Disclaimers: Naruto is someone else's, this is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language & angst. Yaoi lemon is also likely ;)
Author Note: This story is slight au. Team 7 is still together, Sasuke never left, & Naruto is still an outcast. This is a SasuNaru tale that I truly hope you enjoy!~
Like Night and Day
A Love Story
~
Prologue
Once upon a time, in a village hidden among strong oaks and melancholy willows, there lived a boy.
Not just any boy though.
This boy was a child of light- with sun kissed skin, thick golden hair, and twinkling blue eyes the color of a cloudless sky. He smiled a brilliant, captivating grin, and laughed with a sound like teased wind chimes on a midsummer day. A perfect image of happiness in the purest form.
There also lived a boy, in the same village, who reflected all that belonged to the night. Porcelain pale skin like moonlight against thick hair the color of a starless evening sky. This boy held coldness in his heart, and a deep darkness in his eyes.
The boy like night was named Sasuke Uchiha, and he was gazed upon the way a child might stare at a shooting star. He was revered as a brilliant shinobi, his talents unheard of for someone so young.
But Sasuke despised the spotlight.
Consumed by shadows in his mind and heart, he preferred solitude. Misery still accompanied him each time he found himself alone, but it was a state he had come to know best- like a toxic old friend.
Sasuke's polar opposite did not fare any better than he did, though you wouldn't know it by the convincing, and quite misleading, smile on his face.
Because despite his warmth, the boy of light was consistently left in the dark.
Naruto Uzumaki's brightness was not appreciated, but rather consistently avoided- like thick curtains drawn to close out the mid morning sun. In fact, many went out of their way to dim the light in his eyes and pull down the grin lifting his scarred cheeks. Naruto continued to shine, each and every day, but his true self stayed hidden.
Because no one wanted to acknowledge the heavy clouds darkening his thoughts, nor did they see the rain filling his deep blue eyes.
No one, that is, but the ever watchful..
child of night.
~
Chapter 1
Villagers watched, their eyes narrowed and filled with hate, as the bright teen walked through the streets. They commented about the "nuisance of Konohagakure" with harsh words and sharp tongues, completely unabashed.
Naruto was a social pariah, an outcast, and an orphan. Who was there to stop them? No one spoke up against the villagers. No one defended the blonde.
Ever.
The brightly clad jinchuriki had always hoped the people of the Hidden Leaf would see the good in him, would be dazzled by his smile, wooed by his cheerfulness.
But they only ever saw the monster.
In their eyes, Naruto was nothing more than a useless vessel harboring the dangerous Kyubi no Yoko- the Nine Tailed Fox Demon. The way they saw it, the very creature that had tormented their village had been welcomed into it.
"How long do they expect us to deal with him?"
"He's always been a fucking pest.. but at least before he was just a snot-nosed kid. But now.."
"Do you know they are actually teaching the beast how to fight with his Nine Tails chakra? I heard that he's even being trained to become a sage! What kind of idiot teaches a monster that?! Don't they know what they're risking here?"
"We should have killed him off when he was still young.."
Thick golden strands drooped forward, shielding Naruto's pained expression.
Why.., he thought, swallowing down the tears gathering in the back of his throat, why is it always like this? Why..?
He didn't want to prove them right.. didn't want to lash out and scare the villagers. But it hurt. It fucking hurt. And they never stopped.
Never.
No one dared to contradict them, or maybe they saw no reason to. It seemed to be the village consensus that Naruto Uzumaki was a problem to be dealt with. That the Hidden Leaf, and all who lived there, would only benefit from his demise.
Naruto was desperate to prove himself. He wanted so badly to show them that he belonged. But he wasn't a quick study like Sasuke, or popular like Sakura, and he didn't have anyone in his life to coach him through things. He was so horribly alone, and he couldn't help but feel it in every mistake he made, every misstep, every struggle. He coated it over with a grin, or a boisterous declaration of perseverance, but lately the mask was wearing thin.
Naruto tried to push the villagers' words from his mind, but he could feel them festering in the background as he drew closer to Team 7s usual meeting place. He plastered on a light smile, hoping it would be just as convincing as all of his other fake ones.
"Hey, Sakura-chan!"
Even to his own ears his voice sounded strained, but she didn't seem to notice.
Sakura yawned loudly. "Ughhh..how can you be so cheerful in the morning?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. His throat clicked and he quickly looked away to hide his discomfort.
"I guess ignorance really is bliss.." Sakura muttered, turning her back to him once more. "Must be nice.."
Naruto bit his tongue.
He glanced over and was surprised to find their raven-haired comrade watching him closely. Naruto blinked, and even managed to catch his eye, but he had yet to look away.
