Doubtful Comforts

"Sasuke!"

I turned back to find Naruto running towards me, calling my name, his arm flailing frantically. I turned away from him and started to continue on my path home.

"Sasuke!"

I ignored his calling, not wanting to think of what had just happened between us. I couldn't understand it, how it had happened, or why it even did. I was glad that tomorrow I was to leave, hand in hand with Sakura, to study abroad in America. I couldn't let something like this destroy the path I worked so hard to gain. So much turmoil and despair, I deserved this new turn and I would take Sakura and be happy within a home that was anywhere but here. I quickened my pace but Naruto followed closely yelling, "Sasuke, just stop!" We were both rivals on the track team, the two of us were close in skill but I had the advantage at this moment; it was dire for my sanity and the happiness the future promised to keep from speaking with him. I dropped the books I no longer needed and sped up, Naruto falling more and more behind.

I couldn't allow this to happen. I couldn't allow this to develop into anything further than something so fleeting. I was finally in a good place and couldn't let it go. No friendship was worth this. Not even Naruto's.

An image of Naruto's arms around me flashed into my mind and I shook my head, attempting to throw away whatever it was residing within me. This didn't make sense. It just didn't make any sense.

I felt a hand grab my wrist and I stumbled over from the shock but I still refused to face him. I could feel his grip tightening around my wrist, the material of my shirt and his skin against mine. I remain in my stance, no need for comfort.

"I'm sorry that…happened."

"It was just a hug Uzumaki, you got too emotional like you always do."

"It's not just that…what I said-"

"Shut it, Uzumaki!" I can feel myself becoming more severe, the fire in my anger rising. "You're so useless you can't even be on your own, can't walk on your own two fucking feet. You need to always be carried. Well, look, Sakura and I don't want to carry you anymore. We're fucking tired. Done. What are we to do for you Uzumaki? Give up our own futures to coddle you? Give me a break."

"Sasuke, I know you," his grip loosens. "I know what you're trying to do. You're just trying to-"

"Damn it, Naruto!" my eyes widen, the anger now coursing through me. I didn't need this, especially not from him. "I don't care! The only reason I ever 'resolved whatever rivalry and disdain' we had for each, whatever I did to get along with you, it was just a way to bring Sakura closer to me. This hatred I hold for you will never flare out. You disgust me, Uzumaki. Everything about you disgusts me…"

I stop as I meet Naruto's gaze head on. He's looking at me with the same passion, the same determination. I wonder…why…?

"Okay, Sasuke," he lets go of my wrist, and takes a step back.

I straighten the sleeve of my shirt and continue walking forward. I look back just once and continue walking; the desire to lie in my bed enveloping me as I continue each step forward. Then I hear Naruto say quietly, just barely loud enough for me to hear.

"But I don't believe you."

…And I didn't believe me either but I just needed this moment to allow myself to calm down. It was all just fleeting. What was up ahead would be the rest of my days and that was more important. It was more important than anything fleeting like this.

Lesson One: Tedium

"Sasuke," I feel a delicate hand stroking my skin, teasing me to wake. "Hey, Mr. Uchiha, your lovely fiancé desires a kiss from her valiant knight."

"Please, Sakura, don't be so foolish."

She shuffles away from me, I can feel her temper rising.

"You know what, Sasuke? Once upon a time my foolishness amused you. You're absolutely no fun," she pulls the blankets around her, stealing them from me; so childish and exhausting.

"Look, Sakura, we're not little children anymore."

"No, it's not being a child; it's called having a little fun which, obviously, you've never experienced in your life."

"Don't be so imprudent, I've experienced fun."

She stands from the bed, keeping the blanket wrapped around her naked skin. Her features are furrowed into a scowl which isn't very attractive.

"Don't be so prudish! The only time you have ever had fun was our last two years of high school when we were back home with our friends."

A blonde mess of hair, blue eyes, and orange shirt flashes into my mind of which I quickly wipe from my thoughts.

"I've had fun after those days," I mumble. It's been five years, those thoughts should remain dormant, never to be released from it's vault.

