Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Reflections ❯ Memories ( Chapter 6 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: siberianknight 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 05.04.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 05.04.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Author's Notes: One more time pimping the LJ community this story originated from. :) If you want to read the other version of this story which is being written by myself and four other authors, please go to LiveJournal and search for nsn_roundrobin. This was started from the fourth round robin.
Enjoy this chapter ... a bit of important things happens in this chapter. (The next chapter will be done in two weeks. I'm alternating stories so everything will be updated regularly, and now that I'm on Summer break, it'll be easier.)
Warnings: Lime scene
Chapter Status: COMPLETE
-----
&ldquo ;Naruto ...” Sasuke gently poked at the young man sitting beside him. At some point during the flight, he had apparently passed out from the overwhelming experience. Sasuke still couldn’t understand why he had become so frantic about being on the plane. “Naruto!” The one in question finally blinked his eyes slowly open and turned his head listlessly in the other’s direction.
“Wha’?” A small bit of spittle gained Sasuke’s attention as it slowly slid down Naruto’s chin. He wanted to laugh, cry, and wipe it away with his finger all at once. In these rare moments, he reminded him so much of his Naruto that it was both a blessing and a curse. “Saaasukeee ... why are you looking at me like that?” There was a sleepy drawl present, and Naruto’s eyes were sparkling as he gazed at him. Was this his real feelings, or just because he was sleepy? Whichever it was, Sasuke’s heart was starting to hurt.
“Naruto, wake up. We need to get off the plane.” Naruto’s head snapped up and there was a look of embarrassment in his bright blue eyes. He jumped to his feet and was grabbing for his carryon in the overhead compartment in one swift movement. Sasuke sighed.
The two of them walked in silence to the exterior of the airport to catch a cab. “You could have woken me up sooner. Did I drool?”
Sasuke hid his grin behind an aggravated glare. “Yeah. All over me.”
“Sorry.” The tension had still not eased between the two of them. In fact, it seemed to have grown since Naruto had been tricked into boarding the plane. Sasuke glanced over at the blonde and found himself staring much longer than was necessary. He was gazing out the window, his chin resting in his palm. There was a sad far-off look on his face that tore at Sasuke’s heart. Suddenly he knew what he needed to do. He needed to get Naruto back home by any means necessary. “Sasuke?”
Worried that he had been caught staring, Sasuke whipped his head forward and stared at the back of the headrest. “What?” He could see Naruto out of the corner of his eye, he was staring down at his hands which were clinched in his lap.
“I wanna go home, but ... I’m worried about you. I know that we’ve only been together for a few weeks, but you’re still Sasuke any way I look at it. Which means, that I care about you as a friend -- whether I know you or not. So ... promise me you’ll be okay.” He never raised his face to Sasuke’s, but his words seemed to wrap themselves around his heart and hold it tenderly. Sasuke found himself wanting to hold onto Naruto for dear life. That same feeling of loss hit him so hard at that moment, that tears slowly started to slide out of his eyes.
Naruto was caught off guard by Sasuke’s reaction to his words. He felt a bit helpless as far as how to comfort the other man. “It’s okay, Naruto. I’ll be fine. I just have to rid myself of this ache in my heart.” He hadn’t meant to say so much, but there was no way to stop the words from spilling forth. Sasuke failed to see the look of anguish quickly flash across Naruto’s face.
“I -- I didn’t mean to --”
“Boys, is this the house?” They both exchanged confused glances and looked around. They were on a narrow street which was lined with tall wooden fences shielding the houses within from view. They had failed to pay attention on the ride, and weren’t certain if they were at the right house or not. While Sasuke questioned the driver, Naruto stepped out and looked at the name-plaque on the fence.
“Oro-chi-ma ... ru. Orochimaru!?” His mind began to reel from the realization that they were going to ask for help from one who was an enemy in his world. Naruto paced back and forth worriedly, waiting for Sasuke to finish talking to the cab driver. “Sasuke! Hurry up!”
Sasuke glared at Naruto over the roof of the cab, and then apologized softly while he paid. “Naruto, that was rather ru--”
“Look!” He pointed a shaky finger at the name, and his expression puzzled Sasuke.
