EPILOGUE: SASUKE'S BIRTHDAY
Disclaimer: I begged, I pleaded, I got down on both knees, I even offered pocky. But Kishimoto still won't give me his characters T-T
Warnings Aha, I have none!
A/N: Sorry this was late. I had a bit of a nasty 'time of the month', I kinda slept through most of Saturday. Well, its here now!
Ah, I think my writing style has changed a lot from the other chapters, eh-he.
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2 weeks, 5 days later.
July 23, 1923
A lot has happened in this relatively short period of time…
Sasuke was taken immediately to the hospital after the incident; the doctor said he was really lucky, a few more hits and his spinal cord would have been permanently damaged. He was supposedly assigned to stay there for at least 3 weeks, but the Uchiha hated the hospital and demanded to be released as soon as possible. After a few days of monitoring, Sasuke was found to be recovering much faster than the doctors predicted, so they finally agreed to let him go. Then much to Sasuke's utter delight, Naruto made it his personal job to attend to his every need; feeding, giving medication, dressing, and even bathing, (this of course had nothing to do with the fact that Sasuke threatened to break the fingers of anyone else who dared to touch him).
For the days that followed the incident, Konohaville was ablaze with rumors about the small blond boy who single-handedly defeated the serial killer; Orochimaru, and his underlings which were10 large beefy men. Lee made sure that Naruto became famous with his enthusiastic shouting, making more people go deaf and blind than usual.
But if you were to ask Naruto about it, he would say he doesn't remember a thing except for seeing a lot of red and having the uncontrollable urge to rip apart Orochimaru limb by limb, break his bones, rip off his skin and disconnect his nerves. The next thing he knew, Orochimaru and his men were all on the ground, beaten and bruised. The doctors counted 8 broken legs, 6 broken arms, 12 dislocated joints, 31 cracked/broken ribs, 7 black eyes, and 1 no longer usable 'magic wand' due to multiple hits with the pole, (guess who? Pos-i-lute-ly…Orochimaru).
Naruto's friends, upon hearing this, shuddered in fright. They learned a very important lesson from this:
NEVER EVER piss off Naruto.
(Everyone walked on eggshells for the days after that, even Kakashi stopped teasing him…for a while)
Orochimaru is currently now in prison, this time with no chance of escaping. His cell is pure concrete and it is guarded all around the clock. His men were all caught and sentenced to various times of imprisonment depending on their crimes. The serial killer, however, has been sentenced to death (which might even be sort of a blessing for him for the state he is in right now), it is to be held in a week's time. Sasuke and Naruto plan to attend, (they shall be bringing popcorn).
Iruka was notified of everything that had happened a day after the incident. Needless to say, he freaked out and went straight to the police station. Let just say, Orochimaru nearly had an early death, (you think Naruto is scary? You haven't seen Iruka yet. Poor fella, he messed with the wrong people…). He also then went to the hospital and tried to strangle Sasuke for getting Naruto in this mess the place first. It was a good thing the blond was there to stop him.
Oh, Iruka got over it eventually…(with some –ahem- 'help' from Kakashi).
Alright, back to today.
TODAY…
-cue in drumroll-
is the day we are celebrating the jovial occasion of Sasuke Uchiha's birth!
Lively, cheery music blasted from the gramophone and filled the large private ballroom of the Uchiha's mansion. Garlands, ribbons and vines were hung all around the room. People in semi formal attire mingled together on the dance floor; some drank cocktails, some danced with partners to the music. The finest food was to be served, the finest wine, the best of the best.
Everyone who was even remotely familiar with Sasuke or Naruto was invited to this gathering. It was a grand occasion indeed.
Let's have a closer look, shall we…
-Zooming in-
Scene 1
Kakashi and Iruka were both currently dancing together, but the butler's eye twinkled mischievously and he pulled Iruka into his chest and wrapped his arms around him.
