Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ More Than Anything ❯ Heart to Heart ( Chapter 20 )

Chapter Eighteen: Heart to Heart

 

Sasuke barely shifted, allowing the cool breeze that drifted over the roof of the Uchiha mansion to pass him by. There was nothing he could do, nothing he wanted to do, while he glared harshly at the lazy clouds drifting overhead.

 

They were mocking him. Him, Uchiha Sasuke, because the one girl he wanted so desperately to fall at his feet had run away from his advance. What other reason would they have to drift so slowly—so happily—while he remained anchored to the ground and miserable inside?

 

Huffing, the Uchiha boy his gaze away from the happily little fluff balls floating above his head. There was nothing he could do to get rid of them, so really, the best option was to ignore them until the sun fell. Then, at least, the moon would show them for what they really were.

 

Not only that, but he had far more important issues to be concerned about.

 

His heart sank, and he buried his head into his folded arms, while the thought fluttered across his mind once more. Why had Kagome run away from him? Why she had looked so stunned to find out that he wanted to get close to her? Why did she always have to be so damn oblivious?!

 

She had said she would think about it—think about it! Yeah, right. Sasuke knew, with his luck in gaining her attention, he would be damn lucky if she ever even looked in his direction again.

 

What could he do, though? It was not as if he could forcibly make Kagome love him just because he desperately needed her. It was not as if he could demand she listen to his heart's desire. It was not as if he could suddenly perform some miracle—Naruto sure as hell thought he could, though!—in order to lift the veil she had placed over her eyes.

 

Why did it have to be so hard?

 

Why did it have to hurt so much?

 

Liquid gathering along the corner of his eyes, Sasuke quickly lifted his hand and rubbed at them fiercely. There was no reason to cry, his Uchiha pride refused to let him anyway, and especially over something so stupid as a girl. Because really, he was Uchiha Sasuke! He could have any girl that he wanted, and he certainly did not need Higurashi Kagome—

 

—even if she was beautiful, adorable, funny, kind, and the list just went on!

 

Sasuke's pride, no matter how hard it fought, just could not stand against the truth. He loved her. He needed her with a passion that he did not quite understand, and it broke him inside to know that there was a possibility she might turn him away. There could not be another girl, because none of those that followed him around daily, claiming they loved him, could understand the type of love he had for Kagome.

 

“Stop it,” he ordered. His near plea went unheeded, though, as his heart throbbed.

 

Drowning in his own misery, the Uchiha boy closed his eyes to the world and allowed his mind to simply wander. Beneath his lids, his mind quickly conjured an image of Kagome's sweet, smiling face. It settled him a bit, knowing that she had turned that smile upon him enough for him to etch it into memory. There had been moments when he sparked her anger, yes, but she always forgave him and turned that smile upon him again.

 

She was so kindhearted.

 

Sighing, Sasuke felt his mind take another turn. It was clear to him that Naruto's continuous need to throw him into ridiculous, un-Uchiha situations—the idiot still had the audacity to call them brilliant plans—simply was not working. But, what else could he do? He knew so much about Kagome, yet, at the same time, he always felt like he knew so little.

 

He had once told himself that he would succeed in capturing Kagome's heart by graduation. But that date was closing in fast, and he had little hope in Naruto's direct approach crap. Especially after the Higurashi girl's reaction. Now—now!—it looked as if his hope to gain Kagome's love was nonexistent.

 

No! Shaking his head furiously, Sasuke quickly cast the very thought from his head. There was no reason for him to admit defeat! No reason for him to believe that Kagome turning him down was inevitable! He could—he could—!

 

Damn it! It did not matter if he managed to snatch up Kagome's allusive heart before graduation! All that mattered was that day she acknowledged the fact that he needed her, loved her, and fell willing into his embrace. That one day she accepted his proposal of marriage!

 

That she looked him in the eye again and smiled!

 

Clenching his fist tight, the Uchiha boy slowly allowed his huddled position to relax and straighten out. Placing his arm over his bent knee, he returned his gaze to the sky above and gazed upon the blissful little clouds—how happy they still looked—that had taunted him not long ago. They only encouraged him now, though, because he was determined to prove that he could find the happiness he wanted his own way.

 

He was an Uchiha, damn it! There was no reason for him to use someone else's stupid plan when he could easily devise one on his own. Especially now, after gaining so much information from listening to Naruto's endless prattle and constant need to be the center of attention.

 

Besides, he smirked, Kagome's heart was already swaying in his direction. Naruto had told him that much, the useless brat. It did not matter if he had hit a snag in the road to her becoming his wife, because—!

 

“So, this is where you've been this whole time, Sasuke?” The Uchiha boy stiffened at the very sound of the other Uchiha's voice. “I would have thought mother would check the roof first. After all, it does appear to be your favorite spot.”

 

“Itachi,” Sasuke hissed.

 

Tilting his head slightly to one side, Itachi asked, “What's the matter, Sasuke? I would have thought you would be trailing after that Higurashi girl you've set your sight on? Or, perhaps, you've chosen to prove father's theory correct?”

 

“I've chosen to do no such thing!” he snapped back.