Not wanting to argue any more with Naruto, Sasuke moved closer to read the kanji on the plaque. “I think it reads Orochimaru. What about it? It’s an odd name ... but I wouldn’t say that it calls for the reaction which you’re giving it.”
The fierce look upon Naruto’s face nearly made Sasuke explode with the desire to laugh. He looked so appalled by his nonchalant attitude toward the name. “Do you know who that is!?”
“No. I’ve never met him before in my life. I believe that Akari-baa-san said that he was her son.” Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke’s shoulders and began to shake him so violently that he feared his head would snap off his neck.
“Don’t you realize he’s the one that wanted to squash Konoha ... our home! And -- and he’s the one ... that took you -- away from me.” Sasuke watched as Naruto’s shoulders began to shake slightly with ill suppressed anger. Naruto’s hands dropped away from him and he turned away, not wanting the tears which were welling in his eyes to be seen.
“N -- Naruto, are you --”
Tears began to stream down his face as all the hellish memories flashed through his mind. All of the pain, anger, and sadness which he experienced trying to get his best friend back home safely. It was too much for him, the memories were still too fresh and raw. “No! I’m not.”
“Would you like to talk?”
“No. Let’s go in there ... but be cautious.” Sasuke hesitated for a moment as Naruto began to enter the gate. He wondered what it was that he had been speaking of, had his other self been kidnapped? Surely if this person was as evil as Naruto said he was, then he never would have willingly gone to Orochimaru, would he?
Naruto pushed the small button next to the door and waited with his arms crossed. The door opened just as Sasuke walked up to stand next to him. The man who answered the door only vaguely resembled the Orochimaru which Naruto had known back in Konoha. He was still tall and his hair still hung down in a stringy fashion, but his eyes were a golden green and kind. He had some color in his skin, and the snakelike features were all gone.
Sasuke was the first to greet Orochimaru, and he nudged Naruto hard with his elbow to get him to also say his greetings. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you ... please come in.” The two boys entered and walked into the living room. “I apologize for the messy state of my house. My dog enjoys romping through all the rooms.” Naruto stared at the spotless room, there was not one speck of dirt anywhere, and nothing seemed to be out of place. “My mother called me shortly after she spoke with the two of you.” He smiled and his eyes came to rest on Naruto. “Before we begin would either of you like something to eat or drink?”
“I’m fine, how about you, Naruto?”
“I just want to hear what he has to say.” Naruto’s eyes were locked with Orochimaru, who began to laugh at the boy’s serious expression.
“You must be Naruto.”
Naruto watched with annoyance, as Orochimaru pulled an armchair up to the small coffee table. He was still staring at him, and Naruto was really beginning to feel uncomfortable. “Yeah, so ...”
“Your different from him.”
“Heh?” Naruto looked over at Sasuke, trying to figure out what was so different about him. Weren’t they both the same age, and human? He was a little confused. He would understand it if his chakra was still present, but since it wasn’t, he couldn’t figure out what was so different about the two of them.
“You’re missing something ... an integral part of your being. Your chakra has diminished to normal levels, no?” Naruto’s eyes widened as he moved to stare at Orochimaru. How did he know about that? “I know about your world ... because I was there once before, at least part of me was.”
Naruto’s face twisted in confusion. “I don’t get it.”
Orochimaru’s laugh sent shivers up both boys’ spines. He may look a little different, but some things seemed to have not changed. “What I mean to say, is that my other-self was a horrible person ... and I felt that even here. I knew what he was doing, and what he planned to do to your world. You have the same aura as the people there.”
“Oh.”
“You were a ninja? An important one, if I’m not mistaken ... and you went up against my other-self, right?” Naruto’s head bobbed up and down as he listened. It seemed as if maybe this guy might be of some help after all. “And you want to get back there ... to your -- family?”
“Um ... I don’t have any family. I want to go back to my friends.” Naruto began to stare down at the carpet suddenly feeling very homesick. He didn’t want to just see his friends, he wanted to see Sasuke.
“But your friends are your family. Correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Especially one ... the other-self of the one sitting next to you.” Naruto’s heart began to pound so hard within his chest that he was certain Sasuke could hear it. He hadn’t really thought about just how close he was to Sasuke until now. Yes he had risked his own life to bring him back, but that was because of many different reasons, one of which was because he had promised to Sakura that he’d bring Sasuke back. However, he had not stopped once to fully realize what an important person Sasuke was to him. “Naruto-kun ... are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Keep going ...”
