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In the Mountains	By : Ljiljana Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1060 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
Chapter Fifteen

It was three weeks later when I finally talked to Kakashi. I
was mad at him, of course, and I wanted to yell at him a lot, but for some
reason I found it hard to move around without dragging my legs. It was also a
bit hard to smile, but I found that out
only after it was pointed out to me that I�m not
smiling at all, so I thought I should make an effort to do so.

Iruka was afraid Sakura would be arrested
and charged for assisting in the kidnapping. Nothing like that happened,
but she spent a week in her bed before her parents made her go see a doctor. A psychiatrist. They gave her some pills and meetings twice
a week with people with similar needs to try to make their friends happy by
doing a felony. All together they were a group of two,
and the other guy was apparently so smelly Sakura wouldn�t have had a problem showing
tears of regret even if she wasn�t actually sorry.

And she was sorry. It took some time for me to stop being so angry with her
to actually listen, but she was sorry, I have no doubt about it.

Her face, that brilliant, heartbreaking smile she gave me
when she told me she did it for me is still appearing
in my dreams with a nightmarish consistency. In the same way, that I was the
reason - one way or the other - for what Hinata went through, haunted me every
day. So it took me three weeks to go and see Kakashi, and when I did, he was
ready for me. He had answers for my questions, and also
the details that were missing in what exactly happened.

The reason Sakura was not accused
of anything was that it was not the first time Itachi did something like this.
Kakashi refused to tell me about the other instances, but it seems like Itachi
is some kind of master manipulator that makes people do what he wants and when
he leaves, they are the only ones left to blame. It sounds to me like a bad
movie plot, but I was glad Sakura didn�t end up guilty
for both of them.

That explained why Sasuke was so upset with Neji for
inviting Itachi to help him. There was quite a bit of money involved - I didn�t really get that part - though what Neji was thinking
Itachi would do, with that kind of background, I have no idea.

Okay, so I do actually have an idea, but this thing with
Hinata was far easier to do then to kidnap both Sasuke and me and stuff us in
some unbreakable closet so we could sleep together. I still don�t
see why they thought that would change anything, or make Sasuke leave his wife.
I mean, their plan, horrible as it is, worked, and nothing changed.

There was just a small thing of me not really having the
energy to move a lot. Iruka called the condition �depression� with stubbornness
that resisted all of my whining denials and all three variations of puppy eyes.

What they did was simple, actually. They faked the phone
call, Itachi called Hinata and told her she was needed
in the company for some urgent matters and he knew just enough of the situation
and people to be convincing. Even though there was the board in the company
that was responsible and authorized to make decisions, Itachi was persuasive
enough to make her think she had to do the job herself.

Though, when I remember Sasuke saying she didn�t
really have to go, I have my doubts
about how much Itachi would have succeeded if Hinata didn�t have reasons of her
own to leave. About what I thought, and still had some hope left about what her
reasons were, I talked to no one.

Anyway, Kakashi had nothing to say in his defense, so he
offered me a job instead. Real, full time job with fixed hours and good salary,
and the one I liked doing, too. Teaching kids is such a pleasure, though when I
said that Kakashi looked at me for five minutes straight, waiting for the
laugh. He�s so weird. I don�t
think he likes children very much.

Three more weeks later, Neji came to see me. I was feeling
somewhat better, settling into the new life style of someone with actual off
days and rest time, but not so much to actually be
happy to see him. But, you know, I couldn�t just
ignore him either. He probably had some information on Sasuke, and how�s Hinata doing.

Besides, Kiba was at my place at the time. Akamaru, his dog,
was making such horrible racket that even if he were deaf, Neji would have
heard it standing outside of the door.

So I opened after the second buzz,
reminding myself it was my fault I was stupid enough to allow them to use me
like that and that Neji was never my friend, so I had no right to feel
betrayed.

�Naruto.� Neji said, nodding his
head in greeting.

�Um.� I answered awkwardly, because
a single look at his face, his eyes, summoned a flashback of Hinata�s crying in
that cave. �Neji, hi!�

There was a moment of silence. Neji looked just as
uncomfortable as I felt.

�May I come in?� He asked, after it became obvious I had
nothing else to say.

