Never Perfect

Another Chapter for everyone! This is starting to come quicker again as my brain comes out of nicotine deprivation. I know it’s a little short but it was 8 pages and Telpei and I both agreed it was better to end this chapter here and save the rest for the next chapter. Which means the next chapter is already partially done. LOL. Again ALL luv and honour to Telpei for being my sounding board and BETA!!! BTW guys.. thank you so much we hit 50 reviews this time.

The trio found the base without any trouble, but convincing Naruto to enter the underground lair had been more difficult. He’d taken one look down the dark, sloping entrance and had promptly sat flat on his rump, refusing to go any further. Sasuke had tried to reason with him and received the stink eye in return. It had escalated to the point of fisticuffs with a few well placed “teme!” exclamations, when Sakura just shook her head at their childish play and made her own way in. Naruto froze, fist half way to Sasuke’s face to return a hit to his own stomach. One blue eye tracked her progress, and when she disappeared from view he huffed and shoved the Uchiha off. Standing, he released a frustrated sound and, dusting the dirt from his pants, he followed her. A bewildered Sasuke was left behind. What had just transpired was almost like a temper tantrum from their genin days. Sasuke had certainly reacted in the same way as in the past, but both of Naruto’s team mates had seen the real fear in his eyes, which had been hidden by the glee of having Sasuke fall into his trap. Obviously the byplay of their little battle had pleased him enough to step over his problem.

However, over the next week and a half that they spent at the base, Naruto was only ever underground when he had to be. He slept with his team mates but as soon as he awoke his uneasiness was obvious and he escaped outside as soon as he could. Much to Sasuke’s frustration, there were no more passion fuelled encounters behind the two of them. Naruto was impossible to find once he left the base and Sasuke felt bad cornering him underground with his obvious discomfort. However, Naruto had begun to speak a little more, with simple, everyday phrases. A soft ‘thank you’ when handed something or an even more gently spoken ‘Good Morning’ when Sasuke rolled over to so him already awake. Those times were hardest for the avenger: the tenderness in Naruto voice and face was almost enough to drive him to take the idiot himself.

During their time there, Sasuke had managed to get one of his clones into the Oto village and back without much trouble. He’d purchased new clothes for Naruto, including a shirt and pants to replace the ripped pants and singed shirt. They were both in unfailing black like Sasuke’s old ones, but the shirt was a different cut. It had a lower, normal rounded neckline rather then the higher ones Sasuke preferred. It was also more form fitting, clinging to Naruto’s larger muscles making sure that it was easy to see him as the man he was, not like those ill fitting jackets that hid his shape. The pants weren’t as fitting, allowing for freer movement of his legs. Sasuke had also managed to procure a pair of sandals in the Dobe’s size, but Naruto seemed to prefer being barefoot for now. The Raven had also acquired one more surprise for Naruto. His clone had found an orange bandana with black markings swirling over it; it had even been that burnt orange colour Naruto had preferred. He had presented it to Naruto last, trying to get a smile, but his response was totally different then what he had hoped. Naruto fingers slid over the surface of the cloth touching it gently. That soft voice he seemed to have adopted slid out over the Uchiha and sent a shiver down his spine.

“Thank you.”

He’d then taken the new clothing and disappeared to change. When he returned he was wearing a plain black piece of cloth fashioned into the shape of a bandana. It was obviously ripped from the remnants of his burnt shirt. The orange one was nowhere in sight. However, Sasuke observed the way he touched his pants pocket every few moments. He must have tucked it away safely. That gesture meant more than if he had worn it.

Both Sakura and Sasuke felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction and unhappiness with seeing Naruto garbed in the unalleviated black. The brightly clad, bright acting Dobe was reduced and hidden; even his sunshine hair was tucked away from sight. When accounting for his scared eye, it was all an instant reminder of what had brought the three of them to this place. The sum of their lives, everything they had done, and Naruto was the only one baring the physical brunt of it all. But despite his depressing appearance, things were improving. All of his natural strength and speed were returning to him: training with both Sakura and Sasuke enabled it. He no longer ran in fear if Sasuke used the Sharingan to follow his movements, but neither would he meet his gaze while it was activated.

