Chapter 1 - Coming Back

Groaning, Naruto yawned and rubbed his face in fatigue, he just couldn't be bothered with anything at the moment. He had just gotten back from a month long mission with the rest of his squad, two of his men had been killed, and he felt like the walking dead – as if like he wasn't actually there.

He couldn't even be bothered to listen to the excited muttering around him, the village had accepted him long ago and was even seen as the town hero, so surely they weren't offensive – at least not towards him. It was only when a group of girls giggled loudly, and glanced at him as he walked past, that he began to wonder just what had gotten the town in such an uproar.

Slumping into the ramen restaurant, he smiled slightly at the owner, and watched as his food was made without an order being made, he had the same everytime he came.

"There you go Naruto, you looked wrecked, make sure you're taking care of yourself" Naruto nodded absently, not really paying much attention and ate his food much slower than normal, his brain elsewhere. The same group of girls entered and took a table near where Naruto was sitting.

"Omg, I can't believe he's actually coming back!" Naruto zoned in on their conversation, not pausing in eating his food, who was coming back? Why hadn't he heard about it?

"I know right? Apparently it's for Naruto, don't know whether that's very true though, and if it is, I don't think either of them are gay, so maybe it's just to say sorry or something" Naruto froze, someone was coming back for him, his lost brain tried to search through people who had left that he was close with, who would need to say sorry, but in his deteriorated state he could think of none.

He beckoned Teuchi over, the chubby man came over, a look of confusion on his face, as usually Naruto was too busy eating to speak. "Teuchi, what are all these rumours about?".

The man shuffled, looking slightly uncomfortable, before taking a deep breath and looking his best customer in the eye. "It has been said that Uchiha Sasuke is returning to Konoha" Naruto nearly dropped his chopsticks, his mouth hung agape. How could he be so stupid, of course it would have been Sasuke.

He frowned, why hadn't he been informed, he knew he was yet to see Tsunade, but surely someone would have come and found him, this was big news.

He nodded slowly and pushed his fifth finished bowl away, before paying the man and thanking him. Naruto left the stand, feeling angry and slightly nauseous. He was angry at everyone for keeping it from him, he was angry at Sasuke for leaving, then coming back as if nothing was wrong, and he was angry at himself for caring.

He had grown up fast after Sasuke left; he had become insanely stronger than he was, mentally and physically. And now, it was for nothing, because the bastard was coming back on his own, acting like the prodigal son that had lost his way slightly. No doubt he would be welcomed back by everyone with open arms, well maybe not Tsunade, but she didn't particularly like him anyway, after seeing Naruto so broken over him. Naruto wasn't sure what he could do after seeing him, he wasn't sure whether he could take him back as his best friend, without any thought that he might take off again.

Naruto slumped into Tsunade's office, a blank expression on his face; he wasn't going to bring it up, if anyone it was going to, it would be her. Naruto could go on ignoring the fact that he was coming back all he wanted, but he was not lowering himself to losing himself all over again.

The blonde woman looked up from her paperwork, frustration and stress in her eyes; obviously she wasn't having a good day. "I assume you've heard" Naruto nodded sharply "I wanted to tell you when you came, but you took your time" He still said nothing, his eyes void of emotion.

She sighed and took a swig of what looked like sake, glancing solemnly up at the boy infront of her, the one who she thought of as her grandson. "I know this must be hard for you Naruto, and I am not best pleased with this decision. But I will let him back for you sake".

Naruto scoffed and scratched his back. "For my sake?! I don't care what you do, I don't care about him anymore, he ruined my life, and I'm not going to let him take over me again. I'm going to keep living my life, and he can bugger off for all I care. So do what you please" Tsunade sat there, baffled by his words, never had she expected him to be so indifferent about the person he had chased for years.

"I assume you've probably heard this as well, whether you want to know or not. But there has been word from a very reliable source that he is coming back for you Naruto, what for… we are unsure" Naruto shrugged wishing he could just get home, he needed to re-attach himself to the real world.

His mind was always 'broken' after a long mission, and he needed to sleep before he would be himself again. "Get some sleep brat, I expect you to be chirpy again tomorrow" Tsunade winked at Naruto, who smiled briefly before leaving the office. He nodded at Shizune on his way out.

As he walked towards his apartment, there a lot of commotion at the gates and Naruto grit his teeth, before carrying on, not wanting to have to see his smug face. But soon, he found Sasuke right in the way of his apartment, surrounded by fangirls and villagers. Their gaze locked, and Naruto just completely ignored him, as if he was some ordinary citizen he saw every day.

Sasuke smirked as Naruto walked towards him, about to make a comment, but Naruto didn't even glance at him, he just walked straight past him and into his apartment.

'What the?' Sasuke was baffled, he was sure Naruto would be pleased to have him back, but he had ignored him completely. Unknown to everyone, the Uchiha felt a pang in his chest, he had come back to see Naruto, to argue like they used to, to be around eachother all the time. But he was not wanted, and that was made very obvious.

Had he really hurt the blond so much, that he wanted nothing to do with him? A girl latched onto his arm, batting her eyelashes at him, trying to seduce him no doubt. He felt eyes on him and he turned to glance at whoever it was. There stood his old friends, the ones he had left, no doubt the ones that loved Naruto.

He sighed internally and shook the girl off, guards escorting him to the Hokage's tower. This was not going to be fun, judging by the reactions he had already received.

Naruto stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror; it had hurt him to walk past Sasuke like that, even though he didn't want it to. He wanted to leave Sasuke behind, forget about him, but he knew, deep down, that it was not possible to ignore him, his heart longed for their old ways too much.

So Naruto decided to point blank avoid him, he thought if he didn't see him, he wouldn't need him back.

Naruto sighed and stripped, slouching into the shower. It was useless, and he knew it.