Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Torrid	By : KageKitsuneXXX Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 4665 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
A/N: I'm not late, really I'm not! Okay, maybe I'm a wee bit tardy, but just a little. I finally figured out why is has become next to impossible to post weekly as I did in the early stages of the story. The first few chapters were all 2000-3000 words in length. Now, I realized that the later chapters have quadrupled those old stats! So it's taking me a longer time to recharge in between chapters. So given the relative chapters lengths, I'm totally on time, early even! I'm a little late this time since I just started a new job and it's been a whirlwind year on my end; so for that, I'll don the bunny ears.
Enjoy the chapter, it has a few callbacks to earlier chapters so I hope the memories are sharp. Tell me what you think too! (flails) The feedback fell of a bit for the last chapter, so I hope it's not a trend, especially since there are only three more chapters to go! I eat your reviews for fuel (nom nom).
Mood Music: Mary J. Blige 'I can do bad all by myself'
Note: 21:43 is 9:43 p.m.
"Of all the brainless, idiotic, irresponsible things to do!"
Sasuke knelt silently in his father's study as the older man paced about, raging. He hadn't been surprised at how quickly his father had been informed of the fight and had anticipated the depth of Fugaku's fury quite accurately. He remained silent, eyes glued to the floor, as the patriarch's rant continued.
"In front of some of the most respected men in this prefecture, in Japan! And you do a thing like this! A fight with one of those Hyuuga brats no less. The last thing I need is Hyuuga Hiashi condescending to me about the behaviour of my clan." Fugaku dragged a hand over his face in frustration. "What on earth would possess you to do a thing like attacking Hyuuga Neji?"
Sasuke was mildly surprised his father didn't already know the answer to that too. "He started it…"
Fugaku blinked then bristled at the insolent reply. "Don't you dare take that tone with me; I'm upset enough with you as it is, Sasuke! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Sasuke seized the questionable opportunity to drop his bombshell. "I'm having my marriage annulled, father. I've already issued Sakura with the papers. I suspect she'll sign them, but even if she doesn't, the marriage will be dissolved soon."
It was delivered in such a quiet, dry manner, that Fugaku initially missed just what it was his son was telling him. A second later, however, the full gravity of the statement hit home and the elder man did a double take.
"YOU WHAT?"
Sasuke finally looked up at the man towering before him. "I'm ending the marriage, father. I've already told Sakura that it's over. There's nothing either of you can do about it now."
Fugaku stared down in disbelief at the stoic young man. His brow furrowed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"What is this, Sasuke? Some public, spiralling descent into madness? I already explained to you the necessity of your marriage. I acknowledged that it was not ideal, but you must think of your position and your image. You are the next leader of this clan and-"
"AND I CAN'T BE THAT PERSON ANYMORE!"
The sudden, loud outburst had Fugaku clamping his mouth shut in surprise. He stared down at Sasuke, stunned as his son looked up at him in earnest. Sasuke fisted his hands into the material of the slacks, his body tense and trembling from the shock of what he was about to do, or rather, was doing.
"I am trying to make you understand, father, that this person you want me to be, this image you want me to maintain- it's not who I am, and I can't fake it anymore."
Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them again in an effort to catch his breath and steady himself. Inside, a part of him recoiled and fought the idea of rebelling against a lifetime of programming that taught him to obey and uphold the wishes and traditions of his elders, clan and culture, even at the denial of self. However, a much bigger part of him knew it was time he stood on his own.
"I've been trying all my life to be the son you wanted, father. I want so badly to be the son you love and respected, and I have tried." Sasuke emphasized fiercely, his eyes flashing defiance even as he remained kneeling. "I have tried so hard, but I can't do it anymore. The longer I do it, the more I lose myself and the things most important to me. I can't let you protect me anymore. I can't choose to blame you or hide behind you and our name either."
Fugaku's shocked silence remained as he continued gaping at his emotional son.
"There are worse things in life…" Sasuke's voice broke as the tremors coursing through his body grew stronger. "There are worse things in life, father, than being hated by the peripheral people. There are worse things in life than disappointing you as well; I just never realized until now. I can't live my life trying to maintain an image for the outside world. I'm done, father."
Sasuke's speech grew more desperate and impassioned as his hands twisted into his pants. The burning behind his eyes finally gave way to tears despite his attempt to keep them at bay. He was cutting ties with his clan, with his family and with his old way of life. It was a horrible and magnificent moment all at once, and the last thing he wanted was to be perceived as weak. He didn't want the image that lingered with his father to be one of man reduced to tears even as he tried to make a stand. Still, he couldn't staunch the flow and struggled to make himself clear in spite of it.
