Everybody's Fool

Introit
This is only a FanFiction written by a hapless fan and is therefore non-canon to the actual anime.

Obviously, I do not own Naruto and I do not claim to own it. It is owned by some company in Japan that, by now, must be incredibly rich and instilling jealousy into the hearts of pathetic commoners such as us. (Also, if you notice, I am writing the headers in the Evanescence typeface. I don’t own it either; I only have it because I am helplessly devoted to them).

This FanFiction contains some events that have not yet happened in the Naruto anime, and [hopefully] never will. If you can hope that they don’t happen, then goddamn it, they will not happen—and I’ll be damned if they do happen. Namely, this FanFiction highlights a fictional romance between Naruto and Sasuke, and the rekindling of Ino and Sakura’s friendship.

So you can stop reading this stupid introduction and start reading the FanFiction. It’ll be awesome if you bring yourself to like it.

Dies Irae
Mist clung to Konohagakure no Sato like the black haze of a death requiem, shutting out the breathable air. Rain fell forth from the sky and flooded the roads; had it not once considered the volume of what has already fallen? Dark, cold and plaguing, the rainwater rushed down into the roads and made them mercilessly saturated. Greyness hung above the sky like an ever-patiently waiting wasp, waiting to throw forth another deluge at Konohagakure.

Naruto Uzumaki wanted ever so badly for it to stop.

From within the modest dwelling he was being forced to share with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, Naruto stared out a window into the bleak scene that was Konohagakure.

“Are you going to stare out that window all day, Naruto?”

Naruto whirled around to see Sakura staring at him, holding a paper fan.

“If I wanted to,” he replied dully.

Sakura sighed somewhat inwardly and fanned herself once with briskness. She set the fan down on the table beside her and went over to him. Noticing this, Naruto moved away from her. He scuttled like a crab toward a nearby chair. Sakura sighed again, and attempted approaching him once more.

“Stay still, would ya?” she griped stridently.

He would not obey. He stood up from his spot near the chair and walked away from her. He stood at the table where Sakura had left her fan and gripped the handle of it.

“Hey—don’t touch that!” Sakura demanded.

“What if I want to?” Naruto replied mockingly.

Sakura growled gutturally and rushed at him. This time, he did not object or move. He stood still, holding the fan in his hand. Sakura stood face-level to him; anger flashing across her eyes. Naruto yawned indolently.

“Your forehead’s acting up.”

Sakura sputtered angrily, making a fist so tight it became as rose as her forehead.

“Can you not!” she spurted. Then she added, “…Make fun of my forehead.”

“Alright, I won’t,” Naruto replied.

The grin had already returned to his face and he flashed it at Sakura. The pink-haired girl sighed, seemingly relieved. Naruto picked up the fan and fanned the air between him and Sakura, the same way she had done so earlier.

“Well it’s nice to see you smiling again,” Sakura sighed.

Almost at once, the smile crumbled into a thousand pieces off his face. The sadness had returned, clouding his face and mind with depression. He turned away from Sakura. He could feel a tear slide down his face and hit the floor; a tear riddled with unfathomable misery. He tried wiping the trail it left behind with his sleeve; he did not bother not making it obvious. All at once, his disposition changed and the new anger that possessed him forced his hand to grip the handle of the fan harder than ever.

“Naruto…?” Sakura whispered.

She placed her hand on his shoulder, only to have it brushed away. The fan had fallen from Naruto’s weak hand and clattered to the floor.

“Don’t say anything, Sakura.”

Her mouth sealed by shock, Sakura said nothing and picked up the fan. She watched helplessly as Naruto disappeared behind a corner leading to the bathroom. Her weak arms let the fan drop to the side. Silence filled the air and made it almost too hard to breathe. Sakura could feel herself breathing in the silence—it was forbidding and remonstrative when she tried to swallow it.

A shuffling noise came from the door and made Sakura jump. Holding the fan like a kunai, she flicked into a ready stance.

“Sakura, Naruto, open up!”