“I was actually through with you ... if I say anymore, then how will you write your own story?” Naruto slouched back against the couch and jutted his bottom lip out. Why was it that everyone enjoyed only giving him half the story? How was all that stuff Orochimaru had said, supposed to help him anyway? “I’m going to help you, Naruto-kun ... but you must be patient. There is one who needs more help than you.” As he spoke, his eyes drifted over to rest on Sasuke, who’s heart began to beat faster with each passing second. What was it that he needed help with? Naruto? But that made no sense, surely if this Naruto was here, then his should be in the other world, right? “I can see what you’re thinking ... it’s written all over your face.”
“Where is my Naruto?”
“Naruto-kun, could you excuse us for a few moments. I need to speak with Sasuke-kun in private.” Naruto nodded and quietly left the room. “Sasuke-kun, I cannot tell you what happened to your Naruto. However, I can help you remember.”
“Remember? Are you saying that I’ve forgotten something? Th-that’s what your mother said, but I don’t feel as if anything is missing from my memory. And if it has to do with Naruto ... then, I don’t see how I could have forgotten!” Sasuke rose to his feet as he spoke, slowly becoming more and more incensed with the man before him. Why was he saying things like this to him? There was no way in hell he had forgotten Naruto. Absolutely no way!
“It’s not that you have forgotten in the normal sense, but that you have pushed it away. Deleted it from your mind.” Sasuke slowly sat once more and stared at Orochimaru, confused beyond words. “I want you to close your eyes, Sasuke-kun. And think back to the day which you and Naruto-kun moved in together.”
“How did you kno--”
“Quiet, just close your eyes.” Sasuke reluctantly closed his eyes and thought back to that happy day.
-----
“Hey, Sasuke! Come and help me with this box!” Naruto was trying to pull a box which was nearly as big as he was out of the moving van. Sasuke grinned as he ran over to his boyfriend, and took hold of one side of the box.
“What the hell’s in here?” Naruto grinned sheepishly at Sasuke’s question.
“My comic collection.” Sasuke groaned and laughed lightly at his lover’s childish loves. They were almost finished moving all of their stuff into the small apartment which they had found just the previous week. Everything felt so wonderful and neither one wanted the feeling to end.
“Saaasukee!” Without warning, Sasuke found himself lying on his back with Naruto hovering over top of him. “That was the last box.” His grin was mischievous and his bright blue eyes shined down at him.
“Yeah, I know ...” Slowly, Sasuke wrapped his hand around the slender neck of his lover, and pulled his face down close to his. “Naruto ...” He gently pressed his lips in various spots around Naruto’s mouth, teasing him by not giving him the satisfaction of a true kiss.
“Yeah?” Naruto’s warm breath was coming in short pants against Sasuke’s neck, and his hand was starting to wander ever lower on his body.
“Aren’t we supposed to meet Sakura and the others for lunch?” Sasuke’s own hand began to slide down Naruto’s pants and cup his bottom.
“So ... I want you. We’ll just be late.” With a swift jerk, Sasuke was freed of his pants and soon found himself not caring whether they were late or not. He groaned out his lover’s name as a warm mouth began to tease him relentlessly. Sasuke reached over onto the night stand and fumbled around trying to reach the lubricant.
“Here,” was all he was able to pant out as Naruto’s tongue flicked against his sensitive skin.
“Do you want me to finish, or move forward?”
“Forward ...”
Sasuke’s thoughts drifted reluctantly to the lunch that afternoon at Sakura’s house. Her family had invited all of her friends over for a special announcement of some sort. Sasuke had thought that it had something to do with her engagement to Lee, but wasn’t certain of it. Naruto’s head rested against his shoulder as the bus made it’s way through the busy streets of Tokyo. He was obviously a little tired from their playing; Sasuke had laughed when Naruto yelled at him for still being wide awake and able to function properly.
The bus jerked to a stop and the boys walked down the street, their hands casually touching. They could already hear the bustling sounds coming from Sakura’s house, it seemed that they were the last two to arrive. The party moved on and as it was, Sasuke had been correct. Sakura and Lee were announcing the date of their wedding. The party was relatively uneventful, so Sasuke allowed his mind to drift onto the events which followed the party.
