Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Emotions ❯ Past and Present: One and the same ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: No characters in this fanfic belong to me, unfortunately. :-P

 

NOTE: I have been slightly busy lately therefore lack of update and this short chapter. I desperately want to continue writing right now but it's 7am and I have yet to be asleep. T.T I encourage you to review this and tell me what you think. Like I said, I'm just beginning writing and I'm still catching on. I would love encouragement though! :-P

Also, next chapter includes NaruHina most likely. Don't worry, I would never forget about Sasuke! He IS the love of my life after all! XD

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There stood Hinata in tears.

 

“It's Naruto-kun! He's wounded!” Hinata grabbed Sakura practically knocking her over. “You have to come heal him now!” she said with tears flying from her eyes. Of all the people that could have been at Sakura's door, Hinata was probably the second least person she would have expected, next to Naruto. Considering the circumstances between her Naruto, she doesn't see him much; let alone her front door near dinner time. And since Hinata was involved with him, they don't speak much either.

 

 

“Hinata, calm down, you're overreacting,” Said a suddenly appeared Neji.

 

“Neji-san! What happened to Naruto-kun?” Sakura asked desperately for an answer.

“Naruto got a kunai to the chest during training. He lost consciousness and the medics there weren't sure of his condition right away and Hinata overreacted.”

 

Sakura stared at Neji waiting for him to tell her Naruto's condition.

 

“It was an extremely deep wound,” Neji continued and Hinata cringed at atrocity of the statement. “There was a lot of blood and they weren't sure if the kunai pierced his heart because of the excess amount of it.”

 

Sakura and Hinata's eyes became scared and distant. Neji looked away.

 

“Hokage-sama said it didn't pierce his heart but some of his nerves were affected and he will be slightly temporarily traumatized in his chest and arms.”

 

For Sakura this was an amazing relief. She knew that slight temporary trauma was something she, let alone, Tsunade could deal with. But for Hinata it wasn't a relief at all. Hinata stared at the ground emotionless.

 

“Can he feel?” Hinata whispered. The darkness of the night slipped around her face so her eyes were hidden from Sakura's Sakura couldn't see Hinata's tears but she could feel them through the thick summer air. She knew Neji didn't know the answer to the question which is why he remained silent. Hinata lifted her face to the darkness and her hair hung heavy over her eyes from the dense humidity and turned towards Sakura. That's when Sakura realized Neji didn't answer because the question wasn't directed towards him. She quickly thought over what to tell Hinata and decided the truth was the best.

 

“Probably not.” Sakura said with a little bit too much honestly. “Not in his arms and chest. Probably not much of his neck and the very lower potion of his face either.”

Hinata didn't give much of a response but Sakura decided to continue.

“He's only temporarily traumatized which means he will recover. Because of our medical advancements and his..” She trailed off but cleared her throat to continue. “and his Kyubii… he will probably heal much quicker than expected. The good thing about it is he won't feel the pain from the kunai stab. And he definitely will fully recover.” Sakura wasn't completely sure of the situation but she didn't want to sound unsure. From what Neji told her, Naruto sounded stable and she felt somewhat confident her information was accurate.

 

“Will he be able to speak?” Hinata added.

 

Sakura sighed. “It really depends how badly he was injured. He could be able to speak perfectly clear or he could not be able to speak at all. Somewhere in between would be his words will be mumbled.” Sakura could see the worry and anxiety taking over Hinata and she felt partly responsible. “But Naruto is strong and he will recover.” Sakura smiled hoping to cheer Hinata up a bit.

 

 

“What happened to him?” Sakura heard a deep, sexy voice that instantly made her heart flutter. She knew because it had made her crazy 7 years before. She knew because she missed every day since then. She knew because she knew it all too well. She knew it was Sasuke's. She blushed at the thought of his name; the thought of his lips against her body just minutes before. She could feel her face flush but she turned towards him anyway. What could she hide now? He knew everything. He'd seen everything. He stood in her doorway with his right shoulder leaned up against the edge staring at her. His shirt was still half undone and his face was slightly flushed and he had sweat trickling down his bare chest.

 

“He got hurt during training and had some injuries to…” Sakura trailed off when she realized Neji and Hinata were staring at Sasuke shocked then back at Sakura even more shocked like they had just put the pieces together. This made Sakura extremely embarrassed and she screamed “It's not what you think!!”

