CHAPTER 35: The Sun ⚠️

A/N: Hello~...uh...Well, I'll just let you all read and talk at the end. ( '∀｀ )b

Naruto had completely sobered up when he listened to all the events unfold at the other end of the call, and all his thresholds were crossed when the call ended. He had already slipped on his helmet and was now rushing outdoors to his bike while breathing frantically.

The seed of panic that had been sown in him was growing as it fed on his underlying fear little by little, which was not good news considering his vulnerability against his panic. The side effects of his ruined mental health were coming into play sooner than he wanted, interrupting his rational thoughts.

'I need to get to him, but how? I... I don't know where he lives...!'

Naruto's heart was throbbing against his chest furiously. He tried closing his eyes and breathing deeply to calm himself, but it wasn't working.

Naruto was clearly afraid. However, this wasn't the first time he was experiencing this heart-wrenching sensation of fear tingling throughout his body, making him paralyzed with emotions as it coursed. He had experienced this fear before. It was the fear he never got accustomed to.

It was the fear of... losing someone important.

'No... I've already lost him once... I can't lose him again.'

Naruto's determination to save Sasuke was unwavering because he remembered the terror had felt when Sai had met with the accident.

However, this time, the blond's fear had increased tenfold not because he saw Sasuke in Sai's shadow but because he was afraid to lose the raven even before he got to love him properly. He was not prepared to part with Sasuke, the only man who drove him to see past his guilt.

He was his rival. His equal. His savior. His... love.

The Uzumaki had recklessly thrown away the chance of being with the Uchiha once, but there was no way he was letting go of the raven again.

'There's no time to panic.'

Naruto knew he had to do something, and he had to do it fast, so he tried to calm himself down and evened out his breathing pattern while he thought for an optimum solution.

"Come on, there's gotta be some way, dattebayo!"

Naruto thought out loud in frustration when it clicked to him.

'The school! Student database! It has the information on the students' addresses!'

Naruto did not waste another second and bolted on his bike to school, breaking almost every traffic law that existed in Konoha. He rushed inside the school building, not even bothering to park his bike properly.

He slid the door of the teachers' lounge area open, and to his slight discomfort, he saw Kakashi sitting on one of the couches with his usual inappropriate book open in front of his face.

"Kakashi Sensei..."

Naruto blurted out involuntarily, catching Kakashi's attention. The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow at Naruto, who just bowed to him in return and hurriedly began searching the database on one of the computers in the room that was already switched on and working.

Naruto's chaotic movements and heavy breaths were starting to bug Kakashi, who found it rather odd for the blond to be so panicked. The Naruto he knew was almost always grinning stupidly, but today was different.

He observed the blond man, who was sitting with his back towards him, for a while, and upon noticing how his hands were shaking, the older sensei sighed as he closed his book and walked up to him. He silently stood behind Naruto, watching him trying to open the students' database of the school.

"Are you okay?"

Kakashi questioned softly as he kept his hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. The blond looked back at his sensei, and his cerulean orbs were glistening with unshed tears, visibly surprising the silver-haired sensei.

"What's wrong?"

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed as he perceived Naruto's condition. He had never seen the whiskered boy look so devastated and helpless. Kakashi was aware that something really terrible had to happen for Naruto to descend to this state.

The blond, on the other hand, was contemplating whether he should tell Kakashi the reason and ask for his help to rescue Sasuke, but he also knew that the Uchiha was a prideful boy who hated looking weak in front of others.

"Naruto."

Kakashi's now concerned voice and caring demeanor snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. His conflict within was eating at him when he finally decided to just set Sasuke's pride aside and ask for some help.

"I- It's about Sasuke..."

As soon as the words rolled out from Naruto's mouth, Kakashi's eyes immediately darkened, and his expression grew somber.

"What about him?"

'I hope I'm wrong...'

The silver-haired teacher thought while he simultaneously questioned Naruto in a voice that clearly stated that this was urgent and that he needed a more specific answer, with which Naruto complied.

"That... I was on a c- call with him, and h- his father suddenly came home -"

Naruto's words choked, and tears were threatening to fall as he remembered Sasuke calling out to him in his deep voice, sounding utterly defeated. He couldn't get himself to speak further as he was reminded of that horrifying call, making him shiver from just the memory.

