Perfectly Imperfect Love

oh

"Oh."

That wasn't the reaction Kakashi nor Yamato were expecting. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Huh. I wonder why they executed him?" Naruto asked nonchalantly, sliding off his mask to take a bite of an apple he had in his hands. His superiors looked at him in shock; his face was completely impassive, as if the news of his once-best-friend's death was something he already knew about, and didn't care for.

Ignoring his subordinate's indifference, Kakashi reread the scroll. "He killed the elders, and a few shinobi and ANBU, because they tried to put him into the CRA." He said. His eyes were clenched closed, a feeling of despair hitting him for a moment. He mourned his old student's death, and silently paid his respects. He hoped that wherever he was, Sasuke found the peace he could never find in this world.

The copy-nin had always noticed the last Uchiha's uncomfortable demeanor and tense expressions when he was in Konoha. The place bode alot of terrible memories for him. It wasn't home; nowhere was.

Naruto's face scrunched up a little, until he remembered what the CRA was. "Ah. I see." He replied. He felt a twinge in his chest when he heard some of his ANBU comrades were killed, and a small frown formed on his face.

He stood up, and walked towards the edge of the clearing. Sighing, he glanced back. "I'm gonna take a walk. I won't be far."

The blonde strode away calmly, glancing around the forest, enjoying the nature that surrounded him. He ended up finding a large oak tree to sit by as emotions, long forgotten emotions and thoughts, flew through his mind.

He slumped down onto the bark, palming his face with his hands as his mind reeled. Sasuke was dead. Killed. Gone.

Kakashi had followed Naruto, and observed his huddled form. The blonde was trembling; shaking visibly. The copy-nin frowned. Looks like he's taking it pretty hard...

The trembling grew, and Kakashi knew he was crying. He was about to leave, when he heard something he never thought he would ever hear at a time like this.

Naruto was laughing. "Pffft...hahaha!" He bellowed, his face now appearing from his arms, teary, grinning and borderline insane. Kakashi frowned. This is even worse than I thought... He mused, before he turned to go back to the camp.

The blonde kept laughing hysterically as his sensei left. He found it hilarious, absolutely amusing that Sasuke had been killed.

He had spent the majority of his teen years training for, working towards and just being completely focused on the task of bringing Sasuke back. And the very place he had fought so hard to bring his old friend back to was the place that killed him. Not Orochimaru, not the Akatsuki, not Itachi; Konoha.

The bastard is actually dead... He thought as he continued to chuckle. He didn't know what he was feeling; happiness or sorrow?

He almost felt bad; the last words he said to Sasuke were words of hate and scorn. But deep, deep down, he held onto his hatred. He knew it was folly and immature, but the two Uchihas had drove him to ANBU; drove him to the hellish paradise that is Otogakure. It's a shame I couldn't kill him myself.

At that thought, he froze, his eyes widened. Where the hell did that come from? Never, not in a million years, would he ever even think of killing a comrade. Sure, he'd threaten Sasuke with death a few times, but never as serious as his previous musing.

At times, he wished he had never joined ANBU. There was still a part of him, a very small part, that longed to be in Konoha with all of his friends. Perhaps, he would sometimes think, he was just being childish and overly jealous.