The Restricted Section

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own the basis for the story idea ‘The Restricted Section’.


The Restricted Section
By 11


Chapter 08

He was sitting in his apartment listening to his cell phone ring. No one picked up, no one would. The bastard was probably asleep or something. It didn’t bother him; not at all. The answering machine picked up, and the easy to listen to drawl of a certain dark-eyed youth came on the line.

“Hey, you’ve reached the home of Sasuke Uchiha! I cannot say I’m sorry I missed you. If you must intrude your presence on me; leave a message. I may or may not get back to you.” The recording told him oh-so-very-cheerfully before it clicked over to recording mode.

“Hey Sasuke, it’s me. It’s over.” He stated simply into the phone. “Truthfully being with you, even in such a short period of time, has been excruciatingly painful.”

“Just talking to you I feel like someone’s driving screwdrivers into my brain,” he spit out the words without a trace of emotion, “being seen in public with you is like walking around with slugs all over me and a large mucus trailing behind.”

“Oh yeah, your kisses taste like toxic waste – might wanna do something about that. Your skill though matches that at something less than zero.”

Dark eyes blanked out staring at the answering machine. His body wouldn’t move; the chill on his skin from the water from the shower was nonexistent. He was completely numb.

“So anyway, thanks I guess, for the torture. See ya!”

Click.

Oddly enough Sasuke, after getting out of the shower, had probably been expecting something quite different. An invite from the other party for once maybe? Or perhaps something about last night. Sasuke’s body fell forward, it was the only movement that allowed his hand to grasp the phone.

But the blond had already hung up; an empty rejecting dial tone sounded and he kept falling. It felt vaguely like his heart stopped and started again in an erratic and uncontrolled beating that was sluggish and slow sapping all his energy.

He didn’t hear the phone clatter to the floor; he didn’t hear anything. He couldn’t; his whole world went blank. As if blinking out of existence.

`

"So?"

Shikamaru stared at the blond and bit the inside of his mouth. It just wasn't... fair.

"Come on Shika, no more stalling." Naruto prompted, holding his hand out. Shikamaru felt his teeth bite down hard on his cheek, sadly it didn't start bleeding. If it did, he could have had an excuse to wait a bit longer.

“Run it by me, just once more.” Shikamaru demanded, his right hand in his pocket fingering the poor bills he would have to hand over to this jerk in a few moments, most-likely…

“I already told you,” Naruto said frowning in frustration at him. “I broke up with him over the phone, and I’m not repeating what I said, again. It’s a kinda long speech you know.”

Shikamaru stiffened his shoulders. Hinata and Temari watching him avidly as well; they had already pitched in their share. But it wasn’t a written contract, it’s not like the blond could sue him if he didn’t pay him. But then Temari and Hinata’s wrath of the injustice of Shikamaru’s greed would probably have been more affective than any court order.

With a heavy sigh Shikamaru laid the bills on the table for the blond. “You did your job. Thanks for your help.” He stated, feeling like he should say something. Just something to save face and keep him from trying to grab the green stuff back from Naruto as soon as he reached his grubby tan hand for the bills.

The blond tucked them away quicker than Shikamaru after drinking soda then stood and left. Hinata looked after him sadly. This time when the blond came to see them there had been no playful chatting up or flirting. It was all strictly business, and it seemed so much more impersonal that way. It left a bad taste in the pale-eyed girl’s mouth.

Tsunade looked up as Naruto made for the door, “Naruto!” she called out to him. He turned and smiled at her. It was his usual cocky smile, but it didn’t quite seem to shine through. Normally he was so bright that he could walk in anywhere and the basements would hold holiday parties for the brilliance the blond radiated.

“What’s wrong hun?” he asked as she got closer and noticed the tired look to his eyes, and the slightly faded color of blue his eyes had taken on. Something was wrong, and she had a good idea of who and why… “Is it anything to do with Sasuke?”

Naruto looked surprised, and Tsunade looked horrified. She had told that black-haired bastard to stay away from her Naruto! “Oh, Naruto. I’m so sorry,” he moved to hold him. He might have let her even four months ago, he’d complain and fight her but he never resisted long.

Naruto jerked away from her this time, that dim smile back in place. “It’s not like that, really,” he assured her shaking his head, “I’m just tired. That’s all, honestly.”

“What did he do to you? It’s okay, if you need to talk,” the offered, motioning to take him to the kitchens; maybe see about those blueberry cakes or chocolate cookies for a pick-me-up. Naruto firmly shook his head. “I’ll talk to him, he can’t keep doing thi-!”

