The Right Way Around: Book One

Chapter Three

A/N: Soooo... clearly a chapter a day is a thing with me right now? I have no idea how I'm punching out longer and longer chapters. This one is 14 pages long! Chapter 2 was 11 pages! And chapter 1 was 8! IT KEEPS GETTING LONGER AND I'M SORRY BUT NOT REALLY!

Also, the chapter kind of jumps around a bit. But I think it's pretty fluid in its transitions? At least I hope it is. Lots of different third-person viewpoints and scenes. Some more plot involved. But it's also another talky kind of chapter, so I hope it's not too boring.

Uhhh what else... what else... OH! Another brief break down and PTSD episode about Madara. So..there's THAT warning. Other than that, nothing super uber dark happens in this one. SHOCKING I KNOW!

Annnnnd I still don't the picture in the header or anything like that. Still love it though!

Anywho! ON WITH THE SHOW!

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Sasuke arrived at the park that their class used to regularly play at when they were younger. He sighed, shaking his head, hands in his pockets, head lowered in thought. The bright mid-day sun blanketed the park in its summer warmth. He didn't realize that everyone was already there and waiting for him. So when he looked up his eyes widened briefly, his walking pausing for a moment. He had not expected this. Even Shikamaru was there and entirely alert.

He swallowed as he neared his classmates. "He freaked out again yesterday when I had gone back to see him." He frowned, his forehead and brow creasing. "He just...flipped the out. His chakra was..." He shook his head, looking in the direction of the hospital.

Kiba frowned at that, observing Sasuke. "Do you think he'd freak out if it was one of us? You keep setting him off..." He shrugged. "Not like you guys have ever gotten along, so it makes sense."

"I think it should be someone who can stay calm." It was Chouji who voiced this opinion. "Sasuke might be too close to Naruto in a negative way?" He glanced at his best friend for his advice on what he had said.

Shikamaru let out a drawn-out sigh. "Did you find anything out, Sasuke?" He held the Uchiha's gaze, waiting for answers patiently. Everyone else went quiet, all attention now on Sasuke and Shikamaru.

"No. He wouldn't tell me a damn thing." He hesitated then huffed. "Well, he confirmed that he didn't kill anyone. And that the blood he was covered in was...all his." He cringed towards the end of his words because it was a frightful amount of blood. The guy had been thoroughly soaked in it, sure it was smeared, but you could barely tell it was Naruto under the layers of it.

The girls all grimaced at the imagery Sasuke weaved for them. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata all shared looks with each other. The rest of them, the boys, all looked shocked and curious. Of course, the guys were curious, they were guys.

Shino spoke up next. "Wasn't he discovered kilometers outside the village? At the center of the massive explosion we all saw?" It was true, Naruto's landing had been such an immense explosion that it had been seen for over 100km's.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, I heard the nurses talking about it. The weird thing was that where he was laying wasn't affected, everything around him was completely wrecked though."

Shikamaru frowned deeply, sitting down and going into his thinking pose. "Did you hear anything else?" He paused his mind, staring up at Sasuke.

Black eyes narrowed. "He has three broken ribs that are still healing, several fractures throughout his body that have mostly healed. Uhm... I saw...bite marks on him. Pretty sure there were more under the hospital clothes. Oh!" He looked at Ino. "They're getting your dad involved. I heard nurse Tomoko talking to one of the ANBU guarding Naruto that she was going to talk to the Hokage about it and to expect your father."