Manicherryblossom33
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Hello dear readers! Thank you for being understanding and patient as I work through my grief! Please enjoy chapter thirteen.
Chapter thirteen:
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
"Did Sakura do that?"
Naruto was silent, with Sasuke gripping his shoulder. The rain was so heavy and blinding, not to mention ice cold. And Naruto had been standing in it, at the final valley, with a swollen cheek and black eye.
"Did you fight?" Sasuke asked, shaking him. Naruto just kept staring up at the sky, his hood pulled over his head, looking completely lost.
"Oi, Naruto!" Sasuke yanked him around by the shoulders, shaking him. "What are you doing out here? You know we can't leave the village unless going on a mission. How long have you been out here, exactly?"
Naruto's head dropped, smiling weakly.
"A few hours." He answered.
"What for? It's not like you..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. If he had been out here for hours then.... "Why aren't your wounds healed yet?"
"I don't want them to heal..." The rain had washed his bangs down in front of his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke was annoyed now. He was acting like some... Sulking child. It really wasn't like him. "What did Sakura hit you for this time? Did you make her cry or something?"
He didn't say anything.
"She sent me out here." Sasuke stated. "She and the others panicked when we couldn't find you. Hey, are you listening?"
Naruto raised his head enough that one eye peeked out from behind his bangs. He chuckled, sounding even more miserable than his expressions implied, and tapped his first against Sasuke's shoulder.
Then he perked up, grinning like his idiotic usual self as if nothibg were wrong and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"C'mon, buddy!" He beamed. "Time to go back!"
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
"So that's what happened..." Tsunade spoke into her laced hands.
Sasuke hoped she had something to add after he ditched Sakura to come and tell her this.
"And you don't know who gave him those wounds?" She asked.
"No." He answered. "He wouldn't tell me. And I know Sakura didn't do it, since she was surprised to see him so beat up."
"I was unaware of this, but maybe that's why he has so many scars." Tsunade wrung her hands together. "He still, subconsciously, doesn't want his wounds heal. How strange... I wonder what happened."
"Could he really stop healing quickly just like that?" Sasuke asked.
"Perhaps." She nodded. "Things are different now that he has tamed nine tails."
"Who do you think did that to him?" Sasuke asked.
Tsunade caught the hostility in his voice and locked eyes with him.
"I'll do my best to find out, but Sasuke, you must promise me you won't take this into your own hands."
He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Don't look at me that way." She warned. "If you hurt anyone in his name while he's like this, you're the one who will be in trouble once he returns to normal."
Sasuke turned on his heel and left, ignoring her.
He still had some time before they left for the mission. There was at least one other person he suspected could have been responsible for this.
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
"Why'd you want to come here?" He grumbled at the sight of the Yamanaka Flower Shop.
"Hey, I didn't say you needed to come!" Naruto pointed at him, half smiling, half annoyed. It was the usual, kidding expression he shared with Sasuke.
"You should be more careful with girls." Sasuke warned, dead serious. "Especially this girl. Don't say dangerous words."
"Yeah, I know how scary Ino is when you mouth off to her." Naruto folded his arms and nodded. "But she should be fine with me visiting her since I'm a customer this time."
"That's not what I--" Sasuke started to say as Naruto ran in.
"Ino!" He yelled. "Yo, Ino! Ino! Where're you?! Ino!"
"What is it?!" She marched through the doorway wearing an apron and looking fed up.
She noticed Sasuke and immediately smiled.
"Sasuke!" She clapped her hands together. "Hey, cutie! You should have told me you'd be visiting our shop! I would've freshened up first!"
"I just came with him." He pointed at Naruto while remaining a safe distance away. "I'm not buying anything."
Her jaw dropped. "Naruto? YOU'RE here to buy our flowers?"
Naruto nodded, looking around. "It's Sakura-chan's special day, so Sasuke and I are getting her presents."
Ino's face fell. "You guys didn't get ME anything when I became jounin."
"Shikamaru and Choji did, so what does it matter?" Naruto looked around. "What does Sakura-chan like?"
Ino, still grumpy, eyed the Fujibakama, but sighed and instead pointed out the cherry blossoms.
"It's a bit typical since her name is Sakura," Ino stated, "but cherry blossoms are said to be the most beautiful flowers, more so than the cosmos."
Naruto frowned at them. "These are expensive."
"I'll give you a discount since you're a freind."
He shot to his feet, arms in the air. "You rule, Ino!"
She smiled calmly, blushing and looking questioningly at Sasuke.
