Skeletons in the Closet

Chapter 16

By: Lazuli

PG

Warnings/Disclaimers. None, really. We all know I don't own Naruto. Thanks goes to proud_snapist for her hard work in beta-ing this for me. This is a much better, more concise, and thankfully grammatically correct chapter thank to her vigilance. ^_^  My muse was on drugs with this chapter, but I hope you enjoy anyways. ^_^

Chapter Sixteen

Sasuke planned to go into town now that his headache was gone and he had gotten some sleep—no matter how strange the dreams that sleep contained. He wanted to talk to Naruto first, though—not about the dream precisely, but there were ways of beating around the bush and he hoped he could tackle it the right way without bringing up embarrassing questions or ideas. He didn't want to leave without saying anything—somehow he felt like he had to tell Naruto. I didn't like him vanishing on me, I don't want to do the same to him.

He found Naruto outside, eyes set out towards Konoha. There was an almost wistful look on his face and Sasuke moved next to him, observing him for a moment before speaking. "I can still find out stuff for you." He said quietly. "That offer still stands—it didn't go away just because weird things have happened."

Naruto looked at him in surprise, giving him a small smile—still a sad one, but it was more of a real smile. "I'm surprised you haven't run off yet." He muttered. "But then again, you really don't seem the type to run off…" There was an odd look on his face at the words, as if what he said and what he meant were two different things, or what he said brought up bad memories or…it could be any number of things and Sasuke didn't push the issue. He was beginning to see it was safer that way.

Because he remembered what Naruto said at the beginning, around the time when they had decided to get to know more about each other—Uchiha Sasuke had ran away—went off to some guy called Orochimaru… but he never learned much more of the story after that. Orochimaru…He unconsciously shivered at the name, his throat suddenly going dry. "I won't run off on my friends." His voice was steady.

Naruto turned to him more fully now, expression sad and happy all at once. "I'm glad to hear that." His voice wavered for a split second before leveling off into his usual control. "You look like you have a question." he noted, an amused smile on his face. "Ask away—it's not like you've ever held back before." There was amusement in his eyes now, and Sasuke couldn't help but respond to it with a smile of his own.

But the look also caught him off guard and the direct way Naruto asked him what was on his mind. He flushed a little and looked away, a little unsure now of how he was going to phrase the question. He was usually better at expressing himself than this…"Um… that stuff in the room." He suddenly blurted out. "Was all of it there… before?"

Naruto gave him a strange look at the question, confusion in his gaze. He tried to catch Sasuke's eyes to see exactly what he meant by it. Sasuke looked at the ground, trying to stamp down the flush on his cheeks. Stupid! What possessed you to actually blurt it out like that? C'mon, genius! Think of a way to save yourself before Naruto gets suspicious.

"Because… um… well, its really holding up well if it is that old and…" Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and continued to stare at the ground. He was not going to blush again, he wasn't…"And… --um…"

Naruto snorted at the way Sasuke was beating around the bush. It was almost cute in a way and he smirked. "You didn't notice the Uchiha symbol carved into the headboard?" He asked dryly. "Nobody moved the bed away—well, it's at least away from the room it was first in." He shrugged. "But it's been there for probably generations of Uchihas." He tilted his head and anticipated the rest of the question. "Yes, it was Sasuke's. Why… have interesting dreams?"

A full on blush covered Sasuke's face now, and Naruto just stared at him in blank astonishment. "You did have a dream!" he said incredulously. The nervous look was back again and Sasuke winced at how the conversation quickly turned to what he had been avoiding in the first place. "What….can I ask what it was about?"

Sasuke was surprised that Naruto didn't outright state that he knew what it was about, nor did he demand to be told—but it wasn't like he wanted to admit that he had erotic dreams of Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. That would be getting a little too personal, but then again—hadn't it gone this far already? Hadn't they already stepped over so many boundaries that should have never been there but were crossed nevertheless? But he didn't need to give details either.

"Well… it was a nice dream." It sounded lame to his own ears. "I mean.. no one was dying in it or anything." But you both were a little beat up from the foreplay. Does that count? He risked a look at Naruto's face, but the ghost gave nothing of what he thought away.

