A New Way of Ninja, (Naruto)

12: Sasuke

[Opener: "Ready Aim Fire"--Imagine Dragons]

Rejoining the other Shinobi kids, the hero group told them Kakashi had not had anything helpful to add.

"At least you know he's not going to turn aside from revenge," Temari suggested. "Personally, I see that as a pointless endeavor. Living to get even is never going to get anything important done."

"Somehow, surprised that you said that," Dabi said. "The eye for an eye thing seems like it would fit with the villages not being nice to each other."

"It's wise if you already know that revenge is a waste of time," Shine said to Temari. "There's an old saying, 'he who seeks revenge digs two graves.' "

"But Sasuke has to turn aside," Naruto said. "What about our friendship?"

"Why do you keep going on about that?" Dabi asked. "Clearly, he doesn't care."

"That's not true!" Naruto and Sakura both argued.

"He has to care," Sakura said.

"Yeah, he must, deep down," Naruto said.

"Is friendship really a strong thing?" Dabi said.

"Friendship is what saved me from being alone," Naruto said.

"Well, that is what friendship is for." Momo didn't understand the importance of this statement. "But it doesn't sound as if being alone is something that Sasuke wishes to avoid that much. Or really, he won't be alone...if he's...with that man."

Naruto looked at her like she was crazy. "You don't really think that's the same kind of friendship?"

"No, not at all, I just mean that it's not his priority," Momo said.

"Sasuke is our friend," Naruto said. "That's why we'll save him."

"I'm confused." Momo looked at the other heroes. "Am I not understanding him?"

"No, I think he's just not making sense," Dabi said flatly.

[If you think I'm making this out to be worse that it was, rewatch literally any of Naruto's speeches about Sasuke. That's all they boil down to. I know fans will say I'm doing it dirty no matter what the show's real dialogue was, but I did plenty of show watching to prepare for this fic.]

"Love is a powerful thing," Gaara said. "Naruto taught me that having friends can help you control your anger."

"Naruto taught you that?" Dabi said.

Shine was looking from one of them to the other. "Okay," she said. "Perhaps this is something we should explore. It might help. Before we go after Sasuke, I should know anything good about him. Are there any acts of friendship that he's done or you've done for him that might indicate something he cares for more than revenge?"

"Sasuke risked his life for me once, against Zabuza," Naruto said. "He nearly died. And we fought together in the Chunin exams."

"But didn't he almost kill you yesterday?" Dabi objected.

"But he didn't." Naruto made fist. "That proves it."

"It might prove something..." Shine allowed. "So he has done some noble things."

"Objection." Tamari held up a hand. "The Chunin exam thing was more to prove he was stronger than Gaara than to protect his friend, from what I saw, and I saw a lot. I'm not sure that counts."

"I've never liked Sasuke," Shikamaru said.

"You said that before." Sakura frowned. "I don't understand why. He's cool."