-sigh-
For your enjoyment purposes. Im so irresponsible, starting on something like this before my other fics are done. BAD RAE-CHAN, BAD!
demo demo, this is only gonna be three chapters at the most. A three-shot. heh.
Then again, this is how Ame Ni Shichigatsu started, and its my most popular fic. So maybe I'll have a bit of luck with this one, ne?
ATTENTION: (because I refuse to use 'warning' anymore) yaoi, angst, possible spelling errors that are completely not my fault.I type too fast and get ahead of myself.
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"Uchiha Sasuke, it has been decided, that due to the execution of several SS-class criminal ninja at your hands, you are allowed citizenship back in Konohagakure with limited penalties."
Dark eyes stared at the weathered, wrinkled faces of the Council members. They stood before him with more-then-pleased faces, eyes squinted shut in delight. Beside them, the false youth of the Godaime Hokage was twisted in rage. Pale lips remained even, not twisting into a smirk that was most commonly called upon them.
"And what is that punishment?" Sasuke's voice, having gotten deeper over the years, spilled into the jail-cell of a room, reverberating from cold cement walls.
"Your chakra will be sealed for no more then three weeks. You will not progress to any level higher then Gennin for a year, allowed only D and C-rank missions that will not take you beyond Fire country's borders." The ancient looking woman stated. Sasuke nodded. It was deffinately unfair, this punishment. Yet, it was Sasuke's luck that it was unfair in his favor.
"You will also have your testicles removed and every bone in your body crushed into powder-"
"Now Tsunade-hime, you know very well that you have been over vetoed due to bias in the Uchiha trial."
Sasuke glared at the blond woman who was glaring right back at him, her teeth grinding together in anger. The council members gave a slight bow to the last Uchiha, and turned to walk out of the holding cell. Tsunade was left behind, her face contorted in fury.
"Why did you come back..." it wasn't a question. The Godaime was demanding an answer. Sasuke stood up straighter and his eyes flashed in the darkness.
"I have things I need to attend to in this place. It has nothing to do with you." he replied. Tsunade scoffed.
"I hope whatever it is you have to... 'attend to', has nothing to do with him, either." she snapped in a tone that made Sasuke shiver involentarily. Elegant black eyebrows furrowed.
"And if I do have business with that person...?"
Tsunade smirked, her amber brown eyes filled just as much with indignant anger. She turned on her heel and moved from the room, pausing at the doorway.
" Its useless, Uchiha. Despite what the favor of the council has decided, make no mistake, you will pay dearly for your betrayal. And the punishment will be of your own creation." her voice was cold, severe, and gave Sasuke a sharp tingle across his pale flesh.
"You think so... You're obviously dillusional in your old age, Hokage-sama. Everything I came back for, the goals I have come back to rekindle in this worthless village, centers around that one person." He told her this with a face of determination. Tsunade's smirk flickered, and fell into a sad sort of smile, which caught the Uchiha by surprise.
"Go back home Uchiha. You waste your time. He stopped chasing after you for a reason. You coming back was pointless. Just try to live a seperate life. He doesn't concern you any longer." she whispered.
"I'll decide what concerns me, Tsunade-hime."
The older woman, suddenly looking far older then her jutsu would allow, just turned and walked away. Sasuke glared at the empty place she had been. His fingers meshed into each other, and the teleportaion jutsu carried him out of Konoha's prisons, and on to a wooden porch that creaked in protest.
The air was cold, making Sasuke wonder if his choice in clothing had been at all decided due to the hot temperatures of Otogakure. This just proved all the more that he was in fact back in his home village. Back in Konoha, where winter was cold, and snow would pile up in thick blanket. He was back now, in the house that used to roof his family.
Sasuke huffed and slid open the sad wooden door, the rails giving off an unpleasent, dry grating. He winced inwardly at the empty sound that echoed into the stone foyer. For a moment, the last of the Uchiha did not move from his position. He stood, staring into the house, where all his family's casual frunture had been draped in white linen. They looked like gosts hovering above the wood flooring.
