Rehabbing the Dobe

I WILL GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME DAMN IT!
Been having technical difficultied with this story. Sorry.
I do not, and never will own NarutoThis is yoai (boy x boy love)

Rehabbing the Dobe

Chapter 10: Dullness and Sharpness of Memory and Pain

…Iruka and Naruto walked outside. It had been a couple days since Naruto had seen the light of day. They decided to walk the short distance to the market place and get some ramen. It had been quite some time since he and his former teacher had had an outing like this.

"Naruto," The boy turned to look at his teacher, "You know you can always talk to me about anything. I'll keep it in confidence, but honestly I think you should tell the Hokage she wants to put a stop to these activities. She wants to protect you." Naruto pulled air into his lungs slowly filling them, then he gave a sad sigh. "Sensei, I don't want to...I don't want remember." He shook his head, "But that's where the rub is. I can't put it out of my head. It kinda dulled over the years, but then Gorou did that I see him when I close my eyes. I see them in my dreams, but the only time I really stopped thinking about those men in all these years was when I was with Sasuke. Sure he was being pervy, but he was just teasing. He cares. He said he-he loves me." Naruto blushed.

"How do you feel, Naruto?"

"Scared I guess," The boy's face fell.

"Come on we're here," Naruto looked up to see they were at the ramen bar he loved to frequent.

"Hey there's my two best customers," the Ichiraku man announced to no one since they were alone, "I was starting to worry about you Naruto-kun." Naruto smiled, but he was just to tired to hide the sadness his eyes held, "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" The man asked with genuine concern.

"Awe, It's nothing," he worked harder on his grin making himself look almost morbid. The man gave an incredulous nod and handed him a bowl, "Huh? I didn't order yet.""It's today's special, You look down, and don't say you don't. On the house alright?"

"Th-thank-you?" Naruto sat down and began to eat. Iruka ordered and took the stool next to him.

They were there only a short time when a pink haired blur rushed in past them and ordered a quick take out lunch of plain chicken ramen. She almost left unnoticed but quickly turned on her heals Noodles in hand a small grocery bag hanging off her arm, "Naruto!" He almost flinched at the worry in her voice, "I-I was worried."

Naruto froze, 'Does she know? Does everybody know how weak and pathetic I am?'

Sakura berated herself internally when he tensed up she quickly covered, "You...missed your appointment yesterday! When I went looking for you Sasuke said you weren't there!" She did her best to sound annoyed and saw him relax a bit, "Where were you?"

"Sakura," Iruka intervened looking over Naruto's Head, "He was with me."

"Oh," Sakura took a seat next to the blond, "What happened Naruto? You and, Sasuke get into an argument?"

He shook his head, "N-no. S' not Like that." He looked away for a moment, then he turned with a bright very poorly executed fake smile, "I think he was bothered to much to have me there. It's better this way." He hurt himself saying that believing it was true.

"I don't think so. He was worried about you. Really!" Naruto flinched at that, "He went and caught a bad cold too. That's why I went to get some medicine at the hospital for him, and some lunch. She held up her purchases as proof."

"Oh," it was a flat response. Naruto felt the weight of his guilt triple. He had probably been the reason Sasuke was sick, "Iruka-sensei I don't feel like finishing this right now."

"OK, would you like to take it with you?" Iruka looked at the boy who seemed to grow paler by the minute. He took the boy's food, which had hardly been touched, and handed it to the man behind the bar. He carefully transferred it to a carry out container. And handed it back to Iruka.

"Sure," his voice lacked something and it frightened Iruka greatly. Sakura looked at him as if to say she knew he was worried and she was also.

"C-can we go home? I don't feel to well?" He looked pleadingly at his former teacher.

"We have to go back to the Hokage tower first," Iruka said apologetically, "I'm sorry Sakura I guess we must go now.

The man behind the bar saw it, it was painfully obvious that everybody knew the blond was off, but they pretended not to notice. He chose to ignore it as well, but it ate at his insides. He liked Naruto. After the years of serving him, when no one else would. The poor kid. He'd see that smiling face and heard that harsh yet cheerful voice greet him enthusiastically. He would give the boy extra large helpings without saying anything. The poor child was so thin yet he ate like, for lack of a better word, a demon. He was always so small and fragile looking, yet so full of energy and light, 'Poor kid, they finally wore 'im down.'

