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 09

“Sasuke!” No answer.

“Sasuke! You have to come out sometime!” Hinata shouted through the door. Still no answer. She could always pick it like Shino had done… it wasn’t technically wrong, since he was up he was just being too moody for his own good.

At least that’s what Temari had told her and then tried to convince her to just leave him alone. But Hinata couldn’t help it. Sasuke hadn’t gone outside for almost four days straight. How was he eating? Was he eating?! Hinata felt every muscle stiffen in guilt and resignation at the thought.

Taking out her hair clip, Hinata jammed it into the lock and proceeded to listen as the different metal figures clicked into place so she could open the door. It didn’t take long. Inside; at least Sasuke had moved from the bed and likely other places since they first came by to check on him.

Dark dull eyes turned to look up at her in apathetic distaste before turning away. He was half-lying half-sitting on his couch. Some older version of the Godfather was showing. “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Said Vito Corleone as he went to meet The Fist, sole Italian mob man.

Sasuke scowled at the TV – the lone source of light in the evening of Sasuke’s apartment. Hinata frowned and flipped the lights on; “So… you’ve been holed up here the whole time, watching movies?”

“And eating and pissing.” Sasuke corrected without vehemence. Then to the film, “Oh come on! Just shoot the guy already!!”

Hinata sighed, realizing she was being largely ignored as things were. Crossing the room she turned off the television manually after taking the remote from the table within Sasuke’s arms reach. “HEY!” Sasuke started glaring at her. “He was about to shoot him!”

“Sasuke,” Hinata said loudly, effectively, for the moment, seizing Sasuke’s full attention. Though that was likely because Sasuke was simply being lazy enough to not go turn the TV back on manually, and she had stolen the remote. “Get dressed, we’re going out.”

“Out?” Sasuke repeated as if the word were an entirely foreign concept to him.

“It’ll do you good.” Hinata insisted, leaving no room for argument. Thankfully Sasuke didn’t seem to want to put up a fight. Though his initial sense of impeccable fashion was dimmed.

The dark-eyed youth wore all black, but the pants were jeans, not his usual sexy vinyl or leather. His sweater was plain and not svelte material. He wore no make up or liner; no hair gel; his spikes fanning at the back of his head in a haphazard way.

Now where could one possibly take Sasuke to get him back into his usual spirits; more or less? Bar, diner? Tsunade’s was out of the question though; the way things had gone yesterday.

If those who knew about Naruto had likely also found out that it was over – the only logical conclusion on the street was that Sasuke did it again. At least now, Hinata hoped anyway, Sasuke had a greater appreciation for other’s feelings when tangled in relationships.

So where else was available, and during the day even? A club of course. The nightlife would have been enough to snap Sasuke out of his daze – or so Hinata had first figured.

However if the blank and scowling look on Sasuke’s face was any indication; she might have a better chance of getting him to be normal after the guy got some alcohol in him.

Thus was the place Hinata dared to venture to put her friend and self-charged charge into a better mood. “Do you want something to drink Sasuke?” Hinata asked him amiably after they took their seats at the bar area.

“No.”

“Should we go get something to eat then?” Smile brightly, maybe he’s just still waking up.

“No.”

“You okay with just sitting here then?”

“Yeah.”

Monosyllabic answers. Not a good sign. Geez, he was more animated while watching the God Father even; and that was a poor excuse for being animated anyway.

Worse he wasn’t even staring at the dance floor considering people; or just people-watching. He looked to blank and empty; it wrenched hard in her chest.

She wished she had Temari there to put a hand on her shoulder and encourage her; or just tell her that she didn’t have to do this. Something to take away this guilt, even though it should not have been hers alone…

“You want to talk about it?”

She didn’t miss the stiffening of his shoulders. Then he relaxed, and seemed to sigh; or perhaps he was just letting out his shuddering breath. “No…”

“You still like Irish scotch?” She asked, ready to pay for his drinks. As the designated driver, it would be perfectly fine; Hinata barely touched liquor anyway. Sasuke didn’t answer, just nodded; though it was promising that dark eyes did glance over at her before giving a hesitant nod.

What was he thinking now; was he hoping that the alcohol would take away the memories? Was that what he was looking for by immersing himself in nothing but old movies for the past few days – Forgetfulness?

Or just something to fill the emptiness?