"I'm done trying to make it work and I'm done trying to find a balance. I want you to love me, but I can't do it anymore." He fell forward, bowing his head down to floor as he moved to finish the wretched ceremony. "I'll resign my position at Uchiha Corps if it is required, and I'll accept any sanctions you see fit to impose. I am sorry; Uchiha-sama, but I can't be this person anymore."
Fugaku's mouth opened and closed wordlessly as he took in his kowtowing son, his body wracked with barely suppressed sobs. For a moment, the young man before him was indistinguishable from the small boy who had scorched himself daily, desperately attempting the clan's fire breathing technique while Fugaku had remained hidden, watching his progress.
Sasuke kept his head to the floor, trying to regain his composure as Fugaku glanced around the room helplessly, half-hoping Mikoto would swoop in from somewhere and rescue him. Comforting the boys was never his strong point. His wife failed to appear and Sasuke still failed to get himself under control. Fugaku was on his own with this one.
Fugaku sighed when Sasuke was visibly startled by the not exactly-gentle pressure of a hand in his hair. Comfort was certainly not his strong point. "Raise your head, Sasuke."
Sasuke pulled himself upright slowly, regarding his kneeling father with guarded suspicion as the elder man frowned and folded his arms into the folds of his yukata. Fugaku closed his eyes in contemplation, giving Sasuke a chance to quickly swipe at his face and erase some of the evidence of his earlier despair.
"It is a parent's job to protect his children. You help bring a life into this world and even before you see that child for the first time; it becomes instinctual to want to protect him of dangers seen or unseen, those which may be felt and those which are intangible. You try to save him from himself even though you know the right thing is to step back and let him fight through it on his own. I think I've done my best in that respect, though my level of success may be arguable. But to have your son doubt your love for him, means you have failed at the core function of being a parent." Fugaku opened his eyes to look into Sasuke's doubt-filled, yet hopeful ones.
"Do not doubt my love for you, Sasuke." It came out sounding more like a reproach than a reassurance, even to his own ears, but it was the best he could do. He hesitated briefly before resting a palm against Sasuke's cheek, as his son's eyes widened dramatically. "I know you have tried. You have done your best and I have seen your efforts. I should have acknowledged them more, but I had feared such a thing would make you weak. Despite of my failings, you are strong…both of my children are strong. In this, I suppose I can take comfort."
Fugaku pulled back and eyed Sasuke again, his face stern and determined. "There is no need for you to resign your posts, either as a clansman or as my son; but Sasuke, the plans you are making now, are you sure of them?"
Mute, Sasuke nodded his assurance and Fugaku folded his arms once more and sighed. "Such trouble and such strange proclivities this generation brings; still if you have made up your mind, I suppose I have no choice but to respect your decisions."
Fugaku nodded briefly and Sasuke could detect the subtle arrival of his father's officious side. "In that case, as your father and the head of this clan, I shall stand by you."
Sasuke's eyes danced as his stared at his father as the man sat in frowning contemplation, the brusque, officious tone belying the emotional depth of the moment. Fugaku cocked one eye at his son who still sat staring and immobilized.
"What?" Fugaku asked gruffly, uncomfortable with the amount of raw, naked emotion that had been swirling about the place lately, an appalling lot of it coming from his own usually stoic self. Without another word, Sasuke launched himself at his father, nearly knocking the older man over as he buried his face into the cool material of the yukata and tried not to erupt into another round of hysterics.
Fugaku blinked in surprise as he struggled to right himself after his son's rather aggressive display of emotion. Sasuke still clung to him, burying his face in his father's chest the way a small child would. The thought briefly floated across Fugaku's mind that his own father would have perhaps reacted with violence if Fugaku had dared attempt to do with him what Sasuke was doing now. But the thought came and went, and after a moment's brief hesitation in the alien moment, he lifted a hand to press a comforting and reassuring hand to the back of his son's head.
Fugaku continued to let Sasuke hang onto him as he stroked his son's hair. Neither he nor Sasuke were like their fathers in so many ways, and times really were changing. Perhaps it was time he acknowledged it after all.

Mikoto quietly slipped outside onto the open porch where her husband sat in the cool of the night. It had been a few hours since Sasuke had left and Fugaku sat contemplating his garden and the wind stirring through the shedding Sakura trees. She sat next to him in silence for a few moments before he finally spoke.
"I'm trying to remember if anyone in the clan has ever dissolved a marriage before."
"Well, I can't recall any that took the legal route, but quite a few have murdered their spouses after reaching their limit. Does that count?"
Fugaku snorted softly and Mikoto's lips twitched into a smile as she regarded her stoic husband briefly before looking out on the shifting trees.
