absent (sasunaru / narusasu)

chapter 3

His worst memories, replaying in his head over and over. 

It was like that for a very long time, until he woke up, tears in his eyes, breaths ragged and shaky. 

He was sitting up, holding his weight with one hand, he couldn't seem to find the other one. Every voice around him was completely inaudible. Soon he was back in reality, and everything had come back to him. Hospital, arm, war, Sasuke... Familiar arms were wrapped around him, Sakura. 

Relief suddenly flooded through his veins like drugs in his system. Sakura was the closest thing to a sibling that Naruto would ever get.  

She was crying into his chest, he started blankly into the wall, pulling her a little bit closer. 

Why couldn't he cry? Why did he have to feel so numb? 

The hug let out, she was speaking between sobs, something along the lines of how worried she was and to never scare her like that again. He was still staring at the wall. 

She studied his face, stitches laid under his eyes, a blank expression still plastered on. Something was different. 

Kakashi and a worried Tsunade hovered over him, attacking him with counterproductive question he would eventually shrug off. 

Soon the room was left with just him and Sakura, and even she got up to leave.

"Sakura?"

She turned with a warm smile on her face, one he wished he could return.

"Is he awake?"

"He's been up for a few days actually."

"How is he doing?"

"He's doing well, medically. I couldn't tell you about anything else." .. "He's not in trouble anymore... You can stop worrying." 

He nodded, said a simple "thanks" and was left alone with his thoughts. 

His job was done, he got Sasuke back to the village. 

Now what?

He recalled their last moments at the valley of the end. 

The tears.

The words that would probably never be brought up again. 

Things would've been a lot simpler if he had let the Uchiha finish him off.