"E-Ehh? What are you doing Kakashi?" Iruka asked with a blush.
"Dancing." He smiled through his mask.
"But we're suppose to be doing a foxtrot!"
"Then let's change the pace a little."
"Oh…well, alright- Hey! Where are you touching?!"
"It's a new dance move." Kakashi chuckled as he squeezed Iruka's buttocks again.
Scene 2
Lee and Gai are enthusiastically talking to one another, with matching smiles and matching green suits.
"I say mate, it feels like we've known each other forever. But we've met just now!" Lee exclaims.
"And how(1)! Ma boy, our youthful spirits have drawn us together. Oh what a glorious day!"
"You have said it too well, Mr.Gai!"
Smile!
-BRIGHT FLASH-
Smile!
-EVEN BRIGHTER FLASH-
(The ballroom is no longer in need of light…)
Scene 3
Sakura and Ino are chatting, both are tearing up and in distress.
"I can't believe Naruto and Sasuke got together!" Sakura wailed.
"I don't think I can go on living!" Ino flailed a hand upon her forehead.
"Let's jump off a bridge together after we take a few more looks at Sasuke."
"That's a good id- "
Gaara walks by.
Ino clasps her hands together, "I have renewed my will to live."
Sakura wiped a bit of drool away, "Who'd want to throw their life away when there are such divine beings existing."
They both immediately faced each other and yelled in unison,
"I SAW HIM FIRST!"
Scene 4
Kiba and Shino walked around, occasionally greeting someone and participating in some small talk. However, Kiba looked utterly bored out of his mind.
"Man, Shino. I haven't yet seen one skirt(2) Jane(3) or a smarty(4) yet!"
"… … …?" (Translation: You're here at our boss' party just to pick up girls?)
"I don't just look for girls!"
"…?" (Fellas too?)
"NO! Definitely not fellas, ya idiot!"
Kiba then spotted Hinata leaning against the wall, she was wearing a cute black and grey cocktail dress. There didn't seem to be anyone with her. Kiba nudged Shino in the ribs.
"Oi, check out that doll. Isn't she a choice bit of calico(5)?"
"…" (This actually just means '…')
"I'm gonna ask her to dance." With that Kiba walked up to the shy girl with a grin on his face. Shino watched as Hinata blushed and accepted Kiba's hands.
"… …" (You didn't ask me to dance…)
Scene 5
Naruto pushed the 'wheeled chair' that Sasuke was sitting on towards the cocktail table. The Uchiha made a move to get up, but Naruto quickly pushed him back down.
"Oh no you don't. The doc says you can't get up until at least 5 more days."
"Pfft, he underestimates me."
"And you underestimate me! You're not getting up, not on my watch. Just be a good boy; wait right there and I'll get you something." Naruto walked over to the table, leaving a sulking Uchiha behind.
"Hiya Neji!" Naruto called out as he noticed the black haired man was also at the table. "Having a nice time?"
Neji turned around and smiled gently. "Lovely, thanks."
"Where's Hinata?"
"She's waiting by that wall over there—" Neji pointed and stopped. "She's gone…"
Naruto laughed and winked, "Maybe she's off dancing with some fella."
Neji paled (if that is possible). "I think I gotta go now."
The blond snickered under his breath.
Neji headed in the direction where Hinata last was, which coincidently the Uchiha is also along that path. As Neji got closer to his 'wheeled chair', Sasuke gave him a glare, specifically the 'Naruto's-mine-and-I'll-wring-your-neck-if-you-so-much-as-look-at-him-in-the-wrong-way' glare.
The black haired man scowled and met his gaze, giving him the 'fine-with-me-but-if-you-hurt-him-again-I'll-snatch-him-from-you-and-castrate-you-with-a-blunt-knife' glare.
Sasuke smirked, but Neji got the message from the warmth in his eyes. He gave a curt nod to show his understanding and walked off to find his cousin.
A lovely party, don't you think?