"He'll be fine, Fugaku, he's made up his mind and is determined to take control of his life. Whatever comes his way, I'm sure he'll manage. Still, it's a little sad, isn't it? Our babies have grown and stepped out on their own. It's a hard day for a mother." She nudged her husband softly in his ribs. "It's a hard day for a father too."
Fugaku only grunted in reply, causing Mikoto's lips to twitch again. It was a few minutes before the man spoke again.
"Uzumaki Naruto, huh? I knew he'd put gray hairs on my head the moment Sasuke brought him into the house. Such strange inclinations…" Fugaku muttered as his mind wrapped around the idea. "Still, he's a good boy, a fine man, I suppose. Can it work, though?"
"It's up to the two of them. I doubt Sasuke will give up, and if there's anything worth fighting desperately for, it's love, no matter what form it takes."
"Indeed…we are two of the lucky ones, Mikoto." Fugaku affirmed softly, drawing a gentle smile from his wife as she nodded her agreement and rested her head on his shoulder. The soft moment stretched until Fugaku, surprisingly, spoke again. "In the morning, you can contact Itachi for me; I wish to speak with him."
His wife straightened in surprise and gaped at him. "Itachi?"
"I know you've been in constant contact despite the fact that he has exiled himself from the clan, just as I know you were listening outside the door when Sasuke was here. I make no promises though, Mikoto. Many harsh words had passed between us and we have both been unrelenting. Still, it would be wrong of me to try to understand Sasuke's point of view without extending the same courtesy to his brother."
Mikoto was speechless for a moment before resting her hand on top of her husband's. She then teased him lightly. "You're getting soft in your old age, Fugaku-sama."
He made a small harrumphing noise before firmly settling into his characteristic silence. Mikoto smiled happily as she once again rested on her husband's shoulder. At least there was one thing for which she could always be grateful- that no matter how ugly, cruel and rigid the world could be for all its atrocities and harshness, it would always smile and bend for love.

"Of all the brainless, idiotic, irresponsible things to do!"
Neji remained silent as his uncle railed at him. The immediate summons to the Hyuuga main house had rattled him somewhat. There was no question as to Hyuuga Hiashi's thoughts on the earlier fight. They were alone in Hiashi's study, and Neji was careful to keep his eyes glued to the floor as his uncle paced the room agitatedly.
"And with Uchiha Sasuke of all people! You saw it fit to get into a fight with the heir apparent of the Uchiha Clan, in the most public of places at the worst time. As if we don't have enough problems with those self-important blowhards!"
Hiashi swiped a hand over his face as he finally came to stop before his wayward nephew. "You can't make such a mistake at a time like this, Neji. It would be foolish and counterproductive to bring negative attention to yourself at a time when you need, more than ever, to do the exact opposite. Don't derail all the plans I have for you, just when I am starting to believe they may be possible."
Neji looked up in surprise and confusion at his uncle's terse words. "Plans?"

When Naruto opened his door, the last person he had expected to find there was Uchiha Sakura. She shot him a nervous, uncertain smile as he contemplated whether or not to let her into his apartment. At length, he stepped aside, more out of morbid curiosity as to what this visit could bring, than anything else. She entered hesitantly, finding it impossible to misread the tension and barely suppressed hostility emanating from the host.
"It's been a little while, Naruto."
"Hmm…" His noncommittal response only confirmed that his mood had soured towards her and she nodded her acknowledgement of it.
"I see he told you then. You guys have been fighting and giving each other the silent treatment for months, but he still found a way to tell you." Even now, with the terrible, obvious strain that existed on Naruto's relationship with Sasuke, she couldn't help but sigh at the huge disparity that still endured when compared to her own connection with her husband. "I figured he'd tell you somehow, and now you hate me."
"I don't hate you, Sakura." Naruto muttered under his breath as he passed her and headed to his armchair.
"No, you do." Sakura retorted as she turned to face Naruto. "Because I hurt Sasuke; and to hurt Sasuke is to hurt you and it's the same in reverse. Just the way it's always been."
Naruto settled back into the chair and regarded the young woman with a raised eyebrow. "Did you come here to vent, Sakura? To rage at me and make yourself feel better? Because I swear to the gods, Sakura, I am not in the mood."
"That isn't what I was doing." Sakura responded miserably. "I was just…"
"Just what? Why are you here?" Naruto asked point blank as his eyes narrowed on the young woman before him.
"You're so angry." Sakura complained bitterly as Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. She shrank back defensively as he shot out of his chair.
"You stole a part of his life!" Naruto yelled as he fought the urge to shake her. "You exploited the only that you knew he wouldn't be able to resist! You can't do that! You had no right! You can't force someone to bend to your will; that's not 'loving' them- even if you think it's the only way!"
"I know… I know that now." She conceded as her shoulders slumped. The defeat and unhappiness in her voice helped to derail Naruto's anger and he sighed tiredly before sinking back into the chair.
