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Naruto is choosing to ignore the warm feeling currently taking residence in his gut as he mulls over the training session that just came to a close. He watches in indignation as Sasuke attempts to stroll away and disappear into the bustle of Konoha’s streets without a word of acknowledgment thrown his way.
Although he doesn’t get very far before Naruto begins shouting over his shoulder and speed walking- or speed crashing straight into his back.
“Watch it dumbass.” Sasuke sneers as he cuffs Naruto over the head, Naruto responds with a glare and a jab into Sasuke's side.
“What do you want.” Sasuke asks curtly with a nasty look on his face.
Naruto responds in kind, “well I was gonna see if you wanted to come eat ramen with me, but if you wanna go take the stick out your ass first-“
Sasuke cut him off, “fine.” He starts walking towards Ichirakus leaving Naruto to catch up once more.
“Well you don’t have to be such a bastard about it- bastard.” Naruto grumbles under his breath.
“Real creative.” Sasuke states with a roll of his eyes.
Before Naruto can reply he notices Sasuke's attention fall off him and onto a strange noise coming from the rooftop, a kunai flies straight at him and Sasuke is pushing him out of the way before he can even react. Sasuke deflects the knife with one of his own and demands their would be assailant show himself.
A trio of rouge nin jump down from their hiding place. from where the boys are standing they can already tell they aren’t gonna be an issue.
They let the trio go off on some inane ramble about a girl that Kakashi-sensei apparently stole or something along those lines. A mutual look of disappointment passes though the boys, of course this is about him.
The gist of it goes like this, the three of them couldn’t take Kakashi on their own so they chose to target the couple of 12yr olds he was supposed to be watching. Seems like a good enough plan but they had failed to consider those particular 12 year olds were also licensed ninja.
A couple shadow clones and some ninja wire later the rogues were subdued and the boys were off again.
A block or so later Naruto attempts to play-jab Sasuke in the side, starting up their usual banter once again but this time he notices a wince that wasn’t there before.
The original kunai meant for him had made contact and now Sasuke was hurt, albeit mildly so.
Sasuke twisted his injury out of his friend's line of sight, “I’m fine idiot, let’s just go eat”. The edge of uncomfortability was evident in his voice.
Choosing not to accept that answer, Naruto grabbed his arm getting a little too far into Sasuke’s personal space for his liking. He pulled his friend down on to the nearest bench to take a better look at the injury.
Sasuke just let himself be dragged along.
“You should still go to the hospital, it’s not gonna kill you but I’m sure no one’s gonna want you bleeding all over the place.” Naruto said, the hint of concern was evident in his speech.
A slight blush bloomed across Sasuke’s face as he took stock of the situation, Naruto still much too close and now practically in his lap seemingly oblivious to the position he’d put them in.
“Just get off me moron, I’ll get someone to look at it later. I don’t need you playing nurse,” His blush deepening.
“Well it’s kind of my fault you’re even injured in the first place, I should have been paying more attention.” Naruto replied.
Looking over the injury he pulled out a roll of bandage and antiseptic from his pack, the best he could do being a haphazard patch job that at least stopped the bleeding.
“It’s not your fault, I should have been quicker.” Sasuke bit out.
“You should have just let me get hit. I would have been healed by now.” Naruto countered “why-, hey you’re all red. You don’t need to be embarrassed I’m sure by tomorrow- “ he leaned in just a bit further.
Sasuke wrenched his gaze away from the blue eyes looking back at him, only going that little bit redder.
Naruto began to put the pieces together in his brain. A sly smile appeared across his face as he got up. His own face heating ever so slightly.
A couple seconds go by before he pokes at his poor best friend. “You know I’m a very likable person, it was only really a matter of time.”
“What are you on about you absolute dumbass.” Sasuke scoffed, willing himself back to normal.
“Your crush obviously,” he started like it was the clearest thing in the world.
“I absolutely do not have a crush, least of all on you.” Sasuke sputtered out indignantly.
Not even bothering to reply, Naruto just leaned in really close and watched Sasuke’s face morph into a bright Vermilion red.
Satisfied with the results of his experiment, he beamed brightly and made a grab for Sasuke’s hand. Pulling the other boy up and all but forgetting about his scratch.
When Sasuke’s heart returned to a normal rhythm and his blood was back where it belonged he spoke again. “I think your crush was bigger than mine.”
“I do not-“ Naruto was cut off by Sasuke pulling up their joined hands and raising an eyebrow.
Naruto looked down in silence.
“I mean you ask me out like every day I don’t know how I didn’t realize” Sasuke pointed out.
“Because you’re an emotionally stunted bastard,” Naruto offered.
“You didn't realize either.” Sasuke shot back.
“Well we are both a bit thick then aren’t we.” Naruto said with a grin.
“Speak for yourself moron.” Sasuke replied with the barest hint of a grin.
The boys continued like that until they arrived at Ichiraku’s, at which point they devolved into flicking noodles at each other, and all was right with the world.