5 hours later…(after the guests have left)
Sasuke and Naruto are alone in the living room; the fire crackled merrily in the fire place and the moon shone through the window. The blond shuffled his feet a little, and brought out a package from behind his back.
"Um…I got you something Sasuke, I dunno if you'll like it…that is…you're rich and all, so…um…well…oh just open it!" Naruto shoved the orange package into Sasuke's hands and looked away, blushing.
The Uchiha raised an eyebrow and smirked. His heart felt warm, and it wasn't from the fire. He carefully took off the wrapping and opened the case of the little box. Inside, nestled on blue velvet, were a pair of golden cufflinks shaped like sunflowers. Sasuke smiled.
"Well, I'll be reminded of a certain blond goof(5) whenever I wear this."
"Why you--!"
Sasuke grabbed a hold of the blond's tie and pulled him down to meet his lips. It was sweet and tender, showing the side that only Naruto knows (and ever will). When their lips finally parted, Sasuke whispered. "I'll cherish it."
Naruto stood up with a happy smile on his face. "That's good, I just wanted to give you something to remember me by…you know…since I'm leaving soon and all…" His smile slowly lost its vigor. "My 3 and a half months are almost up…" He trailed off sadly.
Sasuke closed the box with a snap and dropped on his lap. "Naruto, push me towards that vase there."
"Huh?" The blond look quizzically at him, but obey nonetheless. He maneuvered the wheeled chair till they were in front of the stand where the priceless vase was.
"Give me your hand." Sasuke ordered.
Still confused, Naruto extended his arm and placed his hand on the other man's hand. Sasuke grabbed the blond's hand and in one motion, made Naruto push the vase over. It crashed to the floor and shattered.
Naruto shrieked and jumped away. "HOLY BEJEZUS! What d'ya do—"
"That vase is a family heirloom, there's no other like it in the world. I will need compensation."
The blond opened his mouth to protest.
"It looks like you'll have to stay by my side forever." Sasuke looked up and smiled.
Naruto faltered and blinked. Then he smiled as well, "Bastard. You didn't have to do that, what is Kakashi going to say, how are you going to explain this to Itachi—if he ever comes back-, you shouldn't recklessly break stuff, ya know—"
"Shut up." And once again, Sasuke yanks on the tie.
As Naruto enjoys the kiss, he thinks back to how this all started. Who knew all this could happen with one coffee? Who knew all the embarrassment, the work, the blushes, the laughter, the smiles, the heartbreak, the tears, the pain and…the love could start with just one step—or trip.
This is not a fairy-tale ending, there is no such thing! We'll both need to work hard together to overcome future obstacles. There might be more pain and more heartbreak, but we'll look forward to the times of joy and laughter. Our relationship will not be perfect, but one thing is sure…
Our feelings won't change.
Or I don't think it will (at least not for me). Well, if Sasuke ever doubts…
Let's just say, there's a lot of silverware and sharp objects in the Uchiha household.
-END-
(1) And how! – I strongly agree!
(2) skirt – an attractive female
(3) Jane – any female
(4) Smarty – a cute flapper
(5) choice bit of calico – you remember this, don't you? An attractive girl
(6) goof – idiot (pretty much equal to dobe :P)
A/N: -starts crying- Omg, its over, my baby is over! It started off as such a little thing, and now it's all grown up –sniffles- and it got so many fans!
Ok, I'll be serious now. Thanks to ALL the reviewers and readers of my fanfic! I love you all very much and couldn't have finished this without you! A special thanks to those who stuck with me all the way through; hugs and kisses for you! I had fun writing this fic, even though I got frustrated sometimes. I learned a lot, and it has been a great experience for me.
Actually, I am a little glad that this is over cuz I'll be able to get started on some other fics I have planned (in my head). Please put me on your author alert list (if you like), so that you'll know when I write a new fic. I'd love to hear from you all again!
Much much love, Koinu-chan