"What's the matter, Sakura? Really, why are you here?"
She was quiet for a moment, before finally answering. "Sasuke asked me for an annulment. He's waiting on me to sign the papers."
Naruto gaped at her, stupefied disbelief stamped all over his face. "What?"
She was mildly surprised that Sasuke hadn't told Naruto yet, but she assumed that she may have only narrowly beat him to it. "Not even a divorce, he just wants to dissolve it- wipe it clean as if it never happened."
Naruto's heart seemed to have stopped for a moment, before racing off, tripping over itself as the implications of Sakura's revelation started to buzz around his head.
"But his father…Fugaku-sama will have a fit."
Sakura shook her head as posed the pertinent problem. "If Sasuke's father knows, either he doesn't mind, or his opinion doesn't matter. Sasuke would have taken it back by now. I've been trying to get through to Fugaku-sama and it appears he's no longer accepting my calls."
Naruto barely registered what she was saying as he focused on the floor around his feet. He nodded absently, afraid to sort out the jumble of emotions as he felt the blood thrum in his ears.
"There's something I needed to know."
The quiet inflection of her voice somehow managed to capture his attention. She stood awkwardly, one hand wrapped around her torso to clutch at the other.
"When he gave me the papers, one of the last things he said was that it would never work between us because he only had it in him to love once."
Naruto blinked, feeling his heartbeat thud almost painfully in his chest. "He said that?"
She nodded as she chewed her lower lip apprehensively.
"I didn't ask, because I didn't want to know. Not from him, anyway. I don't think I could handle hearing it from him." She swallowed before nodding again, a strange, gritty determination entering her eyes. "But I want to know, I think. Tell me who it is, Naruto. I think I could accept it a little easier if it came from you."
Naruto wasn't entirely sure, since he never really did grasp the concept and definition to his satisfaction, but he was willing to bet that this situation was a prime example of 'irony'. He stood slowly as he tried to figure out what the best course of action would be with such a potentially explosive problem. It appeared she could see the gears grinding in his head, and she stepped forward, eyes fixed on Naruto's as she intended to make her determination clear.
"Please, Naruto, I know it's not fair to put you in a spot like this, but I just need to know. I don't want to make trouble for her or anything, I just need to know. Tell me who she is."
"There is no other woman."
Sakura felt her exasperation with the entire situation balloon as Naruto bluntly delivered the blatant lie. "I just want to know. You're not betraying him by telling me, he's already admitted it."
"I'm not covering for him, Sakura, I'm telling the truth." Naruto responded quietly as he looked down solemnly on the increasingly flustered woman. "There is no other woman."
She felt something snap inside her, having finally reached the breaking point in her hopeless, desperate frustration. She reached out impulsively to shove against the solid wall of flesh that was Naruto. It only served to aggravate her further as his body didn't budge an inch as he stood looking at her with a maddening mixture of guilt, pity and indulgence.
"Don't pretend you don't fucking know!" She found herself screaming as she balled up her fists and started pounding against his chest. Her tears came freely even as Naruto remained unmoved, his expression unchanging. "You know, I know he told you!"
"Sakura…" Naruto said simply as she continued to spend her pent up rage and frustration. He made no move to stop her violence as she worked through her hysterics.
"YOU KNOW! You're the one he talks to; you're the one who has all his secrets! The two of you are exactly the same! You never let me in! It's always just the two of you and…"
"A person like me only has it in him to love once"
She trailed off, her flurry of activity finally stopping as she stared up into the sad, blue eyes of her friend. It took a moment, but soon dizzying memories and flashes assaulted her, as if someone was loudly and heavily slamming each remaining puzzle piece into its place.
"Naruto is always so annoying, eh, Sasuke-kun?"
"The annoying one is you, Sakura. You could never understand what it's like."
"You…you're not going to Harvard?"
"Hmm? Oh, no. I'm going to Hitotsubashi."
"Thank you, Sakura. I'm very flattered; but I cannot accept your feelings."
"You should have seen Naruto's face when he realized what you were doing. He thought you were over Sasuke years ago."
"He chose you"
She took a slow, unsteady step backwards as she tried to keep Naruto's face in focus. "Y-you?"
It seemed impossible for Naruto's eyes to get any sadder, yet somehow they managed just that. He made no move towards her, knowing nothing he could do or say could alleviate the devastation of the moment.
"I never wanted any of this to turn out the way it did. I never imagined it could. I'm sorry, Sakura."
Naruto's words came out slow and distorted to her ears as everything in the room seemed to become enwrapped in a soft haze.
"You sound really far away." That was the only warning she could manage to the surprised man before her. A second later, she was out cold on the floor.

