Bonds-A Team 7 FanFic

Bonds
A Team 7 Fanfic

“…Sasuke…” Naruto and Sakura said in unison. It had been so long. Nearly five years now, since Sasuke left the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Finally, they had found him. They had a chance to finally bring him back; to bring him home.

“Naruto…Sakura…” He glared down at them, “Why are you here?”

Waves crashed against the rocks. A raging river is all that separated the members of team number seven. Storm clouds threatened to release a downpour on them, but didn’t. Not yet. As if they were waiting for something. Naruto clenched one fist and Sakura’s brow furrowed.

“What do you mean ‘why are we here’?!” Sakura cried, “We want you to come back to Konoha with us! Please, Sasuke, come home!” Sakura had grown stronger over the years, and there was no sign of tears in her eyes just yet. Naruto was fighting to keep down his temper, the memories flooding his mind just as surely as they did Sakura’s. Over the years the seal that kept the Kyuubi inside of him had begun to weaken a bit, especially with his semi-frequent use of its chakra, and he couldn’t afford to lose control. He couldn’t mess up this chance…like last time.

“I already told you, didn’t I? Do not concern yourselves with me anymore. The path I walk does not lead back to Konoha.” For a moment, there was almost a sort of sadness in Sasuke’s eyes. As if, maybe, the path he walked wasn’t by his own choice, but another’s. It was Naruto’s turn.

“Then choose a different path! We want to help you, Sasuke! We’re your friends!!” Sakura nodded in agreement and Sasuke just stared at him.

“You don’t seem to have a very good memory, do you, idiot? Let me refresh it.” Suddenly Sasuke was standing on an almost nonexistent rock planted amidst the furious waters. The wind howled as he and Naruto exchanged glares. “We aren’t friends anymore. I broke that bond.” Naruto had to say something.

“Sasuke!! How can you say that?!! Why are you acting like this?! What did we do to you?!” Both fists were clenched now, and Naruto was edging closer to the foamy shore. For some reason, Sasuke actually smiled.

“Absolutely nothing.” He turned, and disappeared in a wave, the water drizzling Naruto’s face.

“No!! Stop! Sasuke!!” Naruto looked back at Sakura frantically, only to find her already gone. He blinked in surprise, and peered back over the river. Sakura’s white medical vest was obvious against the dark trees on the other side. In a moment, Naruto was on the other side as well. The first raindrops fell as he looked upon the scene.

Sakura had her arms wrapped around Sasuke’s waist and neither of them were moving. Her face was buried in his dark shirt, the tint of her pink hair blowing in the howling wind. All at once, Naruto’s temper disappeared. He could see her shuddering in sobs, and he knew why. He had given up a long time ago, forcing himself to accept that he would never be more than a friend to her. They had gone out a few times, and Sakura had even asked him to be her boyfriend. But it hadn’t lasted long. When she had asked Naruto to be more than a friend, when his dream had finally come true, she had used the words “Please, Naruto…help me forget…” and he had known exactly what she meant. She was tired of being in pain because of their former teammate. She needed to forget him. But to Naruto, those words ensured that every moment he saw her would remind him of his own pain. How he would never be more than a distraction. In fact, it had been he that had broken off the relationship. Raindrops began falling from the sky.

“Please, Sasuke…” Her muffled words broke Naruto’s thoughts. “…Don’t…don’t leave. Just…hear us out. Please…” Lightning flashed and for an instant Sasuke’s face was illuminated. His expression was hard to read, but he looked…happy. He wasn’t smiling, but the emotion was in his eyes. Either way, he wasn’t moving, and it looked like he didn’t intend to.

“Sakura…” Sasuke whispered. She looked up, her tear-stricken eyes eager just to hear him say her name, just to have him talk to her. “You’ve gotten faster…” Slowly, she started to smile. He hadn’t said it, but the words between the words had told her he agreed to stay, even if it was just to listen. She let go, and her hand brushed her eyes. Naruto stepped forward.