Strangely, the bus broke down several stops away from their stop. “Looks like we’re walking ... I don’t want to wait for the next bus.” Sasuke could remember the warm look in Naruto’s eyes as they began their walk home. “Sasuke ... I’m happy that you asked me to move in with you.”
“Me too ... I’m glad you said yes.” Their fingers twined together lovingly as they inched closer together. As they were walking into the neighborhood where their apartment was located, a ball bounced out into the nearby road. The two men froze as a young boy chased after it, unaware of the oncoming traffic. Naruto’s hand ripped away from Sasuke’s as he ran after the boy. His voice sounded far off as he called out to the child, but was not heard by him. Sasuke’s feet felt as if they had been cemented to the sidewalk. He stood helplessly as a car came flying around the turn and locked its brakes to keep from hitting the boy and Naruto.
The boy was shoved out of the path of the car by Naruto, but he was not so lucky. His head cracked on the pavement when it hit, and blood began to slowly seep out of the wound. Sasuke finally found his ability to move and was running in the direction of the limp body. He began to scream so loudly that his ears started to ring from the noise. “Naruto! Naruto!!”
-----
Sasuke doubled over as he screamed. His stomach felt as if it were trying to make its way out through his throat. Naruto ran into the living room as soon as he had heard the anguished cry. He watched the man who was his friend in Konoha crumble to the floor coughing and gagging while he cried his heart out. “What’s wrong with him?!”
“He remembered ... it’ll be a while until he’s regained control of his emotions, and I think it would be best if you weren’t here while he’s trying to calm himself.” Orochimaru’s eyes were overly bright as if he himself might start crying soon. Not knowing what else to do, Naruto turned and walked outside.
-----
Sasuke froze in the middle of the street. His heart felt as if someone had just ripped it from his chest. “Sasuke? What’s wrong?” Kakashi rested a comforting hand on the younger man’s shoulder. Sasuke laughed quietly, trying to hide the pain.
“I’m fine. It’s just ... for a second there -- I thought that I would never see Naruto again.” It had been several months since Sasuke had been found, and he was able to do many things for himself, yet he was still unable to look for Naruto. Not that it mattered much, because there was still no sign of him. It was as if he had vanished. The Hokage had sent out members of Anbu to hunt for him, but all reports came back negative. It was enough to cause Sasuke to almost give up hope.
“Naruto’s fine. You know why I know that?”
“Because it’s Naruto.” Sasuke couldn’t hide his grin. Naruto was one of those people that was difficult to catch and nearly impossible to completely defeat. “Are you going with the Anbu team to look today?”
“Yeah. Is it okay? I mean, since you won’t be going with me.” Kakashi was watching his former student’s expression very carefully. He knew that Naruto’s absence was wearing on him, and that made him want to find the fox-boy even more. Sasuke didn’t answer the softly spoken question, he instead started walking once again. He couldn’t explain why he still felt a great loss, or why tears were trying to fall from his eyes. He raised a hand up to the silk scarf which covered his unseeing eyes. It’s purpose was solely for covering up the small scars which bound his eyelids to his cheeks. If Sasuke ever met up with the person who did this to him, there would be blood shed. “Hmm ... well, I guess I won’t ask about Naruto again.”
Sasuke laughed quietly as his teacher’s voice reached his ears. “It’s okay. I don’t mind ... you just better take me next time.”
“If I find anything -- you’ll be the first to know.”
-----
“Oh no! This could be bad ... nee-chan! Nee-chan!!” Nee-chan was reclining on a high branch, twirling a leaf between her fingers. She looked bored and didn’t move when her younger sister came dashing up the side of the tree to her. “He’s remembered!”
“Who?” Her voice even sounded as if she didn’t much care about the news, the leaf in her hand seemed more interesting to her.
“Sasuke! He -- he remembered his Naruto! What should we do?” The elder sister began to laugh lightly, in the same manner as she always did.
“Well, we’ll just have to complicate things. I didn’t expect it to move this fast ... I thought surely he would have tried to force the other Naruto into remembering.”
“What are your orders?” The younger sister watched eagerly as her elder sat up and tossed the leaf down.
