The Things That Don't Match

Chapter 15



It was a Saturday when Naruto finally got around to going home. He had called Shikamaru before he left and told him that he’d be home within a couple of hours. Naruto wasn’t quite sure if he was more nervous to face the wrath of everyone he had worried or happy to finally be going back. The time away had really helped him put himself back together and he was feeling ready to take on just about anything, he also missed everyone.



He stepped into the apartment and saw everyone gathered waiting. He couldn’t really say he was surprised since he had been gone for a little more than 2 months but he had thought at least a few people wouldn’t be there considering it was a Saturday and people usually had plans then. It made him smile to think that they cared about him enough to drop their plans.



Kimimaro entered behind him and leaned against the wall beside the door. Everyone’s eyes flickered to him briefly before focusing back on Naruto. Naruto scratched the back of his head and forced himself to laugh.



“Um, hi everyone. How have you all been doing?”



Tsunade blinked for a second before pure rage overcame her feature, “What? How have we been *doing*? Is that all you have to say? How are we *doing*?”



She strode over to him practically bristling and Naruto flinched, expecting to be struck. He started when instead she grabbed him and nearly squeezed the life out of him in a hard hug.



“Don’t scare me like that again,” she whispered, “Do you have any idea how worried we were when you just disappeared and we couldn’t find you? We love you, Naruto. Even though Shikamaru told us that you called and relayed that you were fine we were still worried.”



Naruto relaxed into the embrace and hugged Tsunade back, “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t- I couldn’t be here where he was everywhere. I was breaking; even when I left he was everywhere, smothering me. I couldn’t take that here in my home so I left and put myself back together again.”



Naruto let go of Tsunade and leaned back, “You know, I sort of fell into a habit with him. All those breakups and then getting back together when it was convenient to him. But each and every breakup still hurt, shouldn’t it have waned? It still hurt and I couldn’t take it anymore and when I told him he didn’t even care. He was just so sure I wouldn’t leave him, that I’d always be waiting. Waiting was killing me, waiting led nowhere. But when I stopped waiting, it was like finding out there was no God. There was nothing, Tsunade, just nothing.”



Tsunade looked stricken, “Sasuke is here right now. Everyone wanted to see you and make sure you were okay. You were more important than arguing over the fact.”



Naruto shook his head, “It’s fine. I’m fine.”



Tsunade looked doubtful, “You were pushed to the point that you left so you wouldn’t break. Are you sure you want to see him?”



Naruto laughed bitterly, “I don’t want to see him but I can and will. I’m a lot better than I was when I left. In fact, I’m a lot better than I have been in a long time. Everything will be fine.”



Naruto turned to the rest of the room and saw Jiraiya and his friends waiting.



He walked to Jiraiya and hugged him before hugging the rest of his friends. Now that they had assured themselves that he was fine Naruto braced himself, now came the anger.



Sakura cracked first, her face scrunched in anger and she stepped in front of him, hands on her hips.



“How could you just leave like that?” she demanded, “How dare you make us worry like that. I didn’t take you as a person that ran away from their problems but I guess I was wrong. And blaming it all on Sasuke, you should be ashamed of yourself for so many reasons!”



Sakura raised a hand and Naruto caught it before it hit his face. Everyone gasped when they saw what she was about to do and Kimimaro straightened up against the wall.



Naruto squeezed the wrist in his hand lightly in warning and his blue eyes flashed as he looked at her, “I really do let you get away with too much,” he mused quietly, “You are my friend but you in no way rule my life. You do not tell me what to do nor do you have a right to judge me. The reasons I left are my own and I do not need to share them with you, you don’t even have to respect them but you do have to accept them. Sakura, do not raise your hand to me again- you will not like the results. The only people allowed to hit me for this little debacle are Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shikamaru. If you like Sasuke so much then date him but do not take it out on me because that is not my problem.”



Sakura tugged on her wrist a couple of times but Naruto refused to let it go. She looked up at him, green eyes somewhere between angry and scared and something in Naruto clenched at having put that look on her face.



Naruto sighed, “Do you understand me, Sakura? Because I’m not letting you go till you tell me that you get what I’m saying. I am tired of all this crap, it’s completely unnecessary.”