"Oh yeah." Naruto relaxed, curious again. "Do you have any red or yellow flowers?"
"Why? Are you going to spoil her?" Ino asked, upset.
"Nah, these other ones are for graves!"
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
He didn't hesitate to walk into the flower shop this time, right up to the front desk.
"Where's Ino?" He asked, shoving aside a female customer whose eyes turned into little beating hearts when he touched her.
The clerk, Ino's mother, could not have been more displeased.
"What do you want with my daughter?" She asked.
"I need to speak with her."
"Mom, please!" Ino poked her head out and sent Sasuke a flirty smile. "Back here, Sasuke."
He walked around, leaving the shop and entering her house, something he'd sworn never to do after Ino had ambushed him one too many times on his way home from the ninja academy.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" She leaned against the window, showing off the fact that she was wearing only a bathrobe.
"Do you remember when I came here with Naruto?" He asked, getting straight to the point.
She paled, looking away. "Umm... Yeah."
He narrowed his eyes at her suspicious behavior.
"You were looking at him strangely that day." Sasuke stated. "And sending me questioning looks. Like you believed you could use him to get to me."
She shifted uncomfortably.
"Do you know how he ended up with those wounds?" He approached her, demanding the truth.
She wrung her hands together.
"Ino!" He hissed, making her look up at him with pleading eyes.
"I-It was just a joke!"
"We can't keep him locked up forever." Tsunade warned.
"We can as long as we are unsure of his loyalties." Homura argued.
"I don't believe he's a threat." Koharu stated. "He could have chosen to attack Ibiki, but instead was very cooperative. He IS withholding information."
"He's protecting them." Tsunade decided. "But why?"
"They're a dying bloodline." Homura reminded. "They've been very precautions, not even approaching us despite our history together."
"Seto seemed to be picking a fight with us by attacking Ame." Tsunade said. "But Naruto stopped him. I don't think he would be protecting them if they were a threat to us."
"Yes," Homura agreed, "But even so--"
Shizune threw the door open. "Lady Tsunade!"
"What is it?" She asked.
"Um... The Kazekage is here. Early. For the chunin exams. And Lord Raikage is sending Lord Killer Bee's team in his place."
Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Chunin exams. Forgot about that..."
"You sound stressed."
He walked in, accompanied by his siblings.
"Good to see you too, Gaara."
Chapter thirteen:
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
"Did Sakura do that?"
Naruto was silent, with Sasuke gripping his shoulder. The rain was so heavy and blinding, not to mention ice cold. And Naruto had been standing in it, at the final valley, with a swollen cheek and black eye.
"Did you fight?" Sasuke asked, shaking him. Naruto just kept staring up at the sky, his hood pulled over his head, looking completely lost.
"Oi, Naruto!" Sasuke yanked him around by the shoulders, shaking him. "What are you doing out here? You know we can't leave the village unless going on a mission. How long have you been out here, exactly?"
Naruto's head dropped, smiling weakly.
"A few hours." He answered.
"What for? It's not like you..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. If he had been out here for hours then.... "Why aren't your wounds healed yet?"
"I don't want them to heal..." The rain had washed his bangs down in front of his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke was annoyed now. He was acting like some... Sulking child. It really wasn't like him. "What did Sakura hit you for this time? Did you make her cry or something?"
He didn't say anything.
"She sent me out here." Sasuke stated. "She and the others panicked when we couldn't find you. Hey, are you listening?"
Naruto raised his head enough that one eye peeked out from behind his bangs. He chuckled, sounding even more miserable than his expressions implied, and tapped his first against Sasuke's shoulder.
Then he perked up, grinning like his idiotic usual self as if nothibg were wrong and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"C'mon, buddy!" He beamed. "Time to go back!"
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
"So that's what happened..." Tsunade spoke into her laced hands.
Sasuke hoped she had something to add after he ditched Sakura to come and tell her this.
"And you don't know who gave him those wounds?" She asked.
"No." He answered. "He wouldn't tell me. And I know Sakura didn't do it, since she was surprised to see him so beat up."
"I was unaware of this, but maybe that's why he has so many scars." Tsunade wrung her hands together. "He still, subconsciously, doesn't want his wounds heal. How strange... I wonder what happened."
"Could he really stop healing quickly just like that?" Sasuke asked.
"Perhaps." She nodded. "Things are different now that he has tamed nine tails."
"Who do you think did that to him?" Sasuke asked.
Tsunade caught the hostility in his voice and locked eyes with him.
"I'll do my best to find out, but Sasuke, you must promise me you won't take this into your own hands."