“Like I said -- complicate things.” Her smile was slick and mischievous as she gazed at the leaf slowly floating down to the ground. “Naruto will never know what hit him.”
Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi, TV-Tokyo, & Shounen Jump
geovisit();
Enjoy this chapter ... a bit of important things happens in this chapter. (The next chapter will be done in two weeks. I'm alternating stories so everything will be updated regularly, and now that I'm on Summer break, it'll be easier.)
Warnings: Lime scene
Chapter Status: COMPLETE
&ldquo ;Naruto ...” Sasuke gently poked at the young man sitting beside him. At some point during the flight, he had apparently passed out from the overwhelming experience. Sasuke still couldn’t understand why he had become so frantic about being on the plane. “Naruto!” The one in question finally blinked his eyes slowly open and turned his head listlessly in the other’s direction.
“Wha’?” A small bit of spittle gained Sasuke’s attention as it slowly slid down Naruto’s chin. He wanted to laugh, cry, and wipe it away with his finger all at once. In these rare moments, he reminded him so much of his Naruto that it was both a blessing and a curse. “Saaasukeee ... why are you looking at me like that?” There was a sleepy drawl present, and Naruto’s eyes were sparkling as he gazed at him. Was this his real feelings, or just because he was sleepy? Whichever it was, Sasuke’s heart was starting to hurt.
“Naruto, wake up. We need to get off the plane.” Naruto’s head snapped up and there was a look of embarrassment in his bright blue eyes. He jumped to his feet and was grabbing for his carryon in the overhead compartment in one swift movement. Sasuke sighed.
The two of them walked in silence to the exterior of the airport to catch a cab. “You could have woken me up sooner. Did I drool?”
Sasuke hid his grin behind an aggravated glare. “Yeah. All over me.”
“Sorry.” The tension had still not eased between the two of them. In fact, it seemed to have grown since Naruto had been tricked into boarding the plane. Sasuke glanced over at the blonde and found himself staring much longer than was necessary. He was gazing out the window, his chin resting in his palm. There was a sad far-off look on his face that tore at Sasuke’s heart. Suddenly he knew what he needed to do. He needed to get Naruto back home by any means necessary. “Sasuke?”
Worried that he had been caught staring, Sasuke whipped his head forward and stared at the back of the headrest. “What?” He could see Naruto out of the corner of his eye, he was staring down at his hands which were clinched in his lap.
“I wanna go home, but ... I’m worried about you. I know that we’ve only been together for a few weeks, but you’re still Sasuke any way I look at it. Which means, that I care about you as a friend -- whether I know you or not. So ... promise me you’ll be okay.” He never raised his face to Sasuke’s, but his words seemed to wrap themselves around his heart and hold it tenderly. Sasuke found himself wanting to hold onto Naruto for dear life. That same feeling of loss hit him so hard at that moment, that tears slowly started to slide out of his eyes.
Naruto was caught off guard by Sasuke’s reaction to his words. He felt a bit helpless as far as how to comfort the other man. “It’s okay, Naruto. I’ll be fine. I just have to rid myself of this ache in my heart.” He hadn’t meant to say so much, but there was no way to stop the words from spilling forth. Sasuke failed to see the look of anguish quickly flash across Naruto’s face.
“I -- I didn’t mean to --”
“Boys, is this the house?” They both exchanged confused glances and looked around. They were on a narrow street which was lined with tall wooden fences shielding the houses within from view. They had failed to pay attention on the ride, and weren’t certain if they were at the right house or not. While Sasuke questioned the driver, Naruto stepped out and looked at the name-plaque on the fence.
“Oro-chi-ma ... ru. Orochimaru!?” His mind began to reel from the realization that they were going to ask for help from one who was an enemy in his world. Naruto paced back and forth worriedly, waiting for Sasuke to finish talking to the cab driver. “Sasuke! Hurry up!”
Sasuke glared at Naruto over the roof of the cab, and then apologized softly while he paid. “Naruto, that was rather ru--”
“Look!” He pointed a shaky finger at the name, and his expression puzzled Sasuke.
Not wanting to argue any more with Naruto, Sasuke moved closer to read the kanji on the plaque. “I think it reads Orochimaru. What about it? It’s an odd name ... but I wouldn’t say that it calls for the reaction which you’re giving it.”
