As you may see, a lot of my inspiration comes from quotes.
Warning; Spoilers, implied shonen-ai (not really there, though)
I own nothing
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Five years.
Five years, and they had finally found him. They had finally been able to drag him back. And for what? So that he could be thrown in a damp and dark jail cell until the Council decided what to do with him? Until they decided that he was too dangerous to be kept alive? What were they expected to do then, when they found out that he was to be imprisoned, right after they had gotten him back?
Did they expect them to just wait around until the inevitable happened, and he was executed? Or were they expected to break him out, and become nuke-nin in the process? And was he expected to just sit there, staring blankly at a stone wall and steel door for months on end?
This certainly wasn't how it was supposed to be. It wasn't how anything was supposed to turn out; they were supposed to bring him back and reform the original Team Seven with a few additions. That's how it was supposed to be... And yet, everything always had to come crashing down for their goals, and their thoughts of what was best.
They were wrong, and he knew that. He knew it because he had learned the truth as well, he knew that they were the ones who had ordered for his best friend's life to be destroyed. Now they were pretty much ordering for the entire Sharingan lineage to be wiped completely, rather than leaving two or three behind.
He had to decide, and he had to decide now. Was he going to let them take him away again, or was he going to get them both out of there? Naruto shook his head before placing it in his hands, hearing the caws of nearby crows. Lifting his head up again, he stared at the full moon, seemingly mocking him with all the stars dancing about it as he wallowed in despairing thought.
If they had left it up to him, Sasuke would have just been under house arrest for a few months, an ANBU or two watching him. Of course, nothing was left up to him; not his training, his missions, or even his life. Every time something like this happened, every time something got him thinking again, he had to wonder...
... Was it even worth the trouble anymore...?
--
Two days until he was gone, and finally they allowed Naruto to see him. He was chained and bloodied up, but he was certainly alive. It was funny, really. You would have expected them to want him in perfect condition for his 'performance'.
"Damn, Teme, what the Hell did they do to you?" It was a bare whisper, but his 'friend' heard it, nonetheless. Coal eyes looked up at Naruto, and seemed to glare harder than they had been at the ground moments ago. Naruto sighed, turning his head away and towards the entrance to the faculty. "I just came to tell you that we- I- can get you out..." He scowled, remembering that nobody had been willing to help him in his quest of saving their teammate once more.
A snort came from the cell, and blue eyes locked with black as Sasuke shifted, snorting once more as he sat straight. "Don't waste your time, it would just get us both in more trouble." Naruto blinked, eyes wide. Whatever he had been expecting, that certainly hadn't been it. A snobby comeback, sure, but complete disagreement for fear of him getting in trouble...
"I wasn't asking. I was telling." He turned to walk away, crossing his arms as he looked back at Sasuke one last time. "But if you aren't willing to follow me, then fine. Let them kill you." And with that, the Uchiha was left alone for the last time, staring after his 'brother' of sorts.
--
It had been done, and there was no way to get any of it back. No lost time, no severed bonds, and certainly no lost friend. Was there really a reason anymore? He had gotten so wound up in chasing him, in getting him back, did he even know how to go on without that motivation?
It didn't feel like it. It didn't feel like anything was worth it anymore. He had tried, he truly had. But he had failed, simply because the bastard was stubborn in thinking that he was always right, and the 'dobe' was always wrong. A smile was the last thing that he had seen on his friend's face before he was almost caught, and it hurt.
He had told him the reason why he wouldn't let Naruto help him escape, but it just made it all the worse. It let the guilt grow and linger, because he had told him the one thing that the blond never thought he would hear, but was the thing he needed to hear most.
He had told him, and now it was driving Naruto to the brink of insanity. He would rather have stayed there and let himself be caught than have all these confusing thoughts racing around in his head as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, sighing as he sat up and rubbed at his eyes.
He knew that nothing would get better from now on. In fact, he would be lucky if the villagers barged in right now rather than looking at him with more hatred than ever before. One more month, maybe even a week, and he knew he would crack.
Nothing would change between him and the village, but everything would between he and his friends. He would have to comfort Sakura, and make sure she didn't just break. He didn't know if he could take it anymore though; the endless fight for the right to exist, hiding behind a mask of false energy and happiness, the responsibilities of being a shinobi.
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he found a pen and piece of paper, beginning to write.
-
"Naruto...?" The door creaked open, and Tsunade poked her head into the small apartment. She blinked as a note caught her eye, walking over to pick it up as she looked around for the younger blond. A small dripping noise came from an open door relatively close to her, and she walked into the windowless room.
After a moment, her eyes widened and she stepped back with a loud gasp. Another few seconds, and she had bounded forward, towards the fallen Jinchuuriki. "Naruto!"
The note floated down to land on a few drops of the blood that now covered the floor, staining the paper to match the crimson.
Whoever finds this, I'm sorry;
I can't take it anymore, but...
I love him too...
"I'm sorry if I'm giving up too easily, I just don't have the strength to fight anymore."
--
Can anyone tell I was depressed?
I hope you read it 'til the end and enjoyed it. If you liked it enough to fav. it, please review as well.
EDIT, July 11th, '08:
Now on deviantART as well!