Faded (Naruto Fanfiction) [Sasuke/Naruto] *Possibly being revised in 2020*

Chapter IV

A week after Naruto was released, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Neji, Tenten and Rock Lee visited the Uchiha complex after attempting to visit him and being told he wasn't in the hospital anymore. The group burst into the complex, yelling for the Uchiha and searching for Naruto.

"Naruto!" Yelled Kiba, rapping sharply on the door, rousing the sleeping Uchiha. Sasuke searched around for Naruto when he heard the noise, knowing that he didn't like loud noises or yelling. Once he spotted him cowering in the bathroom in the half light, he stomped towards the door, slamming it open and shushing the Inuzuka at once.

"Shut up!" he whisper-shouted, slamming his hand onto the boy's wide mouth with his eyes wide and an annoyed look on his face. "If you want to see Naru that badly, you have to be quiet and listen to me at all times."

"Huh? Why should I do that?" exclaimed the brunette, ripping Sasuke's hand off his mouth. "I'm going in." The Inuzuka pushed past the ravenette, storming towards the sound of Naruto closing the door to the bathroom he was hiding in. The rest of the group pushed forward, Sasuke being moved far away from the room containing the blond.

"Come on Naruto!" he shouted, thumping on the door. "Get your ass out of there! We haven't seen you for ages! Why are you stuck with the Uc-" It was then that Sasuke managed to push through the gang. The ravenette punched the cheek of the fanged boy before pushing him to the ground and kicking his stomach.

It was then that everyone was silent and they could hear the sobbing coming from the bathroom. "N-naruto." stuttered Hinata as Sasuke began to talk to him from the other side of the door.

"Naru? Please let me in. Open the... open the door, please?" he whispered softly, resting the back of his head against the door whilst glaring at the group who had invaded his house and terrified his love. The sobbing from the bathroom quietened as a voice faintly came out.

"Sa?" hiccuped Naruto, his voice hoarse as he sniffled on the cold tiled floor.

"Come out Naru. It's much nicer out here. Warm and soft. I'm here." Sasuke persuaded through the door as the rest of Konoha 9 settled themselves on Sasuke's numerous stools along the counter in the adjacent room.

"Sa?" The blond questioned as he slid the thick metal bolt from the door. A dishevelled blonde head peeked out from the crack of the open door before the boy crawled out onto Sasuke's lap, hiding his red eyes in the noirette's chest. By then Konoha 9 were shocked to their very core. This was the Naruto they knew? Where was the ball of sunshine and pranks which they grew to love?

"Come back later." Sasuke stated firmly, clasping Naruto to his chest as the boy hiccuped in his grasp. Slowly the boy drifted into an uncomfortable sleep after a few minutes of glaring from Sasuke to Konoha 9. A knock on the door made all the occupants stop talking in favour of looking there. At the door, there was a man with grey gravity-defying hair and a red sharingan eye.

"Yo."

"Sensei." said Sasuke monotonously, avoiding the gazes of the rest of the house.

"I just got back from a mission and I heard Naruto was in the hospital." The man began, closing the door behind him. "I went there and they said he was with you. So, where is he?" Kakashi questioned, turning his body around before halting in his movement once he saw the bundle of blonde in Sasuke's arms. "Is that Naruto?" He questioned, eyes widening and he lifted up his right arm as if reaching for him.

Sasuke seemed to hiss at him, standing up and walking backwards with a disgusted look on his face. His facade came into place as soon as he realised what he was doing. "I'm putting Naru to bed." The ravenette promptly turned to exit the room as Kakashi began to question the others.

Naruto woke up fairly quickly after he was put into a bed. He had woken abruptly from a nightmare. Silent tears streamed down his face as he stumbled out in an attempt to find the raven haired boy who cared. 'They hit. Why they hit? Hurts. I hurt.' Seeing a light at the end of the windowless corridor, he walked towards it, supporting his exhausted body using the wall. "S-sa?" he stuttered as he came into the light. 'People. Not Sa. Who? Sa where?' He backed out the room again as the figures closed in on him. "SA!" He screamed, deterring Konoha 9 from approaching him. "SA! SA! SA!" He repeated the word over and over before falling to his knees gripping his blonde hair. As he blacked out, he saw his Raven pushing through the people to pick him up in his arms.