~Natsuki's POV~
"Um, excuse me. Could you tell me where Uchiha Sasuke's room is?" I asked the receptionist at Konoha Hospital.
"Let's see..." She checked through a clipboard of paitents' names. "Oh, here it is. He's in room 261."
"Thank you." I said and walked off to find Sasuke's room.
We got back from the Land of Tea yesterday thanks to Ibiki-san picking us up by boat. I still can't believe we managed to complete a B-ranked mission without Kakashi! Despite the giddy feeling in my stomach, it was soon overwhelmed by a darker thought. My mind traveled back to our farewell with Idate and the Wasabi Family. 'I don't kow what to make of all this. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose. Sasuke knows that, he knows I would never--'
"Natsuki?" I looked up and met Sakura's green eyes.
"Sakura, hey." I greeted. The pinkette walked up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You okay?" She asked, genuinely concerned.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." I said and walked past her.
"Hey Natsuki!" I looked back to Sakura as she called out to me. "Is it true? What you said about me on the mission. Do you really feel that way?"
I was confused at first by her words but quickly replied with a soft smile. I didn't say anything and continued my way to Sasuke's room.
When I got there, I found it empty aside from Sasuke staring blankly into his hands as he sat in his hospital bed. From where I stood, he looked like an emotionless, lifeless, shell. Even though outside the room the village was alive with noise and smells.
"Sasuke..?" I softly spoke. I watched as he clenched his teeth together and fell on his back with his hands behind his head, glaring holes into the ceiling. I walked over and sat down in the chair next to him. I was about to speak when I saw him roll onto his side with his back to me. Things were defiantly tense between me and Sasuke and I didn't like it.
"Listen, Sasuke. I really want to talk to you about---"
I was cut off by Naruto and Sakura entering the room. I noticed that when Sasuke sat up and noticed Naruto, his face was tight.
Sakura walked over towards us with a bag full of red apples from the market. I got up and offered her my seat and stood on the other side of Naruto, furthest away from Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun, I've brought you some apples. You don't hate them, do you?" Sakura asked but got no reply from the ravenette. "Don't they look delicious?"
Again, he gave no response. Sakura placed the bag of apples on the ground and mumbled where she put the knife.
"It's right in front of you." Naruto said. I watched as Sasuke flinched in anger every time Naruto spoke. "Ha! Are you being nervous cause you're with Sasuke? How uncool, Sakura-chan."
"It's not like that! Would you stop fooling around!" Sakura yelled.
"Ah!! I give up! I give up!" Naruto cried as Sakura had him in a headlock.
"Guys, calm down, we're in a hospital and I don't think Sasuke appreciates the noise.." I said. The next thing I know; Sakura is peeling apples while Naruto was seeing stars on the ground.
The only sound in the room was the sound of Sakura peeling the apples. I glanced up at Sasuke every now and then and watched his expressions change from emotionless to infuriated like the flip of a coin. I could tell he was going to snap soon. I knew all too well.
"Well, I've finished peeling it. Now, let cut it so it's easier to eat." Sakura spoke naively. "Here, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke glared menacingly at Sakura as she offered him a piece of apple. I knew what was going to happen, and I wasn't about to let it happen to Sakura.
In a flash; I pushed her back, the plate of apple pieces clanking on the ground, and I felt a warm sting set on my cheek as I crashed to the ground. I squinted my eyes in pain from the backhand I was delt. I sat up against the wall and placed a cool hand on my swelling cheek.
"Sakura-chan! Natsuki! Oi, Sasuke you bastard, what's wrong with you!" Naruto growls an gets up in Sasuke's face. Bad idea.
"Naruto. Get bac--" I was cut off by Naruto hitting the ground next to me. I crawled over to Naruto and gently shook his shoulders while Sakura stood there shocked.
"Naruto... Fight me, right now." Sasuke glared down at Naruto and me.
"Hah? What are you saying? You've just been treated by old lady Tsunade." Naruto said.
"I don't care! Just fight me!" Sasuke snapped and activated his Sharingan. A familiar wave of fear washed over me the way Sasuke glared at Naruto. I thought I was over my fear of the Sharingan. "You think you saved me? I don't care if she is the Fifth Hokage. Doing unnecessary things...!"
"What..?!"
Sasuke shot out of bed and leaned in darkly towards Naruto, venom dripping from his tongue. "You said before you wanted to fight me, didn't you? I said I'd fight you right here and now. Or are you afraid?" Sasuke taunted.
Naruto gritted his teeth together and accepted Sasuke's challenge. "Perfect timing. I was just wanting to fight you!"
"Why don't the both of you cut it out?" Sakura tried to calm the amount of testosterone in the room down, but in vein.
"Follow me." Sasuke said and him and Naruto went up to the roof of the hospital, me and Sakura following behind.
I watched the two boys stared each other down. The tension around us all rose to a new high as they exchanged words with each other.
"You... you dumb ass! Why are you so full of yourself!?" Sasuke growled.
