Hero

by Belladonna Andromeda

Genre – Dark Romance/Angst

Warnings – Yaoi

Pairings – Naruto x Sasuke, hints of Sasuke x Sakura

Summary – I want to grow up to be just like you…

000

Sasuke used to think he was fine all by himself. He used to think he knew what he was doing. All the doubts, fears and insecurities were locked away in a unbreakable vault and nobody had the key. But he had been wrong. Someone did have the key. And that someone wasn't him. He had thrown away the key long ago, but someone had found it and was taking full advantage of it.

Ever since that day he was starting to think his unbreakable vault was falling apart. Because he was scared. Never in his life has he been afraid like this. Not even on the day of the Uchiha massacre. He tried to fight it off, but it was no use. He just wouldn't leave him alone. He insisted on being there always. He… he had become his hero. And that's what scared him.

Sasuke stared out of the window, watching the grey clouds cry over Konoha, drenching the hidden village. The sound of raindrops was like a song. A sad, peaceful song. He didn't want to look at the person sleeping next to him.

Sasuke shivered. Unable to help himself, he looked. A man with a blonde crown, his strong arm wrapped possessively around Sasuke's waist, pulling the covers down, exposing his upper body. There was a hero in his bed. And it hurt.

///

He was stuck in Konoha prison, in a top security cell, he knew he wouldn't be harmed. They wouldn't let anyone. Naruto hadn't dragged him back to Konoha at last so he could be executed.

The war was over with. Naruto, aided by the aggressive power of Kyuubi, had completely annihilated Uchiha Madara and the remaining members of Akatsuki. Hawk had decided to follow their leader and became a part of Konoha despite Sasuke ordering them not to. There were no real threats anymore. So there was no reason to be scared or shaky or alert.

But Sasuke still felt as if something was wrong. He had come back to Konoha to find it different. Far more different than he had expected it to be. There was something off. Hours, days he had wasted trying to find out what had caused it. He knew Konoha was damaged due to the war, but that wasn't it. He had expected it to be damaged. There was something else.

Then finally he understood. He understood when he sat, chained by chakra bounds, in front of the Hokage and found Naruto looking down at him. He had changed.

Naruto wasn't a boy anymore. He had become the Hokage. He had the harsh eyes of a warrior. Sasuke found himself scared beyond reason as he looked into those deep blue orbs. Hardened by the war, strengthened by the chase and battles for his ex-teammate, Naruto had grown up to be everything Sasuke had wanted to be.

And it hurt. Knowing Naruto succeeded and he… he had failed.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you have been found guilty for the acts of treason and your involvement in the war against Uchiha Madara and Akatsuki. I hereby strip you of your ninja status, you are to be watched at all times and you are not allowed to leave Konoha unless given permission by me. Every year I will demand a report on your actions over the seasons and only once I find it satisfying enough will your freedom and rank be returned, am I clear?"

Sasuke nodded almost painfully slow. He did understand, but he didn't want to, "I do."

Naruto gave a nod of his own, "Details of your sentencing can be found in the documents. Shino and Neji will guide you to your new home. Any questions?"

He had millions, but none of them made any sense thus Sasuke shook his head. But when he felt himself being lifted from the ground and led to the door he turned around and shouted: "What about the bounds?"

At this, Naruto smirked, "What about them, bastard?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief. For a mere second a boy had been smirking at him. Young, blond and careless with unreachable ideals and stupid phrases. Then he was pushed out the door, forcing his eyes away from Naruto. Only when he wasn't under the predatory gaze of the Hokage or watched by the two guiding him to his… prison, did Sasuke cry.

It hurt. Knowing he wasn't the strongest anymore. It hurt. Knowing he never was. It hurt so fucking much.

Weeks passed. Empty, agonizingly slow weeks. Weeks haunted by eyes; the eyes of a warrior. The only action Sasuke had in those weeks were found within the pages of the books Sakura brought him whenever she visited.

She had changed too. She was no longer the little girl with the silly crush. Like Naruto, she had grown up to be a true warrior. Like Naruto, she had grown up, grown strong and left him behind. Sasuke hated the feeling brewing inside of him as he watched her leave. The feeling of loss.

He was in the Hokage's office again. This time it was just him and Naruto. No body guards, no elders, no advisors. Sasuke felt unbelievably vulnerable.

"How do you like your new life?"

Sasuke sneered, "I hate it and you know I do."

"Hmm,", Naruto said, almost uncaringly.

"Why did you call me?", Sasuke was starting to believe the blond was playing with him. And he didn't like it.

"I called you because I want to know how you're doing. Reports from others only tell me so much."

"I'm doing fine. I'm bored out of my mind. I have half the ANBU force stationed around me like a bunch of vultures. The whole village is ignoring me. But I'm doing fucking fine."

For a moment Sasuke thought Naruto was going to smirk at him or laugh at him or do something else he'd usually do, but the blond merely nodded and said: "Okay. Bye."

