CHAPTER 11: A Good Friend

A/N: I am so sorry for not updating on time. I am currently very sick, but somehow, I have managed to complete this chapter within this week. I hope you like it!😅 Oh! Also, this chapter will have cussing words more than the usual ones.

"SASUKE, YOU BASTARD!"

Kiba's voice echoed through the almost empty classroom. There was a certain raven sitting at the back with his head down, who tilted his head slightly to catch a glimpse of who it was that was looking for him. However, upon seeing that it was Kiba, Sasuke was somewhat disappointed.

'Why can't it be Naruto? Oh... I forgot, I've been avoiding these days.'

Sasuke mentally scoffed and went back to listening to the song "Anthem of the Lonely" by Nine Lashes, which was playing on a low volume. He let put a small sigh as thoughts of Naruto kept lingering in his head.

He had been devastated for the past four days. He knew that it was his choice to drive Naruto away, but it was proving more difficult for him than he thought.

'Fuck you, Naruto.'

Sasuke was missing his time with the blonde. After all, Naruto was his first friend. In the entire school, the blond was the only one who saw Sasuke for what he was.

Sasuke had built a metal wall around himself, which had always scared everyone away. He was never fond of this loneliness, but he was also afraid of leaving his safe space.

However, Naruto was like a shining ball of fire who had managed to melt every wall that Sasuke had surrounded himself with. Naruto was his sun. And now, Sasuke had realized how all alone, cold, and destroyed he was without him, both mentally and physically.

He had lost his appetite. Having lunch was a fond memory he shared with the blond, so since that day, he had stopped eating lunch altogether. He had been surviving only on his dinner for the past few days.

Naruto had been haunting him every night. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. He tried to make something out of his emotions but it was all meaningless. He could neither write nor paint any piece. He felt empty and utterly lost without his ray of sunshine. But he had already chosen darkness over light.

'This is probably for the best...'

It was lunch break, and Sasuke wasn't the least bit hungry. He didn't bother lifting his head when he heard Kiba stomping his way over to his seat. Kiba pulled off his hoodie and harshly removed one of the earbuds from Sasuke's ear.

"Tsk, what do you want?"

Sasuke looked up at the heavily built brunette, clearly annoyed at his actions. However, the eye bags under Sasuke's eyes and his paler than usual skin took Kiba by surprise.

'Why the fuck does he look like that?! I came here to yell at him, and now what? I almost don't want to... well, fuck it. Bros before hoes!'

Kiba's thoughts were interrupted by a loud and annoyed sigh from the raven in front of him. Kiba cleared his throat and began,

"Why the fuck are you ignoring Naruto?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

Sasuke spoke nonchalantly. He felt hurt inside at the accusation, but he tried not to show it on his face. However, his gaunt features betrayed him. Kiba noticed this slight change but decided to ignore it.

"Well, he is my best friend, so it very much concerns me."

"*sigh* Look, dog-breath, if Naruto doesn't have any issues, then you shouldn't either. And if he does, he can come talk to me on his own. Now shoo."

Sasuke tried to lay back down, but he was yanked out of his chair as Kiba pulled him by his hoodie.

"He has tried already, hasn't he?! He has been trying and trying to talk to you, but your shitty ass just won't stop ignoring him! WHO THE FUCK GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO FUCK WITH HIS MIND?! Also, I AM NOT A DOG, DON'T SHOO ME!"

Kiba had lost his cool. He was fuming with anger. Kiba remembered how broken Naruto was when Naruto, Shikamaru, and he had planned to have a drink or two yesterday evening.

FLASHBACK

YESTERDAY EVENING, AT NARUTO'S HOUSE~

"Yo, Naruto~ *hic* Where are *hic* you lost, bro?"

Kiba asked, almost drunk. He and Shikamaru had already chugged two cans of beer each, while Naruto was fiddling with his half-empty first one. This was not like Naruto at all.

"What?"

Naruto asked, coming out of his trance. He had been zoning out for a while now, which did not go unnoticed by them.

"I asked what's *hic* wrong with you?"

"Oh... nothing..."

"Tell the truth already, man. It's not like you can lie your way out of this. What a drag," Shikamaru chimed in after taking a sip from his third can.

"Really, guys, I am okay, just drunk."

"No, you aren't."