`

After a few drinks, at least he was talking…

“That loser does not know how to dance.” He stated with some disinterest as he glanced over his shoulder at the dance floor; in the purple light someone was slipping and sliding all over the floor.

The person was bumping into other dancers and all around causing general problems. One of the guy’s friends was trying to make him come sit back down, but he wouldn’t have it.

Sasuke tipped back his fifth shot, and Hinata smiled; though it surely came out weak, at least Sasuke was talking more or less normal. But he couldn’t seem to stop insulting people.

“Gods what the hell is with his hair?” he muttered accusingly, dark eyes raking over a dyed blue mullet, “Looks like road kill. Can something so ugly make people drop dead?”

“And that girl’s shirt – what is she soliciting sex or something? Her left boob is obviously fake! Did she get a psycho for a surgeon?” Sasuke growled as he looked over the left corner of the club. Hinata glanced over as well.

But then Sasuke was probably getting fairly vision impaired since the girl looked pretty normal if not slutty. Her breasts were proportioned just fine, really… nothing like Temari’s of course, but still.

“Not a single guy in here’s got a nice ass; what the hell?” Sasuke hung his head, not quite onto the bar, but fairly close; his propped hand not quite holding himself upright. “Hey, another.”

“You better not. It’s okay, he’s done.” Hinata told the tender. He’d listen to her more than Sasuke in any case; since she was paying for him.

“I’m not done. I want another!” Sasuke growled in irritation. Stupid Sasuke, he was a horrible buzz-person, first he was insulting everyone in the club; and in general just an all around jerk.

“Sasuke you’re already smashed.” Hinata tried to tell him reasonably.

“No I’m not.” Sasuke insisted, and for a moment the anger and his tone seemed more normal than anything Hinata had heard from the pale youth all week. For that much she was glad. Not glad enough to get him another shot though.

Sasuke was probably still absorbing the alcohol into his blood stream. Five standard drinks should be tops for males, there was no way she was letting him get six – she wasn’t even sure if the shots were the same as a standard drink.

He may yet be back to normal in another couple hours or so as long as she didn’t let him get any more in his system. Of course, she didn’t want to have that same moping Sasuke back. If he went back to that by tomorrow; she’d have to bring Temari with her to try and figure out a new plan of action.

But hey, in the past a night on the town always got Sasuke in better spirits whenever he was slightly depressed.

Given he didn’t get depressed or sad often, but there were those times before when they’d see him at a bar or club and he’s just say he felt like it. Or he’d say he was slightly depressed so he came to make himself feel better – usually that entailed a sex partner though. Oh well.

As long as he wasn’t depressed again later; although it wouldn’t be great if he went back exactly to his old ways. That would just be… anticlimatic and discouraging. At that point, Hinata may just give up on the guy; though this situation did already seem to have a significant effect on him.

“Hey gorgeous, I’ll buy you a drink.”

Well that wasn’t new; someone hitting on Sasuke in a club. Happened all the time, at least it used to. Sasuke… wasn’t exactly himself though.

Dark eyes glared at the hand on his shoulder and followed the arm up to the face in disgust. “Get your filthy hand off me you idiot!” Sasuke snapped, jerking away from the touch, giving the iciest, and most antisocial glower, that the raven-haired youth was capable of.

The man flinched back, and Sasuke only glared harder, “Why the hell are you even talking to me. Go away you waste of flesh!”

The man started, and winced at the words, but in a huff of anger turned and stalked off. Oddly enough several people had witnessed the encounter. Now more eyes were on Sasuke than before.

The pale girl somehow felt like apologizing to the guy. He really didn’t deserve that. So Sasuke wasn’t cured? What did that mean? He wasn’t being a playboy anymore in this case, but still… it wasn’t Sasuke…

Hinata noted with some amusement that some of the girls looked like they actually wanted to risk talking to the icy youth. His dark eyes glowering at them in warning kept them back; though they still lingered close with flushes on their cheeks and hopeful loving gazes in their eyes.

Hinata really didn’t understand some girls. Oddly enough his ‘get away from me’ aura that he was currently exerting seemed to draw almost more people to him than he did before.

“You didn’t have to be that cold to the guy.” Hinata noted, but her voice was muted audible. She knew Sasuke heard her though when he sent her a cold look.

“You know, you dragged me out here.” He reminded her sharply. Hinata frowned and looked away, “Fine. I don’t need another drink. Your wallet’s probably empty anyway. Sorry.”

