Learning to Accept Bonds
"There's one thing I haven't asked yet," Sasuke said after a while. "Why are you in my hospital room?"
He really hadn't expected to open his eyes and see Naruto there. Much less see him casually stealing fruit that was clearly meant as a get-well gift.
"Oh, that?" Naruto replied easily. "Tōma told us you were hospitalized again, so we decided to come check on you."
"Us?" Sasuke caught the word immediately.
"Yeah. Sakura and I came together," Naruto said after thinking for a second. "But she went to the flower shop first, so I brought the fruit ahead of time."
Sasuke nodded.
"I got bored waiting for you to wake up," Naruto added, scratching his head with a grin. "So I ate some. You don't mind, right?"
Sasuke sighed. Only Naruto would do something like that.
"Eat if you want."
"Heh."
A moment later, Sakura walked in carrying a bouquet of lilies. Seeing Sasuke awake, her eyes lit up.
"Sasuke! You're awake!"
There was a flicker of regret behind her smile though. If Sasuke stayed hospitalized longer, and since she worked here, she could've swapped shifts with the assigned nurse and spent more time with him alone.
"Just woke up," Sasuke replied.
Soon after, Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino arrived, each holding something different.
"Seriously, it's always you in the hospital," Shikamaru said lazily, hands in his pockets. "And you're supposed to be the strongest among us."
"Hey! I'm the strongest!" Naruto protested immediately.
"Sure, sure. You're the strongest," Shikamaru replied without interest.
Naturally, none of them even considered comparing Sasuke to Tōma. That wasn't a fair conversation. Between Sasuke and Naruto, though, Sasuke still felt like the more reliable one. Strong and smart, unlike a certain loud blond hedgehog.
"Sasuke, get better soon," Chōji said, reluctantly offering his snacks. "You can have these too."
"No thanks," Sasuke said politely. "You eat them. I don't really like snacks."
He was a little surprised, though. Chōji only shared food under very special circumstances.
"Chōji, put that away," Ino said, rubbing her forehead. "Snacks don't help patients recover."
She glanced at the window, where Sakura's lilies had already been placed, then set her own sunflowers beside them.
"Get well soon," Ino said.
"Thanks," Sasuke replied with a small smile.
Before long, Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino left together.
As they walked down the hallway, Shikamaru spoke up. "Whatever happened to Sasuke this time, it wasn't a bad thing."
"How can getting hurt be good?" Chōji asked, confused.
"Didn't you notice?" Shikamaru shot back. "He smiles more now. And that gloomy edge he used to have is gone."
"He feels calmer too," Ino added. "Mentally."
They didn't know what had happened. But they were glad for him.
Not long after, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino arrived. Kiba was as loud as ever, Hinata was still shy but noticeably steadier, and Shino… well, his presence was as subtle as always.
Like the others, they didn't stay long. Naruto ended up leaving with Hinata.
Then, unexpectedly, the taijutsu team showed up.
Neji stared at Sasuke the moment he entered, eyes fixed on him. He clearly wanted to ask something, but hesitated.
Sasuke understood immediately.
He met Neji's gaze and said quietly, "You're not mistaken."
Neji's pupils contracted. Then he smiled.
"…Congratulations."
"Same to you," Sasuke replied. "I hope you succeed completely."
"I already escaped my own cage with the Hokage's help," Neji said calmly. "Now I want to help the entire clan."
Sasuke looked genuinely surprised for a moment. Then he remembered who made that kind of thing possible.
"I see," he said. "Then good luck. Your road might be harder than mine."
"I'll succeed," Neji replied firmly.
Just then, before anyone else appeared, a worried voice rang out from the hallway.
"Sasuke!!!"
Sasuke glanced at Sakura, whose expression darkened instantly, and sighed.
As expected, Karin burst into the room and lunged toward him.
She was stopped immediately.
"This is a hospital!" Sakura snapped. "No shouting!"
"Move!" Karin shot back. "Sasuke's injured! Let him bite me and he'll recover instantly!"
"Karin," Sasuke said calmly, "I don't need that."
"I told you!" Sakura said smugly. "I'll take care of Sasuke myself."
Karin slumped in defeat.
Ever since coming to Konoha, her healing ability had rarely been needed. Only the most critical cases used it now, and she didn't mind that. As long as it wasn't abused, it didn't hurt her.
But Sasuke never agreed to use it anyway.
"I don't need anyone taking care of me," Sasuke added. "I'll be discharged soon."
That immediately cheered Karin up again, and she started teasing Sakura instead.
Sasuke ignored them and looked at Jūgo, who had been quiet the whole time.
"Jūgo," he said, "do you remember what we talked about when we first met?"
Jūgo nodded. Then he noticed something different about Sasuke. His eyes brightened.
"I succeeded," Sasuke said with a smile.
Jūgo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"And not just Sasuke," Neji added from the side.
Jūgo fell silent, looking between them. Neji felt different. Sasuke felt different.
If they could break free…
Then maybe he could too.
For the first time in a long while, there was light in Jūgo's eyes.
Eventually, everyone left. Even Sakura and Karin, who ended up dragging each other out, neither willing to let the other stay behind.
At last, the room grew quiet.
In the past, Sasuke would've found it unbearably noisy.
Now… it was still noisy.
But he felt good.
Because that noise reminded him of something important.
He wasn't alone anymore.
Some bonds were closer. Some more distant.
But that didn't matter.
Once, Sasuke had refused to accept these connections. A man consumed by revenge didn't deserve them.
But now, thinking back on all those faces, he smiled.
That was exactly why—
This was the place he wanted to return to.
Sasuke lifted a hand and lightly touched his left eye.
Maybe that was why he'd awakened this power in the first place.