"A nice dream…" Naruto snorted and laughed. "I suppose if you want to leave it at that, we can." He seemed to drop the subject entirely and switched to something new. "So, you said that you were planning on going into Konoha today? Have anything particular in mind?"

Just planning on searching for information again about Uchiha Sasuke. He thought privately. It wasn’t enough to ask Naruto, wasn’t enough to read what was in Uchiha Sasuke's journal—he needed other opinions, outsider’s opinions, scrolls—whatever he could find and use. It was an idea born of an almost desperation, a need to settle the confused thoughts swirling around in his head. "Not really." Was all he said.

Naruto didn't look as if he believed him, but didn't press for more answers than that. "Well, you haven't been in town since…" His voice trailed off, and Sasuke could hear the unspoken words clearly. Since you went to the Valley of the End and went kinda weird there. "Well, it's been a while." His voice was cheerful, but Sasuke could sense how it was forced, how the comment about the dream offset him.

Sasuke nodded at that. "I think I just want to go to Konoha before I go back to classes… you know?" He asked hesitantly. "School is getting rather…oppressive." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wouldn't admit it to Naruto, but he felt more relaxed in Konoha than he did on campus. He was about to continue, when he heard the shrill ringing of a phone echo throughout the estates. It was the first time the phone rang here—no one ever called him before and it wasn't like a great deal of people knew the number here. Most people would just visit, if they felt so inclined.

Naruto turned to him with a faint smirk. "Gee, I think it's for you." His voice was amused and Sasuke ran toward the house, hoping to catch the caller before they gave up. It wasn't as if it was that far of a distance. He scooped up the phone as soon as he was near it, but nearly dropped it in his shock when he heard who was on the other line. "Mother?" It was the first time she called him since she left, and he was almost startled to hear her voice again. He was beginning to think she cut him off from the family.

"Sasuke!" His mother’s cheerful voice carried over the line. "I'm glad I caught you—I was afraid you'd be out in town, spending time with your friends." Sasuke gave a faint smile at that and turned to Naruto, who appeared beside him. "You're not spending all your time alone, are you?" She almost demanded.

"I'm not." He reassured her. "I have plenty to keep me occupied—I have friends, too." He idly played with the phone cord to keep his hands busy. "It's not just all school, Mother. I told you how I became the owner of the estates here." Naruto smirked at him when he said that, and Sasuke swatted ineffectively at him and still managed to thunk Sasuke on the head, earning him a scowl.

"What estates would that be?" Her voice sounded absent minded, as if even when she called him she was busy with something else. It was always that way, and he didn't feel too offended when it occurred.

"The Uchiha estate." He was moving around himself while he talked to her, bending over to get something out of the cupboard to make for a quick lunch. After all, he still planned to go into town, but he might as well eat something here while his mother was on the phone. It took a moment to realize his mother wasn't simply distracted, but his last reply had her stunned. "Mother?"

"The…Uchiha … place?" Her voice sounded uncertain, faltering as Sasuke had never heard her voice before.. "What made you decide to move there, Sasuke?" He could hear her moving things around, and he stopped in his search for food entirely so that he could concentrate on the conversation. Naruto had grown still, having picked up that something was amiss with the way the conversation was going.

He stared at the phone incredulously, not sure what caused that reaction in her. She couldn’t know anything about it… could she? His family wasn't connected with any of the ninjas—if they were, they'd live in Konoha. Maybe she heard rumors like everyone else, but if she knew about it, wouldn't she have told him something? His head hurt. "What's so special about the Uchiha place?" He asked suspiciously. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Naruto starting to fade away. His eyes narrowed and he gestured for the ghost to remain where he was. He was obviously able to hear most of the conversation, and Sasuke wasn't going to let him run off this time.

"Don't you remember we used to live near there when you were little?" She asked softly. "You would have been five or six at the time—but…" Her voice faltered again. "You don't remember, do you?" A sigh. "The doctors said it was normal that you would forget, that it was for a good reason…but here you are—back in the same place the whole problem started."

Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine at those words. "What problems?" He asked. If they were anything like what he was experiencing now…"And doctors? I don't…" He was about to say how he didn’t remember, but he did. He remembered his mother dragging him to the doctor because she had been worried over the way he acted at times, when he would be doing one thing one moment—and then whatever happened next was a complete blank in his mind. But he never recalled living near here.

