| Uzumaki Naruto
"If it means to protect you then I won't mind staying hidden in the shadows."
I try to lift my hands slowly in front of my face. I can move them but I still feel weak. It was like every single cell in my body was damaged and my chest feels heavy.
What in the world had happened to me?
I stare at the ceiling of this hospital room trying to gather my memories. That's when my eyes widen.
That's right..
I touches my left chest while replaying the event on my mind.
Sasuke..
I already found him, I got to touch his face again yet.. why does everything go wrong when I got a step ahead on reaching him?
The door opened revealing almost everyone.
"Naruto!"
"Naruto-kun!"
"Naruto-kun.."
I looked at them as they stare at me as if examining my body. Sakura-chan, Sai, Kiba and Akamaru, Hinata, Shino, Fuzzy-eyebrow (Lee), Neji, Tenten, Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru are all here. Sakura-chan and Hinata are almost teary while the others are smiling at me.
"We are all glad that you're okay now." Neji said.
"Yeah! Everyone was so worried about you, Naruto-kun." Fuzzy-eyebrow said.
"That's right. We are glad that you're okay. Why? Because you're our comrade and it won't be the same without you." Shino added.
"Geez. You're really the number one ninja in surprising people, you know." Kiba said almost like lecturing me.
"It's too troublesome but what do we expect with Naruto?" Shikamaru chuckled at the side.
"Still, Naruto! You're so reckless. Who in the right mind will catch a lightning directly? Do you wanna die?" Right after Ino said that, everyone become silent as my eyes widen.
"Ino!"
"S-Sorry.."
I hold my left chest again.
"W-Where is he.. S-Sasu---"
"I see that you're awake." I was cut off by somene who entered the room.
"Tsunade-obbaa chan." I called. She is with Shizune-neechan.
(Tsunade-obbaa chan - old granny Tsunade)
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay now. Where is Sasuke, Tsunade-obbaa chan?"
She stare at me for a whole minute leaving the room in dead air.
"Tsunade-obbaa chan?" I called again since she wasn't responding. "Where is Sasuke? I wanna see him."
I look at the others yet they just divert their gazes elsewhere but to me.
"Where is Sasuke? He's okay, right? Right?!"
No response. It's making me mad.
"Answer me! Where is he----!?"
"He's gone!" Tsunade-obbaa chan shouted making me flinch.
I was stunned for what I heard.
"Huh?"
I stared at Tsunade-obba chan intently while searching for clearer answer.
"Gone? Ha.. Ha ha.. you mean gone like he escape again?" I asked convincing myself that it was not the "gone" I am thinking of.
She gritted her teeth and look down avoiding my gaze.
"What do you mean by gone?!" I can't stop raising my voice.
I need clear answer.
Or..
At the same time I don't want them to confirm what I am thinking.
"I mean it as it is, Naruto." She said.
"I don't understand. Make it basic for me to understand." I bow down my head as if preparing myself for what she is about to say.
"Sasuke is dead."
I can hear the heavy sign of my friends after hearing those. Their heavy breaths that's slowly fading. My vision's starting to blur.
I can't hear anything.
I can't feel anything.
I can't see anything but distorted things.
What did she said? Dead?
Sasuke is dead.
It must be a joke. I took that arrow so how come he died?
"You're lying." I said in a low tone.
No one utter a word.
I forcefully let out a laugh and raised my head, smiling widely like I'm some of an idiot.
"You really suck at joking, Tsunade-obbaa chan. Now, now, tell me where he is." I said cheerfully and got out of the bed.
"He must be resting on the other room? Or maybe he's already eating at Ichiraku? Man.. he's unfair. He should have at least waited for me to wake up." I walk to the door and was about to go out.
"Ah! Did he escape again? Geez, he's stubborn as ever----"
"NARUTO!" Everyone was stunned when Tsunade-obbaa chan shouted. "Get yourself together! He is dead!"
"That's a lie! There's no way he will die with that!"
"Don't fool yourself, Naruto! Enough with Sasuke!"
"Easy for you to say because you never know how much he mean to me!"
Sakura-chan started to cry while others remain silent.
"H-He.. he's the one who acknowledge me more than anyone else... He's the one who understand my pain as well as I do to him. He's the one I finally made bond with and there's no way I'm accepting this!" I am near breaking down but I should not.
He is not dead. Sasuke won't die.
"Naruto.." Tsunade-obbaa chan walk to me and engulfed me in a tight hug.
"Enough already, Naruto... You've been pursuing him for so long now. Everyone knows how much he mean to you. Everyone understand how you feel. Naruto, stop hurting yourself." She said making the hug tighter.
"It's not just you who's hurting. Seeing you in this state brings us pain too."
Before I knew it, I break down on her arms, crying. It's just too painful I can't bare with it.
Is he really gone?
Did he really leave me alone now?
I didn't even have the chance to tell him how I feel.
"Don't go anywhere for now. I'll be checking up on you everyday and to remind you your medicine. I prepared your dinner. I'll be going now." Sakura-chan said before closing the door of my apartment.
I'm lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
I don't know what to think.
I don't know where to start accepting everything. It's too painful. My heart aches to the point that it hurts physically.
I got up and sit on my bed as I stare outside. It's full moon. It's shining so bright yet I seems to be so lost in the dark.
I left my apartment and walk to the academy. Every place here reminds me of him.
The woods where he throw all the shurikens perfectly while I failed big time, almost hittng Iruka-sensei.
The field where I challenge him into a fight and end up getting dumped even by my sensei.
Our room where we almost sit near each other if not for Sakura-chan who's madly inlove with him.
My first kiss that's been with him. At first I'm too pissed about it but as I realized my feelings for him, I'm too grateful for that kid who bumped on my back.
I lower my head letting the hot stream of tears flow down on my cheeks.
Sasuke... If you were to go then you should have taken me with you.
My trail of thoughts were interrupted when I feel someone near me. I look behind only to be welcomed by a dark entrance of the forest. I'm sure someone was there not long ago. But his presence completely vanish.
I made my way back to my apartment thinking how to live on after this.
| Third Person's
"It's painful seeing you in this state. Yet I can't do anything."
Naruto walk away back to his place with a heavy mind and broken heart.
While Naruto is suffering from accepting the truth of Sasuke's death, someone in the shadow keeps an eye on him, suffering from the same pain of not being able to be with him and ease the pain in his heart.