gift-fics!
The first night Sasuke was back in Konoha, he couldn’t fall asleep. He was in the hospital, under watch - he didn’t know by who. They changed on the hour, one outside his door, two outside his window.
He sat on the bed, picking at the bandage around his wrist - broken and healed by the same person. Sakura. He hadn’t even seen her since he was beaten unconscious. He wondered where they stood now.
Naruto had carried him through the gates, slung over his back. Sasuke would have been mortified if he didn’t have much more pressing concerns. Namely, how he was going to escape from this one unscathed.
And also how he was going to face Sakura and Naruto and Kakashi if he did.
The door opened with a soft click then, the medic on duty coming around to check on him. He slid onto his back and turned his face to the wall.
“I know you’re not asleep, Sasuke-kun.”
He jerked up at Sakura’s voice, eyes widening at her appearance. She was in all black, not her typical white coat. She grinned, holding a finger to her lips. “We’re breaking you out.”
“We?”
Behind him, Naruto laughed, and Sasuke looked around. He hadn’t heard him come in.
“Try to keep up,” was all he would say, before he vaulted himself out the window.
Sakura rolled her eyes. “What a showoff.” She strolled over to the window, leaning to peer out.
Sasuke still hadn’t moved. She looked back. “Coming?” Without waiting for an answer, she leapt out.
After a moment, Sasuke stood.
Kakashi met him at landing. He yanked Sasuke into the shadows and slapped a hand over his mouth. As if Sasuke was enough of a rookie to start screaming. He wasn’t Naruto.
Kakashi led him through the shadows, into the trees, under the stars, until they emerged in an all-too-familiar field. Sasuke stepped into the moonlight and looked around the clearing.
Team Seven’s old training grounds.
“Over here!” Naruto called out, and Sasuke turned. He and Sakura were settled on a bright red blanket, spread over the grass, a picnic basket between them. It was at one end of the field, where the light was brightest, and the ground was flat, right in front of an abandoned, worn tree stump.
Sasuke wondered if that was intentional.
Kakashi nudged him, and Sasuke realized he had been still for too long. Naruto and Sakura were waiting expectantly. He walked over and, after a moment’s hesitation, sank to his knees. He held himself awkwardly, uncertainly. What did you say to the friends you betrayed? What did you do?
But if there was one thing Sasuke knew and always remembered about Naruto, it was that he always knew what to say. He thumped Sasuke on the back and said, “We missed you, man.”
Sasuke still didn’t know what to say, but Kakashi smiled, glancing over at Sakura in a way that made her burn red. “But maybe in different ways.”
Finally, Sasuke spoke up. “You’ll get in trouble for this, you know.”
Sakura smiled. “Not us, Sasuke-kun. We have friends in high places.”
“But we have our best friends right here,” Naruto proclaimed cheerfully. Then he blinked. “Damn, that should’ve gone with the alcohol…”
“Alcohol?”
“Blame Sakura,” Kakashi said. He laughed at Sasuke’s bemused expression. “You’re not the only one that’s changed, Sasuke.”
“Oh!” Naruto looked up from the picnic basket. “That reminds me!” He stood, pulling Sasuke up with him, and faced him, straightening to his full height so he could look him in the eye. Sasuke cocked a brow at him.
“Sakura-chan!” Naruto called out. “Who’s taller?”
Sasuke heard her sigh heavily, as if she had done this before. “You are, Naruto,” she said in a bored voice.
“Hah!” Naruto pumped his fists. “Beat the pretty boy - finally!”
Sasuke bristled. “You want to try that in a fight, dead-last?” he snapped.
A beat passed. Then Naruto’s face split into a grin. “I have a better idea. Fight Sakura-chan.”
Involuntarily, Sasuke’s gaze flicked to Sakura. She looked surprised, uncorking a bottle of sake. “Me?”
“Why not?” Kakashi sounded amused. But Sasuke wasn’t so sure. Fighting Naruto could be fun. Sakura… not so much.
“Yeah, yeah!” Naruto wouldn’t listen to her protests, so Sasuke didn’t bother adding in his own. He beckoned Sakura closer, and she got to her feet reluctantly, walking over to the two. “Just a short spar.” He winked at Sakura, and she smiled. Then she turned to Sasuke and said:
“Sasuke. I promise not to hurt your face.”
And then she socked him straight in the stomach.
“You went easy on me.”
“You caught him off-guard!”
“I just didn’t want to fight you,” Sasuke muttered, then regretted it when Sakura beamed at him. She finished healing his cracked ribs, and he pushed away the burning shame of his absurdly abrupt loss. Naruto hadn’t even laughed; maybe Sakura had warned him against it. She always did take good care of him.
She turned on her heel, muttering something about the alcohol, and walked over to Kakashi, leaving him and Naruto alone.
The silence was awkward; uncharacteristic for Naruto.
“So,” he began. He cleared his throat. “Did you miss us at all?”
Sasuke looked away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Hn.”
Fortunately for him, Naruto was well-versed in Sasukese. “Then what was with the replacements?”
Sasuke winced, then scowled. “What about Sai? He’s not my replacement?”
“Sai’s not my best friend. Kakashi-sensei doesn’t even know him, much less favor him. And Sakura doesn’t love him.” Naruto was very serious and Sasuke mused briefly on how he had grown.
“…They weren’t your replacements either.”