"Well, you have to remember that at least." The tone of her voice held that more familiar burr of irritation. "You whined about all the doctor appointments for weeks on end—but I suppose they did their job if you can't remember what caused it in the first place." She seemed to be off in her own world as she grumbled. "It took quite some time, too. A seven year old with an imaginary friend!" Huffing slightly, she continued. "We couldn't just cure you completely, your brain wouldn’t handle the pressure of something—so the doctor suggested the repression was the best cure."

Sasuke froze at that, memory suddenly coming back to him of a few of those visits to the doctor.

~

Sasuke sat across from an older man, one that he had seen a few times before. Apparently he was much like the others he saw, because he was staring at him with exasperation in his gaze. "You are a most stubborn child, Sasuke." There was no attempt at being friendly or trying to see on a child's level. Sasuke didn't want him to treat him like a baby, either. He didn't want to see the doctor at all. "You seemed most determined to hold on to what was unhealthy for you."

Sasuke gave him a blank, impassive stare. "I don't know what you're talking about." Even at the age of seven, he spoke like an adult would. Words were carefully measured and thought out, and the stare seemed to look right through the doctor. It was unnerving to say the least. "I do not have any problems."

"You did, Sasuke." The doctor tried for patience. "But we cured it all. It just took us a long time to fix you." He patted Sasuke on the head, who only scowled at him. "Now, I hope we won't have to see you in here again." Sasuke gave a curt nod and stood up.

"The feeling is mutual."

~

He didn’t recall any talk of imaginary friends, and he sought to clarify the matter with his mother. "Imaginary friends?" He made sure the disbelief was thick in his voice. "Really, Mother. I never had any imaginary friends." He raised an eyebrow, even though she couldn't see the gesture. "What were their names?"

She huffed and he could picture the look that crossed her face—he'd seen it aimed at himself enough. "It wasn't just imaginary friends, Sasuke. You would stare off into nothing as well." There was a pause and a slight hesitancy entered her voice. "And you were always talking to the shinobi in the area. It was unhealthy for a child and I wasn't going to have you brought up in that lifestyle."

It was just one shock after another, but he was determined to ask more questions. Naruto was staring at him as well, and Sasuke briefly wondered if he was 'eavesdropping' on the conversation. He almost didn't mind, it would be less for him to explain once he finished talking with his mother. "What's wrong with it?" He asked, barely noting the defensive tone in his own voice. "I happen to think it's a very noble job."

"It’s a dangerous job and they're nothing but mindless weapons!" Sasuke winced away from the sharp tone, the way she instantly snapped at him for defending the shinobi. "All they do is just follow the orders of their superior." She huffed and Sasuke could hear something slamming against the counter. "All they're good for is running errands and killing people." Sasuke had forgotten how his family saw shinobi, how most of the people in the area saw them. Most of the families were victims of the wrong end of attacks, being so close to the border.

"That's not true!" He almost shouted at her, but kept his voice steady only by the barest of margins. It was too ingrained in him to raise his voice like that, to lose it in such an irrational fashion. Talking back to her was pushing the limits as it was. "They're good people, they do a lot of good things. So what if I wanted to be a shinobi when I was a kid?" He just assumed that was why he would talk to them—it certainly couldn't be any other reason. He couldn’t recall, but didn't most kids want to fight or play at being ninja?

"We're not going to discuss this any longer, Sasuke." Her tone held a note of finality in it. "I called to have a pleasant conversation with you, not talk about why we moved away from that dreadful area and all the problems that came with it."

Sasuke sighed, feeling a headache building. "Mother… can you at least tell me the name of my so-called imaginary friend? I won't ask anything else about that time if you answer that question." He took a deep breath he already had a suspicion and not entirely sure if he wanted to confirm it or not.

"Naruto. You called him Naruto." Sasuke stared at the phone for a few moments after she said the name, not coming out of his daze until the loud buzzing of the disconnection sounded in his ears. Apparently his mother got fed up with him and his questions. As he slowly hung up the phone, he turned to where Naruto was, eyes narrowing slightly. No matter what he found out about himself or his dreams—about the area or the people in it—there were always more questions. He opened his mouth to ask if Naruto knew anything of what was going on—but no one was there. He had some serious questions to ask him—ones that he was sure only Naruto could answer, since his mother wasn't very forthcoming with her answers. Too many things didn't add up, didn't make sense—he opened his mouth to call out for Naruto.