Sakura coughed and hiccupped as she downed some of the contents of Naruto's mug, the burning sensation causing the back of her eyes to prickle. There was far more sake in that cup than tea, but she supposed Naruto was only safeguarding against the possibility of her swooning again.
"Ugh, this thing should have an octane-rating." She rasped as she placed the mug onto the coffee table. Naruto sat in his armchair, watching her with a mix of concern and nervousness.
"I never thought you'd just up and faint like that."
She wouldn't have thought that either, but it's not every day you hear that the love of your life was literally gay for his best friend. It was jarring to the constitution to say the least. She began to wonder how it would all feel when the pleasant, numbing sensation of the shock and sake finally wore off.
"How long?" She asked simply, choosing for the moment to focus her attention on the coffee mug.
Naruto didn't bother to feign ignorance. "The physical part- senior year at the Academy; the rest of it? Even we don't know."
Sakura swung her head around so quickly, she almost gave herself whiplash. "You've had sex?"
The second it was out of her mouth, she knew how ridiculous and parochial she sounded. She considered it lucky that the alcohol was already colouring her cheeks. She suppressed the urge to ask if it was good sex or if Sasuke enjoyed it. She strongly suspected the answers to those questions already.
"You never said anything." She finally managed to croak out as Naruto remained silent and waiting.
"By then, I had realized you were still in love with Sasuke. I didn't want you to hate me for what was happening. Sasuke had his own reasons for not telling you." Naruto finished lamely as she slowly nodded.
"And after we got married?" She asked softly, knowing exactly what she would hear.
"It didn't stop then." Naruto replied frankly. "We kept sleeping together until-"
"Until the time the two of you had that huge falling out." Sakura surmised as she stole another glance at Naruto. She was finally connecting the glaring dots."You had ended it?"
Naruto nodded as he ran nervous fingers through his hair. "We never intended to hurt you, Sakura, neither of us. Me and Sasuke…we don't make each other sane."
Sakura gave Naruto another sidelong look before refocusing all of her attention on her mug. Once again she was at a crossroads in this saga, hopefully the final one before she moved on to the next chapter of her life. Since she had formulated and executed her plan, she had been flung from one darkly devastating development to another and absolutely nothing had gone the way she had hoped it would. She now found she had a decision to make. She could let this newest discovery completely overwhelm her and allow herself to spiral out of control. She could hate and blame Naruto, and continue to obsess over Sasuke and the possibility of a life that was now definitely beyond her; or she could see what was behind door number two.
The answer wasn't as easy and obvious as it sounded.
She finally turned to face Naruto, choosing to at least face some part of her latest dilemma head-on. "Do you love him?"
The question seemed to throw Naruto for a bit and he stared at her silently. He opened his mouth as if to answer before clamping it shut again. She smoothed out the wrinkles of her skirt as agitation increased. She didn't need to know his answer, she already knew that too.
"We're both so stupid." She let out at last and Naruto looked up at her in surprise and confusion. "It doesn't make sense at all, does it? You think it's the hair?"
Naruto's brow furrowed for a second as he tried to make sense of Sakura's odd speech, before it dawned on him that she was attempting to make a lame joke. He wasn't sure how to respond to any of it and continued to stare at her blankly- a deer caught in pink headlights.
Sakura chewed her lower lip as she tried to sort out the jumble in her mind. Was she supposed to apologise? All evidence pointed to her being the over-inflated fifth wheel; but she knew she was nowhere near apologising or wishing them happiness. That would take time and a lot of it. Still, the overriding feeling which now remained was that she had taken too much from Naruto and Sasuke already. The longer she stayed around either of them, the more the tension and apprehension grew. She sighed and prepared to leave for her personal sanctuary. She only had one question, one last bit of confirmation to know just where the chips fell.
"Naruto?" She had paused on her way to the door and her questioning voice had him out of his chair to stand and face her. She looked over her shoulder at him for a moment. "Do you know who Sasuke's favourite composer is?"
He seemed nonplussed at the odd question and raised an eyebrow before squinting at her.
"Yeah…it's Mozart."

"What are these?" Ino asked as her friend pulled out a roll of papers out of her oversized handbag. Sakura was sitting at Ino's kitchen counter as the hostess stood behind it, trying her best to make something resembling a daiquiri.
"Annulment papers."
Luckily, Ino hadn't started sampling the beverage yet, or she would have done a spit-take all over the papers. "Annulment papers? From Sasuke?"
"No, from the Archduke of Ferdinand; he found out the baby wasn't his- of course from Sasuke!"
Ino blinked owlishly as she stirred the contents of the glass pitcher. She was never sure what to expect anymore and if anything was going to push Sakura's berserk button, it would be her husband trying to erase their marriage from the memory of Japan's legal system.