“I can’t believe that. Why did you let them in your life and not us?”
“They had skills,” Sasuke said honestly. “Skills I needed.”
“And we didn’t? Sakura could keep you alive. Kakashi-sensei could keep you safe. I could keep you from being stupid.”
Sasuke had to smirk at that, however half-heartedly. “I know.”
Naruto smacked him upside the head. “It’s a little late for that!”
“Naruto!” And Sakura and Kakashi were back.
“Settle down, kids,” Kakashi reprimanded mildly.
“Sasuke started it. He’s a moron,” Naruto complained.
Kakashi was unrelenting. “I could - and will - say the same about you. You’re an idiot, Naruto. It’s why the two of you get along so well. Now hug and make up.”
Naruto made a face. Sakura looked at her shoes, took a breath, and stepped forward, tentative, opening her arms slowly to them.
“Um,” she hedged, biting at her lip, “Welcome back, Sasuke-kun.”
Sasuke appraised her, arms crossed tightly over his chest. “Thanks,” he muttered, unmoving. Sakura’s face fell. Naruto rolled his eyes, and turned to hug her, tightly. “I’ll be his stand-in for now,” he told her. “Until he grows up.”
Sakura laughed, peering at Sasuke over Naruto’s chin. “I don’t see that happening ever, Naruto.”
“If Naruto could do it, surely Sasuke can, too,” Kakashi pointed out. “He has time to learn - a long time.”
Before they could bring up concerns of the next day, Kakashi held out the bottles. “Now. Let’s get trashed like the mature young adults we are.”
Tsunade glared at Sasuke from her position at the head of the room. “You betrayed our village for a known enemy, Uchiha,” she barked, “Joined the Akatsuki, made an attempt on our village, attacked a valuable shinobi, a prestigious medic, an ANBU squad…” She tossed down the file she had been reading for. “There isn’t much standing in the way of your execution, Sasuke.”
Something twisted in his gut at the words, thinking of Naruto and Sakura, who he hadn’t wanted to remind of his impending trial the night before, and Kakashi, who didn’t seem able to forget. One night was all he was lucky to get, and now…
“Don’t look at me like that,” Tsunade snapped, and Sasuke jumped. “I said there wasn’t much. Let’s see if it’s enough.”
The doors at the end of the hall opened, and Kakashi strolled in, followed by Sakura, Naruto - and a whole horde of familiar faces. His old fan club, Hyuuga’s team, Teams Eight and Ten, some old instructors, Iruka-sensei from the academy, old classmates, a boy that looked like Konohamaru…
Sasuke stared, dumbfounded. Tsunade looked to be a cross between irritated and amused. “You don’t do things halfway, do you?” she asked of the three at the head of line.
“We’re Team Seven,” Naruto told her.
“We believe in making an impression,” Sakura finished. She grinned up at Sasuke, all teeth. “Right, Sasuke-kun?”
“All in favor of Uchiha Sasuke’s release?” Kakashi asked.
“Conditional release,” Tsunade hissed, but she was drowned out by the crowd, raising their hands as one. Sakura and Naruto waved both wildly.
“Aye!”
Kakashi smiled. “Will that do, Tsunade-sama?”
When Sasuke stepped out of the court with his ex-ex-teammates, Sakura and Naruto could barely contain themselves. Naruto couldn’t help but say, under his breath so only Sasuke could hear, “Bet Hawk couldn’t do that…” Sasuke had to agree.
“We did it! We did it!”
Kakashi was petulant. “Hey now, it was my idea…”
“Yeah, but we’re more popular,” Naruto agreed.
“Not as much as Sasuke, though. Did you see the fan girls…” Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, and trailed off. Puzzled, Naruto and Kakashi turned with her to stare at him. Naruto’s jaw dropped.
“What?” Sasuke asked defensively.
“You have a heart,” Naruto whispered, awed.
“You owe me ten bucks, Naruto.” Kakashi sounded pleased. “I told you it couldn’t be made of stone.”
“Ah, damn,” Naruto scowled.
“What?”
“Oh, stop it, you guys,” Sakura admonished. “You’re upsetting him.” She smiled again, her apparent default since their reunion. “Don’t worry about it, Sasuke-kun.”
“Hey, Sakura-chan,” Naruto said suddenly, “I bet you could hug him now.” He snickered. “Looks like he needs it.”
Sasuke tried to step back, but Kakashi was behind him, holding him in place. In front of him, Sakura’s grin had turned devious, and she stepped closer. Sasuke had nowhere to run.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Kakashi adjusted his arms to loop around her waist. Then Naruto joined in the fray, embracing them both, until all four of them - even a reluctant Kakashi - were but a mass of limbs.
Sakura wiped at Sasuke’s eyes and held up her finger. There was moisture on it.
“Not so tough anymore, are ya?” Naruto asked brightly, all too pleased at Sasuke’s growing horror. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to be a wuss around your friends.” Naruto pinched Sasuke’s cheek mockingly. “We’ll take good care of you.”
The sun was setting, and Sasuke tried to find a place to look that was devoid of teammates. Unfortunately, he was surrounded. He stayed quiet, blinking furiously, and - he hoped - inconspicuously. God, what was in the water here?
After a long moment of silence, Kakashi cut in. “This is very sweet, but people are starting to stare…”
And to everyone else, I'm so sorry for being lame with updates and stuff to this LJ - I'll be getting back on that soon. =D