Naruto cut her off though, “It’s okay, he didn’t do anything.” Naruto shook his head. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I know. I knew when I agreed. I’ll be fine, Tsunade. Take care.”

He turned and left. And for the first time Tsunade could not tell what he meant by that. This is what had resulted when she allowed the brat to leave her house, and then to quit working for her. He called her by name this time; he hadn’t called her ‘mom’ not even in mocking gesture for years.

“He can take care of himself you know.” Shizune reminded her from behind the counter. “If he needs help he’ll come to you. He always has. He may want to sort this out himself. Leave him be.”

Tsunade turned back to the kitchen, still frowning. It was unbearable to think of what Sasuke had done to her precious child. It wasn’t right.

That obnoxious excuse for a human being had done it even after she had severely warned him not to. If she ever saw him again, even if Naruto wanted to sort it out himself, she would give Sasuke a severe thrashing. The likes of which he had yet to see.

“Yeah,” Tsunade agreed willing her rage to diffuse for the moment, turning her thoughts away from permanently maiming a certain dark-eyed freeloader. Naruto, she attempted to smile to herself but it came out as a grimace. She supposed, “he had to grow up sometime.”

`

“You think he feels like a whore?”

“Temari!” Hinata started, flushing as she looked angrily at her girlfriend.

“I’m just saying. It’s all business, so cold and detached. It’s like he feels almost dirty about accepting the money he earned.” Temari shrugged, “think about, money for dating someone and hurting them in a break up. It’s kind of like a whore; I wouldn’t be surprised if he felt dirty, I would. But I would never have accepted the deal.”

“Stupid jerk, wonder why he’s so hard up he needs money for.” Shikamaru seethed, not in any concern for the blond. No he was happy that that was – he hoped – the last time he’d see the guy again and ever have to hand him his money.

“Think it’s possible Sasuke’s cured though, I wonder?” Temari mused again.

“I don’t know. I’m sure he has a greater appreciation for relationships, now that he’s experienced what it’s like from the other end.” Hinata figured.

The door to the diner rang briefly and they looked up to notice that Shino walked in the door, “Shino!” Temari waved him over. The poor boy still had a gecko crawling atop his dark hair. Even with the hood on his jacket up the strange squiggly critter still unnerved Hinata to no end when the boy slid onto the seat next to her.

“So what’d I miss?” Shino asked.

“Not much,” Temari lied easily, “Have you seen Sasuke today yet by any chance?”

“Huh?” the sunglass-wearing boy asked eloquently of the blond female. Temari rolled her eyes, and scowled at him.

“You live in the same building as him.” She stated the fact, “So have you seen him at all today?”

“No,” Shino answered tentatively, instinctively knowing, with the way the three were watching him, that he was being interrogated here. Why on earth about Sasuke of all people was beyond him. “I don’t think he’s gone out yet today. It’s still 10:30, he might not get up until noon you know.”

“True, but over the past few days hasn’t he been getting up at least by nine so he can go wandering around,” Shikamaru questioned, “some of his classmates tell me he even showed up for the morning classes a few times as well.”

“Yeah, well all I know is when I left, he was still in his apartment,” Shino informed them, unsure of the importance of Sasuke being in or out was to the three. “I haven’t seen Sasuke at all today.”

The girls and Shikamaru leaned back in their seats again and exchanged stares between the three. Shino frowned again, “What am I missing here?”

“Huh?” Hinata frowned, holding her head in her hands. “What? How can that be?”

Temari crossed her arms and her lower lip jutted out in contemplation. “I suppose… it’s possible… that…?”

“Maybe he didn’t get the message yet. It is always possible he’s still asleep.” Shikamaru mused. Temari shook her head though.

“No, that doesn’t seem like him. He wasn’t up all night, Naruto said he got home around ten or something last night. No way Sasuke would sleep till twelve unless he was shagged last night.” Temari pointed out.

“Oh you don’t think! He found someone else to fill the gap immediately when Naruto left?” Hinata exclaimed unhappily.

“No way, not even Sasuke is that fast to find a replacement,” Temari assured her girlfriend, “at least I don’t think so…”

“I’m missing something here. Pleeaase fill me in over here.” Shino demanded, trying to discern his friends’ cryptic conversation. After all, why would it matter if Sasuke wasn’t up, if he didn’t get what message, if Naruto didn’t sleep with Sasuke, or if Sasuke did or didn’t find a replacement. It didn’t make sense. These three had been up to something for a while.

“Well maybe he-?”

“HEY!! TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK YOU’RE ALL TALKING ABOUT?!!” Shino demanded loudly, effectively cutting off communication among the three. The people two tabled over looked over at their booth in shock, before finally turning back to their own conversation.

