Rating: T

Warnings: violence, language, shounen-ai

Pairing: Sasuke x Naruto

Type: One-Shot (over 10 pages!)

Date Submitted: 8/23/09

Disclaimer: All Naruto characters and this plot belongs to their respective owners. I am not making any kind of profit from this work of fiction.

Enjoy. ^.~

.The Sleeping Sound Of Snow.

It was supposed to be a simple retrieval mission. All we had to do was retrieve a small girl who had been kidnapped from her village and bring her back. Sounds easy, right?

Heh.

Nothing is ever easy on missions. But we were foolish enough to believe that this one would be one of those exceptions.

Sasuke and Naruto stood before their target, Sasuke brandishing a large sword from the canvas on his back, his eyes glaring dangerously on the cowering man. The man's back was against the bark of the tree behind him, the small girl quivering in fear between his legs.

"If you return the child to us quietly, we'll let you live. Life or death……choose which you prefer." It was a quiet command. There was nothing too difficult to understand.

Release the child and he was allowed to live. Don't……well, you get the picture.

"Fine!!" the man finally shouted, sweat dripping gently from his face, his eyes set in fear on the two jacket-cloaked shinobi, both brandishing the Hidden Leaf's hia-tie on their foreheads. "I…I'll give back the kid…!! Just spare me life, please!!"

A light smile made its way onto Naruto's face. That was easy, not too much had to be done just to get the man to surrender. He held out his hand to the girl. "We'll take her." he said, speaking to the cowering man.

The little girl smiled brightly, glad to be away from the strange man. She started to run towards Naruto, her arms outstretched. The capturer watched the interaction intently as Naruto stepped closer to the running girl, a huge smile on his face. Suddenly, before anyone knew what happened, the man threw a bomb, exploding around the shinobi and girl.

"Heh, heh, heh," the man laughed, covering his mouth and nose with his forearm. The bomb contained chemicals inside and he did not want to inhale the contents.

"Take that bastard…" Sasuke stepped out from behind the mist and sliced his sword across the man's face. Even after falling back, Sasuke continued to attack his body feverishly.

Meanwhile, the girl cried out as Naruto's body fell onto her, blood pouring down the side of his temple and creating a small pool around their bodies. "WAAAAH!!" she cried out again when she felt the warmness of the red liquid soaking into her hair and clothes. Sakura rushed over to the two when she heard the screams.

Sasuke was still slicing the man up until Kakashi grabbed his arm, halting it in the process of creating another wound on him. "Sasuke, he's already dead." He said calmly, not facing the boy. Sasuke's eyes were downcast on the body, the dead man's blood sticking to his face and dripping slowly off the blade of his sword.

"Naruto, hang in there!" he heard Sakura scream. He turned around. Awareness sharpened to just Naruto and him, the boy's body sprawled awkwardly on the ground, blood still leaking down his temple and staining the golden blond strands of his hair. He became faintly aware of Sakura, the third member of their four man cell team, holding onto the blonde's hand, tears unconsciously making their way down her cheeks.

Then his surroundings shattered to black with a single close of his eyes.

.At Konoha's Hospital.

"There's no need to worry about his wounds. After a week, he'll be completely healed." a nurse reported to the remaining three members of Team 7. Kakashi gave a soft sigh in relief. Sakura wrung her hands together nervously, tears still evident in her green eyes. Sasuke just continued looking down at the floor, his mind working feverishly around the fact that Naruto was going to be alright.

The nurse then flipped a sheet up on the clipboard she held in her hands. The smile that was once on her face dropped a bit, but she fixed it back up, not wanting to worry the three shinobi. Sasuke was the first to notice the slight change in her demeanor.

She didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes still glued to the clipboard in her hands. She then looked up, a smile still on her face, but this time it didn't reach her eyes. Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi noticed it and knew they were about to be told bad news. "However……" she started, flipping another sheet nervously. "There is……one problem……"

"In his current condition, he cannot hear."

"Sakura Chan! Kakashi sensei and Sasuke!" Naruto greeted his teammates and friends happily, bright baby blue eyes gleaming with happiness. Kakashi smiled, his single visible eyes curved upwards. Sasuke looked away.

"Naruto!" Sakura said, rushing over to Naruto's side and giving him a tight hug. She was glad to see him up and cheerful as ever.

Pulling away from the hug, Naruto gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his head in his common reaction to his clumsiness. "Aha! Guess I fail as a ninja." He joked. "But hey, it'll only be for a little while that I'll be deaf, sensei!"