Hinata started slightly and looked up at him in shock. The youth was resting his head in his hands and glaring off in no where in particular. That last word, spoken softer than the rest, under his breath; that was an apology wasn’t it? Sasuke never apologized.

“It’s just. You’ve been moping for a while now, we, I’ve been worried,” Hinata started, “I thought of something to try and cheer you up. Sorry this was the best I could come up with.”

Sasuke shrugged. “Well you could have picked a better party. No one’s here, the scene sucks! Not a decent fuck in sight!”

The sharp words were reminiscent of the old devil-may-care Sasuke, but the words lacked vehemence and conviction. Even so, she could only tell because she’d heard him when he went to other clubs, and even gone with him, in the company of Temari, on occasion. Before...

“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to talk about? Get off your chest?” she offered, unsure if this was what she really wanted to discuss, but somehow figuring deep down it really was the root of the youth’s seclusion. “Something that’s bothering you?”

“Heh.” Sasuke laughed short, a bitter sound. Then he was completely quiet, and for a moment even his breath seemed to stop. Hinata had to forcibly zone out the sound of the club and music and clank of ice and drinks along the bar to really study her companion.

His body was perfectly still, but it seemed his lips quivered slightly, his hands covering his eyes, as if his head hurt; or he was tired. “Sasuke?” He did not respond. “Was he cruel?”

“Who cares about cruel?” Sasuke bit out; he already knew who she was talking about. “I used to be the master of cruel.”

He acknowledged that much; and it was true. Hinata frowned, maybe somehow; this project had worked out too well. How could she fix him? Was there any way ‘she’ could? Or was she wrong entirely…?

“So… you envy him, that he broke up with you before you were able to?”

Sasuke’s hands dropped to the counter and his blank eyes looked over at her. Dark orbs empty and unreflective, Hinata felt herself swallow. He didn’t even look sad now, was he angry, what? She just didn’t understand, was this just his pride then?

Was she totally wrong that somehow the pale youth had broken down? Temari would have laughed that she even considered that idea. Sasuke Uchiha was, after all, unbreakable by anyone. His heart was still under lock and key, that Sasuke himself held, what was she thinking?

“You don’t get it.” Sasuke trailed off. Hinata knew he was also right, she didn’t understand; so why wouldn’t he elaborate? “You remember,” he started again, staring ahead of him once more, “when I said I ‘actually liked’… ‘him’?”

Him, Naruto. So it did hurt; enough that Sasuke couldn’t make himself say the blond’s name. She nodded, “Yes.” She had also thought; just like everyone else, that he had been joking again, or even exaggerating about his current infatuation which would likely die in the next few weeks.

He breathed out; “I think, maybe, I might have been serious then.” Hinata felt a shock of cold shoot throguh her spine and branch out to fill her with ice. “Maybe I didn’t know it then but…” he trailed off and his face contorted suddenly. His hands rose to cover his eyes once more.

He didn’t have to continue. Hinata knew just by looking at him; he must truly be feeling just as broken as he looked. Now he seemed shattered as a person; was that what he felt as well?

Hinata felt the sting of tears in her eyes, and blinked them back. Temari wouldn’t cry. Temari… she needed her beside her. She shouldn’t have come alone.

Seeing him like this; she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted her pillar of strength to draw on. What could she do for him by herself? Would he even accept it if she tried to offer comfort?

Tentatively she reached her hand out to his shoulder. It hovered a moment before she let it rest on the fabric of his dark sweater. He didn’t jerk her touch off of him, and she felt the heat seep out of her limb into the skin beneath the cloth.

Hopefully somehow, that touch could convey the concern she was unable to put into words right then. She hadn’t realized it just by looking at him, but Sasuke was shaking; just a very small amount. As if his body was apart to fall apart and it was all he could do to will himself to keep together.

He snorted, to himself; “I haven’t even walked by the porn store for the last few days, it’s on the way to the grocery. I had to get milk and I took the long way just to avoid it.” He was laughing at himself, but it was a strained sound, “I don’t want to see him.”

She could understand that. Why did the guilt have to start in now?

“You know, I actually feel guilty now, that I had even been planning to break up with him too,” Sasuke shook his head, still not raising his eyes from his hands, “now I’m not even sure if I’d have done it.”

She didn’t want to hear it, not when regret was settling into her blood and making her sick inside. His breath calmed a moment, “I think I really liked him.”