Sakura was silent for a moment before she nodded, “I understand.”



Naruto let go of her wrist and she immediately rubbed the area, “Good,” he said.



He looked back at Kimimaro, checking on him, and smiled tiredly. Kimimaro raised a brow and Naruto shook his head, there was no need for Kimimaro to interfere- he had brought this on himself after all. Naruto turned back around when he saw Sasuke stiffen. Sasuke moved till he was standing directly in front of Naruto and Naruto frowned. Sasuke reached up to touch his face and Naruto moved back, shaking his head.



“No. Do we really have to do this again?” he asked.



When Sasuke didn’t say anything but just continued to stare at him both of Naruto’s eyebrows raised, “Seriously? Here? Now?”



Sasuke remained silent. Naruto shook his head again, “I have nothing to say to you.”



“Then just listen to what I have to say to you,” Sasuke replied quietly.



“Why? You never listened to me.”



“I love you,” the words were practically whispered so only he could hear them.



Naruto’s face crumpled for a second and he took a step back, “That doesn’t mean anything.”



Sasuke walked past him to the door and he breathed deep before turning to Shikamaru, he was sitting on the computer chair. Naruto plonked himself on the floor beside him and they both turned towards the window. Shikamaru carded his fingers through his hair and Naruto relaxed at the fingers giving him an impromptu massage.



Shikamaru leaned down a bit and murmured into his ear, “The last place you visited was Kyuubi’s, wasn’t it?”



Naruto tilted his face up and looked it his friend, his eyes met calm gray and the fingers kept carding through his hair, “How’d you know?”



Shika smiled slightly, “You always come back… sharper when you come back from there, less tolerant. Generally you let Sakura do whatever she wants, including hit you, today you put her in her place- that gave it away.”



Naruto chuckled, “ I should probably make something for everyone to eat. How are my restaurants?”



Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, “You’re not questioning my competence, are you? They’re fine.”



“I never question you, you’re so competent and smart it’s scary. I just wanted to know if anything came up.”



***



Kimimaro was leaning against the wall, mostly unnoticed when the man Naruto had been arguing with moved toward him with anger on his face.



“Who are you?”



“Kimimaro.”



“And do you have a last name?” the man sneered.



“You don’t need to know,” he responded.



“That was my look.”



Kimimaro looked at the man, not comprehending.



“That’s how he used to look at me, that look is mine, he’s mine.”



Understanding dawned on him, “So you’re the infamous Sasuke. Do you know who am am?”



Sasuke looked confused, “Kimimaro?”



Kimimaro smirked, “Do you know who else I am?”



Sasuke glared at him, “Who else are you?”



“I’m Naruto’s boyfriend.”



Rage overtook Sasuke’s delicate features, “He’s mine!” he hissed, “He loves me, he always has. He’ll never love you, he’ll come back to me when he realizes that.”



Kimimaro resisted the urge to stab the man before him- it would upset Naruto, “Naruto won’t be getting back together with you even if I’m out of the picture, you took advantage of him for too long.”



“At least he loves me. He’ll dump you as soon as his friends disapprove of you. I give it two weeks at most.”



“I am not like you and the rest of your friends. I refuse to posture with you. Should Naruto break up with me and I suspect your involvement in it then no one will find your body. That is all.”



“Who are you?”



Kimimaro smiled evilly, “Someone you don’t want to mess with. I am way out of your league, I will mop the floor with you, so do not mess with me.”



A/N: Another chapter complete. Sorry for the lateness, I had computer problems. This may be the last chapter of this year, I'm going on vacation and don't know if I'll have internet- plus it is a vacation so it would defeat the point. I'm starting to feel neglected, I would love to know what everyone thinks of this story or how it could be perfected. On to the reviews.



Anon: How'd you like their meeting?



AngelTalion: Feel free to anytime. It is a lot of pretty, isn't it? LOL, blame.



animelover: I know, I've tried to find it too. Well, when you can't find it, write it.



qwerty: I actually hate the Sas/Nar pairing. I never saw what was so special about Sasuke so they definitely won't be getting back together on my watch. What'd you think of his reaction then?