 

“It's NOT?!” Hinata and Neji asked surprisingly in unison. Sakura knew how it looked. And she knew it looked right. It looked exactly how it was. And with Sasuke over there looking sexy-times-500 didn't help.

 

“We were… moving furniture!” Sakura managed to almost scream out.

 

Neji and Hinata both looked at Sasuke but he had his old whatever smirk on his face which didn't exactly prove they weren't in there rumbling around in the dark feeling for god knows what but it didn't exactly prove he would have enough concern to do anything with her either. It was Sasuke's same always neutral, indifferent look.

 

“Uhm… We have to go finish moving my bed now.. MY DRESSER! I MEANT MY DRESSER! Haha.. not the bed… the dresser..” Sakura explained and she tried to shove Sasuke back through the door. “I'll be sure to check on Naruto's conditions first thing in the morning. Bye, now!” Hinata nervously waved still shocked and confused at what had just happened and Sakura slammed the door shut with her face so red her hair looked pale. She stood with her back against the door with closed eyes both embarrassed and thankful that was over.

 

She felt a warm, heart stopping breath on the side of her face.

 

“Are you ashamed of me, Sakura?” Sasuke's deep voice sent chills through her body.

 

“Of course not, Sasuke.” She said, confused.

 

“Why did you lie? When we were young..”

 

“When we were young things were different.” Sakura realized she had cut Sasuke off before he finished his sentence. But she was right, after all. Things were different. She was different. Sasuke was different. Life was different. Different for the better? Maybe. Maybe not. As if Sasuke could read her thoughts, he responded.

 

“You're right, Sakura. Things are different. You're stronger and mature. So am I.”

Sasuke leaned his arms against the door again as he had done earlier but she could see him better now. The lights in her house illuminated every sexy thing about Sasuke. His muscular arms next to either side of his body, even the way he stood was sexy. She could sense the presence of all the muscles in his chest and stomach even through his clothes and it made her heart skip a beat.

 

And so did his voice every time he spoke.

“But there's one thing that's the same and you can't deny it.”

 

Sasuke stared in her eyes and locked them to his. She felt that he was trying to intimidate her and almost challenge her to back down but she didn't.

“What's the same, Sasuke?” While she responded to him merely out of spite she really did want to know his answer. It seemed as though that life back then was so distant. Maybe they were different people's memories who had slipped into her head by mistake. She would believe that before she would believe that they were real.

 

Sasuke leaned in and gave her the sexiest gaze she had ever seen. On anyone, in her whole life. He challenged her strongly now she desperately wanted to look away so she did. He caught her gaze right back though almost warning her not to do it again. He was serious. He meant what he was going to say. He stared at her seeming to be looking for truth in her eyes. She knew he was baffled at the fact that she didn't know what he was going to say. She felt baffled. Why had Sasuke remembered something that was the same as life back then? She was positive there was nothing. Her and Naruto's friendship was gone. Her weakness was gone. Their innocence was gone. What had remained? Memories. Nothing else, she thought. Her thoughts read on her face and Sasuke responded instantly to them.

 

“You really don't know?” he asked.

 

“Sasuke, do you remember life than? The Chunnin Exams? Academy School? We were all together… it was before Orochimaru… before your curse… before you left. Everything's changed. Life isn't the same. We aren't the same. As much as we may want to go back and relive those days or as much as we may want to forget they ever existed, it's not going to happen. We have to accept the past and move on with our lives.”

 

Sasuke chuckled at her remark. He looked away for a second only to recapture her eyes a moment later. “I'm almost hurt at your response, Sakura. You've thought all of that over but you still missed what I'm talking about. It's not a secret and it's not hidden. And it's affecting you right now as you look at me and as I speak to you.”

 

Sakura was getting frustrated with Sasuke's stubbornness to see reality but she gave in. “Okay, Sasuke. What is it?”

 

Sasuke stared at her for a few moments with that smile on his face but it disappeared and he seemed to have been flooded with every serious emotion at that instant. He cupped her face with hands and stared at her. He let a breath out and responded without any more hesitation.

 

“Your love for me, Sakura-chan.”