"So, um, when did this happen?" Ino asked cautiously, all the time stirring the overworked daiquiri mix.
"A few days ago…" Sakura replied nonchalantly as she shuffled the papers around.
"Days? DAYS? And I'm just hearing about this now? Why?" Ino finally stopped swirling the mix which had been on the verge of evaporating. She stared incredulously at her abnormally stoic friend.
"I had been banking on Fugaku-sama to change Sasuke's mind." Sakura spoke blithely as she poured her thin drink into her glass. "I don't know what kind of conversation the two of them had, but I'm pretty much persona non grata at the Uchiha complex now. Can't say I'm surprised really. The one thing Uchihas hate above anything else is a failure. What bigger failure is there than a wife who can't even hold on to her husband for a year?"
Sakura took her first sip and noticed the pity and resignation creeping into Ino's expression. "Well technically, the odds were pretty stacked against me, because as it turns out- Sasuke has been hopelessly in love with someone else for ages."
Ino's jaw slackened before she quickly reached an acceptable explanation. "Oh you mean in that 'Brandi, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be; but my life, my lover, my lady is the sea' kind of thing?"
"No, not a metaphorical love in the slightest… Apparently he and Naruto have been screwing each other stupid for years."
At first Ino thought she was joking- she had to be; but the longer Ino waited for some kind of contradiction, the more indolently Sakura sipped her drink and flipped through the increasingly soiled and crumpled annulment papers. It finally struck home that her friend was serious and Ino's jaw literally dropped, hanging open as she gaped at her friend.
"Am I going to have to call tech support to reboot you?" Sakura asked at length as Ino's stare seemed to stretch indefinitely. Ino's jaw slammed shut like a trapdoor as she attempted to process the outrageous information.
"Naruto and Sasuke? Really? How is this even possible?" Ino could only stare at Sakura in marked disbelief until another horrifying thought struck her. "So what you're saying is for close to eight years, Naruto and Sasuke have been involved and I had no clue about it? Two of the hottest guys I know are gay for each other…and I missed it?"
Sakura blinked in surprise. "Ino, I think you're missing the point…"
"All this time, ALL THIS TIME, I could have been living the fan-girl dream and I MISSED it?" Ino pointed an accusing finger at her incredulous friend. "You, this is your fault. You and your emo, angst-filled, unrequited love jammed my instruments! You let them fly right under my 'Gaydar'!"
Sakura's eye twitched as her friend continued her ludicrous rant. "Will you pull yourself together? The love of my life has been screwing around with one of my closest friends! I'm a little traumatized over here!"
Ino immediately deflated and acquired a look of contrition and pity. "Sorry, lost the plot for a minute there. Are you okay? What are you going to do?"
"What is there to do?" Sakura shrugged hopelessly. "There are no more plans to make, no more desperate manoeuvring. It's over."
Ino could see the cold reality of the situation was finally setting in, as the chinks in her friend's armour grew more pronounced and the false bravado started falling away.
"Yeah, we're going to need more than daiquiris. Maybe I can make us some Shirley Temple Blacks." Ino nodded as she started rifling through her pantry. She answered her friend's question before Sakura had the chance to ask. "It's like a Shirley Temple with a crap load of vodka. At least that's the way I make my version."

Ino had the best of intentions, but alcohol rarely cheers up a depressed person. In fact, it tends to do the exact opposite. After a couple of hours of self-medication with Ino's inappropriately named drink, Uchiha Sakura was not a happy camper.
"Fucking Sasuke…" She muttered darkly as she slumped defeated over the counter. "Fucking Naruto… Fucking Naruto who's fucking Sasuke…"
"Yah know," Ino chimed in a little too loudly and giddily. "I wonder who sticks it to the man and who gets the shaft?"
"Huh?"
"I bet Naruto's the one slipping Sasuke the business." Ino giggled and whispered conspiratorially as she flung an arm across her confused friend's shoulder. "Sasuke's used to having something lodged up his ass; a dick can't be much different."
Sakura let out a shocked, horrified giggle before she swatted at her best friend and missed by a mile. "That's my husband you're talking about, you freak!"
The drunken laughter died immediately as crushing sobriety injected itself into the atmosphere.
"…At least for the time being." Sakura murmured miserably, as she swirled the contents of her glass.
Ino shifted in her seat at the counter, propped an elbow on the counter top and rested her cheek against her fist. She quietly contemplated her friend as Sakura brooded.
"You know, I never got it." Ino tapped a finger against a marble counter as Sakura looked at her questioningly. "I mean I got it from ages six to sixteen, when cool, aloof and emotionally distant was hot. I know that a lot of women still love that; but we're smart, successful and self-assured, we're supposed to grow out of that phase. I keep trying to figure out why you never did."
