Eyes
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. I only dream about it.
AN: This is also dedicated to my awesome friend summershine, who requested a fluffy SasuXNaru. Summershine rocks with awesomeness, so visit her page and drop her a few reviewsXD Wow, this is my second yaoi fanfic. I don't know if I can keep this up. Read and review please!
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Something wasn't right. Something was blatantly off. And the blatant off-ness was glaringly obvious. And it was affecting everyone.
Something was wrong with Naruto.
At first, Sasuke thought that it was simply because the blond baka hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before, busying himself with training and bloating himself with ramen. It had happened before, and not on rare occasion.
But those episodes had always worn off by mid-morning, after a round of serious training, under the watchful eye of Kakashi-sensei.
This was different.
Sasuke glared at Naruto, completely miffed by the fact that the blond didn't even notice the daggers piercing his back.
Sasuke had managed to hit the blond an exact number of nine times during their training battle. On a bad day, Sasuke would still only be able to hit Naruto five times. On a good day, Naruto would be able to show off the training he had learned from Jiraiya three years ago, so that Sasuke could in turn show off his own skill learned from Orochimaru. True, he hated the snake b'stard, but why let good training go to waste?
Now, as Naruto nursed the darkening bruise on his left cheek, absentmindedly watching Sakura square off with their sensei, Sasuke barely repressed his snarl of frustration.
The blond hadn't even shot out an insulting remark to retort when Sasuke had given him that bruise. And not once that day had he heard the blond say anything about ramen or being hokage. In fact, the blond hadn't spoken a word. He had merely shrugged and looked away when Sakura asked him if he was sick.
Something was wrong with Naruto.
After the day of training, the sun was beginning to set as Team Seven wrapped up their training and shallow injuries.
Naruto mumbled a thanks after Sakura used her medic nin training to heal Naruto's cheek and silently parted, walking down the path that led away from the usual ramen dinner bar he ate at after a day with the team.
Kakashi sent a knowing look after Naruto before saying his goodbyes to his team. He glanced at Sasuke before he left.
"He could use a friend," he said with pointed vagueness. How the gray haired man managed that was beyond comprehension, but Sasuke had learned long ago to give up trying to understand the jounin.
He scowled as Kakashi poofed away.
"Why'd he look at me?" Sasuke grumbled. "Naruto has other friends…"
Sakura looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes… but… everyone knows you're his best friend," she said. "You know it, too."
Sasuke scoffed, though he looked away.
Sakura smiled. "I've gotta go. I'm meeting with Hinata-chan to discuss some new medic techniques she's discovered in the Hyuga library. You won't believe how many books they have."
Sasuke nodded as she left, walking towards the Hyuga compound.
He was left alone.
The shadows on the training field lengthened.
Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh and looked up at the darkening sky. He lifted a foot and began walking.
He knew where to find the blond.
XxX
Sure enough, within five minutes, Sasuke had found him, sitting on top of the hokage monument, staring out at the village, the setting sun creating a border of deep indigo, violet, and orange on the horizon. City lights began to brighten as the distant streets became crowded with her Konoha citizens, all heading home or to the bar after a long day of work.
Naruto stared at it all with an unreadable expression.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He hated when Naruto's face was unreadable. The look was so completely wrong with the blond's normal disposition, so completely wrong compared to the normal bright grin and confident, shining blue eyes. So completely wrong, compared to the cheerful expression that challenged the world to do its worst.
He slowly walked up to Naruto and sat down next to him. A scowl decorated his face as he looked out at Konoha, mimicking the blond.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Sasuke said. It wasn't a command, but Uchihas didn't ask politely. For anything. He was willing to call it… a formal demand.
"It's nothing," Naruto said flatly, without taking his eyes off of the village.
Sasuke snorted loudly. "Do you take me for stupid, baka? That's my job. Now tell me what the h'll's the matter."
Now that was a command.
"It's nothing," Naruto grounded out.
Sasuke glared. Naruto never grounded stuff out. It was always yelled out with full lungs. Grinding words was what Sasuke did.
He stood up and stepped behind the blond. Then he lifted his sandaled foot and placed it between Naruto's shoulder blades, and pressed firmly.
"Tell me now, or I'll kick you off the cliff," Sasuke said coolly.
Naruto growled.
Suddenly Sasuke's foot was shoved off as Naruto jumped up, spinning around and tackling Sasuke.
Sasuke kicked Naruto off and lunged at the blond, raising his fist to punch him. Naruto blocked the punch and spun around to kick Sasuke. Sasuke dodged it, jumping back, then he copied Naruto and tackled the blond around the waist, making both of them fall to the ground.
They scuffled a bit more, until Sasuke held Naruto in a headlock, sitting on his rump with Naruto in front of him, tugging at his arm, trying to breathe.
"Tell me what's wrong," Sasuke demanded, tightening his hold on Naruto for good measure. "It usually takes me longer to defeat you like this. What the h'll is the matter?!"
Naruto didn't say anything, struggling stubbornly against Sasuke's iron hold.
"I'm not letting you go until you tell me," Sasuke said flatly.
Naruto slowly stopped his struggling and seemed to sag in defeat. Sasuke loosened his hold enough for the blond to breathe, but kept his arm there, ready to tighten again should the blond try to make a break for it.