"Yeah, sure, for a little while," she waves her hand at me, as if to swat away my defense. "But then you climbed to the top, achieved that Physics award, and are always busy with your studies. You have no more time for fun."

"Hey, miss med school. You're not all sunshine either."

"No, I'm not always. But, look, Sasuke, I witness the death of many through this internship and I just can't understand how a person gets used to this. Even so, I still look for time to enjoy life, to still appreciate it. What's your excuse?"

"Please, Sakura, no human individual is the exact some as the other. You and are of different dispositions, we couldn't possibly experience life the same as each other."

"No, Sasuke," she drags the blanket to the bathroom, dropping it as she gets there. "We just don't understand each other. At all."

She slams the door and I feel myself run my fingers through my hair.

"And we're getting married," I sigh, shaking my head.

All the logical thought processing in the world couldn't explain this to me. Yet, I was still running through with this. I needed it. It was part of the entire plan, the path to happiness. This ring, it couldn't be pried off my fingers. Besides, we may argue quite a bit but Sakura has a temper and likes to pick arguments. We do understand each other. We understand each other enough for me to marry her and to continue on with our lives.

I slip out of bed. I relish in the cool feeling of tiles against my feet. It was relieving for some odd reason. I feel so old at times, I'm twenty-three and I feel as if I am in the direction towards my fifties. But it was all worth it to reach this point. So young, talented, and with all the abundance of my knowledge it has landed me towards a successful future; one memoir written, an award, and an offer to become a professor at Konoha's prestigious University. This was where I have fought to land myself. Right here, right now, and the wedding was just the key to the door where my happiness waited behind. I was determined to get there.

It was my first day of the term. It was my next step closer to comfort. I would be comfortable for the rest of my life now.

I was ready and nothing could deter me from stepping through that door.

~-~3~-~

I sit at my desk, books lying on the surface with my suitcase. I am calm and collected as I always am. No nerves, no fear. I sometimes question whether I am human, whether I am capable of feeling anything other than this monotony. The students begin to fill the room. They're probably all around my age. It's odd to know that I will be teaching my peers. I moved quickly, more quickly than the others. The large amount of knowledge I possessed and my ability to adapt so easily and quickly was recognized right away, and I found myself here so young but above my years.

As I watch the students filter in, their faces filling my eyes, I imagine the first time I ever entered a classroom of this magnitude, how stunned I was. Now, I was standing here, imagining all the students that were there now, imagining how it once felt. We're so close in age group but so distant. Sometimes, it's a lonely feeling to not share the same levels as your peers. I turn my attention towards a group of pretty girls that are whispering amongst each other.

"Yeah, he looks so young and so ridiculously sexy! How'd he earn a gig like this? He has to be at least in his early twenties," one girl sneaks a glance at me but quickly looks away when noticing me staring. The girl next to her moves closer to her which doesn't make sense since it is still the same distance between them and I. I can still hear the two speaking.

"Yeah, he's not the only young looker that's started working here. Apparently one of the music programs recruited a young good looking guy too. Girls have been going nuts about the two."

The girl snickers, "Which one do you like better?"

"He's definitely hot but too scowl-ey, I prefer the more energetic one. His smile is to die for."

"I don't know. Professor Uchiha has this, 'I'm talented but totally dark, mysterious, and possibly daaaangerous' thing going on."

"Nah, he's a Physics nerd! U…?" Her voices muffles as more students file in but then the noise dies. "…grew up all in this shit hole and stuff. Like he has this whole dark, mysterious, dangerous past going on."

"How do you know all this stuff?"

"You didn't know? He used to be in this obscure 'hardcore' band and he went through all this shit so, yeah, he was discovered and they found out he had all this music production experience and all this musical talent. Anyways, he started up this one record company with this guy named Gaara than gave it all up for some reason. He wrote a book and got even richer and, apparently, he was recognized with all these awards and he gets offered this position. Weird, eh? And he's so young. I couldn't even imagine living through all that."

"Yeah, that's pretty amazing. Maybe I will change my crush," the girls giggle foolishly and sit down. How frivolous…

"Tsk," I scowl as I rise from my seat. Frivolous indeed.