�Sure.� It was not exactly the most generous of invitations,
but I moved from the door and Neji walked in.

I led him into the small dining room that was connected with
the kitchen. Kiba was sitting at the table, feeding Akamaru Iruka�s cookies. Neji
took the chair as far away as he could, but he gave Kiba a distrustful look
anyway, as if he was wondering what is he doing at the table when his place was obviously on the
floor.

It would have made me angry, if Kiba was not giving Neji one
of his own distrustful looks. I knew what�s on his mind,
so there really wasn�t any room for surprise when he cleared his throat and
asked Neji politely:

�So, are you one of Naruto�s, um� new friends?�

I groaned aloud anyway. Kiba was taking much better then I
hoped he would � the shift in my sexual limitations. He was refusing to sit
anywhere near me at first, until I managed to assure him he was not my type; I
had to tell him he was fat, ugly and smelly, and also that I am hopelessly in
love with someone else.�

I think he believed me about the smelly part, but only the
last one was the truth.

Neji shot me a confused look; he apparently thought here was
something off about Kiba�s tone, so I had to say.

�That�s Neji.� Kiba made a puzzled face, as if I wasn�t talking about what happened up in the mountains
non-stop, so I explained, �Hinata�s brother.�

The reaction was instantaneous. Kiba drew his chair closer
to Neji and gave him the widest feral grin you can imagine, forgetting all
boundaries and socially acceptable behavior. I was kind of
curious how Neji would react on the invasion of his personal space.

�You�re Hinata�s brother?� He asked, and I snorted aloud,
forgetting for a second there I didn�t make the
connection as well, despite their eyes. It was worse for Kiba not to make the
connection anyway, after following Hinata like a puppy around the hallways all
the way through out last year of high school.

�Yes.� Neji answered stiffly, brave enough not to draw back
too much. �And you are?�

�I�m Kiba. That is Akamaru.� Kiba happily introduced himself
and his dog. �So, what are you doing here? Is your sister around?�

�Actually,� Neji said, giving Kiba an odd, half-annoyed,
half-grateful look. �Hinata was the one who sent me to see Naruto.�

�How is she?� I asked, though for some reason my heart sped
up in my chest. �I wanted to call and ask, but it seemed�.�

It seemed stupid after everything that happened. It seemed
hypocritical. I was afraid that I wouldn�t be able to
convince myself that I called to check up on her more then I called hoping I
would hear Sasuke.

Neji nodded. I think he actually understood. �She�s good.
She�s back home.�

Well, the summer was almost over. I guessed as much.

�But healthy? And not just physically�� God, I sounded so
lame. I couldn�t even finish some simple sentences. I knew
she was all right; I made Iruka find out for me, and I also
asked Kakashi. But Neji was closer, he should know if
the trauma left consequences.

�She�s fine.� Neji repeated, giving me a small smile to
reassure me. �She�s not as weak as she looks. What I meant was she�s back home. Our home; my house.�

When I just kept staring at him as if he was speaking
German, Neji added:�
�They split up.�

My chest froze, not really in any condition to take a proper
breath.

�Who?� Kiba asked � I swear, he
heard nothing of my whining all those weeks! Fortunately, Neji also ignored
him, keeping his eyes on me.

�You won�t try to make her marry someone else if she doesn�t
want it?� I asked, though I didn�t think he would for
some reason - it might have been the way he talked about her, something changed
in his tone and expression.

�No.� He told me. �I�m��

I had pretty good idea how that
sentence was supposed to finish, even if he couldn�t say it. That was okay. I didn�t need his apologies. It was more then enough to know
he was sorry about what happened, and that he won�t
try to make Hinata do anything she didn�t want to.

And if she went to live with him,
she must have felt it was safe enough. More importantly, if Sasuke felt safe
enough to let her, I had no doubt it was okay.

I licked my lips, and asked about what I actually wanted to
hear. �And Hinata sent you to see me?�

This time, Neji smirked and it fit him so well.

�I think she grew fond of Sasuke�s furniture.�

�Oh.� I said, although I had no idea what could that mean.

�She�s cute.� Kiba cut in.