He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Don't look at me that way." She warned. "If you hurt anyone in his name while he's like this, you're the one who will be in trouble once he returns to normal."
Sasuke turned on his heel and left, ignoring her.
He still had some time before they left for the mission. There was at least one other person he suspected could have been responsible for this.
FLASHBACK STARTS HERE
"Why'd you want to come here?" He grumbled at the sight of the Yamanaka Flower Shop.
"Hey, I didn't say you needed to come!" Naruto pointed at him, half smiling, half annoyed. It was the usual, kidding expression he shared with Sasuke.
"You should be more careful with girls." Sasuke warned, dead serious. "Especially this girl. Don't say dangerous words."
"Yeah, I know how scary Ino is when you mouth off to her." Naruto folded his arms and nodded. "But she should be fine with me visiting her since I'm a customer this time."
"That's not what I--" Sasuke started to say as Naruto ran in.
"Ino!" He yelled. "Yo, Ino! Ino! Where're you?! Ino!"
"What is it?!" She marched through the doorway wearing an apron and looking fed up.
She noticed Sasuke and immediately smiled.
"Sasuke!" She clapped her hands together. "Hey, cutie! You should have told me you'd be visiting our shop! I would've freshened up first!"
"I just came with him." He pointed at Naruto while remaining a safe distance away. "I'm not buying anything."
Her jaw dropped. "Naruto? YOU'RE here to buy our flowers?"
Naruto nodded, looking around. "It's Sakura-chan's special day, so Sasuke and I are getting her presents."
Ino's face fell. "You guys didn't get ME anything when I became jounin."
"Shikamaru and Choji did, so what does it matter?" Naruto looked around. "What does Sakura-chan like?"
Ino, still grumpy, eyed the Fujibakama, but sighed and instead pointed out the cherry blossoms.
"It's a bit typical since her name is Sakura," Ino stated, "but cherry blossoms are said to be the most beautiful flowers, more so than the cosmos."
Naruto frowned at them. "These are expensive."
"I'll give you a discount since you're a freind."
He shot to his feet, arms in the air. "You rule, Ino!"
She smiled calmly, blushing and looking questioningly at Sasuke.
"Oh yeah." Naruto relaxed, curious again. "Do you have any red or yellow flowers?"
"Why? Are you going to spoil her?" Ino asked, upset.
"Nah, these other ones are for graves!"
FLASHBACK ENDS HERE
He didn't hesitate to walk into the flower shop this time, right up to the front desk.
"Where's Ino?" He asked, shoving aside a female customer whose eyes turned into little beating hearts when he touched her.
The clerk, Ino's mother, could not have been more displeased.
"What do you want with my daughter?" She asked.
"I need to speak with her."
"Mom, please!" Ino poked her head out and sent Sasuke a flirty smile. "Back here, Sasuke."
He walked around, leaving the shop and entering her house, something he'd sworn never to do after Ino had ambushed him one too many times on his way home from the ninja academy.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" She leaned against the window, showing off the fact that she was wearing only a bathrobe.
"Do you remember when I came here with Naruto?" He asked, getting straight to the point.
She paled, looking away. "Umm... Yeah."
He narrowed his eyes at her suspicious behavior.
"You were looking at him strangely that day." Sasuke stated. "And sending me questioning looks. Like you believed you could use him to get to me."
She shifted uncomfortably.
"Do you know how he ended up with those wounds?" He approached her, demanding the truth.
She wrung her hands together.
"Ino!" He hissed, making her look up at him with pleading eyes.
"I-It was just a joke!"
"We can't keep him locked up forever." Tsunade warned.
"We can as long as we are unsure of his loyalties." Homura argued.
"I don't believe he's a threat." Koharu stated. "He could have chosen to attack Ibiki, but instead was very cooperative. He IS withholding information."
"He's protecting them." Tsunade decided. "But why?"
"They're a dying bloodline." Homura reminded. "They've been very precautions, not even approaching us despite our history together."
"Seto seemed to be picking a fight with us by attacking Ame." Tsunade said. "But Naruto stopped him. I don't think he would be protecting them if they were a threat to us."
"Yes," Homura agreed, "But even so--"
Shizune threw the door open. "Lady Tsunade!"
"What is it?" She asked.
"Um... The Kazekage is here. Early. For the chunin exams. And Lord Raikage is sending Lord Killer Bee's team in his place."
Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Chunin exams. Forgot about that..."
"You sound stressed."
He walked in, accompanied by his siblings.
"Good to see you too, Gaara."
It was amazing!