"Naruto didn't either." Sakura pointed out defensively.
"Naruto and Sasuke are in a class of their own. Besides, Sasuke treated Naruto differently from anyone else from the get-go. But this isn't about them- them I get. I'm talking about you and that part I don't understand."
"I guess I was trying to escape being 'Forehead Girl'." Sakura mused as she rested her head against the cool of the counter.
"You haven't been 'Forehead Girl' since we were little kids, Sakura!"
"Really?" Sakura smiled wryly at her friend's protest. "I don't think I have, I think I've been faking it all along. I only 'stopped' being her when you became my friend and acted as my shield. By then everyone else started figuring out that it was better to be friends with the smart kid. You and Naruto were the only ones who made me feel as if I wasn't some kind of social reject playing a role. But Naruto was an even bigger social pariah than I was and I couldn't appreciate him then; you were my best friend and I didn't want to sleep with you, except for that one summer I came home while I was still in my 'experimental' phase."
Ino coughed as a Hershey Kiss almost went down the wrong tube. "So what does Sasuke have to do with anything?"
"Don't you get it? Sasuke was perfect. He was always so cool and in control; successful and smart and effortlessly popular. Nothing and no one ever bothered him, he just rose above it." Sakura sighed as she remembered a time long before this current mess. "He was everything I wanted and could never figure out how to get. I could never get over him, even when I knew I was supposed to. Somehow, it all turned into this."
"Sakura, you're not 'Forehead Girl' anymore. You're amazing and special all on your own." Ino wagged a finger at Sakura as her friend snorted her doubts. "You went, by yourself, halfway across the world and kicked academic ass. You've made more progress in medical research in a few years than some crusty, old guys have in their lifetimes. You're going to cure something one day, something big, like AIDS or cancer or Angry Cow Disease!"
"Mad Cow Disease…" Sakura muttered under her breath.
"Whatever; the point is, you don't need Sasuke to make you a complete or worthwhile individual. No one can do that for anybody. You just need to realize that."
Sakura felt her eyes burn as she took a shuddering breath. "It's really over, isn't it, Ino?"
Ino placed a comforting hand over Sakura's and squeezed reassuringly. "It doesn't have to be a bad thing, Sakura."
Sakura nodded and sniffled as she once again pulled for the legal documents and clicked open her pen. After a few minutes of scribbling, she put the last stroke on her final signature. She paused for a moment, staring at them before handing the papers to Ino.
"Call it."
Ino accepted the papers solemnly and gave a quick check of her watch. "Here ends the marriage of Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. Time of death: 21:43."

It was almost ten o'clock and Sasuke found himself staring at the phone, wondering whether or not he should call Naruto. He rubbed his forehead tiredly and considered if he was really up to dealing with his missing half after the ringer he was put through with his father. He was seriously starting to wonder which was more exhausting- keeping all the emotions bottled up, or letting them all out. If he saw Naruto anytime soon, he'd probably reduce himself to an incoherent wreck, blubbering to his friend begging him to take him back. Besides the fact that it was unlikely to work, sincerely done or not, he didn't want a weak reconciliation borne out of guilt or pity, and he also couldn't afford to lose anymore of his former lover's respect.
He ran a hand over the phone, still trying to control the need to talk to Naruto and to see him now. He was probably with Neji anyway, and the realization left a cold, nauseated feeling in the pit of his stomach. He pushed away from his desk and headed to his window. He pulled back the curtains to view the street below and immediately froze when he spotted a distinctive shock of blond hair and the man beneath it, standing on the sidewalk and staring back up at him. Sasuke blinked, half-inclined to believe he was imagining Naruto standing outside his apartment, but the apparition didn't dissolve. They stared at each other, neither of them moving from his spot, until Sasuke chanced breaking the hypnotic spell to get to the ground floor of his building quickly. He was surprised and relieved to find Naruto still there, leaning against one of the oak trees that lined the sidewalk. He had been certain Naruto would have bolted the second he had broken eye contact.
"Hey…" The greeting came out breathily, since once again Sasuke hadn't trusted the elevators to get him down in time.
"Sakura knows about us." Naruto blurted out before trying to amend the statement. "I mean about what we were, or something."
"Oh?"
"She came by earlier and kind of figured things out. I couldn't lie to her."
Sasuke shrugged inelegantly, causing Naruto to gawk at him. "Sakura's a smart girl when it suits her."
"She told me that you asked her for an annulment." There was an edge of worry to Naruto's voice. "Has your dad found out yet? How's he going to react to that?"