"Sorry you're feeling down Naruto-kun," He forced a friendly smile, He didn't really feel like smiling, "You come back soon young man." He said in mock of a strict tone. Naruto offered a weak smile that only barely graced his lips, but never touched his eyes. The noodle man cringed inwardly. He had never seen such a defeated look on the boy's face. Naruto was always optimism incarnate. Now he looked like the opposite, 'Poor kid.' He watched them leave and only when he was sure they were all gone did he let out a pained sigh. He shook his head as he moved toward his small sink of dirty bowls and began to occupy his time washing them up for the next customer to walk through the curtain.

Sakura made quick time getting back to Sasuke. He needed to know just how bad off Naruto seemed, and if he was hiding up behind such a poorly created mask what lay beneath, 'Was it so horrible? Of course it was you dolt!' She thought to herself, 'I can't imagine what he must be feeling. He seemed so vulnerable. He needs to get his confidence back and his physical strength!'

She mentally pumped a fist in the air like her childhood inner-self used to do. She got herself psyched to help the boy become whole again. All she needed was the cooperation of her former teammate and friend.

"That Uchiha better prepare himself, 'cause I'm not in the mood to show mercy," She grinned in a way that had anybody seen her and managed not to faint or run away terrified she might have been committed to a mental hospital for dangerous shinobi.

Sasuke felt the peaceful warmth of sleep take him after tossing and turning. Just as he found that spot, you know the one; that perfect comfy place in your bed that was just soft enough but not too soft and warm but not hot and you could curl up and sleep forever. That is if a certain pink haired nightmare wasn't pounding on your door because she accidentally locked herself out, "Damn it Sakura are you even a Ninja?" He rasped out the curse as he dragged himself away from his heavenly resting place, "How hard would it be for her to just climb in a window or something. I think she's the only ninja I know that knocks." He unconsciously scratched at his ribs as he stretched his back. He made it to the door as the pounding came once again, "Damn! Hold your horses." His voice was very ragged.

He opened the door and Sakura went from worried to excited to something altogether different. She looked at him and snorted. She pointed and laughed grasping her side with her free hand, "Your-your hair!" She nearly dropped the ramen in her fit of laughter.

"What about my hair?" He said through a painful sore throat. He quirked his eyebrow which only seemed to inflame her humor.

"You- your hair, just-just look in a mirror," She dug into her pocket and took out a makeup compact. He looked and saw that his hair was flat on the right side and his bangs which were usually flawlessly placed were matted in a tangled rat's nest of knots. He shrugged his shoulders, like he actually didn't care about his hair. Sakura sighed and finally handed him his lukewarm noodles, "It's probably cold." She turned to him and suddenly her face lost all mirth, "Naruto was there." Sasuke put the Styrofoam container down as both his brows shot up knitting furiously, "You didn't tell me he was so affected." She sighed and took a seat at his table and waited for him to heat up his food and eat.

"What did he say?"

"First I suggest you heat that up so you can eat."

"Fine," he popped the lid off carelessly then shoved the whole thing into the microwave to heat it up. He took a seat across from her and waited.

"He said you two had a fight," She looked at him to see if it was true.

"Well we did sort of did," He remembered Naruto getting angry because he said he loved the dobe, "But it was stupid."

"Naruto didn't feel that way. I don't know if he was saying what he truly thought was true but I think saying it made him think it was true. He thinks you are better off with out him here."

Sasuke's jaw tightened. "Damn! He can't really think that?" He bellowed then looked at her, "Does he?" The his noodles were done. Sakura got up and motioned him to sit, "Naruto seems...he's lost his confidence." She set the food before him, "We need to change that." Saukra stared intently at him as he was about to shove a mouthful of ramen in his mouth. He glared at her and finished the distance from the chopsticks to his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before shouting, "Stop staring, Damn it!"

"Sorry," She rolled her eyes, "Don't you want to know what I plan to do?"

"Not really," He continued to eat his food.

"Too bad! You and I are going to help Naruto. I will be working on his physical weaknesses and you will work on his emotional insecurities."

"I'm not a therapist," he looked at his soupy noodles with a bored expression as his mind raced, "What can I do?"

"Well I don't know...Maybe demonstrate that he is important and loved. Help him to see that he is not weak," She offered.

"I hate to say it but he is weak right now. He can't even use his chakra without fainting."

"That's not what I'm talking about. I mean he needs to realize it is not his fault. He is not less of a person because people did...those things…to him," She looked at him hopefully, "You said you care about him. Please do it for Naruto. He needs us so badly right now. Don't let history repeat itself." Sasuke nodded. Naruto needed them, and he really needed his dobe back, "Fine!"

She clapped her hands together as if getting ready for a difficult task, "With that settled You should finish your food and then go to bed. You need to be at your best if you hope to help Naruto."