she started getting up
"Yeah that's Naruto..why what's wrong?" Sasuke asked not understanding what was going on
"You have to come with me now!" Akari said as she grabbed Sasuke's wrist they ran all the way back into town dodging people in the crowded streets Sasuke had kept asking what was wrong but received no reply just a harder grip on his wrist after a few minutes they stopped running. Sasuke jerked his arm away from Akari who was trying to catch her breath
"What the hell? Where are we and why wouldn't you tell me where we're going?" Sasuke asked angrily at Akari who simply pointed to the building they were standing in front of, in big red letters 'HOSPITAL' was on the sign out front but Sasuke was still so confused he waited for Akari to breathe normally again before he started talking
"Akari, why are we here?" Sasuke asked
"I need to show you something" Akari said as she started into the hospital with Sasuke behind her, they walked down long hallways until they reached an elevator once inside Akari hit the button for the floor level they needed to go to
"Seriously what are we doing here" Sasuke asked yet again he was getting annoyed and yet again no reply, Sasuke heard a ding from the elevator signaling that they had reached their floor they stepped off and Akari took Sasuke by the hand gently and walked with him down a hallway
"Akari will you please tell me why were here" Sasuke asked almost pleading at this point
"He's here" Akari said and Sasuke's heart dropped to his stomach while tears filled his eyes
"W-What do you mean he's here" Sasuke said as tears started rapidly falling down his face
"Go see for yourself" Akari said as she opened the door, Sasuke walked in the dimly lit room and there laying in a bed on his side fast asleep was Naruto. Akari turned on the lights and Naruto began to stir
"Is it time for a blood pressure check already?" Naruto mumbled while barely cracking his eyes open. Sasuke smiled and let out a breath
"Dobe"
Alrighty so it's been a minute since I've written anything I'm thinking about, maybe turning this into a chapter story or leaving it as is. So hope you enjoyed it, please review and let me know what you think :)