AN: Hey everyone! This is just a short one-shot that came to me the other day. Don't know if I'll ever expand on this or not, just a little something that popped into my head wanted to be written. I've only recently gotten into Naruto so please forgive me if some of my facts are a little off. I hope you like it!
Why Do I Watch Him?
The question occurred to him just moments ago when he caught sight of blond hair and that loud, orange jumpsuit. "Why do I watch him?" Sasuke asked himself. He didn't have an answer but even now, his eyes followed Naruto's every movement.
It was early morning and he'd been on his way to do some training when he caught sight of the blond locks. Without thinking, Sasuke began following Naruto. They left the city and entered the woods without Naruto ever knowing that he was being followed. Effortlessly, Sasuke jumped up into a tree and continued following Naruto until they were out of sight of the village. "He should know that he's being followed, a ninja should have felt eyes tracking his every move." Sasuke muttered. He wanted to call Naruto a loser like he used to but he couldn't. He couldn't call him a loser after watching him do everything in his power to save Sakura and himself from Gaara.
Naruto had displayed a power that Sasuke felt should not have been possible. How and when did he become so strong? A power like that should have been his! But…it wasn't. He had been helpless to help Sakura. The damn curse mark had made it almost impossible for him to move but it if Sasuke was being honest with himself, even if he'd had all his power at his disposal, he still couldn't have defeated Gaara.
Below him Naruto began exercising. Two hours of intense exercising and then he did his best jutsu – Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. Naruto sparred with himself until he was the only one left. Three hours of fighting and the boy was lying prone on the ground. He wasn't done. Rising Naruto then pulled out scrolls and went through them one by one practicing hand signs. The sun was high in the sky announcing that afternoon had arrived before Naruto began to pack up his things and headed back to town.
The village was in various stages of repair. There was a lot to do in the aftermath of the Sound and Sand attack. Missions had pretty much been put on hold as most of the Genin were helping their families repair their homes. He and Naruto were different. They didn't have families and so were left to do whatever they wanted.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke was far enough away that Naruto couldn't see him but he could see who had just approached Naruto. It was the Hokage's grandson. The boy looked upset, he had after all just lost his grandfather but as Sasuke watched them – something changed.
Naruto put a hand on the boy's shoulder and began walking with him. Konohamaru stood straighter, his face brightened and he looked up at Naruto with admiration and respect. They walked a little further and soon both were laughing. Shortly the boy took off running but not before turning and waving at Naruto. There was a thoughtful look on Naruto's face as he watched the boy then hands in his pockets, he went on his way.
What words did Naruto use to chase the boy's sadness away? Naruto had never lost anyone. Naruto had never had anybody to lose!
Konohamaru was constantly exposed to the village's most elite shinobi. Not only that but he was being personally tutored by a Jonin yet he chose Naruto as his role model. Why? What was there about Naruto that had the probable next Hokage looking up to him?
Smelling food, Sasuke's paid attention to where Naruto was leading him. Of course, Naruto was going to his favorite ramen shop. The team had often eaten there. Naruto walked as if he didn't have a care in the world but Sasuke knew that wasn't true. Many people watched him as he went by. Some stopped working when they saw the bright orange clothes. Hate. Complete and utter hate for Naruto showed on their faces. Sasuke couldn't understand it. Naruto was twelve and there was no way he could have done anything to these adults that could make them look at him that way. It was incomprehensible.
"Oh no! Somebody save my baby!" A rope hauling up wood had come loose and a small child was playing directly under the falling wood. Adults rushed to get the child but a flash of blond and orange zipped by them and the wood crashed to the ground burying the child.
The mother screamed and the people standing nearby looked on in shock. They were too late.
"Hey baby!" Naruto held the baby up and tickled him to keep him from crying. The child was about one year old and it laughed delightedly down at Naruto. Naruto smiled at the child and without looking at anyone, walked over to the stunned mother. "He's fine. Here you go." Naruto felt the baby being snatched from his arms. He frowned for a second, shrugged and turned to go on his way.
"Bye-bye!" The baby called out and Naruto turned to wave to the baby. He saw grudging looks of thanks on several faces but no one spoke, many turned and went about clearing up the wood.
Sasuke felt anger. Not even the mother had thanked Naruto. Even knowing how the people felt about him, he'd acted instinctively and saved that child. He'd gotten nothing, no words or even a nod. Yet Naruto acted like nothing happened. Sasuke looked with disdain at those people as he passed them. Many smiled and spoke to him but he ignored the hypocrites.
"I guess it doesn't get to him so much any more, not after being treated this way all his life." Sasuke said as he moved closer to Naruto. He stopped and bought a few meat buns to eat when Naruto entered the ramen stand. It was there that Naruto received a friendly greeting from adults.
Sasuke couldn't see Naruto's face from where he was standing but he knew the boy's blue eyes were lit with excitement. It happened every time an adult paid him any genuine attention. Between mouthfuls of noodles, Naruto chatted with the owner and waitress. He heard them laugh and knew that they weren't laughing at Naruto but with him.
The behavior of the adults in the village never failed to puzzle him where Naruto was concerned or himself for that matter. Sasuke thought of his brother who had killed his entire clan but him. People should be scared or wary of him too but they weren't. Why did they admire and praise him and despise Naruto?
"Thanks see later! I'll probably go train some more since everybody is busy."
"Okay then. See you at suppertime!"
Naruto began walking again and Sasuke fell in behind him. Sasuke didn't realize how much time Naruto spent training but he shouldn't be surprised because he did the same. The only reason he hadn't done so today was because he was so fascinated by Naruto. Sasuke had to figure out how he'd gained so much power.