"Why are you staring at me like that, Teme?" he asked suspiciously.
Dark obsidian eyes narrowed, but Sasuke seemed otherwise unperturbed.
It was.. unsettling.
Sasuke was always impossible to read. He kept his face smooth and emotionless, his eyes a consistent frigid temperature, and his replies limited to "hn" and a handful of insults only ever meant for the blonde.
Naruto had tried to connect with the Uchiha when they were kids, but it had not gone well. Even to this day, they couldn't seem to get along. It shouldn't be surprising though.
The two were like night and day, after all.
Sasuke was well-mannered, quiet, composed, beloved by the town.. while Naruto was abrasive, avoided, and despised. Sasuke's skills were unmatched, and Naruto's endless efforts got him no where.
Sasuke was more than a dark past in the eyes of the villagers.
Naruto was not.
These polar opposites had attracted for one incredibly brief moment, but even the laws of nature couldn't keep them together.
It was late afternoon many, many years ago when Naruto had first worked up the courage to talk to Sasuke. He knew him to be the town favorite, but he also couldn't help but notice that he was always on his own. Just like him.
A glimmer of hope shined through the murky grey clouds. He's just like me. Maybe.. maybe he'll talk to me, he thought.
Maybe I'll finally get to have a friend..
It was that thought that got his feet moving.
After watching the rest of the kids leave the Academy grounds with their families, Naruto took a deep breath and slowly approached him..
"Hi.."
He held up a hand, smiling shyly at the other boy.
The raven just stared blankly at him.
Naruto twisted his hands in the hem of his shirt as he struggled to find the right words. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
What if he's just like everyone else.. he suddenly thought. What if he hurts me..
But.. he's alone a lot too.
The Uchiha stared in silence as the small blonde nibbled on his lip and pulled at his long blonde hair.
"Umm.. I'm Naruto."
He peered up at the raven, hoping for kindness, anticipating disgust, but he found neither. They other boy was just standing there, quietly watching him.
Naruto swallowed, feeling nervous. "Umm.. would you want to.. to play? With me..?"
Tears continued to fill his eyes as the silence dragged out, until a firm pale hand suddenly reached out and grasped his own.
"Huh?" Naruto looked up with wide cerulean eyes.
"Ok, Naruto. Let's play."
A brilliant smile lit up the blonde's face as a rush of real happiness swirled in his gut and curled in the tips of his toes. "Woah- really?! Ok, let's play, Sasuke!"
The hand around his own tightened. "You know me?"
The blonde nodded. "Mmm hmm. You're in my class! Let's be friends, ok?"
A small light bloomed in obsidian irises. "Ok."
The two had run off, hand in hand, matching smiles on their polar opposite faces, when a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Naruto by the arm, forcing them to a stop.
Naruto winced as the grip tightened. "Hey, why are you-"
He looked up into hate filled eyes and his complaint snagged in his throat.
"W-wait.. I-"
He was forcefully torn away from Sasuke and struck across the face. Naruto flew back, crashing to the ground in a trembling heap.
Sasuke moved to go to him, but the person stepped in his way. "You are never to go off with that monster again."
Sasuke glared up at the man bearing down on him, shading his eyes from the blinding sun. "I don't care what you think" he said coldly.
The man sneered.
"Maybe not.. but he will."
He shoved the raven-haired boy back and into the arms of another man, who quickly pinned his arms to his side, rendering him immobile.
"What are you doing?! Let- let me go!"
He tried to sound brave. He wanted to sound brave. But after what Itachi had done.. terror consumed every inch of his mind, and now.. being restrained like this-
Naruto saw the fear in his friend's eyes and pushed himself up, wiping blood away with the back of his hand. He glared up at the men.
"Leave Sasuke alone!"
The man closest to him kicked Naruto back down to the ground and dropped his foot on his chest, locking him in place. "Watch your tone, beast." He dug his heel into the boy's chest, grinning wickedly as he cried out in pain.
"Ahhh!! St-stop!"
Pain flared through him as the man bore down. "I already warned you" he growled.
He raised his foot and slammed it back down, hard. A sharp snap echoed through the grounds. Naruto threw his head back and screamed, a gut wrenching sound that pierced the air and dropped heavily in Sasuke's gut.
"No! Naruto!!"
He fought to free himself, but was easily overpowered. The man kept the his arms apart, ensuring that he couldn't use a jutsu to save his friend.
Naruto's abuser eyed the Uchiha, then reached down and yanked the blonde to his feet. Naruto shook violently in his grasp, tears streaming down his face.
The man smirked, then grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and jerked the boy's head back.
Naruto cried out. "D-don't.." he breathed, choking back a sob.