A few seconds later, Sasuke found himself outside the gates of the estate, in Konoha. It was the first time that Naruto had ever tossed him out—he usually had something set up where Sasuke could get in and out on his own—something about keying the jutsu around the estate to him because of the hassle it would be to always lift it for every occasion. He tried to get back it, tugging on the gates and even kicking the wood. It seemed that the 'locks' were changed.

~

"Naruto, you chicken! Let me back inside! You can't do this to me!" Sasuke pounded on the gates, but he couldn't get inside. "That's my house you've locked me out of! Naruto!" He knew that Naruto wasn't keeping him out of there, he was just avoiding talking to Sasuke because he knew he wouldn't be able to escape the interrogation that Sasuke would put him through. He was just buying time to make up stupid excuses or outright lie, but Sasuke wouldn't stand for it this time. He'd get the truth out of Naruto—if he knew anything—if he had to threaten to burn the place down.

For now—he kicked the door one last time and turned his attention to town. Naruto must've had a reason for locking him in Konoha, instead of in the main town, where his university was located. He could always skirt around and leave Konoha, but what would he do there? The answers were either here or with Naruto, and he was half afraid if he left Konoha, he'd never get back home. Possibly because Sasuke had previous plans to go into Konoha, but still—Sasuke gave a snort of disgust and went further into town, away from his home and a moody ghost.

He decided to detour out the main part of town and head towards the memorial site—some things weren't adding up. If Sasuke died protecting Naruto, if his sentence was close to being lifted—then he should have died as a hero, missing-nin, probationary status or not. His name should have been on the plaque. Why? He mentally questioned. Naruto was under the impression that Sasuke's name was on there—

The thought of Naruto made him growl again. How dare he lock me out of my own house? He fumed. He doesn't own the place, I do and I'll be damned if I let that blond moron keep me out of my house. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he hurried down the wooded pathway to where he knew the plaque was. As he neared the marker, he relaxed more, a sense of peace overcoming him.

The grounds were empty—he had a feeling that they only got visited by the odd person or were used twice a year to induct new graduates into the shinobi world—what it really meant to be on a team. It wasn't like it was the busiest place in town and Sasuke was grateful for that. He wanted to search for the name without the past popping up, and once he had that out of the way, then he would be able to question and confront and hopefully get everything straightened out.

Kneeling in front of the marble, mind going back to how he knelt in front of a similar monument the other day, his eyes scanned for the name. His eyes skipped across names that Uchiha Sasuke wrote in his journal—like Hyuuga Hinata. But just like the first time he looked at the stone, there was no Uchiha Sasuke inscribed on there. He made a sound of frustration in his throat. Maybe he simply misunderstood Naruto—maybe he only talked about how people he knew died before he did, but not all of them died as heroes—or their heroic acts were not recognized as such. He wasn't sure what constituted a hero in the first place, but he supposed it had something to do with saving the village or teammates…

He got to his feet slowly, gaze moving over the empty grounds as if trying to memorize the scene, impress it into his memory. As his eyes lingered on the beat up, age-weathered training posts, he could almost see the younger Naruto tied there, struggling and trying to act as if it didn’t bother him. Bright blond hair and an even brighter orange jacket—Sasuke closed his eyes. Just like in the picture.

Hurrying away from the disturbing images that the area provided his mind with, he wondered if this was what his mother talked about. Maybe he always had that pyschometry thing as a kid, and this place was just more… full of energy than other places. He clung stubbornly to his theory, made more real to him now with the information he lived around here when he was a child and had all those problems.

Since his mission here was unsuccessful, it was time to do some serious questioning in town. Like why no one ever told him that he lived here before, that the shinobi talked to him. He could put it off that he changed so much since he was seven years old, but he had a feeling he had been watched all the time he was here last time, and even for years afterward people kept an eye on him. And when he came back—I'm getting really tired of this.

