That Damned Raven Haired Boy (SasuNaru)

Part 9

The way his limbs shook, the way his stomach churned, the way his shirt had become soaked through with sweat – none of that mattered as Naruto pushed himself up from hiding behind the bed and... froze.

There was Sasuke, rigid and already prepared for a fight, standing above Sakura's unconscious form. A light circle of red showed through her shirt. Her face was scrunched in pain and her breathing was quick. There was a sense of morbidity in the way she lay. Her body looking as if it had been laid out.

Her hands were around her stomach carefully and her head fell to the side, enshrouded in a wash of pink. Long thin legs crooked at the knees and her skirt managed to cover her thighs, preserving her modesty in a way that seemed almost planned.

Striking Sasuke with his searing gaze, Naruto waited. He would give the boy one second to try to explain how Sakura had ended up on the floor unconscious and bleeding. One second only.

Sasuke opened his mouth, about to say something – jump to his own defence – then stopped and glared at Naruto because he didn't need to explain himself to anyone.

'Second's up, bastard,' Naruto thought savagely as the dark-haired boy opened his mouth again; he stormed over to Sasuke, every step brisk and silent upon the carpeted floor. Through his eyes, he saw nothing but red. Red hatred, red blood, red fury, a streaming red need for vengeance...

Naruto clenched his jaw tight and stepped into Sasuke's space, staring up into the dark eyes that didn't care.

He could feel the heat emanating from the other's body and it did nothing to console him, rather it fanned the flames of his anger, unleashing something almost primal in the blonde. He grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt in a jerky movement he hadn't planned, and drew his fist back, prepared to send the arrogant, asshole into next week - but he stopped.

He wanted so badly to hear an excuse. He needed to hear an excuse. Maybe he just wanted Sasuke to admit it was because he had been worried for Naruto, and he couldn't help himself from removing the only obstacle between him and his goal. However, this didn't mean he wasn't still ready to rip the bastard's throat out.

"What the hell, Sasuke?" he demanded in a quiet snarl, his face inches away from the other's – eyes livid, teeth bared, nose crinkled in disgust.

He looked down at Sakura - crumpled and red and pained. "Just...what the hell?" His voice rose and he pushed against the other boy's chest, sending him into the wall with a deadened thump.

It wasn't enough. There had been no pain.

No deafening crash.

He pushed the bastard again, this time hard enough that the picture above the bed fell to the floor and shattered.

Impassive black eyes stared down at him. Enveloped him in their lack of existence.

"She's injured! Look at her?" Naruto's palm slammed into Sasuke's chest hard enough to bruise and he felt like his jaw was going to crack. "You fucking bastard. She's bleeding! Fuck!" He growled low in his chest with a deathly sneer on his face. Before him, Sasuke's expression bloomed into a scowl of irritation and he blinked at Naruto, uncaring. He looked awkward, pressed so tightly against the wall, Naruto thought absently.

But it wasn't enough.

"What the hell were you thinking?" The blonde's voice broke off in a strangled roar and he placed his hands on the beige wall, one on either side of Sasuke - pressed so close to the boy he spit on him when he spoke. "You know that she's injured... Fuck- Yousaw her go down. You saw all the blood. You know- Fucking bastard. Fucking absolute bastard!"