Inconvenient truth

Reviewer Reply to SneakyFox: Haha! Yeah I actually got the name for this fiction from that particular documentary but, rest assured, it has NOTHING to do with Global Warming OR Al Gore haha! It just struck me that is was very...apt to some of the feelings dealt with later on!

To all my other reviewers! Thank you a ridiculous amount for all your words of encouragment. I never knew people would enjoy this quite so much when I first wrote it all those months (almost years) ago! I'll try and keep updates regular, as this is pretty much finished. But I'm expecting a call for a sequel afterwards and THAT WILL take some good time, so please be paitent with me when this is all over! :)


Chapter Three


A blissfully paint-less Sasuke ducked, spinning around with one hand on the ground to balance him, other smoothly reaching into the pouch on his leg; a stream of shuriken thrown before he’d completed the spin, embedding themselves in the critical spots of the target dummy at the far end of the training field.

He stood slowly, brushing some remaining dirt from his hand, glancing at Kakashi for an assessment as the Jounin slowly raised his head from his book, his eyes still remaining on the page.

“Nicely done, Sasuke.”

The Uchiha wordlessly acknowledged the praise, moving to the side as his sensei called out to his other teammate.

“Sakura! You’re next! See if you can knock Sasuke’s out of the dummy, ne?”

The coral-haired kunoichi swallowed and moved into the same spot Sasuke had been standing in as the Uchiha leaned up against a nearby tree to watch boredly. There was no one to spar with since Kakashi had to watch Sakura to correct her mistakes, the ones she would inevitably make.

“Hurry up and get better, Dobe…” Sasuke muttered to himself. Kakashi must have either caught the words or noticed the look of sheer boredom and indifference on his face because he wandered over.

“You can go home now if you like Sasuke. You’ve shown enough improvement today. I’m going to work with Sakura for a while longer. It’s not often I get to work individually with you guys.”

Sasuke nodded wordlessly, jumping up into a nearby tree and sprinting back to town. He landed lightly in the middle of a street, his stomach letting out a growl. He placed a hand on it.

A quick stop for food was in order. Then home for some more tactics training.

////

Bored, disinterested eyes flicked over the training scroll before rolling it closed. Sasuke rose to his feet, wandering to the bookcase and putting it away, fingers trailing in the dust on the shelf. So much in this house was dirty. Sasuke, after all, was only one young man and not terribly enthralled with cleaning. He stood for a few minutes, unable to think of what to do next to entertain himself. He sat back on the couch, hands hanging limply between his knees as he leaned forward on his elbows.

‘I should be training…getting stronger.’ He admonished himself, the thought triggering his frustration at his recent Genin schedule. Their missions had been pushed back till the dobe got better, their training lightened and simplified. Sasuke scowled. Kakashi had pointed out that he’d wanted to work on their ‘teamwork’, and he couldn’t very well do that if one of their members was missing, could he?

Sasuke screwed up his face, resisting the urge to revert back to his younger self and mimic the older man in a condescending voice. He gave an angry sigh.

“Damn dobe...always messing things up…” He muttered. Thoughts of Naruto made him recall the state he was in the last time the Uchiha had seen him. A niggle of concern wormed its way into his thoughts.

‘Wonder if he’s better yet? Should I…should I go over and see how he’s doing?’

The idea that he was worried was immediately crushed by his ego. He couldn’t possible be concerned with the dobe…he was just…he wanted to train and he couldn’t do that properly without Naruto. So he was just going to see how he was doing. Yeah…yeah that was it.

Sasuke nodded to himself, quickly rising and leaving, his shadow flitting over the rooftops of Konoha.

/////


Sasuke landed lightly on a tree branch, quickly ducking down behind the foliage to hide himself. His stuck his feet with chakara and slowly leaned forward till he could get a clear view through the dobe’s bedroom window.

He frowned at the figure below him, eyes quickly taking note of the sweat-slicked skin, the sheets tangled around his legs which bespoke a restless night, the hacking cough which Naruto suddenly seemed prone to, even in his sleep.

As he watched, the blonde ninja woke, his tired, glazed eyes slowly sliding open and blinking in the late afternoon light. He tried to sit up and failed, giving into a bout of violent coughing. Sasuke’s eyes widened at the force of it, alarmed when Naruto immediately lay back down, seemingly exhausted from the battle with his lungs.

He observed with concern as Naruto attempted to rise again, this time staggering to his feet, holding onto the bed for support. He took a tiny step away, his legs shuddering with each movement, before he crashed to his knees onto the floor, rolling onto his side.