Luckily, Naruto's minimal words were all the confirmation his sensei needed.

"Let's go. I know where he lives."

Kakashi spoke as he adjusted his mask and put away his closed book, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in surprise. Another set of questions was flooding him, but he decided to ask them later and focus on finding and rescuing Sasuke for now.

"Hm. Let's go, dattebayo."

Naruto and Kakashi ran out of the school, earning glances and questions from those walking around, but they stopped for none. Naruto wore the helmet that he originally wanted to give to Kakashi, who refused it because he had some calls to make.

They set off for Sasuke's house at the highest speed with Kakashi as Naruto's backpack. The silver-haired man called a few relevant people to the Uchiha's residence, which included an ambulance and the police.

On the other hand, Naruto's body was tensed, and he swore to himself that he wouldn't stop before reaching Sasuke's house.

'I'm coming, Sasuke. Until then, hold on... for me, dattebayo!'

He had to reach the raven fast. He wanted to hold Sasuke in his arms and comfort him. He wanted to tell the raven that he loved him. He wanted to comfort him. He wanted to protect him.

He wanted to save him.

MEANWHILE, AT THE UCHIHA'S RESIDENCE~

"There you are, you little fag."

Fugaku spoke as he stood with an axe in his hands on the threshold of the washroom, the door to which was hanging loosely from its hinges as he had broken it to get to his son after striking down the door to the room as well.

Fugaku's eyes were boring holes in Sasuke, who was now trembling with terror. The young raven couldn't believe how quickly his father was able to reach him. Those doors did nothing except increase the flame of already burning rage in his father.

"Did your useless brain think it could save you from me?"

The elder Uchiha smirked as he released the axe from his hand, causing it to freely fall on the floor with a thud. He did not avert his gaze from his son, who continued to shiver inside the bathtub as he watched his father take a step inside.

'Will Naruto be able to come in time...? I shouldn't have depended on him. I've made a big mistake...'

Sasuke was constantly losing hope with every step Fugaku took towards him. The closer his father got, the bigger his shadow grew, taking Sasuke under its dark ambit, obstructing the only light shining upon him from the nearby window.

Just as Fugaku was halfway through, it happened. The man slipped on the wet tile, and his face would've met the floor if it weren't for the basin standing just beside him, using which he supported himself and barely escaped the fall.

"You did this on purpose, right?"

The elder Uchiha's words were seething with anger as his voice spoke in a terrifying whisper more to himself than to his son. He straightened himself and carefully treaded over the wet floor to avoid slipping.

Sasuke's body had completely frozen by the time Fugaku reached the bathtub and loomed over him, his body heat radiating ferociously and engulfing Sasuke in his burning fury. Sasuke's eyes refused to blink as he kept looking ahead of him, not having the courage to meet his father's eyes.

'I'm fucked.'

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt his hair being roughly grabbed and yanked to face his father. Sasuke whimpered as he held his father's wrist with both his hands, trying to pull Fugaku's hand out and away from his hair.

Fugaku pulled on his son's hair harder, causing Sasuke to crane his neck backward. The elder leaned forward to his youngling's ear while he kept his black hair in his grasp.

"You asked for it, Sasuke."

That was all the warning he gave before he roughly yanked Sasuke up and out of the tub, causing him to almost slip to his knees.

"Ugh! L- Let go of me!"

For the first time, Sasuke had the courage to retort against his father's actions. He was finally aware that this wasn't right at all. He needed to end it, and he had to do it now, or this might very well be the last day he walked this planet.

However, the more Sasuke struggled, the angrier Fugaku got. The elder ravenette tightened his grip on Sasuke's hair, causing a wave of excruciating pain to race through his scalp. He dragged his son out of the bathroom as well as the room.

Fugaku stubbornly held onto Sasuke's hair no matter how much his hand was scratched by his son's nails. He pulled Sasuke by his raven locks down the stairs as the young raven struggled to match his father's pace to avoid stumbling.

Just a few steps above the floor, Fugaku pulled on the young Uchiha's hair with extreme force, throwing him down the remaining stairs.

"Ack!"

Sasuke grunted as he rolled down the stairs and landed on the floor on his back. He had managed to save his head but was sure that the impact of the fall had cost him a few of his bones. Every part of Sasuke's body was screaming with pain, and none of him was left unscathed.

