Angsty Sasuke and Naruto piece
Title: “Warriors Of Spirit”
Author: Shaitanah
Rating: PG-13
Summary: On a lonely training ground in the rain Naruto finally gets a bit closer to his eternal adversary-turned-partner Uchiha Sasuke. [May be viewed as pre-slash if you squint] Please R&R!
Disclaimer: belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and whoever else that is not me…
A/N: This was my first Sasuke and Naruto story… I don’t know why it took so long to post it)))
WARRIORS OF SPIRIT
They were perfect oppositions. His sand-blond hair against the other’s ebony black. His bright blue eyes against the other’s obsidian. His mischievous grin against the other’s solemn countenance.
Maybe that’s why Naruto paid so much attention to Uchiha Sasuke. He noticed his every action with watchful eye, and though every single thing about Sasuke made him mad (the way he was always so cool about everything, the way he constantly made Naruto look like an idiot, the Sakura-chan always talked about him), Naruto couldn’t deny a certain interest he’d developed in his enigmatic adversary.
Surpass Sasuke.
Defeat him.
Become greater. And screw the legendary blood of the Uchiha clan. Screw top grades at the Academy. Screw Sasuke’s blind determination to avenge the fall of his clan.
Maybe to defeat Uchiha Sasuke was the only way to get closer to him.
Naruto found him at the training ground once again. Sasuke was methodically kicking the hell out of a motionless stone pillar. Naruto squinted and barely contained a gasp of wonder: the greyish stone was sprinkled with blood. Sasuke’s hands were bandaged; ruby drops covered the white cloth.
Grinding his teeth into his lower lip, the youth continued his hurting exercise. Sweat dripped down his face, but his breath adjusted to the fast rhythm was easy and even.
“Oi, Sasuke!” Naruto called. “What on earth has the pillar done to you?” No reaction. It simply amused and intrigued Naruto to no end. He came closer and commented with a wink: “Now that’s hardly a fair fight. It can’t answer you, can it?”
Sasuke didn’t stop, but his movements became slower, more worked out. Perhaps it was his idea of respite. His eyes flickered towards Naruto for an instant.
“Sod off,” he replied icily.
Another strike met its target with cold precision. Red stains on the bandages became deeper.
“Not that I didn’t think you weren’t already weird enough,” Naruto observed, “but you could just take the pillar down using a jutsu, right?”
“Like it’s any of your business.”
Sasuke inhaled deeply. A drop of blood trickled down his chin. He licked his split lip and increased the pace. His hands were beginning to go numb. Air came out through his clenched teeth in short rasping wheezes.
“Don’t you have anything else to do?” Sasuke asked harshly. “Go bug somebody else.”
Naruto shrugged carefree. During the rare little break in his training he had no one else to bug.
“You think I’m lazy, huh? Wait till I defeat you!” Naruto exclaimed. “I’ll be the greatest ninja around!” His eyes twinkled gleefully like they usually did when he had a chance to recollect his dream. “I’ll be the best Hokage this place has ever seen!”
Sasuke halted. Brushing his long fringe off his forehead, he smirked coldly and said:
“Just what Konoha needs - you as Hokage.”
“Laugh all you like. At least I’m doing something. I’m not the one who’s-.” Naruto hesitated. ‘Not the one living futile hopes of vengeance’ was what he’d originally planned to say. By the way Sasuke’s face changed for a second and then became harder than stone he knew he’d hit a sensitive spot. Sasuke was waiting for him to go on even if he remained visible unperturbed. “Not the one who’s fighting stone,” Naruto said finally.
“Yeah, well, maybe you should try,” the youth scoffed and seemed to have lost interest in the conversation.
Naruto chewed on his lip thoughtfully. Sasuke was such a mystery. A long time ago Naruto would have given much to make friends with the lonely sad-eyed boy who had always been a closed book to everyone. They both were alone, and it made them unique. But time killed that ambition, leaving only…
Only what?
Naruto headed stubbornly towards the pillar and took his place opposite Sasuke. As soon as his fist connected with the rough stone, his face brightened into a huge smile, and then sharp pain shot through his hand, paralyzing it for a moment.
Naruto wailed and leapt back. How could Sasuke be doing that for such a long time!? He must have already inflicted a thousand blows upon the pillar!
“What’s the matter, scaredy-cat?” Sasuke asked breathlessly. “’Fraid to get hurt?”
Naruto frowned, warmed his damaged limb up and positioned himself firmly in front of the pillar.