Kiba and Shikamaru were not going to buy it. They knew how well Naruto could handle his liquor. Hence, Kiba reasoned with Naruto once again, and Naruto finally gave in.

"OK, ok, I'll tell you..."

Naruto said, defeated, and began his story after finishing the other half of his beer in one go.

"Well, Sasuke is ignoring me."

"Sasuke? That emo guy?"

Shikamaru asked, to which Naruto just nodded, confirming it for him.

"So, we were on really good terms, and we used to have lunch together every day -"

"Wait, WHAT?! You got *hic* Uchiha Sasuke to have lunch with you? How?! He *hic* is so arrogant and rude and not exactly a *hic* people's person. Wait, why would you even want to eat with such an ass *hic* in the first place?"

"Kiba, let him talk and switch to water, please."

Shikamaru reasoned with the younger guy, who apologized and motioned for Naruto to continue.

"Yeah, so as I was saying, we were on good terms. But on Monday, he said he didn't want anything to do with me. It was all so sudden, I didn't know what to do... I don't want to lose him."

Naruto let out a shaky breath as he tried to hide his face in his hands. He did not want them to see his tears.

"Hey bud, did you try talking to him again?"

Kiba asked as he patted comfortingly on the blonde's back.

"I-I did, but whenever I even try to get close to him, he finds a way to avoid me. Inside the school, he is my student, and I like to keep my private and professional lives separate, but I wait for him outside the school gate every day, be it before or after school. He just doesn't want to talk to me... I can't do anything right..."

Naruto kept mumbling under his breath. Kiba felt anger rising in him. How could someone treat his best friend like this? He did not deserve such treatment. Naruto was already dealing with enough; he did not need another burden to add to his pains.

"Why does it even matter? He is always like this. Just leave him be."

"I can't..."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Shikamaru had kept quiet; however, he was aware of why Naruto was so affected by this Uchiha guy. But he knew better than to repeat his past mistakes. He did not want Naruto to go through another panic attack, so he avoided mentioning Sai.

"I am so lost, Kiba. I don't know what to do..."

Naruto finally broke down in front of them, who just comforted him as they drank the night away.

'I'll talk to that shithead myself tomorrow.'

END OF FLASHBACK

So here he was, fulfilling the promise he made to himself of talking to the 'shithead' himself.

"So? How is that my fault? You don't talk to people you don't want to talk with, do you?"

Sasuke shrugged. His reply just took Kiba's frustration to another level. He couldn't take it anymore, so he pushed the raven, who fell hard on the ground. Sasuke sent a death glare at the brown-haired boy who was towering over him.

"Don't you dare give me that look, you psychopath! You don't give a shit about other people's feelings and act all high and mighty. Stay away from Naruto."

"I am trying to do exactly that. Ask HIM to stay away from me."

Sasuke got up and dusted himself off. Afterward, he looked Kiba straight in the eye.

"Wow... what exactly did he do wrong? Why are you so bent on staying away from him? I do want you to stay away from him, but he doesn't."

"It's not my fault he wants to cling on to me. I don't give two fucks about what you and your friend think of me. If he has so much time to chase after me, he should use it to do his job properly. At least it will lead to something."

Sasuke spoke with a shrug. However, he did not mean a single thing he said. He himself was so broken that he hated it. He hated how much Naruto could affect him.

"Tsk, you sorry excuse for a human. Just stay the fuck away, or even better, just die. You'll actually do the world a favor. Also, he does his job fairly well. He is a good sensei to everyone out there. He doesn't need someone like you to tell him how to do his job."

Kiba spoke in a dangerously low voice before placing his hands in his pockets and walking out of the classroom. He slammed the door shut, and simultaneously, Sasuke pulled on his hood and went back to listening to his songs. He laid his head on the table, facing away from where Kiba had just stood as he let a tear roll down his skinny cheek.

However, a smile crept onto his face when he thought back on his conversation with Kiba. He was glad Naruto had such caring friends who would go to such lengths for him. He wished he could call himself one of those people too, but he had hurt Naruto in an unforgivable way, or so he thought.

'I wish I was brave enough to accept your warmth.'

A/N: So, this was it! Also, sorry once again for the late update.X-<Anyways, take care all of you and see you all in the next chapter!Author sound out ~ ✌🏻