Now that they had been in one place for so long, all of them were getting edgy. They felt the pressing urge to move on but were unwilling to leave behind this fragile peace that they had claimed. Finally, one night Sakura and Sasuke began discussing where to travel next. Naruto laid down in the bedrolls, for all intents and purposes appearing to ignore them. The decision to stay mobile from now on was an easy one to make with all the improvements the stable environment had made with Naruto, but their general safety was number one priority. For the first time since regaining his freedom Naruto decided to speak up about what was happening around him.

“You are not my parents.”

The softness of the words took the sting from their meaning.

“I’ve never had any. Stop worrying about what’s best for me over what is the best thing to do. I will get better regardless. I WILL deal with this. Like everything else that has ever been thrown at me. I need time is all. I need to….”

His voice broke and his body trembled as, for the first time, he verbally acknowledged the damage that had been done to him. Sakura couldn’t hold herself back any longer and laid down on her own bedroll in front of him. She gently dragged her hands through his hair in an effort to soothe him.

“We know. We’re just trying to make it easier for you.”

Sasuke could hear more in Naruto admission than he had said out loud, and just as desperately wanted to touch the man, wanted to comfort him. Giving into the feeling, he slid into the blond’s own bedroll and moulded his chest to the other man’s back, wrapping one arm around his slim waist to pull him back tightly into the embrace. Sasuke buried his face into the tan neck for a moment to inhale Naruto’s wild scent, and Sakura’s eyes widened for a second before softening with true understanding. Sasuke ignored it and focused on wrapping his body from feet to shoulders as tightly around Naruto as he could, shielding him in the only way he knew how. Once satisfied he could get no closer, he twined his fingers with Naruto’s and began to speak.

“Your emotions are too raw for you to process yet. You’re not sure what you want. I don’t think you even know if you want to go back to Leaf Village soon or at all. Is that right?”

Naruto nodded, his entire body trembling within the safe cocoon his team mates had made for him. Sakura made a gentle sound and took his free hand in her own while brushing his hair back from his wounded face with the other so she could catch his eye. She wanted him to see her as she spoke.

“We don’t think that’s a bad thing Naruto. All your life you’ve done everything for that village and others. If you chose to never return, Sasuke and I would support you. But, only you can make that choice.”

Naruto squeezed both their hands gently but closed his eyes to pretend to sleep. Sakura and Sasuke did not release him and made the decision to travel East, along the border of Fire Country.

The next day dawned very overcast, giving everything a grey hue. Each of them went about preparing to leave the base. Sakura stayed inside to back up their belongings and prepare and seal bulky items into scrolls so they could travel light. Sasuke went a little way out from the base to sharpen their various weapons, counting them and dividing them into three groups. Naruto left on his own to get some clean water to replenish their canteens, also to hunt down what meat he could find to store away.

Sasuke was growing increasingly impatient for Naruto’s return. Something in the air was rubbing him the wrong way and he just wanted to be clear of this place. Suddenly, chakra signatures lit up around him, surrounding him and cutting him off from the base. As he slipped into a defensive position he heard a scream for the direction of the base.

“Sakura! Naruto!”

No reply was forthcoming, and as the Sharingan flamed to life, smoke bombs went off all around him, encasing the area in smoke and rendering his Sharingan useless. This was no chance attack. They’d planned this to work his weaknesses against him. That meant they had something planned for all of them. Naruto. He was still so vulnerable. He had to get to Naruto. Too late, he saw the steel strings as they closed about his body and limbs. Trying to struggle quickly became a bad idea. It wasn’t just steel string, it was razor wire, and it dug into his vulnerable, soft flesh just like Kabuto’s charka blades. Once more, the sound of Sakura’s scream came to him, making him jerk unintentionally against the wires. They cut deeper and he cried out in pain as they pulled him flat to the ground to be imprisoned.