 

“You're still so defensive.” Itachi blinked down at his brother, watching his tense form closely. It was clear that there was something on the younger Uchiha's mind. However, knowing Sasuke, the boy would rather throw his fist in his direction before even attempting to speak with him like a civilized human being.

 

“What do you want?” he asked harshly.

 

“I merely find it odd,” Itachi said. “You were so focused upon finding something to give Higurashi Kagome from the Uchiha clan, yet now you're here, alone. It does not appear you've accomplished your mission yet, in fact, it's rather obvious. So, tell me, Sasuke, do you believe sitting here will gain greater results than your previous attempts at drooling over the girl?”

 

Sasuke's mouth fell open in disbelief, while Itachi settled down onto the roof next to him. In his brief shock—had Itachi just attempted to tell another joke?!—he did not notice that his brother's form was so close to his own, nor did he notice that the older Uchiha looked, in some small way, tired as his onyx colored eyes shifted up to the lazy, happy clouds above.

 

Slowly, realizing that his brother was a bit stunned by his statement, Itachi lowered his gaze. He easily locked eyes with the other Uchiha, blinking just as slowly, as he waited for the venom to return to his gaze. Then—

 

“What are you doing?!” Sasuke almost tilted over, before he managed to right himself. His foot then shifting in Itachi's direction, he planted it on the roof and scooted away from his brother's side.

 

Itachi merely blinked emotionlessly. When would his brother come to realize that the little competition he felt was going on between them was nothing more than fantasy? When would he realize that Itachi did not care for or about his ambition?

 

“Well?!” Sasuke demanded.

 

“I think that it is rather obvious, isn't it, Sasuke?” Itachi asked.

 

“If it was so obvious, why would I ask?” Sasuke huffed.

 

“Tell me, Sasuke—” Itachi felt it best to change the subject, “—has your precious Higurashi begun to notice that you're so enamored with her?”

 

Narrowing his eyes considerably, Sasuke slowly turned until he could see the side of Itachi's face, turned away from him once more, and glare properly at him. The fact that his brother showed so much interest in Kagome, still, did not sit well with him at all. “Why do you want to know that?”

 

“I was merely curious.” Itachi's lip lifted into a smirk. “You see, the last time I saw you with that girl, she was repeatedly throwing her fist in your direction.”

 

Sasuke felt his blood run cold. Then, his fist clenching, he realized that he had not even sensed Itachi's presence that day. The great and powerful Uchiha heir had slipped easily beneath his radar, watching them like the predator he was. Watching her. Pondering over her. And that single fact caused Sasuke to ask his next question quite slowly. “You watched me train with her?”

 

“Yes, but I do not believe that has anything to do with what I wanted to know.” Itachi shook his head a little, saying, “Has Higurashi Kagome noticed your affection, Sasuke? Or are you still trying your best to make her notice you?”

 

There was no denying the truth. So, quickly, Sasuke spat, “No.”

 

“Pity—”

 

“W-what?” Sasuke stilled. Had Itachi just—?

 

“—I would have thought you would have at least managed to gain her attention with how determined you were.” Itachi paused in thought, before continuing, “I tend to listen, Sasuke, and I've heard that you've begun to show your affection in public. Surely this girl knows that Uchiha do not typically go around giving out flowers and fending off fan girls?”

 

The Uchiha boy felt his face flush in embarrassment. Itachi had heard about both of those incidents? If—if Itachi had heard about both of them, there was no telling how many more people in the village knew that he had—There was no telling how long it would be before his father managed to catch word!

 

“Then again,” Itachi mused, “the girl—”

 

“Don't talk about her like you know her!” Sasuke snapped. His face was still flushed from embarrassment, but he refused to listen to Itachi talk about Kagome like that.

 

Itachi did not reply, giving Sasuke ample time to come up with another retort.

 

“And—” damn it! “—she has a name!”

 

“That does not necessarily mean she has earned my respect, however. She might show quite a few redeeming qualities, but she is still a common kunoichi and she will need to gain my respect for me to use her proper name. Just like everyone else,” Itachi stated calmly.

 

“She's not—!” Sasuke growled, as his blood began to pump. How dare Itachi refer to Kagome as a common kunoichi! But, realizing that his brother was most likely attempting to gain a rise out of him, Sasuke bit his tongue and remained silent on the matter. “J-just shut up, will you!”

 

Itachi was rather surprised. However, he was not one to give up such an opportunity. “Sasuke—” the boy was glaring at him again, “—there's no doubt in my mind that you've had more than enough time to assess what will ultimately make Higurashi Kagome acknowledge your desire. But—”

 

“Yeah, well, what do you know?” Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth.

 

“—do you honestly believe such small displays will gain her favor?” Itachi allowed himself the moment to sigh, making sure that Sasuke noticed the action. He wanted his brother to be happy, and if upsetting him motivated him, then so be it. “If you do, I suppose father will be pleased.”

 

“What do you mean?” the Uchiha boy asked.

