Soulmates (NaruSasu)

Chapter 5 (Sasuke)

It's been two months since that damned mission, and Naruto and I have been trying our best to avoid each other. We had agreed to that as soon as we had returned home. The only time I see him is when we're stuck doing stuff as a team with Sakura and Kakashi.

I don't know why, but his absence from my life only seems to hurt. Why can't I stop thinking about that Usuratonkachi?

The past two days have been miserable. I haven't met up with the team at all because something has been making me sick. Certain smells and tastes only seem to make the sickness worse, and I've been craving ramen. Specifically, I've been craving Pork Miso Ramen with Naruto fish cakes, but I'm too nauseated to even attempt to leave my apartment, let alone manage to get to Ichiraku to get the offensive ramen that my body has been begging for.

"Stupid Sensei making me come check on Sasuke," I hear Naruto's grumble from just outside the door to my apartment.

Even though we've been avoiding each other on purpose, I can't help the fluttering of my heart when I hear his voice.

I'm already at the door when he knocks, and I immediately pull the door open.

"What are you doing here, Dobe?" I try to make my voice sound cold, but I fail miserably as I smell the ramen in his hands.

Naruto gives me a small smile. "We were getting Ramen, and Kakashi Sensei suggested that I take some to you and see how you're doing. I hope you don't mind that I brought what I would normally get."

I shrug, trying to seem nonchalant, but in reality every part of me is excited to see him, especially my stomach as I realize that his normal ramen order is the exact thing I've been craving the past two days. "I think I'll survive with your poor taste in ramen."

My bored voice sounds unconvincing, even to me. I'm sure that even an idiot like Naruto can tell that I'm happy to see him.

I didn't realize just how hungry I was until the ramen touched my mouth. I start gulping the food down in a way that I've only ever seen Naruto eat food.

"Is everything okay, Teme?" he asks me.

I wait until my mouth is empty to respond. Just because I'm eating like him doesn't mean I will talk like him too.

"I just haven't eaten much because of being sick." I shrug. "It's the first that eating hasn't nauseated me."

Normally I wouldn't tell anyone something like that, but for some reason I feel like confiding in the Dobe. Ugh! What is wrong with me?

A look of concern crosses Naruto's face. "Have you gone to get looked at? I'm sure Grandma Tsunade would be discreet if you went to her."

"First off, since when did you know words like discreet?" I ask slightly sarcastic. "And second, she's the Hokage. Tsunade-Sama is too busy to check a Genin's upset stomach."

He shrugs. "I'm smarter than you think. Datebayo. And I just figured it would be less embarrassing to you to go to Grandma Tsunade than going to the hospital."

I can't deny that Naruto has a point, but instead of saying anything back, I just continue eating. The second container of food confuses me because he hasn't eaten anything.

"Who's the second bowl for?"

He starts to rub the back of his neck. "Well, Kakashi Sensei and I both had the idea to get you some ramen, but we didn't realize it until after we both bought it. I don't know what he ordered, though. I guess it's a surprise."

I cautiously open the second container of ramen to find that the broth is red. Shit, he actually remembered what I ordered last after Ichiraku started selling tomato ramen. Tomatoes are one of the things that have been making my stomach worse.

"Why don't you take it," I suggest. "You like ramen more than I do."

He glances at the contents before giving me another worried look. Of course the idiot has realized that tomatoes are my favorite food. Now he's going to ask why I don't want it.

"Sure." He shrugs his shoulders and closes the lid of the container. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I sigh. "I'm fine, Dobe. I'm sure I'll be back on missions soon. Don't worry about it."

Naruto gives me a look that shows he isn't convinced, and makes an excuse to leave taking the tomato ramen with him.

Now that I've finished the food Naruto brought me, my stomach actually feels calm. Maybe I'll actually be able to meet up with my team tomorrow.

The next morning finds me back to feeling like utter shit, and to make matters worse, I hear Naruto outside my apartment talking to Tsunade.

"He's probably got a simple stomach bug, Naruto," Tsunade tells him in a scolding tone as I rush to the door knowing the temper of the Fifth Hokage.

"I'm telling you, Granny, he's not acting like himself," Naruto defends. "He was eating the ramen I brought him yesterday as if he hasn't eaten in forever, and he refused the tomato ramen Kakashi Sensei sent for him. Sasuke doesn't refuse anything with tomatoes."

The look on the Hokage's face as I open the door only shows her irritation with the hyperactive blonde that dragged her to my apartment, but as soon as she looks down at me, it turns to one of concern.

"I told you that I'm fine, Usuratonkachi," I growl at Naruto.

"You're not fine, even if you won't admit it!" he bites back his voice laced with an even mixture of irritation and concern.

I would glare at him, but another wave of nausea hits me sending me right back to where I was when they arrived. Tsunade tells Naruto to stay put before she follows me to where I'm currently kneeling.

"I wonder..." she murmurs.

Once I'm done vomiting, Tsunade-Sama has me lead her to my room where she tells me to lay down so she can examine me to appease my stubborn teammate. Her face gets more and more confused as she moves the green chakra on her palm to different parts of my abdomen.

"I need to look something up," is the only explanation I get before she drags Naruto out of my apartment.

As they're leaving, I hear Naruto call out something along the lines of having left food on my table, so I head to the kitchen while I wait for the Hokage to tell me what she found.