The fierce look upon Naruto’s face nearly made Sasuke explode with the desire to laugh. He looked so appalled by his nonchalant attitude toward the name. “Do you know who that is!?”
“No. I’ve never met him before in my life. I believe that Akari-baa-san said that he was her son.” Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke’s shoulders and began to shake him so violently that he feared his head would snap off his neck.
“Don’t you realize he’s the one that wanted to squash Konoha ... our home! And -- and he’s the one ... that took you -- away from me.” Sasuke watched as Naruto’s shoulders began to shake slightly with ill suppressed anger. Naruto’s hands dropped away from him and he turned away, not wanting the tears which were welling in his eyes to be seen.
“N -- Naruto, are you --”
Tears began to stream down his face as all the hellish memories flashed through his mind. All of the pain, anger, and sadness which he experienced trying to get his best friend back home safely. It was too much for him, the memories were still too fresh and raw. “No! I’m not.”
“Would you like to talk?”
“No. Let’s go in there ... but be cautious.” Sasuke hesitated for a moment as Naruto began to enter the gate. He wondered what it was that he had been speaking of, had his other self been kidnapped? Surely if this person was as evil as Naruto said he was, then he never would have willingly gone to Orochimaru, would he?
Naruto pushed the small button next to the door and waited with his arms crossed. The door opened just as Sasuke walked up to stand next to him. The man who answered the door only vaguely resembled the Orochimaru which Naruto had known back in Konoha. He was still tall and his hair still hung down in a stringy fashion, but his eyes were a golden green and kind. He had some color in his skin, and the snakelike features were all gone.
Sasuke was the first to greet Orochimaru, and he nudged Naruto hard with his elbow to get him to also say his greetings. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you ... please come in.” The two boys entered and walked into the living room. “I apologize for the messy state of my house. My dog enjoys romping through all the rooms.” Naruto stared at the spotless room, there was not one speck of dirt anywhere, and nothing seemed to be out of place. “My mother called me shortly after she spoke with the two of you.” He smiled and his eyes came to rest on Naruto. “Before we begin would either of you like something to eat or drink?”
“I’m fine, how about you, Naruto?”
“I just want to hear what he has to say.” Naruto’s eyes were locked with Orochimaru, who began to laugh at the boy’s serious expression.
“You must be Naruto.”
Naruto watched with annoyance, as Orochimaru pulled an armchair up to the small coffee table. He was still staring at him, and Naruto was really beginning to feel uncomfortable. “Yeah, so ...”
“Your different from him.”
“Heh?” Naruto looked over at Sasuke, trying to figure out what was so different about him. Weren’t they both the same age, and human? He was a little confused. He would understand it if his chakra was still present, but since it wasn’t, he couldn’t figure out what was so different about the two of them.
“You’re missing something ... an integral part of your being. Your chakra has diminished to normal levels, no?” Naruto’s eyes widened as he moved to stare at Orochimaru. How did he know about that? “I know about your world ... because I was there once before, at least part of me was.”
Naruto’s face twisted in confusion. “I don’t get it.”
Orochimaru’s laugh sent shivers up both boys’ spines. He may look a little different, but some things seemed to have not changed. “What I mean to say, is that my other-self was a horrible person ... and I felt that even here. I knew what he was doing, and what he planned to do to your world. You have the same aura as the people there.”
“Oh.”
“You were a ninja? An important one, if I’m not mistaken ... and you went up against my other-self, right?” Naruto’s head bobbed up and down as he listened. It seemed as if maybe this guy might be of some help after all. “And you want to get back there ... to your -- family?”
“Um ... I don’t have any family. I want to go back to my friends.” Naruto began to stare down at the carpet suddenly feeling very homesick. He didn’t want to just see his friends, he wanted to see Sasuke.
“But your friends are your family. Correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Especially one ... the other-self of the one sitting next to you.” Naruto’s heart began to pound so hard within his chest that he was certain Sasuke could hear it. He hadn’t really thought about just how close he was to Sasuke until now. Yes he had risked his own life to bring him back, but that was because of many different reasons, one of which was because he had promised to Sakura that he’d bring Sasuke back. However, he had not stopped once to fully realize what an important person Sasuke was to him. “Naruto-kun ... are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Keep going ...”