The blows poured like rain over a barren field, tearing small sharp sighs out of Naruto’s throat. His eyes flared anxiously as he tried to focus on anything but the pain. It scorched his knuckles with icy fire.
After a while his arms went numb up to the elbows. The pain didn’t go away, but it remained like some annoying buzzing far off in the distance. A pale spark instead of that insatiable fire.
Sasuke paused for a moment to unwrap his bandaids. Naruto stared at the bloody mess on his knuckles with a mixture of awe and admiration. One could only envy Sasuke’s persistence.
Sasuke produced a bottle of water and poured it over his hands, washing the wounds clean. The skin was torn and flayed. He could barely move his fingers. He hissed in pain and proceeded to dress his wounds. His hands refused to obey him. He couldn’t hold a piece of new bandage between his fingers. Naruto closed the space between them swiftly, grasped Sasuke’s hands and bandaged them wordlessly.
Sasuke nodded.
“Ready?” Naruto asked when the black-haired youth took his place.
“Let’s go.”
Naruto watched Sasuke hit, and suddenly a strange thought crossed his mind. Beneath reserve and cold reckoning, there was only desolation. Passionate despair that gave Sasuke strength even though his hands were already severely damaged.
‘Sasuke… I know the demon inside of me. But what’s yours?’
Another pang of sorrow pierced his heart. Things could have been so different.
“So what do you do?” Naruto asked. “When you’re not kicking stones?”
“I kick something else. Why?”
Despite the intense speed of his movements Naruto managed to shrug. “Looks like you don’t know how to relax. I asked you once if you’d like to go somewhere with me, remember? You said no way.”
Thick leaden clouds swallowed the sun. strong wind was blowing, making the tree tops flutter.
“I know how to relax, Naruto,” Sasuke retorted. “I’m just not bored enough to do it with you.”
Rain crushed down on the training ground like a waterfall. The boys staggered towards the cover and collapsed beneath the trees. Starbursts exploded before their eyes because of exhaustion. They could barely feel their bodies.
“Na… Naruto…” Sasuke breathed. “Get your head… off my… chest.”
Naruto shifted. And here he was wondering why the massive root of the tree suddenly felt so soft. He gave Sasuke his customary infernal grin and dropped his head on the damp grass.
It poured harder, but the two were too drained to get up. Naruto coked his head and watched the droplets of rain collect in the hollow by Sasuke’s collarbone. With a sweeping gesture Sasuke pulled his forehead protector off his head. His hair spilt over his face.
Naruto shivered as his felt Sasuke’s unnaturally warm fingers around his hand, wiping the blood off in gentle massaging motions.
“I’ve been here for four hours before you came,” he said casually.
Naruto gaped at him. It wasn’t even the pain that made him wonder how that was possible. It was boredom. Naruto could always make himself practice till exhaustion if he knew that would help him. He’d learnt to create shadow-clones after all, though it had always been his weak spot at the Academy.
But this was simply… insane. A waste of time.
By the look in Sasuke’s eyes he understood the youth would probably disagree.
“I had to know I could,” Sasuke murmured. He wrapped a fresh piece of bandage around Naruto hand carefully. “I had to prove myself I was patient enough. It’s a test of willpower.”
‘Oh right… You’re the avenger,’ Naruto mused darkly.
“Moreover, that pillar is everything I’m afraid of. And with every blow, with every jolt of pain I can feel this fear seep away. Out of me.”
‘Leaving you devastated. Sasuke, stop!’
Neither of them noticed that Sasuke was still holding Naruto’s hand.
The rain stopped. Sasuke pulled away, bitterness raw upon his face, and headed back to the pillar. He cast a single glance at Naruto over his shoulder, inviting him to join.
Naruto shook his head with a derisive smile.
“You know, I don’t think you need to prove anything. I might not know you that well but I know you well enough to see you’ll get everything right.”
Sasuke’s shoulders tensed, and then relaxed. Naruto didn’t see his face but he wanted to believe Uchiha was smiling. A rumbling in his stomach snapped Naruto back to reality. He threw up his arms and said in his usual noisy, cheerful voice:
“Well, that stone’s not going anywhere, right? Unless it gets really defensive and runs away to avoid any more thrashing! I think it’s about time I have some ramen!”
As he strode away prancing, he heard Sasuke snort in a kindly way: “Go ahead, you glutton!”
Maybe there was another way of getting closer to Uchiha Sasuke.
July 11-13, 2007