Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Sassychan ❯ Chapter 12: Can't you talk! ( Chapter 12 )

uthor's Notes:

Okay, so I promised to post this up until after chapter fifteen is finished...it's just that I am kinda stuck creating chapter fifteen right now so I gues it might take me another weel to post another update...well here's chapter 12:)

DISCLAIMER:

I don't know exactly why we have to have proprietary rights to the things that are not even tangible. But, then I realized that love is not tangible and yet I am extremely possessive of it. At that moment, in clear and concise detail, it dawned at me. Though I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, I love it and that could not be taken away from me.

Cheers!

Sassychan

by Boyarina

Chapter 12: Can't you talk!

Naruto is worried--no, scratch that, he is EXTREMELY hot and bothered by something he couldn't put his finger on. He would have gladly stowed it away to the recesses of his mind for the time being so he could assess it on his own time later on the day, but the thing is, it kept bobbing up to the surface of his consciousness---almost as though it's demanding for his immediate attention.

He wouldn't be able to spare it a moment's thought, however. As it is, his hands are full right now with the vital task of escorting Uchiha Sasuke into Konoha together with Sakura. Spacing oout and contemplating on something that just might turn out to be completely irrelevant to eveything that is happening now is not an option.

For all he knows, this troublesome feeling might just be due to the fact that he left once again a ramen cup half-eaten on the table, inviting all his unwanted roommates (rodents, flies, cockroaches and the like) to come and dine in...or it could be that he left AGAIN his favorite boxers (the blue one that's dotted with furry little foxes on it) on the clothes line, only to find it being worn as a cap AGAIN by his neighbor's little daughter (apparently the child is smitten both by the blue color and the cute foxy design of his underwear)...

It could be any number of inconsequential things that he forgets now and then which do tickle his subconscious at the most inconvenient times but really doesn' t have any bearing to the greater scheme of things.

Going back to what he should be giving his undivided attention to, Naruto scanned the carnage covering the entry way of the forest grounds of Konoha. By the looks of it, it appears that either they had enjoyed TOO MUCH the act of disposing the enemy or that Sound shinobis didn' t know just when to stop and give in.

It's gruesome to even mention, but the bodies littering on the precious soild of Konoha are way too many to be ignored. If there's one thing that would prove how effective their pesticide techniques is, this would certainly be it. Add the jutsu Sasuke contributed (despite the fact they have told him to just step aside due to the numerous flesh wounds that he has) there's no way they could have been defeated.

Sasuke...

Looking at his former teammate (hopefully will become again his teammate), Naruto's earlier discomfiture came haunting him back again. For the umptenth time now, he attempted to shrug off this most unsettling sensation.

"Naruto," Sakura said, placing a hand on his shoulder and, thankfully, dispelling his unease even if just for the moment. "We need a massive burial for this."

He nodded his assent automatically, still staring at Sasuke who seemed as though he is purposely avoiding his gaze.

"Clear everyone from here," he said softly. When Sakura left his side to reiterate his order to the team and Sasuke, the nagging sensation returned.

Naruto took a lungful of air. Concentrate, he needs to concentrate and perform the correct seals so he oculd execute the jutsu that imitates Subako no Gaara's desert coffin.

Sasuke...

Just as the words for the justsu left his mouth and the earth where all the bodies are lying around disintegrated and sunk, swallowing with it the dead shinobis, it finally clicked in Naruto's head--a plausible reason for this bothersome feeling.

Sasuke...Sasuke is wearing a dress.

No, correct that, a dress robe.

No, wait, not a dress robe, it's a kimono--a rather beautiful, and a very elegant kimono.

A kimono, that by no means, SCREAMS: "I am only worn by WOMEN!"

Naruto could only hope that Sasuke wore THAT garment as a disguise when he made his escape from the Sound Village. Otherwise, if Sasuke is wearing that on purpose, he would be forced to think that either Sasuke is gay or either that he is very...SICK.

Personally, Naruto doesn't know which one is worse. (And even before you ask or think about it, no, there's not a thing about being a gay that Naruto is against at. It'll just be too STRANGE if Sasuke is one.)

Not to mention uncomfortable.

Naruto released the jutsu and the ground quickly returned back to normal, this time devoid of the dead bodies. He exhaled the air that he was holding in, ready now to go directly to the spot--to the person he has yet to take his eyes off.

Sasuke, and partly his outfit, is really BUGGING him.

"Come back 'coz you missed us, huh, Sasuke-kun?" he greeted teasingly, dropping next to Sasuke who merely shrugged at him. To Naruto's eyes and senses, the Uchiha looks--no more like, he feels kind of different. He has the same physical attributes like before (though a bit skinnier, having now a face that matured a little)...

..however, something is still not quite right...it's kinda like having an edited version of Sasuke...