 

“If you cannot gain Higurashi's attention, there's a high chance that you will grow tired of waiting for her attention. And, then, you will prove to father that what you feel is mere lust and can easily fade awa—”

 

Snarling from deep within his throat, Sasuke exploded. “I told you to shut up!” He rose onto his feet, his face twisted with anger, while his brother merely blinked at him curiously. The look on Itachi's face only fueled his rage, as he snarled, “You don't know anything, Itachi! I'll prove father wrong! And I'll prove to you that you're not the only one in this family that can get what he wants!”

 

Itachi merely smirked, and watched his brother storm away from him. “We'll see, Sasuke,” he said softly. “We'll see.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Naruto kicked his sandal through the dirt, frowning deeply, while he slowly trekked back to his small apartment. Higurashi-san had been kind enough to feed him twice over, so he did not need to worry about food or hunger at least until breakfast. But, the mere thought of that delicious, mouth watering food made his mind wander and grasp onto the thought that had been nagging at him since Kagome's breakdown.

 

What if, unknowingly, he was trying to turn Kagome into the one thing that she feared she might become? What if, when Sasuke actually managed to make her see that he loved her, she changed into a different person that was only interested in hanging around Sasuke and doing what Sasuke was doing?

 

What if she actually forgot about him?

 

Sure, he had joked quite a bit about how Uchiha Fugaku was going to try and convert her toward the Uchiha clan when he saw her training with Sasuke. He had almost forgotten about the whole conversation, really, but now he had to wonder. Was there a chance that the Uchiha leader would convert Kagome? Was there a chance Fugaku could convince her that hanging around him, Naruto the Prankster, was a bad idea?

 

Allowing himself a moment to sigh deeply, Naruto kicked a small pebble in his path. It bounced only a few feet, distracting him from the sudden turmoil in his mind, and then settled into place, waiting patiently for Naruto to kick it once more. Which he did, repeatedly, in hopes that the small pebble might offer him some type of reprieve.

 

“Hey, you, brat—!” Naruto glanced up in surprise, and groaned when he realized his pebble had hit the side of some lazy, old, drunk shinobi on the side of the road “—who the—!” the man paused, hiccupping, “—watch where you're throwing shit!”

 

“Sorry,” Naruto mumbled. It was best to just keep walking, so, knowing his apartment building was not far off, Naruto resumed his trek. If he was lucky, he would be able to make it there without anymore trouble.

 

The drunkard squinted at him. Then, frowning, he said, “You're th-that demon brat, aren't you? I'd recognize your ugly face anywhere! Wh-what's the matter? Don't got any friends? Wandering the streets hoping that some poor s-sap will throw money in your direction?”

 

Stiffening, Naruto snapped, “I do to have friends!”

 

“Lia…r,” the old man slurred. “Who'd want to befriend a d-demon like you?”

 

Naruto had never been quite sure why people called him that from time to time. Demon. Blemish. But, his fist clenched at the familiar term and he gritted his teeth. “What do you know?” he hissed. “You're just some drunk old man. And, for your information, my name is Uzumaki Naruto! Learn it while you can, `cause someday I'll be Hokage!”

 

“Pshw, Hokage.” The man growled surprisingly well, before hiccupping once again. “This village is too smart to l-let a demon like you ever be…come Hokage. You'd be better off—”

 

Naruto blinked in surprise, as another shinobi gripped the drunkard by the shirt and lifted him from the ground. He took a step back on instinct, noticing the Uchiha emblem, and watched as the jounin scowled deeply into the old man's grimacing face.

 

“You're coming with me,” the jounin stated. “There's a law around here, old man, about being drunk in public. And, for the life of me, I'd wish you'd learn it soon.”

 

Snorting, the old man said, “No, you're only going to drag me away because we're forbidden to—!”

 

“Shut up!” the Uchiha commanded. Then, turning, he addressed the Uzumaki boy, saying, “I suggest you move along, Uzumaki Naruto. And don't think about pulling something while along the way, unless you want to be escorted to the Hokage.”

 

Naruto only scowled, silently agreeing as the Uchiha disappeared along with the intoxicated old man. Then, alone, he whispered, “What'd he know?! Stupid old man, of course I have friends!”

 

B-but, there was still the possibility that he was—

 

Naruto shook his head violently as the very thought wandered across his mind. No! Just no! He was not slowly turning Kagome into an Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club member! She was so much better than that, which was the reason why she was his friend! A-and, not only that but—“Naruto, I'm not going to forget about you. I don't know how anyone could.”—Kagome had promised to always be his friend, and she never broke a promise!

 

It was stupid for him to have even worried about it in the first place! In fact, he was not even sure why he had chosen to worry about it!

 

Nodding curtly to himself, Naruto squared his shoulders and began to walk. There was no reason to worry about Kagome's situation! She would—or she better, after all the effort he had put into Sasuke's endeavor—probably become Uchiha Sasuke's girlfriend, but that was fine, because she would be his friend no matter what anyone else tried to tell her!

 

Besides! He still have a mission to complete! And—!

 

Blinking rapidly, Naruto smiled as luck decided to shine down upon him. He quickly forgot about what he had been thinking about, as he lifted his hand into the air and waved it in excitement. “Sasuke!”