Again he walked for a long time before stopping by the river. It was flowing swiftly but safe enough for any strong swimmer. Sasuke watched Naruto strip to his shorts and jump in. Naruto dove out of sight and was gone for an impressive amount of time. Sasuke wondered if he'd have to go in to save him when the boy's blond hair broke the surface.
Naruto floated for a few minutes regaining his breath then began to swim back and forth across the width of the water. He did nothing but swim for two hours but it was a strenuous workout because he was fighting the current the whole time. Sasuke made up his mind to add swimming to his own routine.
Finally out of breath, Naruto pulled himself up onto the shore and collapsed. Shortly, he was sleeping. Sasuke jumped down from the tree he was in and crept closer to the sleeping boy.
He looked so innocent in sleep, just a tired boy. When awake, Naruto was loud, annoying and occasionally clumsy. Most times, he was the most inept shinobi Sasuke had ever seen but that just wasn't true. He'd spent enough time around Naruto to learn to never underestimate him. Whenever it looked like Naruto was down or helpless, he dragged himself up, stared his enemy down and called up this enormous power from nowhere to save his friends.
Naruto had nothing and no one. Very few adults were kind to him and the other students tended to look down on him yet…He moaned in his sleep – something about ramen.
Sasuke couldn't help but smile as he backed away and up to his perch. Naruto was dreaming of food. Sasuke leaned into the tree and stared up at the clouds and let himself doze. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto… Naruto the grinning idiot. Naruto the klutz. Naruto the fighter. Naruto the hero.
These thoughts and various memories flashed before Sasuke's eyes. Each one was Naruto. Each different part made up the whole. They had spent a great deal apart because he, Sasuke had been in the hospital and then training for the Chunin Exams. Naruto had changed in that short time and Sasuke wanted to know how and why. Apparently he'd missed much. Naruto had beaten Kiba and Akamaru but the biggest surprise was that he'd beaten Neji. Neji, said to be the strongest Genin in years but Naruto had laid him out! HOW? Where did that strength come from? Was it because he was alone in the world? But if that was the case, where's MY strength?!
"Whoa! What a nice nap!" Naruto had woken up and was talking to the birds around him. "Did I sleep very long? I don't think so." He stood and dressed. "What to do next? It's still too early for ramen. I wonder what Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi-Sensei are doing? Probably helping out in the village. That pervy Sage has disappeared too." Naruto sat down and watched the birds search for bugs. Those blue eyes looked a little sad and lost for a few minutes before Naruto surged to his feet. "Well, they've got stuff to do and I need more training, so I might as well get to it!"
Sasuke felt a little sorry for Naruto as he watched him practice some taijutsu but then he felt sorry for himself because if he wasn't here watching Naruto, he'd be doing the exact same thing.
Naruto stopped. "That's it. I just feel too restless to train anymore. Might as well head back." Naruto washed up in the river and headed back to town.
Sasuke found himself wanting to go talk to Naruto but about what? They were teammates more than friends. Quietly he trailed Naruto back into town. After a while, Sasuke noticed they were heading towards the academy.
"Naruto! Hey Naruto! We just about to go looking for you!" Sakura yelled out to Naruto, waving.
It was the rookies – all of them. Sakura, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Lee, Neji, Ten-Ten, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba. The only ones missing were Naruto and Sasuke.
"Hey guys! What's up?" Naruto looked excited.
"Our parents told us to go out and have some fun and we all ended up here. It was too quiet so we were going to look for you - the loudest ninja around." Shikamaru said grinning, moving to stand next to him.
"Where's Sasuke?" Ino asked before Sakura could.
"I haven't seen him." Naruto answered.
He watched from the other side of the school building. They had been looking for Naruto. They were smiling and laughing with him. Kiba put Naruto in a headlock but Sasuke could tell it was all in fun. When had that happened? Hinata and Neji were talking to one another and Shino was talking to Ten-Ten! Now Lee and Naruto were grinning and laughing about something. Are these the same people who had avoided each other as if they were diseased just weeks ago? What the hell happened?
"Sasuke!" He started because in his amazement, he'd stepped out of the shadow of the building and Sakura had caught sight of him. "Come on join us!" Sasuke found himself being led by the hand to the rest of the laughing group.
"Hey Sasuke." Naruto greeted him. There was none of the animosity that was usually there between them. Naruto looked genuinely glad to see him, in fact, they all did.
He felt out of place. They had bonded and were friendly with each other. Sometime while he'd been in the hospital and with Kakashi-Sensei, they'd all become friends. "Hey. Umm, what's going on?"
Naruto grinned and shrugged. "Dunno, just hanging out I guess."
"Naruto?" Neji spoke and took the attention away from Sasuke. As he watched, a group formed around Naruto. Neji, Lee, Shikamaru and Kiba. These people were gravitating towards Naruto. They wanted to be with Naruto!
He was confused beyond belief. Before he had nothing – now he had more. They liked Naruto. They listened to him speak and laughed with him. Sasuke felt jealousy flow through him. Despite his vow to find and kill Itachi and he still planned to keep that vow - Sasuke now wanted what Naruto had.
I'll just have to keep watching him. I'll watch him until I understand how he lives. Until I understand how he thinks. Until I too can become as strong as he.
Sasuke moved to stand beside Naruto. He'd be his shadow. Sasuke would learn what it was that drew him and all these others to Naruto. Maybe one day I'll learn why I watch him so!