Kakashi gave another smile before handing the blond boy a note. Ehh----? Baby blue eyes blinked in confusion as he took the note into his hands. "……Uh, what's this?" he asked. Kakashi just continued to smile and he pointed to the note. Naruto looked back down and noticed a small message written on it. "Learning to read lips is a good training opportunity?" he read.

"That's right!" Kakashi chirped. "A ninja should be able to follow a conversation by looking at lip movements." Then he crossed his arms and gave a simple nod of his head. "Think of this as your chance and make an effort in training. BUT! Don't overexert yourself."

"Sensei, take off your mask and say that." Sakura complained. "Even I wouldn't understand what you're saying," she muttered under her breath.

But as all of this was happening, Sasuke was barely registering the three talking. His mind kept replaying the events of what happened earlier. His hand clenched unconsciously. If he was just a second faster…….

"……Also, doing things by yourself is going to be tough……" a dark iris looked to his left side to see Sasuke about to leave. "Sasuke!" he brought his hand down onto the dark haired boy's head, halting his movements. "Go follow Naruto around."

"Eh----!!" Sakura squeaked.

"Isn't it better for make friends to care for each other?" Kakashi asked.

"I……I guess so." Sakura agreed. Kyaa----boyfriends!? Inner Sakura squealed in fan-girl happiness.

Kakashi turned his attention back to Sasuke. "Sasuke……the ones you should protect aren't just who are right in front of you." He smiled, then leaned down to whisper into his ear. "Besides, Iruka sensei is on a business trip. This is your chance. FIGHT!"

Then he disappeared, the door slamming shut behind him. Sasuke glared at the closed door, a grimace covering his features.

That shitty jounin……!! As if he understands a person's feelings……

Naruto couldn't help but quirked a blond eyebrow in confusion. What?

Naruto was lounging comfortably on one of the lounge's sofas. He was dressed fully in his usual orange jumpsuit, his feet tapping distractedly on the floor. Suddenly a cloak fell over his shoulders. Blinking in mild surprise, Naruto looked up to see Sasuke, a strange look adorning his face.

"Thanks!" Naruto said happily, his eyes gleaming. He pulled the cloak closer to his body.

"Yeah…" Sasuke said softly. The smell of Naruto's blood…… His face scrunched up in discomfort. Naruto just looked away, playing with the drawstring of his cloak.

.Naruto P.O.V.

Sasuke…was giving me a nasty look. Well, I'm used to nasty looks directed my way.

Because…

Ever since long ago, the pressure of silence has always surrounded me. It's not as if being deaf……will increase my agony. But in spite of that, my chest hurts……

Maybe Sasuke hates me as well. He never says anything, like always……but I wonder if he knows that I'm a monster……

Even though I'd always, always meant to keep that from him…

.The Next Day.

RING!!!

RING!!!

RIIIIIING!!!

Suddenly, a hand smashed down onto the noisy contraption, effectively shutting the machine up. Then the hand moved over to pinching Naruto's nose shut, blocking the air from entering.

A few minutes passed before Naruto finally popped his eyes opened and gasped, taking in a lungful of much needed air. "----ammit!! Whaddya think you're doing?!" he gasped out. A gust of wind blew through the window and hit his face. "It's cold!!" he exclaimed. Crossing his arms around his body, Naruto whipped his head around to the open window. He whipped his head back to Sasuke who stood there to the side. "You came in without permission!! And through my window!"

"…Geez, I came to pick you up…" Sasuke muttered, scribbling a message on a sheet a paper. He turned it around to Naruto.

"If you're gonna be deaf, don't set up your alarm clock. You'll wake the entire neighborhood." Naruto read. He rubbed the back of his head. "Uu… My bad." He turned away and busied himself with shutting and locking the window.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had picked up a single ramen package, examined it for a quick second before placing it back down on the table with the rest of the empty ramen packages and then started scribbling another message on a piece of paper. He then shot his hand out and grabbed the back of Naruto's collar. "Nouu!? What is it this time!?" Naruto snapped. Sasuke, with his temper rising by the millisecond, thrust the sheet of paper into Naruto's face.

"Food. What do you want to eat?" Naruto read. "The heck," he coughed. "I'm gonna have cup ramen."

Lightening seemed to have struck Naruto's mind and made it start whirling at a crazy momentum as he started to sweat and back away from Sasuke, laughing nervously the whole time.

.In The Middle Of A Break… .

"Sasuke, I heard you made breakfast?" Kakashi asked leisurely.