“Sasuke…”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, idiot?” The moon was trying in vain to peek between the storm clouds, and it was hard to tell, but Naruto could’ve sworn Sasuke was smiling like he used to. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, and he smiled warmly.

“Y-Yeah…”

“So…what do you want to tell me?” Naruto couldn’t believe it. Sasuke was really willing to listen. It caught him so off guard that he couldn’t find the words to say. He had been trying so hard to stop him, he hadn’t thought about the specific reasons behind it. Luckily, Sakura chimed in for him.

“Sasuke…we care about you. Everyone does. Nobody wanted you to leave, and everyone wants you to come back. Orochimaru’s dead now. He can’t give you anything anymore. And your brother…” Sakura looked down sadly. Naruto was afraid that she had said too much. Like the wrong word would make Sasuke disappear again. Because of this, he remained poised to tackle him. Sasuke just looked down though, and Naruto watched his hand close into a loose fist.

“You did it. You’ve had your revenge.” Sakura continued, “You can come back to Konoha now, right?” Sakura stepped forward, and slid her hand into Sasuke’s. He didn’t move, and Naruto didn’t breath. He expected Sasuke to turn tail and run…but he didn’t.

“…No. I can’t.” Sakura’s jaw dropped in anguish. “I’m sorry.” He pulled his hand free.

“Wh-Why?  What could you still have to do?!” Sasuke turned his head to look back at her, and then he glanced at Naruto.

“I have to get stronger…”

“Why?! Itachi is dead! You have no one left to beat!” Sakura cried. Naruto and Sasuke continued to stare at each other.

“Yes, I do.” Naruto’s face twisted in anger.

“Is that it?! You won’t come back cuz you have to get strong enough to beat me?!” He shot forward, inches from Sasuke’s face now. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!!” Sasuke only glared.

“You still don’t understand, idiot.” He sighed, “I will not get stronger in Konoha.” He walked forward, falling into the shadows of the trees. Naruto couldn’t take it anymore. He could feel his anger triggering the red chakra to seep into his keirakukei.

“What about us?! Don’t you give a crap about how we feel about this?! How any of your other comrades feel about this?!” Naruto was breathing heavily, and the silhouette in the trees didn’t move.

“I don’t have any comrades. I broke those bonds long ago, I told you that. Or have you forgotten already?” Sakura watched, tears building in her eyes, as Naruto’s whisker-like marks grew thicker and darker.

“Sasuke…” He growled, “Sakura and I have been training hard so we could find you. It won’t be like last time. If I have to, I will break every bone in your body and drag you back with us. You won’t win.” Sasuke smirked, though his face was hidden from his comrades.

“Naruto…no matter what happens, one thing will never change...” Blue sparks began to appear around Sasuke’s dark form, flashing small glimpses of his face. “You will never put so much as a scratch on my forehead.” That snapped Naruto’s temper clean in half and he moved to attack.

“Sasuke!! You ba-”

“Naruto! Stop!!” He felt Sakura’s hands weave through his arms and onto his chest. “Don’t attack!” She cried. Naruto was as bewildered by her words as by her arms around him. It was just like what she did to Sasuke. Sasuke…the one she…

“W-Why?! He’s not going to listen to reason, Sakura!! The only thing we can do is--”

“No! It won’t work, Naruto!”

“But--”

“It didn’t work last time did it? Why would it work now?!” Naruto froze. Sakura was right. He couldn’t lose it. He remembered the words of his late mentor, Jiraiya. “Sasuke has gone to Orochimaru of his own free will. There’s nothing you can do to change his mind.” He felt the red chakra drain from him, and a calm settled on his mind. Sakura felt his change, and she let go.

“I’ve told you this before, dunce. Last time, remember? Pain is what makes people strong. That’s why you and Sakura are stronger, because of the pain I’ve caused you. That’s why I am stronger, because of the pain Itachi caused me. That’s why you were strong back then, because of the pain you’ve lived through.” He paused, “That’s why I broke those bonds. It is the only way to be stronger. And I need to be stronger.”