Sasuke jerked on the branch, his first instinct to go and help his teammate. But he knew that Naruto wouldn’t appreciate it. He shifted slightly till he could see the bedside table and noted that the medicine bottle was still full. Maybe the dobe didn’t remember his visit last night.

Sasuke frowned again, his eyes going back to find Naruto who had finally made it to the bathroom door. Sasuke averted his eyes till, some time later, the dobe crawled back out again and clambered up onto his bed, eyes sliding shut, his raspy breath audible to the ninja outside.

As the blonde ninja slipped back down into his troubled sleep, Sasuke made a resolution. From what he could see, Naruto hadn’t eaten anything since he had been here last. Nothing in the bedroom had changed, no new ramen containers on the floor. He couldn’t see the kitchen from where he as but he’d have bet anything that it hadn’t changed either. If the dobe had this much trouble just going to the bathroom he doubted that he’d be able to make himself something to eat, and something helpful at that.

Sasuke nodded to himself, leaving the branch and running back across the rooftops to his house.

////


Sasuke winced as a few drops of the boiling liquid splashed back on his hand as he poured it into a container. Strewn across his kitchen counter were various ends of vegetables, some grated, some sliced or cubed. Sasuke wrinkled his nose at the mess, resolving to clean it up when he got back. He fastened the lid tightly, tipping it slightly to make sure no liquid escaped.

He’d returned home, wondering what he could bring the dobe. Something healthy and something that would be beneficial for getting rid of whatever he had. A memory swam up from the recesses of his mind, and he had grimaced, immediately shying away from the idea.

No. He couldn’t make that. Making it would mean…would mean that she hadn’t made it.

He scowled peevishly at the entrance to his kitchen. As a young boy, whenever he’d become ill or Itachi had been colder than usual and he just needed some cheering up, his mother had given him a small, understanding smile and sauntered off into the kitchen. And an hour or so later she would return with a huge bowl of her special soup, a recipe she said has been passed down for generations and that only Uchiha had ever eaten. It made Sasuke feel special, made him feel like he was a part of something bigger than just his family or his everyday life. Reassured that he was part of his clan, part of their history together, part of their future. It had always made him smile.

He caught himself smiling wistfully in the memory, the pleasant expression quickly dropping off his face. He dismissed the idea immediately. He couldn’t make that for the dobe.

Yet here he was, after fishing out one of his mother’s old cookbooks, from a long forgotten cupboard, and spending a good hour deciphering the ingredients from the musty, dirt-encrusted writing, soup in one hand and locking his front door with the other.

//////

The Uchiha landed on the branch again, the large container of liquid held carefully in both hands. He glanced down at it, wondering why he’d made something that meant so much to him, held so many memories, for someone who annoyed the absolute shit out of him.

He pushed back the idea that it was because he cared. He just…wanted to train, that was all. He nodded to himself, pushing open the window again and jumping the short distance to the floor.

His face wrinkled in distaste at the mess the lounge presented. A quick glance to the kitchen told the boy that nothing had changed there, if anything it seemed worse in the late afternoon sunlight.

He picked his way across the floor, glaring at the pile of clothes that had tripped him last time. He resisted to urge to poke his tongue out at the room once he’d negotiated across it safely, hand raised to knock on Naruto’s bedroom door.

Three loud raps and he heard a muffled thump from inside. Remembering the dobe’s difficulty the last time he’d tried to get out of bed, Sasuke tried the handle and pushed the door open, Naruto lay half on the bed, one of his feet resting on the floor. The look he gave Sasuke was one of slight curiosity overwhelmed by sheer exhaustion.

“Dobe, brought you something to eat…” He gestured with the hand that held the container, watching while Naruto’s eyes slowly shifted to it, a weary smile breaking out on his face. Sasuke was surprised when he didn’t even rise to the dobe comment and instead struggled to sit up, pulling his leg back under the covers. Sasuke set the soup down on the top of his battered dresser, noting in passing that all of Naruto’s furniture seemed a little worse for wear. The bed itself looked like it was about to fall apart, springs groaning with each futile movement the boy made. Sasuke loathed to touch him but it didn’t look like Naruto was making much progress in the sitting up stakes; so he wriggled a hand around the other boy’s back and helped him, ignoring the grateful twitch of Naruto’s lips, seemingly too tired to grace him with a full-blown smile. He also noted that the younger ninja’s fever seemed to have died down slightly, which gave him a small flicker of relief, which he promptly ignored, shoving it to the back of his mind.