Hinata swallowed, and rubbed her hand against his shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting gesture, “I think,” she started and tried again, “you should move on.” Why did it hurt? “Now you know how it feels,” she didn’t need to say it: that he was experiencing what he’d done to others.

“Meeting someone new, it might do you some good.” It was the best advice she could think of. What had the friends of the previous victims of Sasuke told their friend after the one they thought they loved was done with them?

Well actually most went into counseling… shoot, they’d counted on Sasuke’s thick hide to avoid that.

She felt Sasuke shift and moved her hand back when he shifted in his seat. His hands weren’t covering his eyes, instead they splayed linked across his forehead. His eyes still drawn down, staring blankly at the bartop. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Sure.”

Hinata frowned, and moved to leave, Sasuke shortly behind her. He seemed sober enough so she let him when he said he’d go for a walk before heading home. She’d check on him in the morning. This… hadn’t been a counted on development.

`

Him again.

He hadn’t seen him for a week; he hadn’t counted on ever seeing him again. His pale face was slightly flushed, he’d probably half-jogged here from the looks of it. His dark hair was wilder than usual, as if he hadn’t brushed it too terribly well that morning and then not since then.

His eyes were dark as usual, and it hurt to look into them, that face; and he felt his muscles tense. He felt an irresistibly strong need to run, didn’t matter where as long as it was far from here.

Here and far from the second decision he knew he was on the brink of taking. Even with at least five people still in the store browsing somewhere.

He needed to run, or he needed to drag him down again, beneath him and make him cry out. It occurred to him eventually that that wasn’t the right kind of contact to have had after several months of absence of physical contact before and then not to have anything remotely close afterward.

It wasn’t even a complete memory. The more he’d considered it the more a traitorous thought had pondered that he could have done whatever he’d wanted to him then; and it would have been okay. It would have been safe to feel good then, right; at least for a while.

But it was thoughts like those that led him in circles of reason. It was those thoughts that led him to, early the next morning break it off as completely as he could.

So why was he back? Why were those dark eyes boring back into him, dredging up all those memories he wanted so sorely to forget?

No. He couldn’t run, and there was no way; he was going to let his simply-attention-deprived thoughts lead him to the other option. No this was already set; if Sasuke ever came near him again, he already knew what he had to do. He didn’t want this; and he couldn’t allow anything here.

Maybe if they’d been friends none of this would have had to happen. Naruto schooled his face to careful calmness, and spoke in a level tone so as not to disturb the browsers in the store. “Didn’t think you’d come back,” the blond spoke as flatly as he could; but Sasuke wasn’t ready to leave.

Instead, he met Naruto’s eyes and stood firm. “Want me to tell you how much I really hate you.” It was a warning, please leave; he didn’t want to have to do this. He never actually hated him, so don’t make things difficult. Why couldn’t he just go?!

But then, Naruto figured even he would have wanted to know why… as far as Sasuke could have told everything had been fine before he left that message. But why now; it had already been almost a week!

Sasuke seemed to flinch slightly at the words, but refused to back down. Naruto felt a chord of pity – it was pity right? – strike through him, but steeled himself. It hate to be done; “Or did you come to have it shoved through your skull?”

Blue eyes narrowed, and Sasuke refused to let the frayed edges of the emptiness flare up inside him. Naruto knew he was lying again, but how else could he reason out to Sasuke that he had to just leave him alone? As things were, they could never be friends.

It hurt, Sasuke hadn’t even done anything wrong; but he couldn’t be here. Naruto couldn’t have him in his life, not as things were, not as facts stood. He just needed him to leave him alone. So he wouldn’t hurt him, and Naruto wouldn’t have to hurt Sasuke.

Sasuke stared the blond down, refusing to turn tail. It didn’t seem right the anomosity in Naruto’s gaze, it was as if it were forced. There wasn’t any reason for him to be so angry; so why? If he could just understand that; what he’d done wrong. What he’d done to make him hate him so much.

This wasn’t masochism; this wasn’t like when Sakura came up to him that day on the bus. He wasn’t looking for a beating, he just… had to know.

“I want to know why.” The words sounded raspy, and slightly garbled. Naruto seemed to start ever so slightly at the words, but that mask-like look of distaste stayed pasted on his face.