Shikamaru scowled, “Fine. We had a project going, but Sasuke couldn’t find out.” It was probably safe now, Shino wasn’t the kind of person to go spill secrets anyway.

Hinata suddenly cut him off with a tremor of worry to her tone, “Hey, wait. What if… what if Sasuke is really… I mean, you think he’s actually okay?”

`

Something wasn’t right.

“Naruto?”

It just seemed out of place. Unreal, or maybe empty. Yeah, this was probably called emptiness.

“Naruto. Hey, Naruto!”

He glanced back over at the brunette. “Man, you act like you’re more interested in my dog, than me. What the hell?”

“Kiba, I never liked you. Akamaru is the only reason we ever hang out at all.” Naruto explained with an entirely straight face and overly-wide innocent eyes. The brunette gave him an annoyed skeptical look.

“Very funny,” Kiba mock-glared, “and don’t feel Akamaru your pepperoni.”

“But he likes the cheese!” Naruto protested glancing back down at the white and brown spotty dog currently licking up pizza grease.

“Yeah, he’s a gourmet dog. Can’t blame him.” Kiba shrugged.

“Exactly.” Naruto concurred.

“Okay, what’s wrong with you.” The brunette crossed his arms.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Naruto snorted, “Why, what’s up?”

Kiba frowned, “I dunno. You’re mostly normal I guess, but…” he trailed off giving Naruto a studying look.

“Going to dissect me or something med-student Inuzuka?” Naruto asked under the intense glare. Kiba scowled as he tried to form his misgivings into words.

“It’s just,” the brunette started, “Somehow you seem like you’re forcing yourself. Like something’s bothering you or something.”

Darn, after hanging out with Kiba and the guys today, Naruto had figured he’d be perfectly fine. That his ‘funk’ would go away. Since technically he didn’t do anything all that bad… in a way. If you looked at the big picture slightly skewed to the left and turned on its right side.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m probably still kind of tired too.” Naruto waved it aside.

“Hm,” Kiba considered that excuse, “Okay.”

“I have something I need to straighten out with Neji still too.” Naruto elaborated when Kiba didn’t look totally convinced. He wasn’t lying this time either.

“Again?” Kiba blanched, “What brought that up again?”

“Oh he saw me and some guy-”

“You’re dating guys now? What did I miss?!”

“No, you jerk! I called him up too this morning and left a message!” Naruto growled at his friend; leaping to conclusions like that, really! “I had to explain again, that I’m not gay, and I was only ‘dating’ the guy as a part of a dare-type thing! So don’t worry, homophobe! It’s over anyway, and I was paid.”

“Come to think of it, Neji seemed really worried about some guy this past week. Some guy he used to date a while ago is showing up in his life again or something.” Kiba mused, thinking back to some party that he saw Neji at but Naruto was not present at.

“I didn’t mean to make him worry,” Naruto muttered to himself, looking back at Akamaru who sat on the ground and looked up at him. He’d just finished the last of the pizza bits, and now was begging for some more.

“A dare thing, huh?” Kiba considered, “Doesn’t sound like something you’d sign up to do. Or a dare you’d make.”

“Yeah well there was money involved.” Naruto shrugged. “And it’s not like I slept with him or anything.”

“I don’t know, even if someone paid me, I’d never do something like that,” Kiba shuddered. “You better not have slept with the guy, I’d never be able to look at you the same way again.”

“Homophobe, you like Neji just fine.” Naruto accused.

“Yeah, but Neji’s Neji. I could believe from when I first met him that he was gay, you know.” Kiba shrugged.

“No I don’t know, but whatever.” Naruto dropped it.

“What’s up with the money anyway. I mean, what about your pride?” Kiba shook his head at the blond, unable to understand.

“Dude, you know I have no pride. It complicates things.” Naruto brushed off the remark, “Besides, you know about Kyuubi.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Kiba stopped, and looked over Naruto. But the blond didn’t seem upset or anything. Sometimes he had no tact. “Sorry.”

“What for? I feel sorry for Akamaru though,” Naruto reached down to pat the poor puppy on the head, “Sorry, I don’t have any more cheese or pepperoni left over for you.”

The dog seemed to glare up at him after a moment and then brusquely walked back over to his master’s side where he curled up with his back to Naruto – the stupid human that would not feed him. “Akamaru’s becoming kind of spoiled isn’t he?”

“It’s your own fault, feeding him table scraps. It’s why he doesn’t respect you too.” Kiba reminded his friend none too gently.