Sasuke slid the door shut, turning away from his old house. He could recall now, why he had chosen to live in an apartment after the clan had been killed. Though the murders may have been brought to some sick justice when he killed his elder brother, the images of the blood that pooled upon the floors that day still stained Sasuke's eyes.
It was only natrual that the images continued to haunt him, even after he had defected to The Sound. But what had been continuousely nagging him the entire time, was the perpetual light amongst the crushing darkness that wanted to tear out the rest of his soul.
The light from bright blue eyes that can't be bothered; a flashy grin that would appear on its own accord; those eyes, those eyes that held such knowlage of the greatest lonliness, yet still were so bright.
Sasuke's lips twitched into a tight figured smirk.
"He'll get mad... that I came back on my own accord..." he whispered to himself as he shot up into the rooftops, headed towards what he recalled was the residence of the 'persistant guy' that he had at one time, dismissed on a whim.
"Naruto."
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'You say that because you have nothing. You think that because you know nothing..'
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As Sasuke fully expected, Naruto had apparently not outgrown his adoration of ramen.
While nearing the apartment complex, Sasuke had thought to check the decrepit soup-stand, thinking that it was as likely as any place in the village to find the blond. And find him he did.
The boy had surely grown just as Sasuke had, over the total of four years of absence. Yet, while Sasuke grew tall and broad chested, Naruto had grown into quite an oddity. His spikes of blond were still mostly short, a bit more messy about the bangs, but still the shimmering gold that glowed in the light from the red paper lanterns that lined the avenue. His body was older, true, and taller, deffinately, but still somewhat... small, for a man. It was slightly a shock to Sasuke, to see that not only had the blond traded in his orange garb for a dark blue and white Hakama, of all things, but he was not wearing his coveted Hitai-ate.
His eyes... Sasuke could not see from his distant perch upon the nearby rooftop, but it was as though the very vastness of the blue reached him still, and made him shiver to his bones.
Naruto was smiling in a small way, waving at someone, bidding them farewell. Sasuke flicked his eyes towards the additional company, and kept an emotionless face at the sight of his old female teammate, Haruno Sakura. She was, as always, uninteresting, having changed little since he saw her last. He simply had no opinion on her either way. However, the way she was being so friendly towards Naruto... that may or may not be a problem.
Never the less, Naruto departed from the scene, walking into the residential area of Konoha's southern side. Sasuke followed after him, hiding in the shadows high above. He tested, once, to see if the blond was just as terrible at sensing chakra as he had been. He allowed a small amount to flicker outward, gently, like a quick breath of wind. Onyx eyes flashed with a certian... incredibility.
Nothing.
Naruto didn't even sway in his casual steps.
The fluxuation was enough to put even a academy student on edge, so then why...
'Kuso... almost lost him.' Sasuke retrained his eyes on the unwitting target, hefting himself over the ledge of the building he stared down from, and landed with a soundless grace. Once again, using the cover of the darkening skyline, Sasuke watched as Naruto made his way to the apartment at the very top of the structure, just as it had been for all these years. With a smirk, the raven transported himself high up to the highest windows, and slipped inside before the blond outside could open the door.
"I'm home!"
Sasuke had to allow his lips to twitch upwards. Naruto cheerily greeted an empty apartment. It was a sad, yet... endearing act, like a child.
"Hm. I guess he hasn't come home from his mission yet. Oh well."
Sasuke stilled.
'..Who is 'he'...?'
Naruto strode into the spall space, obliviouse to Sasuke's presence not more then a few feet away from him. A slim tan hand reached out and flicked on a light, illuminating most of the apartment. It was now, Sasuke could see Naruto, and Naruto could see Sasuke, if only he were to turn and face him.
"Sorry guys, I guess I should have watered you sooner, ne? I forgot, sorry sorry!" He chippered to the house plants as he watered them. Sasuke's mind was raging, willing the blond to just. Turn. Around.