"Ha! You, who's always been so cool-headed, is talking alot more than usual. That's not like you." Naruto smirked. "Could it be that you're scared despite the fact that you were the one who picked the fight, Sasuke?"
Sasuke grinned darkly. "Let's get started."
"Before that, put on your forehead protector." Naruto asked. "I'll wait."
"I won't need it."
"I don't care. Just put it on!"
"You won't even be able to scratch my forehead." Sasuke said, pointing to his forehead with his thumb.
"That's not what I mean! This Konoha forehead protector is proof that we are fighting evenly!" I was slightly shocked at Naruto's words.
"That's what I mean when I say you're full of yourself! You think you and I are equals?" Sasuke lashed out.
"Yes, we are! I never thought of myself as any thing lower than you."
"You're an eyesore!"
"That's 'cause you're still weak, Sasuke-chan!"
"Naruto!" "Sasuke!" They said in unison as they threw and caught each others punches. Sasuke kicked which Naruto caught and spun Sasuke around by his leg. The Uchiha grabbed onto the ground and sent a kick up to the blonde with his free foot. Naruto dodged and went to punch Sasuke again but the ravenette caught it and threw Naruto's body over his shoulder.
Sasuke unleashed a series of punches at the blonde who put up a guard to shield his face and chest from Sasuke's blows. Sasuke kicked Naruto back into the drying bed sheets causing them to fall on Naruto. Sasuke went to pull back a sheet only to find the blonde gone.
Sasuke lept into the air because Naruto stood on a water tank directly in front of the sun. Sasuke was blinded and that gave Naruto the opening he needed to send a punch straight to Sasuke's jaw, sending him flying.
Sasuke did a flip, pushed off and punched Naruto back into the sheets. Sasuke was on Naruto like flies on shit and chased the blonde through the maze of white sheets. The Uchiha somehow managed to get Naruto tangled in one of the sheets and wailed on him like he was a punching bag.
Sakura, who stood next to me, flinched every time Sasuke's fists collided with Naruto's body. I, myself, was finding it difficult to watch the fight.
"Cut it out already!" Naruto untangled himself from the sheet and went after Sasuke. It was like cat and dog. They spared in mid air for a moment before touching down on solid flagstone for a breather. Both boys panting like dogs.
Naruto formed a hand sign and summoned a mass of shadow clones, surrounding Sasuke. This fight was getting too serious. Naruto lept towards Sasuke as the ravenette fought off clone after clone. With quick footwork and pivoting on his hands and feet, Sasuke destroyed the clones.
However, a handful of the surviving clones kicked Sasuke up into the air and another Naruto clone went to kick the Uchiha down to the ground, but Sasuke formed his own hand sign.
"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" Sasuke chanted and fire spewed from his mouth like a flame thrower, completely burning everything on the roof.
A strong wind begun to pick up around the center of the sea of fire as it dispelled. Naruto became visible with a ball of molded chakra in his palm. Sasuke started up a Chidori and I watched in horror as the two boys lunged towards each other. This battle was way out of hand!
"Stop it!" I turned and saw Sakura running towards the boys. Idiot!!
"Sakura, stop!" I called out and ran after her. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. I just managed to grab hold of Sakura but we were already in the crossfire. I squeezed my eyes shut knowing there was no way to escape and tried to shield Sakura with my own body.
I expected a sharp, agonizing pain but nothing came. I opened my eyes and saw Kakashi standing over us protectively, his back to us. I followed his eyes and saw Naruto and Sasuke both pulling their hands out of two separate water tanks.
"What are you guys doing on the roof of a hospital? Isn't this a bit too much for a sparing match?" Kakashi said boredly, but I knew other wise. I inspected the damage done to the water tanks and noticed a small trickle of water seeping out of Naruto's tank, while Sasuke's was a gushing river. The Uchiha noticed this too and seemed both happy and proud.
"Sasuke, were you planning to kill Naruto?" Kakashi caught Sasuke's attention. "Why do you insist on being superior? Chidori is not a move we use against someone from the same village. Why do you act so childish?"
Sasuke scoffed and jumped off the side of the hospital. Kakashi let out a sigh and turned towards me comforting a sobbing Sakura.
"Natsuki, what happened to your face?" I flinched at the question but the silence Kakashi gave me told me he understood my bruised cheek.
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"Natsuki?"
I turned around to the sound of the voice. My puffy eyes meet with two familiar pairs.
"Kiba... Shikamaru..." My voice hitched.
"Oi, Natsuki. What's wrong?" Kiba gave me a look of concern and whatever I had left of myself collapsed as I ran into Kiba's arms bawling my eyes out.
"Hey, Natsuki?"
I cried and cried my frustration out to the two boys. Shikamaru and Kiba sat me down and let me cry. For that, I was grateful.
When I finally managed to calm down some what, the boys didn't press for details.
"Can I ask you guys a question? And answer honestly, please." I finally spoke.
"Of course. What's up?" Kiba said.
I thought for a moment before I spoke. "Why do you guys still like me? Am I not seen as some sort of monster?"
Shikamaru and Kiba were taken aback and awkwardly rubbed the back of their necks while Akamaru slept on my lap.