He was holding his favorite edition of Icha Icha Paradise in his hand as he leaned back against the team's practice tree, his right foot propped up behind him on the bottom base of the tree. Several kunai that have been thrown into the tree littered the side of his head. Sasuke also was beside, leaning also leisurely against the tree, his arms crossed and his left foot crossed over his right. Sakura and Naruto were sitting by another tree not too far from the two males, Sakura carefully writing words into the dirt as Naruto watched.

"That's none of your business," Sasuke replied.

"Fu, fu, fu. Good, well done." Kakashi's single eye curved upwards in happiness.

"Hn……………"

"Bu----t, this won't do." He grabbed at the corners of Sasuke's mouth and pulled them out. "If you let those wrinkles stick on your forehead, the one you're looking after is going to feel sorry for you, won't he?" he started laughing in pure joy as Sasuke started to struggle against his hold. It was quite fun messing around with the last Uchiha. His moods were funny to watch.

"You shitty jounin!!" Sasuke snapped, pulling at the hands on his mouth.

"What are you doing to Sasuke kun!!?" Sakura shouted angrily.

"Gya ha, ha, ha, ha!!" Naruto couldn't do nothing but just laugh at the dark haired boy's predicament.

"………You should know better than anyone," Kakashi started, pulling his hands away from Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke just grumbled as he massaged his sore mouth. "That guy is exceedingly sensitive to other people's emotions."

Naruto was walking down through the large crowd of people of the village, his arms crossed at his chest, trying to keep the warmth in and the cold out. "Cold…………." Unexpectedly, he was pushed to the ground. "WAH!" He rubbed at his sore knees, cursing silently under his breath. "Owww………."

He reached his hand up to go inside his cloak, but he stopped, turning around quickly as he got to his feet. They stole my wallet………. He stopped when he came face to face with his wallet, which was being held inside the hand of……

"Don't go around spacing out", Sasuke said, still holding the brown wallet out.

"Sasuke…", Naruto said, awed. "Th…thanks…."

Sasuke said nothing. He glanced back briefly, eyeing the two men who had taken Naruto's wallet. "Hn…" he said softly. He turned back to Naruto and took his hand into his, flipping it so the palm was faced up. Then, using his pointer finger, began mock writing into the fingerless gloved palm.

[Just for a little while……depend on me.]

They were walking back home. They just came back from shopping and Naruto was busy thinking about everything Sasuke had done for him for the past few days. "Um…you know, Sasuke. Thanks…I was really happy about breakfast too…having breakfast prepared for me…and eating that is a first time for me. So…how should I say…um…"

Sasuke held out his hand. Naruto looked at it questioningly as Sasuke took his hand. "What…?"

[What do you wan to eat tomorrow?]

Staring in awe, Naruto then revealed the biggest grin he could ever muster up. "Hehe…" he laughed. "Anything's fine…." Sasuke stared at the giant grin on the blonde's face before he then grabbed his hand and did something he haven't done in a long time.

He actually smiled.

.Naruto P.O.V.

My heart jumped up and down. It was the first time Sasuke smiled.

The first time we held hands.

It seemed like a lie that I was deaf. I feel closer to Sasuke now more than ever before.

[It's late, so I'll stay overnight then make food for you.]

His back is warm…

With out backs together, I can feel Sasuke's heartbeat…

I don't know what this feeling is called…

But I think Sasuke is definitely special to me.

Having always watched Sasuke from far away…it would be nice if he thought that of me too…

There is no way that will happen…

If he knew what I really was, I'm sure he'll reject me.

I wonder what Sasuke will say then.

Someday I'll have to hear those words.

Even though I'm used to being hated

And even though I'm used to being hurt…

A scream rose inside of my body.

.At Konoha's Hospital.

"His ears will simply not recover." The doctor reported, looking over the sheets on his clipboard. Naruto sat quietly on his chair, waiting patiently for the chance to leave. "It will be necessary to hospitalize him if this keeps up."

"Could it have something to do with his mental health? Kakashi asked. He had heard of such things happening when a person's mental health is troubled. The doctor looked up to the partly masked man, fixing his glasses as he done so.

"There is that possibility…but let me perform another examination on him first."

Sasuke stayed quiet as he watched.

Snow………

Somehow, it feels kind of sad and……kind of nostalgic.

He found himself walking through pure whiteness. He stopped and looked up to the sky, more white falling. "Huh…? Where am I?" Naruto questioned to himself, holding his hand out as white flakes fell on his palm and began to melt.

"Usuratonkachi." He glanced back.

