Midnight

Chapter Thirty

The leaves coloured the ground with a deep red as they separated from the trees and fell by the wind. October was leaving soon and the temperature dropped with each day. Still it was warmer here than the country they had left behind. The men they had captured should have arrived more than a week ago with Sai and the anbu team. A request was made from the alliance to retreat missing nins from each country. So he had to spend another five days to accompany the team Kumo had sent.
A leaf fall on his shoulder and turned to brush it away. He saw on his right the exhausted face of Nara. He was the communicating link between Konoha and the other Kages. Every intel he received, he had to give it a thought and then pass the information. He wondered if she was the one that wrote the letters.
Akimichi still held his smile and offered to both a snack, lazily, without saying a word. He was beaten up too.
The mission was hard. The weather conditions in the land of snow offered the perfect cover. They had to search for days to find the slightest clue and even then, their efforts failed. The summer there was less than a month, the cold already present when he had arrived. When the other two came, the snow fell at night. They had taken a different root than him to explore all possibilities and it took them a week to meet up. When Nara had sent his report for their progress or the lack of any, implying that maybe their suspicions might be wrong or they were too late, the answer that came helped finding the first trace. Search for a lake, they had sent from Konoha. She had thought it, he knew.
Nara brushed his face with his hands and his pace quickened. He was eager to return. Akimichi placed his hand, queitly on his arm, to stop the acceleration of his speed. Sasuke glared at them and walked faster.
The wounds on his arm pained him, and maybe the man thought he was doing him a favour but he despised pity. And his need to return was bigger than the pain.
The gates seemed more red now. Like they were freshly painted. Maybe they were, to match the red and brown of the trees.
He could not see if anyone was there, waiting. His feet took more quick steps and the others followed his movement.
They all needed rest. A hot bath and a warm meal would be welcomed. But his need was another.
They graduatly were able to point some figures behind the entrance. The voice calling him reached them before they could understand who the people waiting were.
Naruto was a loud mouth.
"You became old and slow, teme." He said when they entered, a grin on his face. "You missed my birthday." He laughed.
"Welcome back." Sakura addressed to all but her eyes were at none.
Yamanaka had dismissed his presence entirely as she thrown herself on her teammates.
"You stink." She said as she wrapped her arms to hug them.
"I heard you took a detour and passed through Kumo." She said as she let them breath. She smiled devishly at Akimichi and he turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Let him relax, Ino." Nara said trying to sound less exhausted.
Sasuke searched for anyone else but as it seemed these three were the ones that had come.
"Later." He said and walked.
"Sasuke-kun you should come for an examination." Sakura's voice reached his ears. "I mean all of you should." She continued when his gaze turned on her. He glanced at Nara then.
It was a minor injury. The others had been hurt too, but the man with the monotone voice had made it a purpose to make this more troubling than it should.
"Later." He said again.
"But.." She tried to convince him otherwise. He was not stupid, he never liked hospitals but he would not leave a wound untreated, since he had the time.
"He needs a bath first." Naruto was the one that cut her off. Sasuke looked at him, they way he addressed her was unusual, angry even. But it passed in the next second.
"He is a tough bastard but he seriously smells like shit." He said and laughed again.
They walked the rest of the road to his house just the two of them.
"Your house is full of instant ramen." The blonde said as they reached their destination. His lips turned in disgust.
"Hey, be grateful." He said and punched lightly on his arm. He pressed the noise of pain.
"Take a bath, eat and then go to the hospital." The blue eyes were serious. "Sakura is right."
He made a sound of confirmation and took the steps up to his door.
He was ready to open it but stopped.
"How are the interrogations go?" He said without turning around.
"Good. Gaara was prepared in case you failed. They will transfer the leader there now that you are back."
"Hn." He said but he still didn't enter.
"Hinata-chan was amazing." Naruto's words beaming. "Ino proposed to transfer her on her department.
"So Hyuga continues the work." He said, almost asking. He shot a side glance to the man behind him.
"Yeah. Why?" Naruto questioned not only with his words.
"I see." He entered and closed the door behind him.
He throwed his clothes to the floor except from the blouse he was wearing under his cape. It had kept him warm, despite the cold, more than the cold.
He removed his bandages and let the water fall on his wounds. He tried to focus on the pain on his arm.
He changed and went to his kitchen. He opened the fridge, the rotten smell hit his nose. He took a bag and throwed the vegetables that were long spoiled. Naruto had come but he was never the most tidy person.
The cupboards were filled with ramen as his friend had promised. He morphed but he was hungry. As the hot water poured on the cup, he sat on the table to eat. He watched as the steam floated into the air and the smell filled the room.
She hadn't come. She wasn't on a mission away from the village either. He had confirmed that.
She was fine. If not, Naruto would have said something, even if he wouldn't ask. He had a way to learn about her without really asking. It had been almost three months that he was gone.
She didn't come, even out of courtesy.
He took a bite. He had to report to Kakashi later and then he should go to the hospital.
He was busy. Maybe he would have to travel to Suna to escort the transfer of the prisoners.
He had many things to do, so he took another bite.
His lips turned sour and he blamed the awful taste of the food and the pain on his right arm.