"I hope you guys were okay by yourse-"
Blue eyes connected with black in an unfocused flurry, and Naruto faced Sasuke, a flower pot sending drips of water onto the floor. Sasuke just stared, letting Naruto soak in his presence. After all, it had been several years, Naruto might not know what emotion to greet the Uchiha with. Sasuke mused. Angry? Joyful? Embaressed that the young man had gone without noticing him?
Perhaps thats why Sasuke was so confused when Naruto dropped the water canteen and backed up into his wall with fear in his eyes.
"T-take anything you want, just don't kill me!" the younger boy begged. Sasuke's brows furrowed. Did Naruto think that he was going to use that tactic to take the other by surprise and attack when he had Sasuke good and confused? Unlikely.
"What could I possibly steal from a dobe like you?" Sasuke's cool remark had humor in it, adding on to the blond's failed tricks, but Naruto's eyes held a terror that was confusing the Uchiha against his will.
"Pl-please... just don't kill me...!" he whimpered. Sasuke's frown deepened when Naruto slid down the wall, his hakama pant legs spreading out around him, making him look much smaller. Sasuke stepped towards him.
" I didn't know I changed so much that an idiot like you can't even remember my face right away." he said, staring down at the shivering teen. Naruto stared back up, his eyes watery with tears.
"Who... who are you supposed to be...?" he questioned. Sasuke scoffed. It seemed the blond dunce didn't think to imagine what Sasuke would look like after growing for a few years.
"How graceless, you forgot a name as infamouse in this village as Uchiha Sasuke." he declaired, feeling a bit snobbish in a way he had always resevered for Naruto back in the old days. However, Naruto's next shouted words made him realize that in the space between the old days and the present moment, something had gone wrong.
"I don't know any Uchiha Sasuke!!"
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Slowly, from the base of his feet, a freezing cold feeling of pins and needles crawled up Sasuke's body, embracing his spine until it over took him completely. He took a few steps back, staring down at the shivering blond boy.
It was Naruto. It was. There was no mistaking him, even after the period of time between their last encounter. So then why, if it was Naruto, did he say something like that, with such conviction?
If it had just been words, then the Uchiha would have simply knocked the younger teen about the head. But... the same light that had been in the blue eyes that had secured Sasuke's soul from being crushed by an overwhelming darkness... they had dimmed into something the Uchiha could no longer recognise. Why was this happening...?
"Please... leave me alone..." Naruto pleaded in a whisper. Sasuke took another step back, his hands slightly raised.
"You don't know who I am..." he asked. Naruto glanced upward quickly before spotting Kusagi strapped across Sasuke's back, and he gave a yelp and curled up farther away.
"No! I just wanted to go to sleep! I don't have any money anyway, theres nothing here you could profit from!" he shouted. Sasuke pressed himself against the opposite wall.
Why was this happening...? What had become of Naruto...?
"Naruto..."
The blond's head shot up, looking more confused as seconds went by.
"How.. .how do you know my name..? Who are you..?" he asked. Sasuke felt a burning pressure in his chest, and he turned away, his dark eyes darting side to side while staring at the floor, trying to make sense of things. Behind him, Naruto pushed himself up the wall, still keeping his distance.
"N-now listen, my friend is going to come home any minute, so you had better watch out, 'cause hes a ninja! H-he'll kill you!" the blue eyed teen shouted threateningly. Sasuke stilled. What was that supposed to mean? What the hell was going on? Why was Naruto acting like... he forgot... everything...
Confused, angry, and with that pressured heat in his chest, Sasuke threw open the front door and didn't look back at his old teammate.
The moment he exited the small apartment, he felt an old, familiar chakra. The Uchiha stood before Naruto's front door, and slowly leaned back against it, tilting his head to lightly press against the cold wood. Sure enough, foot steps drew up beside him, and Sasuke could see a pair of sandal-clad feet stop in front of him, and then move to lean against the wall beside him.