It would be rather rude and presumptuous of him to make blind accusations—he would only do that with Naruto because the idiot responded better that way sometimes, but he couldn’t exactly do that to the people of Konoha. He could be polite and ask questions; and the best person to ask would be the Hokage. He knew the most about Sasuke outside of Sasuke's comrades, and would know if his shinobi were talking to a young child that lived directly outside of the village. He only hoped that he would be able to get an appointment this time—

The town was more familiar to him now, and he ducked down side streets that he never knew were there the first time he visited, and some areas that he didn't know about at all. It was almost disconcerting how the town became so normal to him in such a short amount of time. That a place that gave him weird dreams and thoughts, wasn’t 'normal' and turned his life upside down…that it was his home as much as staying in the Uchiha estate with Naruto. He found himself wishing Naruto was with him, even thought he was still annoyed with him. Instead he hurried as fast as he can, needing the answers and reassurance that Naruto denied him.

This wasn't just about Uchiha Sasuke. This was about finding out about what he went through, what he saw and experienced when he was a child. He wanted some answers this time.

~

It was easier to get answers this time, but then again—the Hokage never really held back in telling Sasuke what he thought or learned. Naruto was the one always trying to protect him. From past mistakes or memories—whatever it was, Naruto thought he was doing what he thought best, even when it hurt him.

Sitting across from the Hokage, Sasuke wasn't as sure of how to phrase things anymore, but—knowing was more important than how he asked. "I…I know this may seem trivial and not worth your time—" He knew this man was busy with the everyday tasks that came with looking out for the protection of Konoha, plus dealing with the other hidden villages and whatever politics came with that. He was certain it wasn't an easy job and was surprised that the man took time out of his day to answer Sasuke's questions. "But I needed to know and Naruto is being…" He paused and grimaced. "He's acting like a child."

The Hokage laughed. "From what I've heard about Naruto, he was like that a great deal. What is he not telling you this time?"

Sasuke gave the Hokage a direct look. "I wasn't sure he knew what was going on until he locked me out of the estate—" He paused an eyebrow at the muffled snort but continued. "I spoke with my mother today and she informed me that I lived around this area when I was younger. I spoke with the shinobi, wandered off and couldn't be found for hours on end—and had a…friend named Naruto." He wasn't about to say 'imaginary' friend. He did have his pride, after all. "Would you know anything about this?"

To his credit, the Hokage didn't berate him for the almost demanding tone. "Yes." He said simply. "I was one of those shinobi that talked with you." At Sasuke's shocked gaze, he continued, looking more amused now. "Your family lived right on the outskirts of town—the place isn't there anymore, unfortunately—but you were very close to where you live now. I'm not surprised that you would have run across Naruto."

"But my parents never saw him." Sasuke said in confusion. "Or at least that was what they told me. I don't remember anything like that happening—just that I had mood swings and my mother took me to a psychiatrist for them." He had gotten over the shock of having talked to the Hokage when he was a child. "Don't you think that's weird that my parents would have never seen him?" He paused. "And why didn't anyone around here never tell me that I was here as a kid?"

"We didn't know that you had been made to forget." The answer was direct and simple. "How were we to know what… effect that our town had on you at the time?" He shrugged. "All we knew was that you could see Konoha, even through the protections around it—you managed to wander in here a few times and you spent a great deal of time at the Uchiha estates, without Naruto wanting to get rid of you."

Sasuke nodded absently at that. "So that's why Naruto seems familiar?" he asked, almost to himself. "Why I know places here when I shouldn't?" His eyes flicked back up the Hokage's, seized with a sudden, almost overwhelming need to know. "Is there any way that you can bring back those memories?" He asked. "They were only suppressed, not taken away completely—can you bring them back or do you know someone that can bring them back?" Such things weren't unheard of—

"We can do it, Sasuke…" The Hokage's words were slow and careful. "But it may awaken more about you than you want to deal with—memory suppression, memory retrieval is a very tricky thing to do. You suppress memories unconsciously to save yourself. What we bring up may be events that you wanted to forget. Are you willing to risk that?"

Sasuke nodded, dark eyes completely serious. "I want to." His tone took on an almost desperate edge. "I keep on getting tossed these bits of information, and this latest piece directly concerns me. I want to know how I knew Naruto and Konoha before."

The Hokage settled back in his chair, a faint smile on his face. "Then I think we can arrange someone to help you, Sasuke. There are a few people in town that excel at that sort of thing, and even many of the medics here are trained in memory retrieval. Why don't you wander around town and get something to eat while I research who would be the best person for the job?" His mouth quirked up slightly. "Since you probably won't be able to go home for a few hours."