“Now that’s mean.” Naruto was about to retort, when the brunette’s cell phone went off – some dog song, probably something by baha; that one famous one. Probably. Kiba answered it before it got beyond the first like though.

“Hello?” the brunette puzzled a second then checked the phone screen. “Oh shoot.”

“What is it?” It was probably some class, that was probably Kiba’s phone alarm to make sure he didn’t miss his classes.

“Sorry, got to go. I have physics in building G in about ten minutes.” Kiba explained, taking up his things and dumping his pizza plate into the trash along with the mostly empty coke can. “I’ll be seeing you; if I’m not there early I can’t make plans with Deidara and Sasori to help study with pulley equations and kinetic energy.”

“Okay, cool. See ya.” Naruto waved after him. The brunette gave a quick wave before dashing off, Akamaru at his heels, sounding the siren in a series of short loud barks. Naruto could still hear them even after they’d probably gotten three blocks away before the sound finally faded.

Naruto returned to staring at his mostly empty sprite can. It was good it was over. He was relieved, he really was. It was a relief it was finally over; he wasn’t sad about it. Not in the least. Yet somehow Naruto found himself feeling vaguely empty whenever he let his thoughts wander too far from where he was grounded in the here and now without considering anything else about the world or the people in it.

He knew it was emptiness. He remembered it, it was almost the same feeling as when she rejected him. Well, almost… somehow it seemed now almost worse.

He didn’t cry this time; instead he felt like he already had and that every bit of it had flowed out of him so he was left raw and totally empty and alone. It was easier to forget if he had either Kiba or Hidan or one of those guys around. Anyone would have been fine, just as long as he could be distracted from this emptiness.

No. He just had to ignore it. Refuse to acknowledge it. Actually, Kiba had brought up something pretty important. The bills were due in soon weren’t they? The end of the month, wasn’t it? He’d have to take care of that, before Tsunade could check in and take care of it herself. It never was fair to her.

That’s right. Just concentrate on other people, people to make him forget others. It had already been a few days since he’d seen Sasuke now. But that was a good thing. A very good thing, it wasn’t like he missed him or anything. Their witty banter had been tiring, not a joy or comfort or anything like that. So it didn’t matter that he hadn’t seen him.

He didn’t miss him. He never cared, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter then and it never would. There wasn’t anything there after all. He didn’t miss Sasuke, not at all. He just needed him out of his head.

`

“I can’t believe you guys hired one of Sasuke’s latest conquests to brutally break up with him.”

Shino had probably been saying that for the past half hour. It was getting old, and very quickly onto Shikamaru’s nerves as well.

“But it was a good idea I think. To give Sasuke a taste of his own medicine?” Hinata defended, “It was to try and cure him. So he can better appreciate the relationships he forms with people and what he does by hurting them like he does.”

“What floor is Sasuke on anyway? Shino?!” Temari growled at the boy, as the four of them clambered into the elevator. At Hinata’s nervous concern they had all decided to go check-up on Sasuke to make sure he was okay. This was after all his first rejection. They had never really thought there’d be any real consequences.

Temari hated to voice the fact that Hinata was probably greatly exaggerating when she suggested that Sasuke might hurt himself by committing suicide or becoming a cutter. Sasuke was too arrogant for that; more than likely he was sitting in his apartment sulking and eating chocolate or something.

Shino gave Temari the floor and she punched it in, riding the elevator up to the right floor where they all disembarked and headed to the door beyond which Hinata was terrified they’d find a ruined and self-destructive Sasuke.

Highly unlikely, but the girl worried. It was cute a lot of the time, but also annoying in cases – like now. Since the girls had to bring a complaining Shino and a sulky surly Shikamaru who had just been forced to shell out a few hundreds.

“Sasuke! Open up! We know you’re in there!” Temari pounded on the door. Intent on pounding until the raven-haired youth came and answered. He didn’t. Even after 3 minutes of solid knocking. Her knuckles were starting to hurt too. “Damnit Sasuke! Open up!”

“Oh forget it, here.” Shino stepped forward and took a thin wind of wire from his pocket to stick into the lock. In the older buildings the locks were still perfectly able to be picked. As long as Sasuke didn’t throw the deadbolt or chain it shut, they would be in the clear to enter in just a moment more… CLICK! “There we go.”

“Shino you scare me sometimes.” Temari noted. Actually her building was built a lot like this one, which meant her locks were also pick-able. She’d have to see about installing a chain on her door.

“Me too. When is Gaara taking Ed back?” Hinata questioned, still noting the gecko in the youth’s hair.

“Probably never. You want him?”

“Ew no! Sorry!” the girl ‘eeped’.