Sakura had just finished her packing and had ventured out of the base when she was attacked. The ninja were masked, but they didn’t bear Leaf headbands so these were not ABNU from her own village. They chose to use throwing weapons in an attempt to slow her down and also to stay out of the reach of her monstrous strength. She cried out once as a throwing star sliced across her upper arm, but she quickly healed it with glowing green charka. Now she was getting angry. Sasuke and Naruto were out there, alone. To throw them off she went to use her landscape altering punch, but as her fist struck the ground, it sunk in, pulling her down like quicksand. She screamed again as it quickly pulled her down and soon she was swallowed by the earth.

Naruto’s battle began earlier then either of his team mates. Both had been worried about him but both would have been proud to see he had not gone down. He’d known that the enemies were out there and had gotten himself to a clearing, so to attack him they would have to come out into the open. They couldn’t fool his eyes because his nose and hearing would catch them. At close range, he was nigh unstoppable. They knew he knew. It was all a waiting game. They waited for his attack while he waited for theirs, and this continued until Sakura screamed. Immediately that distinctive charka flared, spreading out like a shockwave the grass swaying away from him like a stone had been dropped in a pool of water. He snarled past sharp teeth and launched himself into the air towards the sound, only to be blown back to the ground. He dug his nails in on all fours to stay in place as a massive wind gust blew him back.

“Try not to damage him too much. We’re not sure who or what we’re dealing with.”

The voice was vaguely familiar to the blond, but his mind was too far gone with fear and the feral urge to protect. He was unable to process anything past those feelings. Another scream came from Sakura, and then a cry of pain form Sasuke, and Naruto’s grasp on anything past the urge to fight his way to their side was gone. His precious people were in pain, in danger. HIS. His family, his love. He might slowly be becoming a monster, but he still cared, still loved. His body blurred into movement; Rasengan was already coming to life in his palm, and it quickly evolved into Rasengan Shuriken. Gauging its power and how far it would go, he threw it ahead of him, clearing a path that he charged down towards the last cry from Sasuke. His fists met flesh and wood, and his body was buffeted by wind, slamming him back against tree trunks. These impediments only made him angrier. Red and blue Charka warred about him madly.

“Sasuke! Sakura!”

His voice was a roar and more ninja joined the battle against him. Naruto was struggling within and without to win against the enemy while keeping himself from gaining tails. Finally, he broke their line and landed where he had heard Sasuke’s cry. He found Sakura, unconscious but unharmed, tied to the base of a tree. Nearby, Sasuke bit his lip in an attempt to hold back any more pained utterances from his position on the ground. The razor wire that ran over his body and limbs caused fine rivulets of blood to run from him and anoint the ground; it was a testament to how tightly he was tied. The blood was enough to drive the last vestige of regained sanity from Naruto’s mind and it called forth his animal rage.

“Sasuke!!”

He was at the raven’s side, fear mixing with rage as his gaze slipped over the Uchiha’s body. The other ninja went to confront the blond man once more, but a shake of their leaders head held them back. Then, suddenly, Naruto’s hands were gripping the razor wire, pulling it away from Sasuke’s abused flesh.

“No! Naruto stop!”

Sasuke was desperate. While his cuts weren’t all that deep, Naruto was hurting himself badly with the wire.

“Get out of here Naruto!”

Naruto ignored his cries and wrenched at the wire, and above the frantic raven, his body suddenly snapped taut. His one eye, instantly full of regret, slid to meet the Uchiha’s anguished red gaze. A single tear slid from that eye, over a whiskered cheek, and then his body lost its rigidity and fell over the prone Sasuke. His stilled hands were still entangled with the razor wire, mixing their spilt blood together. From his back, multiple senbon and even a few kunai protruded.

“No, Naruto!”

He couldn’t be dead. Not like this. Sasuke struggled against the wire, but Naruto’s weight prevented him from damaging himself any further. A figure came to stand at his head, surveying the two of them before speaking. His voice was a low, monotone drawl.

“Relax, Uchiha. He’s drugged. HIM, I would not harm. It’s just that with a Jinchuuriki, it requires a lot of this drug to take him down.”

Sasuke snarled over his pain. “You!”

Gaara of the sand, flanked by his siblings and eight other sand nin, actually smirked. “Yes. Me.”

The Uchiha’s vision went black.