Naruto knew he shouldn't be worried because his kyuubi chakra is telling him that the Sasuke standing right here is the same Sasuke that left three years ago, only with a few unseen revisions. Most likely these revisions could be attributed to the fact that Sasuke has stayed far too long in Orochimaru's company--the snake probably sprinkled fairy dust on him or something. (Yeah, in that snake's case, it could be scale shreddings for he knows)

"We should report back tot he Hokage," Sakura spoke up, her voice laced with irritation. After giving NAruto a glare that blared out, 'will you stop scrutinizing Sasuke like he's a specimen under a microscope?' , she jerked her head towards the Hokage Tower so he would hasten to give the order as the leader for the group to move.

Naruto mentally grumbled. Just as he was about to discover that very thing that makes Sasuke feel different, Sakura would have to go and remind him of his duties and responsibilities as the leader.

"Let's move out," he finally said after a long pause, sighing and basically is giving everyone around the impression that he would rather be doing something else, given that he has that choice to take.

Positioning himself on Sasuke's left (with Sakura flanking the Uchiha on the right), he nodded at Shino, Neji, and Hinata.

"Guard the rear," he commanded. Turning to Tenten, Lee and Shikamaru, he said, "Upfront, please"

Everyone nodded their assent and went to their respective places. Naruto and Sakura stayed in the middle, acting as Sasuke's personal escorts.

"Ikkou," he commanded quite unecessarily as Tenten, Lee and Shikamaru had already all leaned forward and took a flying leap towards the gates of Konoha.

It all seemed so surreal to Naruto. He couldn't believe that this is actually happening. For two years of unrelenting search for Sasuke and finding not even a plausible lead...only for things to end up this way.

Were it a couple of years ago, and somebody announced that Ssuke is bound to arrive in Konoha this day, Naruto would have firstly, clobbered that person for making such a gorrid blather and secondly, laughed until his insides split and blood started to gush out of his nose, eyes, mouth, ears ...okay this is just plain morbid.

But! The point is no one would have guessed that it will come down to the event that Sasuke would be the one who would bring himself home, plus with an evidence in tow that he actually meant well when he had decided to become a missing nin. Not even in NAruto's wildest imagination had he seen this one coming. Not in 'the million and one ways to bring Sasuke back' booklet that he created had he made note of this--because it is too much of an impossibility.

And for that, to be truly honest about it, Naruto had never been so happy to be proven wrong.

The Uchiha is BACK--all black and blue, but alive and kicking, which is more than what he had asked for.

The team seven's Sasuke-KUN is back.

His--COUGH--the teme is back.

And Naruto couldn't be more happy about it.

Now if he could only get the bastard to talk. Sasuke had not spoken a single syllalble (not even a grunt) to them yet. Though he is expecting that Uchiha bastard to be still his taciturn self, Naruto thinks that the least Sasuke-teme could do is to grace them with his customary "aa" or "hn" when he and Sakura had flanked him to escort him to the Hokage tower.

Clothing aside, the silence hanging over the Uchiha for reasons yet to be explained to Naruto is worrying him quite a bit too. By the kimono Sasuke is wearing, he could very weel understand whu he is discomfitted by it, but by the way the Uchiha is all clamped up and everything--that's just taking it too far.

It's like he is bugged by everything that the Uchiha has on him and everything that's it not forth coming from the bastard.

This silence...ugh, it's grating on his nerves. Naruto has this sneaking suspicion that Sasuke is doing it on purpose. Out of courtesy (if not out of gratitude for the help they have provided earlier), he should at least voluntarily offer an explanation for the reason fo his return (not unless that bastard is actually expecting Kabuto's head to do the whole narration).

Naruto inwardly shuddred at the image of Kabuto's head actually speaking for Sasuke. Kami, he's just so full of morbid ideas today, isn't he?

At any rate, if Sasuke's refusal to speak to them is an indication that the sheer purpose of his coming back to Konoha is just for that and he would actually shun any attempts that he, Naruto, and Sakura would make to establish team seven--well then, Naruto is going to have to set him straight him right now.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, his head turned towards the boy in question, hoping that he would be able to bore his eyes straight into those ebony ones. Getting his point across to Sasuke's brain is one thing that he wants to make sure of.

"This better not just be a whim of yours," he growled, getting ticked off when Sasuke's gaze merely flitted in his, giving NAruto this noncomittal shrug.

FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS DAY. Can't he just say something?

"Why are you wearing a kinomo, anyways?" he asked, persistent in his quest of making Sasuke SAY SOMETHING. He would resort to anything even to this childish way of making Sasuke pissed just so he would speak.

"Is wearing a woman's kimono a fashion in Sound nowadays? Looks good on you," he snorted, making himself laugh at his own joke.

Too bad though it did not ellicit a response from the person whom he directed it to.

"Naruto! Would you please CAN IT?" Sakura snapped, stretching the word 'please' and stressing the words 'can it' in the process. On the other hand, Sasuke stayed tight lipped, sparing him only a moment's glare, a corner of his right eye twitching violently.

But still NOT A WORD escaped past his lips.

The hell!

Can he not say anything!

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comments:

shucks i hope i made this worth the wait...