Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Decisions of Moon and Sky ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

How the hell did this ever start? Sasuke thought irritably as he tried to weave his way through the crowd. Instead of parting for him the way that they usually did, they pushed against him, making him force his way through the tumultuous mass. Dirty looks were given him without a second thought. This was intolerable. That morning when he had left the dobe's house, he had felt liberated in a way. Not only had he finally figured out his feelings towards Naruto, he had admitted how he felt to the blond boy, and that same boy seemed to return them on a certain level. The feelings that his rival provoked were euphoric. Sasuke blushed as his mind drifted back over the events that had filled that morning.

He had actually… done that to his rival. What was really surprising was that he had actually liked it. It seemed as if he didn't have any inhibitions when it came to the dobe, be it caustic or erotic. Definitely not erotic. A smirk twisted his lips. Their long term rivalry was proof of his obsession with Naruto; Sasuke wouldn't pick fights with anyone, and no one had the nerve to mess with him… except Naruto. The goofy menace tried his nerves from day one. He didn't regret a moment of it.

The feel of Naruto's toned body underneath his fingertips, responding to each delicate touch with breathy moans… A wide smile stretched Sasuke's cheeks, and he wondered belatedly why he allowed himself to feel this way, to show emotion, when he had never allowed anything like it before. Somehow, Naruto had taken first priority over anything in his life.

A heavyset woman slammed into him with enough force to have him impact with the dusty street. Sasuke glared up at the creature that had dared interrupt his musings. Without even offering a hand, she growled at him for bumping into her. Sasuke stared at her in shock. She spat on him. He leapt to his feet with all intentions of defending his honor, but as he did, another person stepped on his foot drawing his attention away long enough for the annoyance to blend in with the rest of the crowd. He growled in annoyance. This was intolerable! Did the orange he was wearing provoke some sort of hostile response? Belatedly, he realized that it wasn't just orange he was wearing.

That thought stopped him in his tracks. Was this how Naruto was treated? Every day? No wonder Naruto had become depressed recently. It was a sobering thought, and Sasuke hadn't helped at all.

Sasuke had decided to go shopping for Naruto when he left the blond's apartment that morning only a few hours ago. It was the least that he could do to ensure that the dobe had proper food in his cupboards. When he had arrived at the shopping district he had received this foul treatment the moment he had stepped into the square and it had continued all day. At first he had thought it was because it was crowded, and god knows you should never get between a housewife and her vegetables. But time dragged on, and the same things kept occurring. His hand would close on a piece of bread and he would be forced to drop it. The shop owner made him pay for it anyway. Vegetables, meat, he couldn't get to any. Now, dusty, tired, and annoyed, Sasuke had little to show for his efforts. His respect for the blond had grown immensely.

How the hell did Naruto put up with this, day after day? At least Sasuke understood why he ate ramen so much- it was the only thing that he would get without difficulty, and that was only because no one else wanted it.

Finally procuring some staples, Sasuke fled the madhouse. What the hell made the villagers treat the whiskered boy so poorly?

Over the years Sasuke had felt many things; Longing, Anger, Betrayal, Ambition, and Solitude. He had become an Avenger then, and he had become cold and ruthless, not letting himself be tied down by useless emotions. He wouldn't let anything stand between himself and his goal. But Naruto… he tramped his inhibitions, he stirred longing, he made him feel, even when he didn't want to. Naruto was the reason that he was even back in this pathetic Village.

Naruto had gone against the Hokage herself, and come by himself to the Sound village to rescue Sasuke.

He had then gotten caught by the slimy snake bastard that had cursed Sasuke. During his imprisonment he had been tortured; starved, beaten, the only thing that hadn't occurred had been rape. Orochimaru had been adamant about not contaminating the container of the Kyuubi. Some sort of ritual. Naruto had not cracked, not even begged for mercy once. His baby blue eyes stared at Sasuke in accusation, made him reconsider his decision to join the Snake for more power. And then…

Of all the things that Sasuke expected when he stepped back into the village, torn and tattered with Naruto in his arms, it wasn't the whole hearted welcome that the villagers gave him. The entire village still saw him as the Last Uchiha, the one that would rebuild the clan. Naruto, his sacrifice and suffering, had been unacknowledged. Things returned to normal as they recovered. Sasuke had gotten more privileges, and he had regained his annoying fan club.

Naruto's cheerful exterior had begun to crack, however, and Sasuke had noticed. It seemed that he was the only one that paid attention to the blond. He hadn't acted then, but continued to seek him out to provoke him, anything to get a response from him. The fire in his eyes would spark when he was mad… that last bit of life that Sasuke held to. He would do anything to see it back in those brilliant blue orbs.

Carrying his hard won packages, Sasuke began the trek back to Naruto's apartment. He wouldn't antagonize him anymore; he vowed silently to himself, and he would make sure that he was happy. The fluttery feeling bounced around his stomach made him giddy with excitement at the thought of seeing Naruto again. The mere prospect of touching the youth's delicate skin triggered instincts in him that he had thought dead. A heady sensation went straight to his brain and he doubled his pace along with the setting sun. Sasuke's loyalty didn't lie with the village.

It lay with a lonely, tormented little boy.