“Sasuke, you didn’t break any bonds.” Sakura started, moving forward. That got his attention, and the sparks settled. “You can’t break them. No matter what you do.”

“What are you talking about?!” Sasuke was actually riled, and Naruto was surprised at Sakura’s point.

“You can’t break them. No matter how hard you try. Because you can’t do it alone.” Sasuke was listening now, more than ever, and so was Naruto. They were beginning to see what she was getting at. She held up two fingers, and looked directly at Sasuke’s eyes, even though she could not see them. “It takes two people to form a bond…and it takes two people to break it. You didn’t break any bonds Sasuke, because we didn’t let you. We refused to give up on you, and thus, the bond remained. Sure it caused us pain, and that pain drove us to get stronger. But it was because the bond was strained, not broken. It was because the bond was there, that we got stronger, Sasuke. Bonds don’t hinder you, they are what give you strength. Even more so than pain.” Naruto could only stare at Sakura. She had thought of a point that he had completely overlooked, and obviously one Sasuke had not seen. Although he was hidden, Sasuke was hit by her remarks hard. She was completely right, and he knew it. It all made so much sense to him now.

“…And when did you come up with that speech?” He retorted, trying not to give in to her reasoning. Naruto was eager to hear the answer as well.

“I did much more than train while you were gone, Sasuke. It was about a year ago that I realized this point. Bonds give you strength, Sasuke, that’s why they’re called bonds.” She looked down, and placed her hand on her heart, “Every time I think about you Sasuke, how you left us like that, left me, it hurts…” She stuttered, fighting the lump painfully growing in her throat. “R-right here. It hurts so bad I just…I just wanna tear my heart out to make it stop. I wanted to forget about you at one point, Sasuke.”  Naruto’s eyes widened, and he realized she was talking about when he and Sakura had been together. “But…but I couldn’t. No matter how hard I tried, the bond was still there. Because I refused to let it break. I still love you, Sasuke. And…” Naruto felt his heart skip a beat, “…and there was a time, back then, when I thought maybe…maybe you loved me too.” Sakura broke down crying and fell to her knees, letting her fingers scrunch the muddy soil.

Sasuke’s mind flashed back to just after the Chunnin Exams. When the Sand and Sound had attacked Konoha, and he had chased Gaara, he hadn’t been able to beat the boy with the gourd on his back. And yet, somehow, Naruto had been able to do just that. Finally, he realized why. It was because of the bond he shared with Sakura. Sasuke had been too reliant on the curse mark, and didn’t let the bond he had with Sakura give him any strength. So maybe it was true, what Sakura said, that it was bonds that give you the greater strength. Maybe that was Itachi’s intention in telling him he doesn’t “have enough hate.” Maybe he knew all along that hatred wouldn’t give him the power he longed for. Maybe it was just another way he had tricked Sasuke. All of these thoughts stirred in his mind as Sakura cried. Naruto grew angry.

“Well? Say something! Sasuke!!” Naruto roared over the wind. Sasuke didn’t say anything though, and actually moved from the shadows. Naruto’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Sasuke was…crying! He crouched down next to Sakura and put a hand on her back, causing her to look up.

“Sakura…I’m sorry…” He pulled her close, “I didn’t want to do that to you…” She embraced him tightly, and the tears didn’t hint at stopping. Naruto’s heart still hurt seeing them like that, but it felt right somehow at the same time. For the first time, Naruto was actually…happy for them. Sasuke helped Sakura get up to her feet, and he turned to Naruto, his eyes dry and a smile on his face. Naruto  couldn’t help but note that finally it wasn’t the evil smirk he had seen every time he had seen his old friend, but the smile of the rival and brother he knew.

“It seems my path does lead back to Konoha after all. Let’s go home.”