Chapter 76 : Acceptance (4)

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"Kurama tells me you've discovered who you really are…" Naruto suddenly said. The two were taking a short break from their training. Naruto decided to train himself alongside Sasuke. It bettered the training mood if everyone worked up a sweat.

"Hn." Sasuke replied. He was so exhausted that he didn't even want to talk right now. They rarely took breaks, and Naruto was a damn sadistic slave driver. He couldn't help it though. This was how Kakashi had taught him…

"You don't really know what that means though, do you?" The blond asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "No. And I don't really care."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?" he asked.

Sasuke sighed. It looked like he wasn't going to get much rest. "Whatever we were, whatever we're meant to do… I don't care. I'm done with other's telling me how to live my life." Memories of Itachi urging him to cling to his 'pathetic life' rang through his mind.

"I figure that standing beside you instead of against you will help me. I… I'm still so angry. I find myself hating everything for no reason." He let out a deep breath. "I'm tired. Aren't you?"

Naruto smirked. Sasuke was definitely different, just like him. "You have no idea how so."

"Then let's just stop. Let's end it here, now. I… I want to be able to love again… I want someone to love me…" He said softly, not at all embarrassed. He could be totally honest with Naruto. They were brothers after all.

Naruto smiled. "You know, that sounds good to me." His smile turned softer, and a little more serious. "And you already have someone that loves you, Sasuke. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it." The cherry blossom replaced Itachi's words. "You just need to accept her. Accept her and let her make you happy."

Sasuke's eyes turned to the clouds. He never understood what Shikamaru saw in just watching the condensed water. But now, as tired as he was, he understood. "Give me an extra five minutes and I'll ask her on a date the first thing I do when we get back."

"Three minutes." Naruto smirked.

"Deal." The Uchiha rolled back over on his side, trying to hide his slightly redder cheeks and small smile.

Silly Sasuke, the Kamikage could see everything.

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Hayate slowly opened his eyes. He was finally starting to get over being brought back from the dead. It was a strange feeling. There were no after effects, besides his lack of chronic cough, but he felt like… like he didn't deserve it.

He was just a random Tokubetsu Jonin. Why did Naruto risk his life to bring him back? Yeah, he was Yugao's fiancé, but at the time he had been hurt by his sister. He claimed that he'd no longer stay with them, or so Yugao told him, so why did he still decide to help him?

He decided to ask him when he got back, but right now; he had more important matters to deal with. He sat up in his bed, yawning as he stretched. He didn't even look at the empty place in the bed.

He already knew where Yugao was. He got out of bed, stretching again as he made his way out of the room. Yugao had been excused from service for two weeks now. She needed to get her emotions under control. She couldn't stand herself for what she did to Naruto. She knew he could feel her hate towards him.

He hadn't done anything wrong, and she had hated him. She felt sick, and the entire two weeks, Hayate would wake up to an empty bed.

He walked down the hallway, coming to a stop at the room Naruto used. He opened the door and entered. All of his stuff was still here, him leaving with his student the moment he woke from the Hospital. In his bed, Yugao laid, curled up in his sheets.

He walked over to the bed, sighing when he saw her puffy eyes. She was so upset with herself. She'd end up here every night for the two weeks he was gone. Hayate didn't know what he could do for her. She wouldn't listen to a thing anyone said. She hurt her Otouto, and she felt like scum because of it.

She was supposed to be there for him no matter what. He had done everything for her. And even when she hated him, he risked his own life to bring her fiancé back to her. She didn't deserve Hayate, or Naruto.

Hayate did the only thing he could do. He laid next to his fiancé, not even surprised when she whimpered and clung to him. She could barely sleep, even in Naruto's bed.

He spent the next hour rubbing Yugao's back gently, trying to stop the tears that ran down her face. Yugao was a silent crier, which was even worse. It seemed like she was in even more pain this way then if she cried out loud.

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Naruto signaled for Sasuke to stop what he was doing. There was an uninvited guest about to show their face. It only took ten seconds for Gaara to appear at the secluded clearing outside the village.

"Ah, the Tanuki make's his appearance." Naruto said with a smirk. "What can we do for you on this humble day, Gaara?" There was no reason they couldn't be friendly.

"You know about the invasion, don't you?" He asked bluntly.

Sasuke nodded his head. This guy had balls. He could respect that.

Naruto did something Gaara didn't expect. "Sure do." He said simply with a smile.

"You don't seem to care." Gaara said with a hint of curiosity.

"Oh, I do care. It's just…" He crossed his arms and adopted a thinking pose. "Well, think about it like this." His face turned sinister. "You and all the others who think they can take Konoha are like a bug." He said while pointing at Gaara.

"And me… I'm the boot." He finished while pointing at himself. Sasuke smirked. "So I dare you to try and raze Heaven. Then you and everyone else will see what happens when I'm really angry."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. He really wanted to just attack the blond right now, but mother kept screaming at him to leave. It infuriated him that she didn't crave his blood. He wanted to prove his existence, and the Kamikage wasn't allowing him to do so.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Gaara felt… like he once did. He just wanted to wake up. His method was flawed though. Maybe, just maybe, he could help the Jinchuuriki with his problem. It depended on him surviving his assault though, because he was not going to pull his punches. That would be his first step.

Surviving

"Was there anything else you needed, Gaara? We were kind of in the middle of something." Naruto finally said after an awkward moment of silence.

Gaara didn't say a word. He just turned around and started walking away.

"He's like us, isn't he?" Sasuke asked when Gaara was finally out of sight.

Naruto nodded. "Maybe." He rolled his shoulders. "Let's get back to it."

Sasuke nodded. He was eager to continue. He had gotten over the exhaustion and now looked forward to the burn of his muscles and tenketsu. He was getting much stronger. He could feel it. He felt good.

He felt like a Monster.

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