"Well?" he said, glaring at the top of Naruto's head.
He was silent.
Sasuke almost missed the almost inaudible whisper.
"I'm so tired, Sasuke…"
Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. He wasn't expecting this. He'd though maybe his plant died or he'd run out of ramen at home.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Sasuke asked softly. "What are you tired of…?"
Naruto was quiet for a moment.
"Everything," he said, his voice hopeless and truly exhausted. "I'm tired of the way everyone looks at me, the way everyone thinks of me, the way everyone sees me as the Kyuubi, and not as… me. I'm tired of how everyone hates me… I didn't ask for the fox, I didn't want to have the fox, I still don't want the fox. It's not my fault, I didn't do anything… Sasuke… I'm tired of their eyes… I'm so tired of those eyes, how they… look at me like… like I don't deserve to exist…"
Sasuke felt Naruto tremble slightly in his arms.
"Can you make them stop, Sasuke? Can you make those eyes stop looking at me like that? Can you make them go away?"
Sasuke was dumbfounded. He stared at the top of Naruto yellow head, unable to come with anything to say. What could he possibly say? Sorry? Suck it up? That that was the way life was?
Sasuke sat, lost in his thoughts. He had known that Naruto was the container of the fox demon, of the dreaded Kyuubi, had known for a while, after Naruto confessed during the final battle to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, after Sasuke had killed Orochimaru. Safe to say, the Uchiha had been shocked by the revelation. But he had to admit, the fact had explained a lot of things, like the immeasurable amount of chakra and stamina Naruto had always had, the demonic aura around the blond during the battle against Gaara and in the Valley almost five years ago, even the whisker shaped scars on both side of Naruto's cheeks.
To be honest, Sasuke had thought Naruto was used to the way he was treated. After all, the blond had been treated that way for his entire life. Yes, he knew it wasn't the best thing to get used to, but Naruto had grown up with it, had lived with it since the Kyuubi had been sealed in him, still lived with it.
Sasuke frowned. Something had started this. He knew the pain and pressure of being denied his existence had been building up inside Naruto, but something had set this off.
"What happened, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.
The blond chuckled humorlessly. "It's really nothing. Completely pathetic. It's beyond pathetic. I don't even know why it's affecting me like this," he said bitterly.
"Tell me," Sasuke said.
"…" Naruto unconsciously tightened his hold on Sasuke's arm. "Some senior shinobi started railing on me about being a monster and killing everyone in Konoha and how I should be kicked out of the village. It's really nothing new. I've heard it all before. But…"
Sasuke was quiet, silently prompting the blond to continue.
"I don't know, maybe it was the fact that he said it in front of Konohamaru. Maybe it was what he said about killing the fourth hokage and then killing Iruka-sensei's parents. He knew I really looked up to Iruka-sensei. And Konohamaru didn't even say anything. He just looked at me all confused and stuff. Then the geezer said he'd kill me. Heheh, I think he meant it too, took out a kunai and everything. Some of the people around us started cheering him on."
Sasuke frowned. He instinctively tightened his hold on Naruto, but it was a strangling grip. It was more of a protective embrace. "Did he… get you?" Sasuke asked, concerned.
"No, Kakashi-sensei stopped him before anything happened. Told everyone to keep moving and Konohamaru to get to his team. Then he left, saying something about having to keep up his late reputation."
Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes at the gray haired jounin, but kept his arms protectively around Naruto.
"So that means Konohamaru knows what I am…" Naruto said quietly. "I guess he won't want to play ninja anymore…"
Sasuke glanced at the blond then forced out a scoff.
"Play ninja, what are you, five?" he said.
Naruto didn't reply.
"I still haven't told Sakura-chan yet…" he said quietly. "I wonder what she'll think…"
Sasuke looked at him. "Why does it matter?" he asked, his voice unreadable. He felt a flash of jealousy. "Do you still… like her?"
Naruto chuckled. "Nah, I haven't like her that way for a while."
"Do you… like anyone else, then?"
Naruto suddenly blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "No," he said defensively, though Sasuke wondered if he had said it too quickly. "Why do you ask?"
Sasuke shrugged casually. "It's just, you know," he said. "You used to really like Sakura."
"Sakura's more of a sister to me now," Naruto said quietly.
"…What about me…?"
Naruto tensed, his blush deepening.
"You're a-a f-friend…" he stuttered.
Sasuke smirked. He lowered his head down next to Naruto's ear.
"Just a friend?" he asked teasingly, his warm breath making Naruto unable to repress a shudder.
"Y-yes…?"
Sasuke lowered his hold on Naruto, though keeping his arm around the blond, and snaked his other arm around the blond's waist, pulling him up so that Sasuke was now holding the blond tightly from behind.
"Are you sure…?" Sasuke's whispered dropped feather light tingles on Naruto's neck.
"I…"
Sasuke smirked, then pulled his head away. He turned to lock his black orbs on Naruto's blue ones.
"What about my eyes?" he asked softly. "Do you like the way they look at you…?"
Naruto stared into his captivating gaze, a gaze full of trust, acceptance, and… something else…
"Yes…" he whispered, as Sasuke leaned forward.