And it was only when Neji gave him
a sharp, protective glance and grit out: �Stay away from my sister,� when it
finally reached my brain. Hinata�s living with Neji. They are splitting up. In fact, it�s not �they� any longer. It�s
just him. It�s just Sasuke.

Sasuke is free.

�Oh.�� I said again. Some
of the flutter inside of my chest must have had reached my voice, because Kiba
and Neji both stopped glaring at each other to look at me.

Smirk back on his face, Neji informed me: �It�s Sunday. He
should be home now.�

How convenient. Sasuke was home right now. And I was free to go and see him.

��Okay.� I said slowly trying to remember when the last time
I showered was. It was that morning, so that really was okay. �Kiba, give Neji
something to drink. Keep Akamaru away from my kitchen. Tell Iruka I�m fine, no
matter how many times he ask.�

As there was nothing else left to
say I went for the door, ignoring Neji�s attempt to get up from the chair and
follow me. Kiba and Akamaru would do him some good especially if Kiba is determined,
as I suspected he was, to court Hinata.

I don�t care if you think I�m tiny
bit sadistic to him. And well, it�s not like I needed
guide; I knew exactly where Sasuke�s home was.

Judging by the record time I got there, I knew a bit too
well - but then again, all that stalking in past
required me to know all the shortcuts in the area.

The garden was still just as beautiful and just as big as I
remembered it. The fountain with baby angels was actually working; I imagine it
was the consequence of Hinata living there for years. The water in it looked
good enough to drink, though I had no intention of doing
that.

After couple more minutes of looking around and noting how
little the place changed, I decided that was enough of procrastinating, so I
took a deep breath and walked to the door. They were tall, dark and kind of scary, because I never used them before. They also
opened on their own just when I raised my hand to press the doorbell, so it�s really not a wonder I stepped back down automatically
from the stairs.

A weird smile greeted me, twisting on both sides of a
single, index finger.

�Shhh.�
Sai shushed me.

I stared up at him. There was something odd about him. He
was confusing me. He did nothing really unorthodox �
if Kiba did the same thing, I would have thought there was someone inside who
was not supposed to be disturbed � or who was supposed to be disturbed with
some clever prank, depends. But now, I was just
thinking what is wrong with this guy and
why does he smile feels like it was painted on his face?

�Hi.� What else was there for me to say?

Sai grabbed my shirt and started dragging me inside. I
followed, a bit confused and a bit grateful he chose not to grab my forearm this
time.

�Third door on the left.� Sai
whispered. �Watch your head.�

With that instruction and nebulous warning, he walked out of
the house and closed the door behind him silently. I was left
to stand alone in the huge entrance hall, immersed in warm colors from the
light that was coming through painted glass.

Okay, third door to the left, then.

I walked down the hall, counting. Third on the left were
double door with a big, golden handle. There was some noise coming from the
other side. I stepped closer and laid my ear on the door, to hear better what�s going behind them. It sounded as if someone
was throwing some pretty heavy things down, grumbling
and cursing along the way.

I hoped Sai was saner then he seemed and it was Sasuke
inside, not some random crazy person picked up from the street.

Not sure if I should knock or simply walk in, as I was
already inside the house, I was standing in front of the door for couple of
seconds. Then, after I managed to gather some courage, I pressed the handle.

�No.� Sasuke said sharply on the screeching of the hinges.

I peered in anyway. He was standing close to the windows,
with his back to me, in an old shirt and dark pants with curved legs, barefoot
and bent over a book. The light was oddly yellow in the room, coming inside
through clear windows, almost big enough to reach the ceiling.

There was no way Sasuke could have seen that I was at the door, because he never
bothered to check, so I assured myself he thought I was his brother.

�Okay.� I said loudly so I left no doubt about my identity.
Sasuke straightened a little, not turning around. �But you didn�t hear the
offer yet. It might be food.�

After a very, very long and very nervous moment of silence,
Sasuke half turned and looked at me through his bangs.

�I am not interested in food.�

Of
course not. How
about using that desk there in a proper way?

I couldn�t say that, but I walked a
bit further in the room. It was the library � or just a random room overloaded
with books, who knows. It looked like a library, and for some reason, it made
sense for me to find Sasuke in a place like that.