“I was actually through with you ... if I say anymore, then how will you write your own story?” Naruto slouched back against the couch and jutted his bottom lip out. Why was it that everyone enjoyed only giving him half the story? How was all that stuff Orochimaru had said, supposed to help him anyway? “I’m going to help you, Naruto-kun ... but you must be patient. There is one who needs more help than you.” As he spoke, his eyes drifted over to rest on Sasuke, who’s heart began to beat faster with each passing second. What was it that he needed help with? Naruto? But that made no sense, surely if this Naruto was here, then his should be in the other world, right? “I can see what you’re thinking ... it’s written all over your face.”
“Where is my Naruto?”
“Naruto-kun, could you excuse us for a few moments. I need to speak with Sasuke-kun in private.” Naruto nodded and quietly left the room. “Sasuke-kun, I cannot tell you what happened to your Naruto. However, I can help you remember.”
“Remember? Are you saying that I’ve forgotten something? Th-that’s what your mother said, but I don’t feel as if anything is missing from my memory. And if it has to do with Naruto ... then, I don’t see how I could have forgotten!” Sasuke rose to his feet as he spoke, slowly becoming more and more incensed with the man before him. Why was he saying things like this to him? There was no way in hell he had forgotten Naruto. Absolutely no way!
“It’s not that you have forgotten in the normal sense, but that you have pushed it away. Deleted it from your mind.” Sasuke slowly sat once more and stared at Orochimaru, confused beyond words. “I want you to close your eyes, Sasuke-kun. And think back to the day which you and Naruto-kun moved in together.”
“How did you kno--”
“Quiet, just close your eyes.” Sasuke reluctantly closed his eyes and thought back to that happy day.
“Hey, Sasuke! Come and help me with this box!” Naruto was trying to pull a box which was nearly as big as he was out of the moving van. Sasuke grinned as he ran over to his boyfriend, and took hold of one side of the box.
“What the hell’s in here?” Naruto grinned sheepishly at Sasuke’s question.
“My comic collection.” Sasuke groaned and laughed lightly at his lover’s childish loves. They were almost finished moving all of their stuff into the small apartment which they had found just the previous week. Everything felt so wonderful and neither one wanted the feeling to end.
“Saaasukee!” Without warning, Sasuke found himself lying on his back with Naruto hovering over top of him. “That was the last box.” His grin was mischievous and his bright blue eyes shined down at him.
“Yeah, I know ...” Slowly, Sasuke wrapped his hand around the slender neck of his lover, and pulled his face down close to his. “Naruto ...” He gently pressed his lips in various spots around Naruto’s mouth, teasing him by not giving him the satisfaction of a true kiss.
“Yeah?” Naruto’s warm breath was coming in short pants against Sasuke’s neck, and his hand was starting to wander ever lower on his body.
“Aren’t we supposed to meet Sakura and the others for lunch?” Sasuke’s own hand began to slide down Naruto’s pants and cup his bottom.
“So ... I want you. We’ll just be late.” With a swift jerk, Sasuke was freed of his pants and soon found himself not caring whether they were late or not. He groaned out his lover’s name as a warm mouth began to tease him relentlessly. Sasuke reached over onto the night stand and fumbled around trying to reach the lubricant.
“Here,” was all he was able to pant out as Naruto’s tongue flicked against his sensitive skin.
“Do you want me to finish, or move forward?”
“Forward ...”
Sasuke’s thoughts drifted reluctantly to the lunch that afternoon at Sakura’s house. Her family had invited all of her friends over for a special announcement of some sort. Sasuke had thought that it had something to do with her engagement to Lee, but wasn’t certain of it. Naruto’s head rested against his shoulder as the bus made it’s way through the busy streets of Tokyo. He was obviously a little tired from their playing; Sasuke had laughed when Naruto yelled at him for still being wide awake and able to function properly.
The bus jerked to a stop and the boys walked down the street, their hands casually touching. They could already hear the bustling sounds coming from Sakura’s house, it seemed that they were the last two to arrive. The party moved on and as it was, Sasuke had been correct. Sakura and Lee were announcing the date of their wedding. The party was relatively uneventful, so Sasuke allowed his mind to drift onto the events which followed the party.