“I liked you,” he admitted, and at this point looked at a point beyond Naruto’s head so he wouldn’t have to look at those passively angry eyes. He didn’t want to forget how they’d looked when they were clear or bright, or when they’d been dark and glazed.

“I thought we had fun,” he continued, “at the very least, we could have been friends.”

“You didn’t want to be friends.” Naruto grit out.

“That’s not the point.” Sasuke’s eyes snapped back to Naruto’s. His expression hadn’t changed, but the more it seemed like Naruto was turning himself into a brick wall; not to respond, not to feel. Did he really feel nothing when Sasuke felt like lashing out or screaming?!

“There was no reason to hurt me like that!”

Naruto fought not flinch away from the accusation. It was entirely true, and there was no way he could even tell him he regretted it; that he wanted them to be friends, that that would be fine. There was no way to take it back and say sorry; no way to erase it. And now he was in too far, there was no going back.

“Why?! Why are you doing this? What did I do?!” Sasuke asked, still fighting to try and get a reaction from the blond; did he really mean to little? There was no way! Naruto had laughed, they’d joked; the blond had even responded, every time he touched him! Even if he pulled away, he always responded!

“Why? Because I liked you? Because I was stupid enough to fall in love with you?”

Naruto felt something inside him snap. Several of the browsers looked up; Sasuke was causing a scene, and he knew it. He felt blood burn darker into his cheeks; but he wasn’t backing out. He had to know – why? It didn’t make any sense.

Guilt, he knew what it was; he’d felt the same kind of empty grief and sometimes still did. But this was different; this he could conceivably fix… but not like this. What could he tell him? Should he tell him? Would it erase this feeling of responsibility? No, it probably wouldn’t.

So he stood still and left his face carefully blank, giving nothing away. Somehow this reminded him of something else, another time. Except he was standing where Sasuke was; in hysterics. And ‘she’ was standing where he was.

She had been unsure and sad; she’d pitied him, and she’d still pushed him away. This was a lot like what had happened a few years ago; with the roles reversed. Only now Naruto was the one rejecting…

This was a lot like what happened a while ago. In a way; it occurred to him it was almost exactly the same; the Sasuke thought. Sakura had confronted him, and he’d treated her like dirt. Idly he wondered if this is what it had been like for her?

“You want the truth?” Naruto asked, sighing. He looked vaguely weary and defeated. Sasuke felt a small bubble of hope rising in him; but perhaps this wasn’t what he was expecting. Perhaps it would be worse than just Naruto deciding Sasuke had done something to piss him off…

That thought scared him.

“I never wanted anything to do with you,” That much had been true, “When I met you before, I never wanted to see you again.”

“But then…” Why?

Blue eyes glared at him in something like pain and something like anger; “Did you know that your ‘friend’ asked me to?”

What? He couldn’t breath, and then Naruto took a wad of bills from his pocket. Dark eyes stared in shock… he didn’t even have to confirm whose bills those were. Shikamaru’s wallet was the only one that forced the bills to curve like a triangle at the left corners.

“Shikamaru and those guys; the three of them paid me to go out with you for a while,” Naruto continued, as Sasuke shakily brought his eyes back to the blond’s, “And then to break up with you. As brutally as I could manage.”

His breath left him, and he stared. So that… that was it…

“Since you do this kind of thing all the time; it’s like a taste of your own damn medicine, right.” Naruto finished. It was the truth; it was all Sasuke needed to know. As things stood, they’d never be friends anyway.

What the point in telling him that he actually liked him, that he wouldn’t mind still hanging out. Sasuke wouldn’t want to after this anyway. It was better like this; a clean break. People healed anyway; Naruto would heal; so would Sasuke.

Dark eyes fell down to the bills on the desk, his voice came out subdued and quiet. “I see.” In a way it surprised Naruto; he expected Sasuke to get angry; that he would yell at him. He wanted him to yell at him, like this he felt even worse. He wanted Sasuke to get mad, to yell at him or ‘something’.

Anything! Since Naruto couldn’t tell him he was sorry. Couldn’t say he never wanted to cause him pain; and that it hurt him too, or offer anything he could. It felt like dying a little.

“I’m sorry then,” Sasuke continued, still in that calm and empty tone, “for any pain and inconvenience I caused you.”

Then pain! For a moment Naruto thought it was entirely internal; Sasuke was already running out the door, and Naruto felt his body fall sideways. His face stung, and he reached out to grab the counter. He steadied himself and only after a moment did he realize that Sasuke actually struck him.