Everyone comes to attention as I rise. They are to begin their progression towards adulthood, none of this gossip crap.

"Let me introduce myself. I am your professor, Uchiha Sasuke," I make some hand movements as I speak. "You will throw all frivolous banter as you step into these doors. This is no light subject. Remain on guard, pay attention, and do not miss a detail. The slightest bit of slack will cause an imbalance of productivity. Remember that."

As I speak I hear a girl heave a sigh, "Man, I am changing my crush to the other guy. He seems so much more fun than this guy."

Her friend laughs and I ignore them. Besides, what do girls like that know about anything? I'll give them by the end of semester. I doubt that they could even comprehend this class.

~-~3~-~

"Why don't you ever stop to think about it, Sasuke? Why do you continue to remain in denial?" I feel his arms tighten around me, the feeling of his heart beat against mine. It scares me to think…

"No, this is ridiculous. You're so foolish."

"No, Sasuke, I'm not."

I refuse to look up because somehow, it's there…

~-~3~-~

"Well, is it there?"

I snap back, directing my attention away from the form I am reading to Sakura who is impatiently watching me.

"Excuse me?"

"Ugh, Sasuke," she begins to tap her foot. "I asked you if the pots are in there. I swear, Uchiha, you're hopeless sometimes."

"Hm, yeah," I sigh, placing my attention back to the form.

"Honestly, useless."

For some reason, all I can think of is a sinking ship and everyone on it running around crying for help. I wonder if she pictures this too.

~-~3~-~

I strut down the hallways, observing the school. It's an old building with fantastic architecture. There is a life in the building that is lacking in current structures that are made. You can almost feel the history.

I continue walking down the hall, following the sound of music. A voice begins to dance around my ears, pleasing me with a feeling that hasn't been raised in me before. There was something familiar and sweet about the voice that touched my ears. I continue moving, blanketing myself in the voice, curious to see the man that is causing such warmth to boil within me.

"Professor Uchiha," I turn away, throwing off the blanket from my skin, and address the call.

"Good afternoon, Professor Hataki," I reach out my hand for a shake but he simply places his hand on my shoulder and smiles.

"No need for such formalities," he laughs. "You can call me Kakashi. We're all peers here, after all."

"Yes, sir," I drop my arm to my side. I wonder why I am not able to be casual like everyone else.

He pats my back and his grin widens, "I'm surprised you're both so young."

He walks away from me, and I continue on to my classroom.

~-~3~-~

Sakura trails her fingers against my bare chest. She is whispering sweetly to me as she lands kisses against my neck and cheek. I'm tired. I just want to sleep.

"God!" Sakura groans, pulling herself away from me. "Such a bore."

"Goodnight, Sakura," I sigh, and roll to my side.

I'm just tired. A man can no longer sleep in peace it seems.

As I drift to sleep, I think of the voice that I heard singing today, the melodic voice that touched my ears, the warmth that blanketed me. The thought of the voice lulled me to sleep, and I distinctly remember still hearing it as I awoke from slumber.

~-~3~-~

Like every morning, I stepped out of the car and headed towards the side entrance of the building. And, like every morning, I threw my Styrofoam coffee cup into the trash, but this morning was different than it had been previous mornings. The voice, no, the person had risen an emotion that I hadn't felt in quite some time, a warmth that I had forgotten.

"Uchiha?" I turn around to find a mess of blonde hair and blue eyes fill my vision.

I almost couldn't believe who the person was standing before me. It was someone I had chosen to forget for so long and here he was standing in front of me, mussed hair and all. The odds of something like this were so slim. It was like a plot device in a movie script and it didn't make sense that we would meet again right here like this. It just didn't make sense. It was too much coincidence.

"Uzumaki?"

As the syllables left my lips I could feel a tremor run through my body and, honestly, it scared me a little. Just a little though. I straighten myself quickly, making sure not to express any sort of surprise and only professionalism.

"Good to see you," I nod. "But I must make my way."

He nods slowly, a little grin on his face. I fight the temptation to rip it off and continue on my way.

This is nothing. Really. It's nothing.