�Too bad.� I finally said.

Sasuke went back to the book in hand for a moment trying to
rearrange it to stay on his left palm and not close.

Then he said. �Come here.�

It was clearly an order, but I went anyway, measuring every
step so I don�t do anything rash � like come too close
to control myself. He looked too good, fitted into that room too well. It was
almost uncannily relaxing. Sasuke wasn�t looking at me
at all; he was looking down at the book he motioned for me to take. I couldn�t take my eyes from his face, reassured and hopeful
because he was not throwing me out.

I took the book with both of my hands, to keep it open on
the marked page easier. Sasuke was closer then it was strictly necessary to
read from it. I could touch him if I wanted to, if I dared. I didn�t.

�You look tired.� I said, without taking any time to think
it over. He did look tired, with dark circles around his eyes, much paler then
usually. Just as gorgeous as ever despite of it, not that I would ever say to
him.

�Hn.� Sasuke answered. �Hold it
higher.�

The book was thick and heavy, but I did what he asked.
Sasuke kept glancing at the text, and then on some papers spread over the desk,
before obviously searching for something in the shelves. When the silence
became unbearable, I spoke again.

�How�s Hinata?� I didn�t mean
anything special asking that, it just popped up in my mind when I struggled to
find something to say. Sasuke ripped the book out of my hands without warning.

�Fine.� He replied. And then, after the loud bang the book made when it hit the
desk, added, �She�s not here.�

�Sasuke�� I started, as a response to his tone, which was
off, and hollow, and made my chest ache, but what I wanted was unacceptable
right then, so I cut the reassurance just in time. �I know. I saw Neji.�

But Sasuke was still refusing to
look back at me.� �

�How did you get in?� For someone who�s
asking how someone ended up in his house, he sounded strangely like he was
simply struggling to change the subject.

�Sai let me in.� I explained. �Well, he more dragged me in
and then took off, but I�m pretty sure he meant it as �I�m so happy you came to
visit I can�t even wait for you to come inside on your own�.�

�Right.� Sasuke said. �He was so
happy to you came, he ran away from the house.�

�Odd guy.� I accepted. I knew that was meant as� uh, I guess teasing of some sort. It�s hard to find the appropriate word for Sasuke�s sense of
humor. �He also told me to watch my head, what ever that was about.�

Sasuke glanced at something behind me at those words. I couldn�t help it and I turned to see � there was a pile of
some junk near the door, like something fell and broke there. More accurately,
it looked as if someone threw it there aiming for an unwanted visitor.

�Oh.� I said, understanding. Neji did say Hinata was worried
about Sasuke�s furniture. It looks like Sasuke had a habit of expressing
himself by throwing things at people. �Did you hit him?�

Sasuke gave me a small, but definite smirk. �Not this time.�

I couldn�t help but grin back at
him. It was the most amazing thing, how the little not-exactly-smile changed
Sasuke�s face so much. He still looked tired, but not as drained as he did
earlier. I stepped closer.

�So, what are you doing?�

Sasuke straightened his face and pointed at the book on the
desk. �Research.�

Not that I cared, but it was not very helpful keeping the
conversation flow to answer brusquely and then shut up � I had to prompt him to
continue.

I rolled my eyes on him.

�What kind of research?�

Sasuke gave me a long look that was half annoyed and half
considering. I waited patiently for him to make up his mind, and in the end, he
told me.

�A young woman was accepted to the hospital on Friday,� Sasuke�s
voice was suddenly sharper, poised � Oh,
dear God, I thought through an abrupt veil of dizziness, he�s using his professional tone with me! �She is not my patient, but
the case is interesting.�

My breathing was becoming more and more
shallow with every word Sasuke said. He wasn�t
paying attention, bent low over the desk to read something from one of the
spread papers. I cleared my throat, because it needed it if the next words were
to be understandable.

�What�s wrong with her?� I asked, very proud my voice didn�t come out raw and dry, the way it was supposed to be
by all laws of nature. Sasuke didn�t even look away
from the paper when he reached to give me a small notebook.

Substantial decrease
in vision in her left eye, with a large central scotoma;
no other symptoms were noted and there was no pain.