The skin and nerves dilated with contractions of pain, the slight burn of the strike still there across his face. But there was another pain that made it pail in comparison. Naruto locked his teeth; he deserved a lot more than just that.

He felt like shutting down; he wanted to ignore everything about this situation that had messed up his world. But he couldn’t and somehow it was breaking him down.

It wasn’t fair to him, to Sasuke; not like this. But the way Hinata and those guys had explained it; this had been something they thought was necessary.

At the very least it did seem to have had some effect on him; perhaps in some warped sick way it was fair. Now that Sasuke probably wouldn’t be off hurting people right and left; maybe.

As an afterthought Naruto winced when he realized, he might have caused problems for Shikamaru; or Hinata and Temari. If Sasuke got angry and tried to take this out on either of the girls Naruto would never forgive him.

If there was anyone he needed to take his anger out on it was Naruto. He’d agreed and he’d caused it in the first place. Sasuke shouldn’t be angry at anyone but him. Naruto had no one to be angry with but himself.

`

Sasuke cursed under his breath as he finally stumbled back into his apartment. He kicked his door shut angrily behind him. His hand still burned with nerves, the stinging refused to subside and he willed it never to fade.

He wanted the reminder of his anger; of pain; anything to distract him from this hollow gaping hole. It was so much worse. He didn’t want to know it anymore. It was far worse than Naruto just hating him. He hadn’t even just lied, once or twice; everything was a lie; it was nonexistent now.

Naruto hated him the entire time. Naruto despised him from the start. Naruto… he cursed again loudly; and his arm lashed out, thudding the still stinging hand into the wall.

He hung his head and fought to breathe. He wished he’d hit him a second time; he really should have; harder.

He should have slammed him against the wall; put his hands around his neck and choked him. He should have pulled out his hair and punched him in the face. He should have yelled at him and told him how much it hurt – he should despise him for not feeling anything!

Sasuke’s hand whipped back against the wall, and he felt a rush of something hot and painful. The stinging sensation followed the bone up his arm to his shoulder. He lashed back again and the pain shuddered through him again, momentarily distracting him.

His breath wheezed in and out of him as if he couldn’t get it in him fast enough. He struck back at the wall again, trying to control his breath and the feeling that his whole body was going to fall apart or explode. The strikes did nothing to diffuse his… rage?

Was that what this all consuming fear and fury was? It was so unlike anger, and so much like pain and living and dying. He didn’t understand it, he didn’t want to; he just wanted it to stop. He let his hand drop to the floor; forcing his body to relax as much as he could.

He still felt like screaming; so he did, until his throat was raw and he could feel the scarring on the inside of his throat. The rage was leaving but now it was worse; it was cold and empty and swallowing him up. He didn’t want it anymore.

He knew the hot and wet feeling on the back of his hand meant his knuckles were probably bleeding. But he’d live from that; he didn’t know if he wanted to live from this. He’d struck Naruto; only once, and now his hand stung more from beating the wall and he’d wanted to hurt the source of this pain.

But that wasn’t Naruto. He didn’t want to hurt Naruto. He didn’t… he just wanted, him… with him. He drew a raspy breath down a ragged throat and tried to keep his body still. Every now and then spasms racking through him. It was already late wasn’t it? Was it ten yet, or eleven?

It didn’t matter, nothing mattered. He wanted Naruto. He missed the sun, his body against his, his mouth, his voice, his eyes… not filled with anger or carefully blank. That unguarded expression when his face lit up… and everything felt like cloud again.

Blue eyes swam behind his eyes, and golden locks tangled nonexistent shadows across his skin and threaded in his fingers.

Why did you do it, Naruto?

He drew another raspy breath and let his body fall to the side, he was somewhere near his couch probably, but he didn’t have the energy to crawl over to it.

Why…?

He was so drained, and only when the tracks of water slid into his hair did he even realize he had been crying. Not that it mattered, nothing really did right now.

Why did you…?

Were those his thoughts or was he actually saying them? He couldn’t tell; it didn’t make a difference anyway; even if reality was only a dream it would be fine. It wouldn’t mean a thing; Naruto… would still hate him.

There was no reason…

Blond hair thickened and lengthened around his fingers dying black into the abyss. Sleep just beyond consciousness. And those gorgeous blue eyes darkened until they were ebony pools to match his own.

Why did you do it, Itachi?

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