Chapter Text
It had been three months since Naruto and Jiraiya had returned to Konoha. And despite his usually restless nature Naruto couldn’t get himself to ask for a longer mission, to ask for something that would still his racing heart and calm the buzz under his skin. He didn’t know why. Couldn’t place his finger on it. But he had the unshakeable feeling that something big was coming, something for which he had to stay in Konoha just a little longer. Something that would decide his future like nothing else had before.
Something…
It was at sunset, that he heard the news. A sunset so deeply red, that Naruto couldn’t help but think about his long-lost best friend. The Sharingan of his eyes just as red and bloody as the sunset in front of him. He sighed. It had been three years since they had last seen each other. Of course, the last time they had seen each other, they had fought one another to the brim of death, he had lost consciousness and when he had woken up in the hospital, Sasuke had left. Again.
It had been a horrible time. Right afterwards, Jiraiya had decided to take him on a long journey. Three years. Sometimes it felt much longer… an eternity almost. And sometimes it felt as if Sasuke would round the corner any minute now, call him an idiot and request him to go eat something – as they had done so often during their genin-days.
“Have you heard?” Sakura’s aggravated voice interrupted his thoughts. “Heard what?” he asked, turning away from the railings of the bridge he had been leaning against up until now. They had agreed to grab some late dinner after a hard day of training with their former sensei Kakashi. He had been early, waiting for their arrival.
“Itachi Uchiha is dead!” she exclaimed, still out of breath from running to their agreed meeting spot.
“Itachi is… what?” he couldn’t believe what he heard. Itachi was dead? But…
“Sasuke killed him” Kakashi’s voice jumped in, having appeared silently as ever behind his former students “they fought a few nights ago. Sasuke won.”
“Sasuke…” Naruto breathed. Unable to comprehend what he heard. Itachi was dead. Killed by his own brother, killed by Sasuke. A battle Sasuke had prepared himself for a long time. Years and years upon knowing the older, Sasuke only ever had one goal: to avenge his family’s death. To avenge the massacre of the Uchiha clan and to rebuild their name, honor their legacy.
“Sasuke…” he whispered once more. So it was done. Sasuke had won. Itachi was no longer. Sasuke had won… he had reached his goal. Silently, Naruto turned his back to his comrades. Still lost in his thoughts, he put one foot in front of the other. Sasuke was now free. It was done. The battle had been fought.
It was done.
He didn’t hear Sakura calling after him, or saw how Kakashi’s single visible eye followed his every move understandingly. He didn’t see or hear any of it. Only one thought occupied his mind. One person.
Sasuke.
As if guided by the ghost of his memories, Naruto walked home, silently, starring in front himself without seeing a single pebble on his way.
Sasuke…
It was the same night, that Naruto sat at his kitchen table, staring at his interlaced fingers, lost in his thoughts of the past. His mind recalling every encounter, every fight and every laughter he had shared with the Uchiha heir.
It was time the Uchiha returned home.
It was time.
The day had finally come.
“I have to bring him home” it was the very next day, that Naruto stood in front of his former teacher outside the latter’s home, dressed in full fighting gear and his most treasured belongings stored away in an orange backpack thrown over his shoulders.
“Naruto…” Iruka sighed, taking in the blonde’s get-up, the squaring of his shoulders and the fire in those blue orbs daring him to disagree.
“He fought his battles, he won” Naruto disrupted his father figure, knowing fully well, what the older was about to say “he can come home now… he has to come home now” the Uzumaki was close to tears, his voice quivering from the emotions hidden within it.
“He has to make that choice for himself” Iruka said, trying to get the younger to understand “you can’t force him to come back.” Naruto knew he couldn’t. Knew that he wouldn’t be able to force Sasuke to do anything he didn’t actually want to do himself. God, how many times had he tried to convince the older? How many times… and how many times had he failed.
“I know” Naruto whispered brokenly “but I have to try… I have to… you understand, right? You do…right?” sheer determination shone through his eyes, conveying everything that he couldn’t through his words.
The older closed his eyes, stalling his next words – he knew he wouldn’t stand in Naruto’s way. He couldn’t. Not when the younger’s voice was laced with equal parts determination and desperation, and his heart filled with love for his best friend.
“At least take someone with you… don’t go alone” he finally yielded, fixating the tree behind Naruto’s back. He didn’t want to look into the younger’s eyes where he knew he could see nothing but joy and excitement of having received his guardian’s blessing. Joy, he didn’t want to take away, knowing fully well how futile Naruto’s mission probably was.
“Don’t worry, love, I’ll go with him” Kakashi’s voice cut in. He had heard the entire conversation from the inside of their home, but only now decided to appear behind his lover, providing the support he knew Iruka needed. Full backpack in one hand and weapons in the other, he leaned against Iruka’s back, holding his former student’s gaze over the younger's shoulder. He had packed when he had returned home the night before. Somehow, he had known. After Naruto’s reaction on the bridge, it was the only logical action he would take – to go after Sasuke.
“And don’t even think about leaving without me!” a female voice shouted from down the street, followed by a waiving Sakura, her backpack casually swung over her shoulder and her chunin-gear in place. Apparently she too, had eavesdropped on their conversation.
“Still worried?” Naruto grinned up to his former teacher. All gum and teeth.
“Take care. I mean it” Iruka reprimanded one last time before pulling his boy into a tight hug. And even though Naruto was already 16 years old, a strong shinobi – stronger than he himself could ever dream of being – and a far cry from the once lost boy who didn’t know where he belonged, Iruka couldn’t help but worry. After all, they would go after one of the strongest and also most unpredictable shinobi of their time. To bring him home… a home Iruka wasn’t sure he would even want. Of course he was worried.
“We will” Kakashi answered instead of the blonde who had skipped out of Iruka’s hug and was already halfway down the street to greet Sakura.
“I’ll get them back in one piece” the Jonin said as he squeezed Iruka’s shoulder reassuringly.
“You too, Kashi… I want you back in one piece as well. All three… all four of you” the academy teacher corrected himself before he pulled the older into a long kiss. A kiss that conveyed everything he wasn’t able to put in words. A kiss full of love and faith, a kiss laced with pleas to be careful and a promise to see each other unscathed.
“I’ll get them back home, I promise” Kakashi whispered against his lover’s lips, pecking them one last time before pulling his mask back in place and turning around, following his former students down the road. His former team. And if Iruka stood in the doorframe much longer than he could watch their retreating backs, no-one had to know.