"I heard a rumor you were back. I didn't need Tsunade-sama to tell me where she thought you'd go first. I knew you'd come here... Sasuke."
Said teen said nothing for a moment, not meeting the other man's eyes.
"So are you the one who's living with him now..." he asked, glancing from the side of his vision towards the face of Konoha's laziest nin. Nara Shikamaru rolled his eyes.
"Not me. I'm not gonna bother telling you who though, its too much of a hassle." he replied. Sasuke just snorted, turning his head away. There was a silence once again.
"Did you see him...? Talk to him?"
Sauske stilled once again.
"...Yeah."
Shikamaru nodded, and there was the sudden smell of burning tobacco and a metalic clack.
"He didn't know who you were, did he...? "
Cold, black steel bit into the flesh of Shikamaru's neck as Sasuke pressed Kusagi to the chunnin's throat, Sharingan eyes spinning in a fury.
"Why?!"
Shikamaru's eyes were wide, and his ciggerette had fallen onto the concrete floor. He had heard rumors, but only just, about Sasuke. The deadly aura that poured from him in buckets, overwhelming and suffocating. It was unnatrual, those blood red eyes, three additional curved tomoe pupils. Shikamaru always faced most life threating situations with an indifferent style, but it was the sheer conviction of agony more then just the promise of pain that riled his low seated fear.
"Whats... whats happened to him...?!"
Shikamaru calmed. Sasuke, while having left everything behind, had kept much of what could be mistaken as emotional investment, in the very person he had hurt the most. It was sad then, what would have to be said.
"The last time you and he were together, and you left again... apparently, the strain built up. Eventualy, with everything else he's had to deal with, he just let go." Sasuke lowered the katana as Shikamaru spoke, his eyes narrowing, then growing wider.
"What are you saying..." he whispered.
"Sasuke. You killed Naruto."
Blood spattered on the landing, hitting a bit of the chipped paint of the railing. Shikamaru wiped the blood from his split lip, Sasuke's fist still clenched at his side.
"Obviousely I didn't if hes right in there." the Uchiha growled.
At some point, Sasuke had said that by his hand Naruto would be killed, but in the end, he knew he never could. It wouldn't gain him anything. Itachi had said that to advance to the ability of Mangekyou Sharingan, and use Tsukiyomi,.Sasuke would have to kill his closest friend. And it was only after sparring Naruto life did the last of the Uchiha realize that even if he had killed the blond, he wouldn't gain anything. Once you begin to even think of murdering your best friend for a personal gain, their forms a space between the close relationship. If he had indeed killed Naruto, then he wouldnt deserve the friendship they had, and wouldn't recieve the Mangekyo, for in the last moments before Naruto's life left him, their friendship would break.
Shikamaru just shook his head in a tired sort of way.
"You don't get it. This is annoying..."
A pale fist twitched.
"Sasuke. That person in that room is Naruto, yeah. But, hes not the 'Naruto' you left behind to rot in the misery you had created by betraying him. That 'Naruto', died two years ago. He lost all his memories, and a person just isn't who they were before without the memories that had formed them into the people they had been. Now hes just Naruto. Because of you, the old Naruto chose to forget, and I think its better that he did." Shikamaru finished, the information making Sasuke's body feel cold and numb.
"He seems so much happier, living like he is now. It was you. The memories of you that caused him to suffer. And now its your turn to suffer."
The shadow-nin walked off, the spark of a new ciggarette flickering briefly before dissapearing along with Shikamaru. Sasuke stayed behind and stared after him.
"Naruto... "
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You're the only one now... you're the only one who can save him from the darkness...
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Anou...
..something... like... this...?
Maybe thats what I was getting at. Maaa, daijoubu ne? It will get much angstier and such once I write the next chapter. If I decide to write it. I might get killed for doing this instead of writting the next chapter for Ame Ni Shichigatsu, or perpousely ignoring Kanzen.
Hehh...heh heh...
Untill next time, Bye bye!
-Rae-chan