If Sasuke had any doubts as to how much his life had changed in the past year, they were eliminated then and there. For the first time ever, it was Naruto who was concerned about the opinions of others, while Sasuke just wanted him to shut up about everyone else and focus on them.
"I told my father already. I'm not going to renege on my decision. Not this time. I told him I was prepared to leave the company and break with the family if I had to." Admittedly, the ultimatum hadn't been made in so 'devil-may-care' a fashion, but Naruto didn't have to know about the crying. He was already feeling a little unnerved by the fact that he couldn't tell if Naruto was awestruck or simply horrified.
"What did he say?" Naruto braced himself for the worst.
"It was a… difficult talk, but he finally accepted my decision and promised to respect it. We cleared the air on a lot of things, and reached an understanding. We aren't the Brady Bunch." Sasuke gave a small, reassuring smile. "But it's still a start."
Naruto sighed heavily, almost going boneless with relief. He automatically reached out with both hands and gripped Sasuke's shirt as he slumped forward dramatically.
"Thank the gods; I was so worried that things hadn't worked out. I know I always wanted you to stand up to them, but I wanted you and your dad to get along more. I swear the last thing I'd want is for you to have a rift with your family. I know they mean more to you than anything."
"Not everything." Sasuke answered softly as he addressed Naruto's bowed head.
The suggestive answer caused Naruto to straighten up and look directly at Sasuke, which he did without releasing his grip. His movement caused his knuckles to graze against the skin beneath the thin material of the white shirt. Sasuke shuddered at the sensation and the reaction didn't escape Naruto's notice.
"It's cold out here." Sasuke offered unabashedly. It wasn't a lie. In his hurry to get to Naruto, he had neglected to grab a jacket. They were already experiencing November temperatures, even though it wasn't Naruto's birthday yet. Still, they both knew that cold didn't usually bother Sasuke, especially when Naruto was around.
Naruto's eyes narrowed and warmed slightly and Sasuke knew a second, deliberate brush against the same spot was coming long before the blond did it. This reaction was no weaker the second time around. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had any idea just how much he missed him and everything about him. The soft, knowing look on Naruto's face wasn't helping matters either. It was the same look Naruto always got when he had discovered another manifestation of the immense power he had over his lover; a power he never knew he actually possessed. Any such discovery used to chafe on Sasuke's nerves, feeling as if his vulnerabilities were being revealed, that is until Naruto had distracted and awarded in the most satisfying ways.
"It's really cold out here." Sasuke repeated thickly. "Do you want to go inside and talk?"
The question was asked with a guileless innocence that both of them knew was utterly fake. Naruto glanced up at the window of Sasuke's condo before looking back to its owner. The possibilities stretched out before him like a silk road, with the promise of Sasuke's bed, or his floor, and the man's unique brand of warmth that could ignite Naruto from the inside until he was consumed completely. The problem was he had been down this road before and his own bed wasn't empty. The fire was magnetic, but it had already burnt him badly.
"I'm being unfair, aren't I?"
Naruto's odd question surprised Sasuke. He frowned as Naruto slowly disengaged from him.
"I'm supposed to tell you something- say something devastating and final so you'll know to give up on me. Then I'm supposed to stay away and show you I mean it." Naruto fisted his hands to try and get rid of the tingling sensation that lingered at touching Sasuke. "It's what I'm supposed to do, but I don't do it. I'm not doing this right. It's unfair to you, it's unfair to everybody."
"After all the upheaval and paradigm shifts lately, it's kind of comforting to know you're still an idiot."
Naruto blinked rapidly before bristling. "What?"
Sasuke's lips hitched into a small smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I said you're still an idiot. Besides the fact that you don't have it in you to be deliberately nasty just to make a point, there's nothing you can say that's going to derail me. I know I'm right, I know we belong together, so I'm going to be relentless and infuriatingly stubborn until you come around. It's exactly what you would do, and you've rubbed off on me a lot, in more ways than one."
A vein bulged in Naruto's temple, and the blond didn't know if he wanted to laugh or strangle the man before him. "I don't know if it's a comfort to know that you're still kind of an unbelievably smug bastard."
Sasuke shrugged unapologetically. "There's only so much I can work on and improve without being forced to change my name. You can either have me work on being a non-demonstrative jerk, or have me work on being a smug bastard."
"Can't you do both?" Naruto asked lightly, unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile.
"Unreasonable and impossible, I've only got one lifetime. Besides," Sasuke added softly as his eyes searched Naruto's face. "You love smug bastard-Sasuke."
They stared at each other in silence for a while before a brisk, chilling wind caught Naruto's attention.
"It's late and I need to go." He shouldn't have been there in the first place. Without saying anything further, Naruto turned and walked away, leaving Sasuke staring after him.
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
TBC
- 18
- 19
- 20
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