�On examination,� Sasuke told me, like
he expected me to understand his notes when I had a hard enough time to even
try to unglue my eyes long enough from him to read it. �Both eyes were found to
have a normal disc and vessels, but the foveal and
macular architecture was obscured by a large macular hemorrhage just below the
level of the internal limiting membrane.�

By the time he finished, I lost every interest in the
well-being of his young patient woman. But I wanted to
hear more, and it was safe enough since he couldn�t really see me below the
waist from the edge of the desk, so I prompted:

�And?� There must have been something in my tone by then, some hint
of my arousal - but if there was, Sasuke missed it completely.

�I think it�s a form of Valsalva
retinopathy, due to increased venous pressure in the upper body. I�m not sure
yet but,� Finally, Sasuke look up at me. I knew my face must be red, and my
hard breathing visible, but somewhere around �Valsalva
retinopathy� I simply stopped caring. Sasuke finished in same tone, though he
straightened his back and widened his eyes a little, �She was bungee jumping
from a vertical height of 150 ft.�

I couldn�t answer.

Carefully, as if not to break our eye contact, Sasuke
stepped around the desk and closer to me. When he stopped talking, my breathing
became a bit easier, and my brain was working again, so I used that in the
smartest possible way.

�Sasuke?� I asked, almost in a
whisper, because he was already so close I could smell his soap and fresh print
from the book and the scent of his skin. �You don�t keep any coats at home by
accident?�

Sasuke stopped right in front of me for a second, probably
trying to give me some time to change my mind. Yeah, right, like that was going
to happen. Then I felt his fingers, scorching but welcome, on the out side of
my arm, going slowly up. I didn�t move, I couldn�t
look away and Sasuke�s eyes were shiny and black and close.

�Coats?� He asked, letting out a
breeze of hot air over my face. I shuddered and refused to forget what I was
asking about, because it was important.

�Yeah, like the ones you�d wear in the hospital?� I managed
somehow, more a murmur then talking, even though Sasuke found his way under my
shirt in the meantime. His hands were warm and just as wonderfully pleasant as
I remembered, leaving a trail of little spasms as they moved, on my stomach and
chest and back again.

On my words, his pressuring finders seized. My hands that were clenched in fists next to my body in the effort to
concentrate finally moved, following the need. I grabbed Sasuke�s shirt and
yanked him closer, until he was flat against me, warm and firm and there. The
desk was right behind me, so now we were both leaning on it. Sasuke�s voice was
full of lightness and amusement when he said, pressing the words into the
sensitive skin just under my ear:

�I guess that explains the �you�re wearing white� thing.�

I had no idea what he was talking about.
The warmth, his voice, the softness of his hair on my face, the familiar and
welcomed feeling of his body against my own, skin on skin contact, tiny licks
and bites he was pressing on my neck � all that was too much for me to handle and
think at the same time. I wrapped my arms around him, in a half-conscious
attempt to make sure he would stay right there.��

Sasuke scrabbled up the side of my neck and then lingered
just a short moment over my mouth before his lips were on mine, soft and
lively. I let him kiss me, allowing my eyes to shut. Sasuke somehow found a way
to huddle closer to me, nestling between my legs, and then he deepened the
kiss, until it grew hard and fierce.

The need to growl or maybe groan choked me when I refused to
give in, and Sasuke broke the kiss with the hissing sound that made my stomach
clench and my toes curl.

�Come on.� Sasuke said, breathing just as heavily as I was with
his voice low and forceful against my lips. �I have a spare one up in my
closet.�

I blinked on his retreat, already feeling the lost of his
body heat down to my bone - then his words sunk in, and I remembered what I was
asking about just a minute earlier. The thought of Sasuke in his white doctor
coat made my legs shake a little, but I followed him out anyway.

We left everything as it was, opened books all over the
place, but if Sasuke thought he would be back any time soon to finish his
research, he was very wrong for once. We had some issues to settle, but nothing
I could think of that couldn�t wait for us to get out
of bed the next morning.

Or some time next week.��

Finite

A/N: The case Sasuke was researching was taken from The New
England Journal of Medicine; Macular
Hemorrhage from Bungee Jumping article.
- 14
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In the Mountains