Sasuke's mouth tightened at that, but he nodded. He still didn't see the humor in the situation, but he knew that it wasn't the Hokage's fault. He was actually going to help Sasuke. With a deferential nod towards the other man, he stood from his seat and hurried out the door. He hoped that the Hokage would find someone soon—he didn't want to wait any longer.

~

When he arrived back in the office, he wasn't too surprised to see Hyuuga Neji and his grandson Aki there. After all, they were supposedly some of the best when it came to seeing inside the mind, and would be ideal for retrieving what was hidden inside of Sasuke's mind. Plus he met with both of them before and trusted them—and neither of them treated him like he was some oddity of nature simply because of who he resembled.

Neji stood up when he entered, his movements slow but steady. "So we meet again, Sensu-san." His tone was warm and Sasuke relaxed further. Aki just looked at him calmly, his blank eyes the same as his grandfather. "I understand that you have some memories that you would like recovered?" His expression was nothing but friendly—gave nothing else away. At Sasuke's nod, Neji smiled. "What sort of memories?"

Sasuke snorted. "I lived around here thirteen years ago and my mother took me to therapy so that I would forget about the experience." Neji raised an eyebrow at that and Sasuke smirked. "Apparently, ninjas aren't good companions for little kids, and creepy old houses with ghosts only produce imaginary friends."

Neji looked even more amused at that. "Naruto as an imaginary friend… so I take it that you want your memories of that time.. given back to you?" He looked vaguely disapproving. "Some people are not a very good judge of what is good for their children. Suppressing memories at such a young age is not a good thing. It may take several sessions, but I am sure that we can at least figure out something today."

Sasuke nodded in relief that Neji was going to help him with this, and looked up to the Hokage. "Is there another room that would be better for this so we don't take up your office space?" The Hokage nodded and gestured to a door behind him, almost hidden in the wall. "One of the previous Hokage's used this as an examination room for patients that were in special circumstances."

The room was small and almost bare now, with the examination table still bolted in the middle of the room and cabinets fixed to the walls. It was devoid of anything else, and Sasuke shivered at the white space. It was surreal. Neji and Aki followed him inside, and neither one seemed to mind the emptiness, Neji gesturing for Sasuke to lay on the table.

He did so, but not without some worry—he wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen or come of this whole thing. He almost regretted doing this, but he reminded himself that he wanted to know, that it was worth almost any price to get back the memories that were wrongfully taken from him. "I'm ready." To his own surprise, his voice didn't waver.

Neji nodded and gestured for Aki to stand on the other side of Sasuke. "Aki will watch this time so that he knows how this procedure is done. What I will be doing is tapping into the chakra points that stimulate the brain patterns so that I can bring those suppressed memories to the surface. You just need to relax and it will be like you're asleep."

Sasuke was grateful for the information and tried to relax, Neji to the side of him and explaining that it wouldn't hurt, but possibly feel a little strange. "Now, close your eyes and we'll see what we can find for you."

~

When Sasuke opened his eyes again, he felt slightly disoriented, but not too off. His eyes flicked over to Neji, and his brows knit in confusion. "Neji… did it work?" Neji stared at him, eyes wide and his gaze moved over to someone on Sasuke's other side. He immediately looked and was even more confused. He thought he knew most people in the Hyuuga family, but he didn't recognize the old man. Perhaps a grandfather that was instructing Neji in something new? But come to think of it, Neji looked a little different and a lot younger than Sasuke remembered. He shook his head. His mind was just fuzzy from the trance the Hyuuga put him under. His memories would come back soon enough.

"Well, what happened?" He asked. "You look a little disturbed, Neji." His lips turned up into a smirk. "Find out something that you didn't expect or like? My time with Orochimaru wasn't the … best of times, but I assure you the information you would have gathered would be helpful if Sound ever attacked again." At the look that remained on Neji's face, Sasuke began to get irritated. "What's the problem?" He demanded. He and Neji were never on the best of terms, but Sasuke had swallowed his pride to ask for help and in the course of several sessions, he had relaxed enough to be more friendly with the Hyuuga.

"Sasuke… I think we made a slight mistake…"

~