Butterflies and Hurricanes

::St. Kagome's Hospital in Konoha::

Naruto stood agape at the friendlier teme sitting up in the hosptial bed, of whom was stroking Asagiko affectionately. Not only had Sasuke expressed joy to see his hyperactive teammate, he had actually *thanked* him for the flowers. The Kitsune wasn't sure whether to be terrified or just play along. Either way, Sasuke was planning to get even with him and Lee over the whole boulder incident. Jesus, he was NOT looking forward to that...Sasuke's smile was formed into a frown once he realized how startled Naruto was.

"...What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" He stared at the Kitsune, a slightly injured expression marring his delicate features.

"N-nothing..." Naruto stuttered.

"Look, if this is about the injury, I'm fine...please don't worry about me. Everything's okay."

That's when Sakura exploded with all of the wrath she had reserved for Sasuke to hear. She wanted him to HATE Naruto. She wanted him to berate and scold and yell and scream and threaten! She wanted the very foundations of the Earth to quake under her beloved's rage...The pink-haired kunoichi furrowed her brow in hate. Her tiny hands curled into fists...

"NO! Everything is not 'OKAY'!! Naruto almost killed you, Sasuke-kun! ...Doesn't that mean anything?!" The Uchiha transferred his gaze to his girlfriend, an icy glare in his eye.

"Don't raise your voice to me, Sakura...I will not allow you speak about him that way. Although what Naruto-kun has done was wrong...he did apologize and I have forgiven him."

"B-but Sasuke-kun!!" His glare hardened.

"Shut UP. Leave."

Something hot and red swelled up inside of Sakura, and it was growing more and more painful. Every hour on the hour, she was at his side, caressing his hand, taking his temperature--she had done *everything* that a trained medic-nin would have committed herself to do. And now, her patient, no...her fucking *boyfriend* was ungratefully tossing her aside for the one who had imposed such a violent injury on him. The irony and immense pain inside of her became so intense that it was almost tangible. A silent tear slowly slithered down her pale cheek. The Neko stood beside her friend.

"Sasuke-kun..."

"Hey...Let's get goin', okay? Tsunade probably wants to hear about this...new development"

Sango laid a comforting hand upon the pink-haired kunoichi's shoulder, Asagiko returning to her side. With a quick 'WTF' look at Sasuke, she led her friend and kitten out of the room, strolling at a distracted pace.

Both of the boys were grateful that they had left the room. Naruto felt a sigh of relief escape his lungs as he slumped down onto the chair adjacent to his teammate's bed. Paper-white bandages still adorned Sasuke's head, a morbid crown and symbol of the transition of his personality. The kitsune leaned foward, elbows on his knees.

"So...you feeling any better?"

Sasuke nodded; those long ebony tresses spilled out from the bandages like dark water. He'd been apt to lose the "duck's-rear" hairstyle of his adolescence and grow it out. His hair was now Hyuuga Neji's length--and Naruto had to admit that it looked "voluptuous", a synonym for "sexy" of which Ryuu had taught him.

"Actually, yeah."

"You seem...fine." That was all the Kitsune could squeeze out of his vocabulary at the moment. Anything else would've been wierd.

"Thanks. The flowers are pretty." He drew one from the vase and offered it to his teammate. "Here."

"What?"

"Don't you feel you deserve one? You DID come to visit me after all; I want to thank you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto silently refused; first, Sasuke had been kind to him, then showed gratitude...now he was trying to give him something. What the fuck had undergone while he was in that coma? Or had Sasuke's brain had been thoroughly altered in the process of surjury? He didn't even want to think of the possibility that the teme might be plotting his revenge at that very moment; Sasuke was the epitome of avenger. Something had to be whirring and spinning in that sick genius brain of his...

Sasuke appeared slightly crushed by that reaction. The gesture had indeed been a genuine act of affection--and it was denied. He hung his head.
"...I...I wish you didn't hate me so much, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about how horrible I treated you over the past four years. I want us to reconnect...as friends."

"Sasuke..."

"I mean...If you don't want to, I won't make you. It's just something that had accumulated inside and was threatening to tear me apart. I don't want to hurt you anymore, Naruto-kun..." Was he crying? Oh, shit...

Naruto sat down beside his teammate on the bed, slinking an arm around the taller boy's shoulder. A friendly smile forced it way across the blonde's face. He knew he'd regret this...
"Hey, man...It's no big deal! We can be friends again!...Really. I mean it; stop crying."

"Y-you mean it? Thank you!" Resisting the urge to embrace the blond, Sasuke instead threw him a genial smile. Meh. If it shut the Goth up and kept him from being touched by him...Naruto would do it.

"OI! I'm not interrupting you two love birds, am I?"

Emberassed, Naruto promptly removed his arm from the Uchiha. The two guys transferred their eyes to the young woman standing in the doorway. Ryuu was wearing her usual wolfish grin, black tank top and jeans. And she had brought TenTen with her. Her girlfriend was holding a bouquet of yellow roses, the Dragon knowing full well how much Sasuke loathed the color yellow...Shock value was something she aimed for most of the time. Setting the flowers down on the table, TenTen approached the pair.

"Sasuke! I see you're recovering well..." The Uchiha nodded.

"Mm-hm. Thank you for the flowers, TenTen." His eyes turned to the faceted-eyed woman. "Ryuu-chan! I thought you hated me."

She nodded and lit a cigarette, hospital regulations or no. "Nah, not really. Just think you're a pain in the..." She looked at TenTen. "...butt." Smoke swirled around her head. She blew a few rings.
"So, when do you think you'll be gettin' out of here, anyway?"

"I think I'm just about ready. Give me a few more hours and let me convince Tsunade..."

"Pff. Good luck with that. Suffered a head injury, too, during the Chuunin exams and the old hag wouldn't let me out for two WEEKS...Bitch."

TenTen had to interject at that point. "Ryuu...your skull was cracked *open*. You were leaking brain--"

"Okay, I get it. The point is...that it'll probably be a while before you'll be out on the battlefield again, Sasuke."

Naruto listened patiently to whatever tiresome arguments that were running back between the two shinobi. He didn't want to involve himself out of fear that Sasuke might say something...un-Sasuke-ish to him. What really...had occurred within his rival's brain during that period of silence?

He wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

///