Sasuke knew the 'bye' part was a hidden order to leave, but he refused to move. For some reason the short, impersonal conversation bugged him. This 'new' Naruto bugged him, "Why did you do it?"

The Hokage raised his head away from the stack of papers and eyed Sasuke, "Do what?"

"Why did you bring me back? Why didn't you just kill me like the other members? Or have me executed?"

"Revenge.", Naruto said after a long moment of silence.

Sasuke gaped in disbelief, "Revenge? Are you kidding me? For what? Leaving?"

"No, well, partially.", Naruto smirked and for a reason he couldn't explain Sasuke blushed, "I knew you would hate this life of solitude and confinement."

"That doesn't explain everything."

"Like what doesn't it explain?"

"Why didn't you just leave me in prison if you wanted to confine me?"

"Because I wanted you to see what's happened to Konoha.", Naruto said in a bitter voice.

Sasuke momentarily wondered who this person in front of him was. He refused to believe Naruto had grown into this warrior, "Right. Then why are you giving me the chance to become a part of it again?"

Silence. It seemed to stretch on for hours and hours.

Sasuke hesitated, "Are you going to answer my question?"

"If you answer mine.", Naruto replied coldly.

"Fine."

"What made you think you could take on Konoha?"

Sasuke froze. That he had not expected. He had expected Naruto ask him why he hadn't come back to Konoha after defeating Itachi, "What?"

Naruto 's eyes narrowed and Sasuke found himself shivering, "What on earth made you think you could take on Konoha? What made you think you stood a chance against us?"

Sasuke shook his head, "What?", he repeated.

"Do I need to get you a translator or something? Have you spontaneously gone deaf?"

"No. I… I haven't and I didn't think that."

"You didn't? Then why did you fight?"

"I was fighting for a new Konoha. I fought because I wanted to win, but I never thought we had a guaranteed victory."

"Did you think about what would happen if you lost?"

"I thought I was going to die in battle."

Naruto was obviously not pleased with that answer. His face twisted in rage and fury, "Do you ever think about someone other than them??"

Sasuke blinked, scared out of his mind and utterly confused, "W-what?"

"Was avenging them so much more fucking important than your own life??", Naruto was seething. His eyes flashed red as he growled like a vicious beast, "Have you ever, ever done anything for yourself??"

"What are you talking about?", Sasuke was starting to fear for his life. Naruto looked ready to rip him into pieces and, after witnessing the battle between him and Madara, he knew he was perfectly capable of doing so.

"Didn't you ever think about Konoha and think 'hey, maybe someone in that pathetic, little village cares about me'??"

Again there was silence.

Sasuke felt his heart beating painfully against his ribs. He understood what Naruto was trying to say, but he didn't want to. He hoped he was wrong. He hoped he didn't understand, "What are you trying to tell me?"

Naruto roared in anger, "Don't you get it? I love you! Everything I had done from the moment you left- hell, from the moment I saw you, was for YOU! What has the Uchiha clan ever done for you??"

"Naruto…"

"You could never win from Konoha! Because in Konoha lives the only person who gives a shit about you; ME! The Konoha you fought for, the Konoha Madara was trying to make, would've killed you. Because you're still the little child who lost his clan and family. A little kid seeking comfort and something to hold onto. I'm the only one you've got left. And you know what? It feels good."

Sasuke wanted to run away, but he couldn't. Those eyes…

Naruto stood up, knocking the desk over along with the paperwork, "You know what else feels good, Sasuke? This.", he pointed at himself, "Look at me! I defeated Madara! I tamed Kyuubi no Youko! I'm the Hokage! And you! Look at you! Look at yourself! Who are you???"

Tears fell. Naruto hadn't changed at all. Naruto was who he had always been. It was Sasuke himself, who had changed. Because he finally realized what he had become. No. What he had always been.

Naruto sneered, "A little child lost in a world of violence, revenge and dreams. A child with the eyes of a fool."

Naruto was very close. Sasuke hadn't even noticed him move towards him. He was too focused on those painful words. The second he realizes how close they were Sasuke panicked. He turned around in an attempt to flee, but a strong arm wrapped itself around his chest. A tanned hand grabbed his face, turned him around and, and…

"I love you, Sasuke. And I'm saving you if it's the last fucking thing I'll ever do."

… he got kissed by the Hokage. He got kissed by Naruto. He stared up at him, watching the warrior with the eyes of a boy. Sasuke's body went limp. All the energy that was being held back by the chakra bounds vanished. Naruto loved him. For some reason Sasuke felt as if he's waited all his life for someone to tell him that and mean it. The dead last, the failure of Konoha, had grown up to be his hero. And it hurt. It hurt so fucking much…

////

There's a hero walking this very world

Dressed in orange, disguised by blue

Oh, warrior with the eyes of a boy

I want to grow up to be just like you…