The man met Sasuke's eyes. "Not until he promises to stay the fuck away from you, demon."
"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke screamed.
The man's eyes hardened. "We don't need anymore of our people falling victim to this monster. Whether you realize it or not, kid, we're doing you a favor."
Naruto gasped as the fist tightened in his hair. He could barely breath. His chest was on fire. He didn't know how much longer he could take this. But.. he couldn't lose his only friend..
"Sa-Sasuke is my friend.." he said weakly.
The man looked down. "Is that so.."
Without warning he grabbed Naruto's wrist and snapped it.
A high-pitched shriek tore out of Naruto's throat, echoing through the grounds. Sasuke screamed with him, but that wasn't the answer the man wanted from him.
He grabbed Naruto's other wrist.
"Wait!! WAIT!" Sasuke met Naruto's wide cerulean eyes, seeing the light quickly fading from them.
He didn't have a choice.
"I.. I swear. I- I won't have anything to do with him again.."
New tears slipped down Naruto's scarred cheeks. "But Sasuke.."
The raven looked away.
The man studied him closely. "We'll be keeping a close eye on you, Sasuke Uchiha. If you know what's good for you, and for this fucker," he jerked Naruto's head back further, eyes flashing as the blonde whimpered in his grasp, "-you'll keep your word. I won't go so easy on him next time."
The Uchiha bit his lip, then gave a small nod.
I'm sorry, Naruto..
The man gave him a look of approval, then threw Naruto to the side. He crashed to the ground, where he curled up tight, cradling his broken wrist.
"I- I ju-just wanted a friend.." he cried.
The man stared down at him, completely unaffected by the boy's pain.
"Monsters don't deserve friends."
Then he stomped down onto his head, and watched as the blonde's eyes rolled back and his body went limp.
Sasuke's arms were finally released, and the two casually walked away. Sasuke debated going after them, but knew Naruto needed his immediate help. He waited until they were out of sight before dropping to his knees at the blonde's side. He was alive, but unconscious and badly beaten.
"H-help.." Sasuke cried. "Someone please, h-help me..!"
He managed to convince a passing stranger to bring Naruto to the hospital, where he dumped him unceremoniously- not in the least bit concern. Rage flared through the Uchiha's body, sending adrenaline coursing through his veins.
How can they be like this to him?!
Why doesn't anyone care?
Even with their obvious distaste for the blonde boy, at least the medics still did their job. Naruto's listless body was quickly carted off and after a moment of sharp grief, Sasuke left- ready to keep his promise.
To abandon Naruto..
.. in order to protect the first friend he ever had from facing that kind of pain again.
Naruto woke up alone and afraid in the hospital the next day. No one ever came to visit him, and after a few days he was sent on his way. He tried to talk to Sasuke several times after that, but the raven refused to have anything to do with him.
He shut him out- like everyone else.
And after a while, Naruto learned to just accept it.
Sasuke kept an eye on him, but he knew he couldn't get close. And when it felt like they were starting to, he lashed out like everyone else- pushing the blonde away.
Hurting him.. so no one else would.
Over time, Naruto found a way to hide his sorrows. A bright forced smile replaced the broken look on his face, his loud declarations replaced his heart wrenching sobs, and their petty rivalry replaced a friendship that never stood a chance.
But lately, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the cracks in Naruto's facade.
It worried him.
"You're.. different today" Sasuke finally said, careful to keep his tone flat.
Naruto noticed the concern in his eyes, and forced back the emotions rushing to the surface. "What do you care.." he mumbled.
Anger rushed through the Uchiha. He knew he was supposed to make Naruto think that way, but he still couldn't stand being accused of it. Especially as his feelings grew in a completely different direction.
Stay blank, he told himself, stay numb.
But it wasn't working.
Why does he have this kind of effect on me?
Sasuke walked up to the dejected blonde, stepping close.
Cerulean eyes widened. "Sasuke..?"
Before he could think it through, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's chin and forced his head up. "You know nothing about how I feel."
Naruto stared at him, completely speechless.
"Sasuke! What happened? Did Naruto do something to you?" Sakura called out, moving towards them.
"Sakura" he called over, never taking his eyes off the blonde, "tell Kakashi that Naruto and I are training separately today."
The girl stopped. "What? But Sasuke-!"
He jerked his head towards her, eyes burning. "Do as I say."
Sakura flinched. "Oh. Uhh-ok.."
Sasuke released Naruto's face, grabbed his arm, and, ignoring his protests, yanked him further into the woods.
Sakura stared after the two, completely confused.
"What the hell was that..?"
Author Note:
I don't know.. I'm trying something. I hope it's not terrible. I mean, either way I guess we're gonna find out!
Wish me luck! ;)