Strangely, the bus broke down several stops away from their stop. “Looks like we’re walking ... I don’t want to wait for the next bus.” Sasuke could remember the warm look in Naruto’s eyes as they began their walk home. “Sasuke ... I’m happy that you asked me to move in with you.”
“Me too ... I’m glad you said yes.” Their fingers twined together lovingly as they inched closer together. As they were walking into the neighborhood where their apartment was located, a ball bounced out into the nearby road. The two men froze as a young boy chased after it, unaware of the oncoming traffic. Naruto’s hand ripped away from Sasuke’s as he ran after the boy. His voice sounded far off as he called out to the child, but was not heard by him. Sasuke’s feet felt as if they had been cemented to the sidewalk. He stood helplessly as a car came flying around the turn and locked its brakes to keep from hitting the boy and Naruto.
The boy was shoved out of the path of the car by Naruto, but he was not so lucky. His head cracked on the pavement when it hit, and blood began to slowly seep out of the wound. Sasuke finally found his ability to move and was running in the direction of the limp body. He began to scream so loudly that his ears started to ring from the noise. “Naruto! Naruto!!”
Sasuke doubled over as he screamed. His stomach felt as if it were trying to make its way out through his throat. Naruto ran into the living room as soon as he had heard the anguished cry. He watched the man who was his friend in Konoha crumble to the floor coughing and gagging while he cried his heart out. “What’s wrong with him?!”
“He remembered ... it’ll be a while until he’s regained control of his emotions, and I think it would be best if you weren’t here while he’s trying to calm himself.” Orochimaru’s eyes were overly bright as if he himself might start crying soon. Not knowing what else to do, Naruto turned and walked outside.
Sasuke froze in the middle of the street. His heart felt as if someone had just ripped it from his chest. “Sasuke? What’s wrong?” Kakashi rested a comforting hand on the younger man’s shoulder. Sasuke laughed quietly, trying to hide the pain.
“I’m fine. It’s just ... for a second there -- I thought that I would never see Naruto again.” It had been several months since Sasuke had been found, and he was able to do many things for himself, yet he was still unable to look for Naruto. Not that it mattered much, because there was still no sign of him. It was as if he had vanished. The Hokage had sent out members of Anbu to hunt for him, but all reports came back negative. It was enough to cause Sasuke to almost give up hope.
“Naruto’s fine. You know why I know that?”
“Because it’s Naruto.” Sasuke couldn’t hide his grin. Naruto was one of those people that was difficult to catch and nearly impossible to completely defeat. “Are you going with the Anbu team to look today?”
“Yeah. Is it okay? I mean, since you won’t be going with me.” Kakashi was watching his former student’s expression very carefully. He knew that Naruto’s absence was wearing on him, and that made him want to find the fox-boy even more. Sasuke didn’t answer the softly spoken question, he instead started walking once again. He couldn’t explain why he still felt a great loss, or why tears were trying to fall from his eyes. He raised a hand up to the silk scarf which covered his unseeing eyes. It’s purpose was solely for covering up the small scars which bound his eyelids to his cheeks. If Sasuke ever met up with the person who did this to him, there would be blood shed. “Hmm ... well, I guess I won’t ask about Naruto again.”
Sasuke laughed quietly as his teacher’s voice reached his ears. “It’s okay. I don’t mind ... you just better take me next time.”
“If I find anything -- you’ll be the first to know.”
“Oh no! This could be bad ... nee-chan! Nee-chan!!” Nee-chan was reclining on a high branch, twirling a leaf between her fingers. She looked bored and didn’t move when her younger sister came dashing up the side of the tree to her. “He’s remembered!”
“Who?” Her voice even sounded as if she didn’t much care about the news, the leaf in her hand seemed more interesting to her.
“Sasuke! He -- he remembered his Naruto! What should we do?” The elder sister began to laugh lightly, in the same manner as she always did.
“Well, we’ll just have to complicate things. I didn’t expect it to move this fast ... I thought surely he would have tried to force the other Naruto into remembering.”
“What are your orders?” The younger sister watched eagerly as her elder sat up and tossed the leaf down.
“Like I said -- complicate things.” Her smile was slick and mischievous as she gazed at the leaf slowly floating down to the ground. “Naruto will never know what hit him.”