"You're not a monster, Natsuki." Shikamaru spoke up. "We like you just the way you are. You're our friend and comrade, no matter what. That will never change."
"Shikamaru's right, Natsuki. I honestly couldn't imagine life without you here in the village. You're funny, cute, strong, smart, and compassionate. You're exactly the kind of person this village needs around. Nobody here care's about anyone as much as you care for others. In my eyes, you're exactly the opposite of a monster. You're perfect." Kiba said and patted my head.
I let out a light smile at their words. It's been so long since I last hung out with these two, too long in fact and I regret it but I can't change the past and I'm just glad they still think of me as their friend.
"Thanks you two. You have no idea how much I love you guys. That's just what I needed to hear." I said and stood up. I handed Kiba back the sleeping Akamaru and gave them both a tight hug before heading home to mine and Sasuke's house.
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"Sasuke, are you home?" I knocked on his bedroom door before turning the door knob. Sasuke was sitting on the edge of his bed staring at our team photo.
I closed the door behind me with a gentle click which got the ravenette's attention.
"What are you doing in my room?" Sasuke said monotoned.
I needed to do this. I took a deep breath and spoke, "I want to talk."
"Don't you have someone else to bother?" Sasuke said, "Leave me alone."
I felt a pang in my chest at his cold words to me but I wouldn't let him push me away so easily. I need to talk to him and he was going to listen. He needed to hear what I had to say. I wanted to clear up this misunderstanding!
I sat down on his bed with my back facing him and my knees brought up to my chest.
"Sasuke, what you saw the other day, it was a misunderstanding."
"Didn't look like it to me." Sasuke said sharply.
"But it was! I would never do something like that to you Sasuke! You should know that! I told you I love you. I told you about my past. So why don't you understand I wouldn't do something like that to hurt you!"
"But you did, Natsuki! I saw you! I saw you kissing that bastard, Idate!" Sasuke snapped.
"Just listen to me! I didn't kiss him. He kissed me! I tried to push him away but--"
"Oh yeah, you were trying so hard to get him away from you." Sasuke said sarcastically.
I grabbed Sasuke by his shoulders and made him face me. "I was injured too for christ's sake! Look at my face. Look into my eyes and see if I'm lying!" I ordered. Surprisingly Sasuke did as I asked and looked deeply into my eyes. "I love you and I wouldn't do anything to hurt or betray you. You're the only person I see, you're the only person I will ever care about no matter what! I'm sorry you saw that. I don't think of Idate in that way, I only think about you. Hell, I could barely stand the guy. I'm sorry. If I could go back in time and changed what happened, I would, in a heart beat. I love you Sasuke, always have, always will." I ranted.
Sasuke was silent as he studied me and my words. I watched him analyze them word for word.
After a while, he finally spoke. "Me too."
I stared wide eyed at him asking for him to reiterate. "I love you too, Natsuki. I wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt or betray you." He stroked my bruised cheek. "I also only care about you, I only see you. I've only ever found girls annoying but you were always different. My heart would race everytime you smiled or laughed, everytime you were in tears or pain my heart and soul felt crushed. All I want to do is protect you. I want to be with you for as long as I can. You might be infuriating, annoying or a pain in the ass most of the time, but those are some of the things I adore about you. You drive me crazy, wolf girl. And I love you for it." Sasuke said and softly kissed me.
My heart fluttered and I felt that all was right in the world again.
"So you forgive me..?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yes."
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I woke up to an empty bed. Confused, I jumped out and searched the house for my raven haired boyfriend. Finding him no where in the house, I got changed and headed out to look for him. We had only just sorted things out and now he goes off on his own, probably to train as per usual.
I searched all the training grounds first, but he wasn't at any of them. I found it weird at first and just wondered into town. The amount of hateful glares and scowls I recieved was way more than usual and the unsafe feeling I felt grew to bite at my spine.
I ran around town and eventually ran into Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji and Neji assembled at the front gate.
"Naruto! Everyone!" I called out to them and saw Naruto jump when I called out to him. I ignored it and glomped them into a hug. Kiba continued to hold me even after I pulled away from the hug and I managed to face Naruto, his face sullen. My back was pressed against Kiba's chest and I noticed they all pretty much had the same looks on their faces, some hiding it better than others.
"Hey, Naruto. Have you seen Sasuke? I thought he was out training but I can't find him anywhere." I asked the blonde. I watched as Naruto's face hardened. An uncomfortable feeling twisted in the pit of my stomach. "Naruto..?"
"Sasuke is..." Naruto paused. "Sasuke's gone. He's left Konoha for his revenge..."
My eyes widened to the size of saucers slowly as realisation settled in.
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"What..?"
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Dun dun DUNNNN!!~
here's my next update. sorry it took so long but at least its up.
The song I attatched to the chapter I personally think of as Natsuki's theme song, don't you? It's called 'Raised by Wolves' by Falling in Reverse.
Anyway; Sasuke's left the village? Natsuki was left behind and had to find out from Naruto and the others? What will happen next?
Look forward to it!