“Come on, guys,” Shikamaru growled impatiently as he pushed past to enter the apartment to look around, “Sasuke?! It’s Shikamaru, Temari, Hinata and Shino are here too. Where are you?”

No answer. Shoot, maybe he was out finally and they just missed him. Hinata penetrated deeper, walking boldly past the living room and entry way and kitchenette straight into the dark-haired youth’s bedroom. The other three followed the paler girl closely. There was a lump in the blankets.

Hinata steeled herself for whatever corpse was beneath the plush sheets. Then boldly pulled the covers back. Sasuke lay motionless. He only had on a pair of boxers, and Hinata quickly covered him mostly back up, at least to the chest so they could still see his face.

He was laying on his side, his eyes were shut, and a pair of ear-plug earphones were currently stuck into his ears. No longer he never heard anyone either on phone or at the door calling to him. It was like he was trying to tuck himself away from the world.

Hinata frowned and plucked the earphone from his vulnerable ear right in front of her. The music was loud, there was the faint sound of guitar and heavy metal from the tiny speaker. Temari grimaced, “You trying to become deaf? Or just numb up your brain or something?”

Sasuke’s eyes opened but he didn’t seem to have heard her; or any of them for that matter. He just stared ahead blankly, dark eyes unseeing. Hinata frowned, and held her hands to her chest in regret; Sasuke looked horrible. His hair was getting greasy, had he even eaten? Had he truly slept? Or just lain here like a zombie all day and the last?

“Sa-sasuke?” she asked tentatively. Dark irises slowly moved to the side to glance up at her. She frowned sadly, and tried to hold her own pleas of sorry to herself. Apparently, their plan had worked too well “Are you okay?”

Dark eyes turned back to the wall, back to nothing. Hinata let her breath out and resigned that he wasn’t even going to speak to her. But he did, “Naruto.” His face was an emotionless mask, though his voice was hollow and he was too silent. Shouldn’t he be cursing them out for breaking into his apartment? “He hates me…”

“Hm?” Temari puzzled. Well this was in fact very odd. There was no ‘Naruto dumped me! The nerve!’ or even ‘Ugh! I hate getting dumped!’ or even something as simply as a petulant, ‘I got dumped.’ It just seemed odd somehow to the blond girl. … But then again, what were they expecting?

Sasuke really did look bad. He looked like a shell where a day or so ago he was a commanding presence just by entering the room; exuding the aura of his own bubble of control. What happened to that calm, that arrogance that protected him against any and all insurrection.

Hinata felt like crying, but she couldn’t; she didn’t really feel sad for him. Stupid Sasuke. It was all his own fault anyway. Now he knew how it felt. But it never was easy to deal with anyone who had gone through what Sasuke had done before. So Sasuke having bee treated in the same manner was no easier to lay eyes on.

Hinata didn’t say anything. Instead she leaned forward to wrap her arms loosely around Sasuke’s now so frail body. He didn’t return the gesture in any form. His skin was slightly chilled, so Hinata pulled the blankets up higher and tucked them in around him.

Shikamaru glanced at Temari, the girl returned the look. They knew it for what it was. Sasuke sulking over his first rejection. As far as they could tell, the kid did his job, and did it well. Hinata petted Sasuke’s stray hairs back into place, brushing his bangs away from his face.

Without looking at them again, Sasuke gave one small order, “Leave.”

For a moment the four started. They glanced at each other, but Hinata nodded and withdrew from him. She guided the other three out with her. They took the key and locked the door behind them slipping the metal lock opener under the door when it was locked again. “He’ll be okay right?” Hinata wondered aloud.

“Yeah, he will.” Shino said matter-of-factly. “It didn’t look serious. Give him another day or so. He’ll be fine.”

Shikamaru shrugged, “He’ll probably mope for a while though, this is his first rejection. He probably is having a hard time getting his tiny brain around the concept that someone else dumped him; and before sex.”

Hinata and Temari lagged behind at the door a bit longer when the boys headed back downstairs and to wherever. “He’s right, you know. Sasuke is just sulking right now and feeling sorry for himself,” Temari reiterated to her girlfriend. “He’ll sulk for a while and then he’ll be perfectly fine. This is Sasuke after all.”

Hinata nodded, and walked with Temari back to the elevator, but she did glance back. Temari noticed the mixed feelings in the girl’s opaque eyes. Worry and concern for a friend but at the same time awareness that this was a lesson he had learned, and learned the hard way. There was justice in that much.

“You don’t actually think, he was serious before, do you?” Temari half-joked with the paler girl.

Hinata did not refute her. Instead she asked; “Sasuke, will he be okay? Really?”

---

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