"Sasuke!" he said happily.

"You're late! It's time for Team 7 to meet up!" Sasuke shouted.

Oh…this is a dream.

Aha.

Sasuke appeared in my dream.

With a big grin, Naruto ran up to the dark haired boy. "That's right! Sasuke! This was the country of Wave, wasn't it!? I wonder if everyone's doing okay?" Sasuke opened his mouth…

Huh…?

I can't hear Sasuke's voice.

That's right. I'm supposed to be deaf right now…

Just then, Sasuke slipped and fell towards Naruto. "Uwa ah!?" Naruto groaned, sitting up partly. "……Ow." He opened a single eye and then opened the other when he noticed the blood on his hands. He looked down to his lap to see…

……Sasuke covered in the needles, blood lying around their bodies.

Dokun………….

Dokun………….

Dokun………….

"AAAAAHH!!"

.Naruto P.O.V.

Sasuke's body turning cold……….

Choking on the smell of blood……….

Sasuke's voice and his breathing and his pulse disappearing……….

Sasuke was right there, but I wasn't able to hear anything…………….

I could only hear my pulse pounding like crazy.

I was only able to run away. I'm weak.

Sasuke protected the weak me, and ended up with his life stolen.

The payment for having run away is too cruel.

Am I trying to make that happen again?

If I keep on running away forever, I'll really lose him next time.

I won't be able to hear Sasuke voice for real.

I can't run away. I can't run away. I have to see Sasuke.

The nurses hurried into his room, soon after his scream. They were shocked to find his bed empty and his window opened, the gentle night breeze blowing in.

.Back to Naruto P.O.V.

I'll find Sasuke and tell him about me…………….

And then……………….

I'll put an end to running away in front of him.

Naruto fell to his knees, into the blanket of snow, bringing a hand to his mouth. He gasped soundlessly when he felt the single teardrop on his hand.

……Huh…? Why am I crying…?

"Naruto…?" he looked up and looked to his side, surprised to see Sasuke standing there.

"Sa…Sasuke…" Naruto started, standing up from the snow, the knees of his pants wet. "I…I…have something I really need to tell you…" he gripped his pajama shirt with his left hand and gripped the pants with his left. He breathed heavily. "When you hear it, you might never want to see my face again…",

"But the truth is, my body…",

Naruto was then pulled into Sasuke's body, chin resting on the cloak-clad shoulder. "…You don't have to say anything." He whispered.

"Those who bear no scars aren't useless…but I can't forgive that wound for causing you suffering. I've always, always watched you for a long time. I swore that I'll become stronger and protect you for the rest of my life. I'll never ever let go of you. I…",

Naruto began to cry as he tightened his grip on Sasuke's body.

"Love you……."

"……I…I can't hear you…", Naruto whispered.

"I know", Sasuke replied.

.Naruto P.O.V.

But in the strength of his arm, which faintly trembled while embracing me………….

From the heat of his body and the feel of his breathing and pulse……………….

I understood what kind of feelings Sasuke had.

"…Th…", he buried his head into the shoulder, tears escaping down his cheeks.

I couldn't stop the tears.

I cried so much, so much.

And Sasuke held me close for the entire time.

Around the time when the tears stopped……….

Before I knew it………….

I could hear again…………….

They were walking back when Sasuke spotted a person by the tree.

"Yes…it's affirmative." There was a small beep.

"Fufufu…so you two got along and returned from your nighttime date…", Kakashi started, an evil aura emanated from his body. "In the meantime, all of the doctors at the hospital are making a big uproar."

Sasuke paled.

"Truth is…that Naruto over there gave a yell and disappeared from his room. Normally you'd think it was a kidnapping, wouldn't you?"

"Gyaah! I-I-I-I'm sorry!!"

.In The End… .

"Naruto,

Congrats on leaving the hospital

-Sakura"

I hadn't told Sasuke a single thing.

I hadn't heard what Sasuke told me either.

"Hehe…" Naruto laughed as he read the card in his hand.

Even so, we're connected together.

A cloak landed on his head, surprising him. He looked back.

"Let's go home." Sasuke said.

"Okay!" Naruto smiled.

Because we…

Have gotten something that's more certain than words.

OWARI

AN: Well, I hope you guys liked the written version of The Sleeping Sound of Snow, that is if any of you have ever read it before that is. It's a great doujinshi, by the way. I hope you guys enjoyed this. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought about the translation. ^^

1. Dokun: sound the heart makes

~Hasegawa Sumiko