He exhaled the remaining air in his lungs and tried to take a deep breath when he realized that the movement of his chest felt like being stabbed. As a result, his breaths became shorter than they should be, and the air he was inhaling was not sufficient.

'Is this the end...?'

Sasuke's head was spinning. His body felt like it had come under a giant boulder, and he could barely keep his eyes open. His vision had significantly blurred, and he could hear the clacking of his father's boots grow louder as he slowly descended the stairway.

'No... I can not die here. Naruto said he would come for me... I'm sure that dobe is on his way.'

This was one last flame of hope that was rekindling in him. One last chance to escape from this hell.

Fugaku finally stepped down the stairs and walked to where his son lay flat on the floor. He stood near the younger raven's feet and stared at his beaten body for a good minute.

"Disgusting."

He muttered loud enough for Sasuke to hear, who couldn't help but feel ashamed of his current self. He gulped and mentally prepared himself one last time to strike at his father at the right time, which came much sooner than expected.

Fugaku bent down to grab Sasuke's ankle to drag him down to the basement. However, before that could happen, Sasuke kicked his father's face, his hit landing on Fugaku's nose, causing him to fall on his butt.

"SHIT!"

The elder screamed, holding his nose with both hands, giving Sasuke the opening he needed to escape. The pain in the young Uchiha's body had numbed as the adrenaline once again dominated him. He quickly stood up from the ground and landed a harsh kick on Fugaku's ribs, which successfully paralyzed him for a few seconds.

Taking advantage of this, the raven hastily searched for the keys to the main door in his father's pockets, finding them in the pocket of his pants. He ran towards the door as fast as his legs would allow.

Sasuke's fingers were trembling as he inserted the key into the keyhole after several trials and errors.

However, his fortune ran out as soon as he unlocked the door. He did not even get the chance to twist the knob when he felt his neck being grabbed in a crushing grip from behind.

"AAH-"

He screamed as the pain was never-ending, causing him to go limp. He tightly shut his eyes as a reflex while his hands nipped at the deadening fingers of his father.

"I'll kill you."

Fugaku declared and violently turned Sasuke around to face him. He grabbed his throat with a force that almost crushed his windpipe.

"GAH!"

Sasuke could feel the air leave his being as darkness was threatening to take over. He weakly struggled against Fugaku's choking hold on his neck. The elder Uchiha, maintaining his grip on Sasuke, pulled him along with him towards the path that led down to the basement.

While Fugaku hurled numerous threats of killing the young ravenette when they were down in the 'room for punishments', Sasuke's mind was absorbed in a completely different thought.

He was used to being treated like a damned animal, or even worse. This was still nothing new to him. The fear in him was slowly numbing as he had decided to resign to his fate while his mind was blessing him with the memories of the happiest thing that happened to him in his life; Naruto.

He knew that no one was coming to save him. And no one could at this point.

'I tried to hold on, dobe, I'm sorry... goodbye.'

He wished the blond farewell in his mind as a small tear managed to escape his eyes. He had lost all the air that was keeping him awake, and he gave in to unconsciousness. Almost.

"SASUKE!"

The raven's eyes shot open upon hearing the familiar voice which was followed by a loud bang due to the main door hitting the wall after being flung open, illuminating the once dark and cold hallway with the light and warmth of the sun.

'Naruto...!'

Even though the raven was on the verge of unconsciousness, he could feel a sense of relief take over his tense form.

'Nice timing, dobe... heh.'

He was still air-deprived, his throat was still clenched under Fugaku's grasp, yet a small smile made its way to Sasuke's lips as he felt Naruto's comforting presence near him. The blond dobe had come here just to save him.

Naruto, with the door of the mansion, had just created a path for Sasuke's salvation that was going to lead him away from the clutches of hell and present him with the freedom of life.

He had, once again, breathed life into his placid soul, renewing his will to embrace life, like the sun that gifts its warmth and light to the moon so that it would forever radiate its luminescence, even upon the darkest of nights.

A/N: Well, this is it for now! I know it was a long ass chapter, but I wanted this chapter to have a certain impact. I didn't want to rush with it. (；^∀^)I hope I did succeed in my objective somewhat. 👀 🤧Do let me know! I really hope you liked it! 🧡💙Well, I'll see you all in the next chapter!Author sound out~ ✌🏻