Naruto sighed, his eyes at half-mast, shooting the Uchiha another grateful look as the boy left and returned quickly with a small clean bowl from one of his cupboards and a spoon. Sasuke removed the lid from the container, memories washing over him from the rich, familiar smell. He poured some into the bowl and began a cautious walk to the bed. Naruto’s stomach rumbled loudly, causing Sasuke to pause in mid-stride, an incredulous smirk twitching his lips for a second, Naruto rested his hands on his stomach and gave the boy a small grin. Sasuke was glad that the dobe could summon up the effort for the expression.

He set the bowl down on the boy’s lap, careful to bunch the covers under it so the heat didn’t burn his legs. He didn’t question why he was suddenly so caring, he was just remembering little things his mother had always done and was repeating them on automatic.

He reached for the bottle by the table.

“Take this.” He stated, holding it out. Naruto scrunched up his face, a dubious look cast at the vial in his teammate’s hand.

“What is it?” He scratched out.

“I told you last night!” Sasuke grouched, irritated that Naruto hadn’t remembered..

“EEEH?! You were here last night?!” Naruto sounded raspy and proceeded to cough his lungs out for his excitement. He struggled to whip out a hand to point accusingly at the ninja next to him, his flailing threatening to upset the bowl in his lap.

“Damn dobe!” Sasuke made a grab for the bowl to the growl of ‘TEEEMEEEE!’ around the coughing, removing it from Naruto’s lap with ease. “Just take it! It’s supposed to make you better! Kakashi-sensei said!”

Naruto’s coughing fit calmed down and he paused, taking a few deep breaths before grabbing the bottle and holding it up to the light. He shot another dubious, wary look at Sasuke after he read the directions. He popped the cap and sniffed the contents, surprising Sasuke with the smile that spread across his face.

“Yosh!” He gulped down the required dose before handing it back to a puzzled Sasuke. The Uchiha cautiously sniffed it then held up to the bottle and read the front, looking for what had excited the dobe so much and made him take it. The he found it.

‘Ramen Flavour! For all ages.’

He rolled his eyes a set it back on the dresser, silently thanking their teacher that he’d had the foresight to get miso-flavoured medicine. Naruto was laying back against the pillows, looking-exhausted and ill but happy. He patted his lap and Sasuke remembered the soup he was holding.

He lowered it back down on the dobe’s lap and set the spoon in the soup, glancing expectantly up at the boy. Naruto raised a shaky hand and clutched onto the utensil, and slowly brought it up to his face. His hand shook too much and by the time it reached his mouth, there was barely a quarter left. The Uchiha watched Naruto repeat this a few times before becoming frustrated. It was his mother’s soup this idiot was wasting!

He scowled and snatched the spoon off Naruto, ignoring the surprised look, and the grateful one as the boy realized what he was going to do. Sasuke muttered under his breath as he dipped the spoon back in the soup, swirling it around slightly to make sure all the vegetables were off the bottom of the bowl. He scooped it up and slowly raised it to the dobe’s face. Naruto sighed happily and opened his mouth. Sasuke paused and just held the spoon. He wasn’t going to feed the damn boy. Naruto got the idea and leaned forward slightly, a look of bliss coming over his face as he swallowed. His mouth immediately opened again, an expectant look on his face. He broke into an embarrassed grin as his stomach rumbled loudly in response to the food. It made Sasuke wonder just how long Naruto had gone without eating.

After a few more spoonfuls, he asked.

Naruto paused with soup in his mouth, swallowing thoughtfully before answering.

“Well…” His voice came out low and raspy. “…Iruka-sensei brought me some ramen from Ichiraku’s a few days ago…but then he said he had a mission, to keep up his skills, so he’d be gone for a few weeks.” He paused again for another spoonful. “..I…I don’t think I’ve had anything since then.”

Sasuke blinked and fed the boy a little faster, glad to see some slight color in his cheeks as the bowl was emptied and refilled in record time. After all the soup had gone, much to an incredulous Sasuke, Naruto sat back against the wall, a serene smile on his face.

Sasuke set the bowl on the dresser, packing up the container for his departure. He glanced back to boy, secretly glad he was feeling better, resolving to mention to Kakashi-sensei that the boy hadn’t been eating. The puzzled look Naruto was giving him made him pause in the doorway. So far they had barely spoken at all.

“What is it?” He asked, suddenly irritated.

Naruto tilted his head slightly.

“Why are you here, Sasuke? Why are you helping me? Did Kakashi-sensei make you or something?”

A short flare of anger and outrage wound through him at the thought that the dobe didn’t believe that he would help him of his own will. A downpour of confusion quickly extinguished it. Why was he here? Why had he made him his mother’s special soup, hand-fed the boy for Christ sake?!

A frown crossed his face and scowled at nothing in particular, turning and leaving, closing the door behind him on the stunned silence, and making his way to the window to go home.

****************

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