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Chapter Text

Uzumaki Naruto stood on the head of the Third Hokage’s Monument.

Like literally standing on his face.

He held a dripping paintbrush in one hand and grinned like he just pulled off the greatest heist of all time.

“This is gonna be the BEST prank Konoha’s ever seen,” he said to himself, stepping back to admire the mess of neon orange swirls and crooked kanji he’d smeared across the monument.

Down below, villagers were starting to yell. A few pointed. One lady screamed, “THAT UZUMAKI KID AGAIN?!”

Naruto just waved. “You’re welcome!”

-----

An hour later, he was sitting in front of Iruka-sensei, arms crossed, frowning.

“Why am I in trouble again ?! It was just a joke!”

Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose. “Naruto. You painted all over the Hokage Monument. Again.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “It’s not like anyone got hurt.”

“That’s not the point.”

He didn’t get it. No one ever did. Naruto just wanted people to notice him. To talk to him. Like him.

But all he ever got was glares and lectures.

He slumped in his chair. “Whatever…”

----------

The next morning in class, Naruto marched in like nothing had happened. He plopped into his seat with a loud sigh and looked around.

Same old boring faces.

Until..

“Uchiha Sasuke is here today,” whispered a girl in the row behind him.

Naruto turned his head just enough to glance back.

There she was, sitting in the back row, chin resting on her hand like she couldn’t care less about anything going on. Long dark hair, pale skin, those sharp Uchiha eyes. She looked kinda bored. Or maybe just tired. Or maybe both.

Naruto scowled and looked away.

“She thinks she’s soooo cool…”

Not that he cared or anything.

...

Okay, maybe a little. But only because Sakura cared.

“Good morning, Sasuke!” Sakura practically floated past him, glowing like a human heart emoji.

Naruto spun around in his seat. “Hey! Sakura-chan! Sit next to me instead!”

She didn’t even glance at him. “Move.”

Naruto sighed. “Rejected again…”

Sasuke didn’t react at all. She just kept staring out the window like she was miles away.

Naruto stared too.

Just for a second.

Then quickly looked away.

----------

That night, things got wild.

Naruto got tricked into stealing a super dangerous scroll. Mizuki turned out to be a whole snake. Iruka nearly died trying to protect him.

But Naruto? Naruto finally snapped.

He mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu right then and there and used it to beat Mizuki into next week.

When it was over, Iruka looked at him like, really looked at him, and said the words Naruto had been dying to hear his whole life:

“You pass.”

And just like that… he was a ninja.

----------

Naruto stormed into the classroom like he owned the place.

Headband shining. Head held high. Big grin slapped across his face.

“HEYYY!! CHECK THIS OUT!” he shouted.

Nobody looked up.

Typical.

Naruto grumbled and made his way to his usual seat. He dropped into the chair, stretched out like a king, and sighed.

Today was gonna be a good day. No more academy nonsense. No more tests. No more-

“Sasuke’s here!!”

Half the room turned their heads toward the back, where a certain Uchiha girl was sitting like she didn’t even notice the attention. Which, knowing her, she probably didn’t.

Naruto followed the noise and scowled.

Sasuke sat with one leg crossed over the other, arms folded, staring out the window like the world wasn’t worth her time. Her hair was neat as ever, her posture all calm and perfect and mysterious.

Naruto hated that.

And by hated, he meant… okay, he maybe respected it a little.

But mostly hated it.

Because Sakura wouldn’t even look at him.

She was too busy practically skipping down the row toward Sasuke. “Sasuke~! Good morning!”

Naruto popped up from his chair. “Hey! Sakura-chan! Sit next to me!”

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Because I’m sitting next to Sasuke .”

Naruto glared at the back of Sasuke’s head. He was 99% sure she was smirking. Or maybe that was just his imagination. Either way, it ticked him off.

He tried to wedge himself between the two girls anyway.

“Sakura-chan, c’mon! We’re gonna be teammates! Probably! Don’t you wanna get along?”

She shoved him lightly. “Move, Naruto!”

“I was here first!”

Then she shoved harder.

Naruto’s foot slipped on the floor.

He stumbled forward.

Right into Sasuke.

And then-

their lips bumped.

Naruto froze. Sasuke froze. Even the air froze.

Dead. Silence.

Sakura let out the most high-pitched gasp in the history of gasps.

Naruto screamed. “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

He flew backward like he’d been hit by a lightning jutsu.

“THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT I SWEAR!! I DIDN’T MEAN TO!!”

Sasuke blinked slowly, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and just stared at him.

Not saying a word.

Naruto’s heart was beating so fast. Not in the good way. In the I’m about to get absolutely murdered way.

Sakura’s face was pure horror. “Y-YOU KISSED SASUKE!!”

“I TRIPPED!!”

“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!!”

Naruto ducked under a flying notebook. “SHE’S GONNA KILL ME FIRST!!”

A few minutes later, Iruka walked in with a clipboard like none of that just happened.

“Alright, listen up. Time to announce your teams!”

Everyone instantly shut up.

Naruto sat stiff in his chair, still wiping his mouth and lowkey panicking.

Iruka started calling out names. Team 1. Team 2. Team 3.

Naruto crossed his fingers under the desk, whispering like it was a life-or-death prayer.

“C’mon, let me be with Sakura… please, please-”

Iruka scanned his clipboard. “Team 7… Uzumaki Naruto-”

“LET’S GOOOO!!” Naruto shouted, fist in the air.

“Haruno Sakura-”

“YESSSSSSS!!” Naruto nearly fell out of his chair. “THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!”

Sakura’s face dropped.

“…Seriously?”

Iruka kept going. “And Uchiha Sasuke.”

Sakura lit up instantly. “Yesss!!”

Naruto’s smile vanished. “Wait. What.”

Sakura turned to Sasuke, eyes sparkling. “We’re on the same team!”

Naruto looked back and forth between them. “NOOOOOOO!!”

Sakura shot him a death glare. “Shut it! I hate how I am stuck with you .”

Naruto clutched his chest like he’d been stabbed. “I’m literally right here…”

Sasuke just stood up calmly like nothing bothered her. Like she didn’t just have a full-on scandal in the classroom ten minutes ago.

Naruto slumped into his chair. “This is the worst best day ever…”

Sakura turned to Sasuke with hearts in her eyes. “At least you’re on the team…”

Naruto scowled. “I’M ON THE TEAM TOO, YOU KNOW.”

Nobody cared. T-T

Chapter Text

The classroom had cleared out.

Just the three of them now. Team 7.

Naruto sat with his arms crossed, glaring at the ceiling like it owed him money.

Sakura was two seats away, pretending he didn’t exist. She was twirling a strand of her hair and sneaking glances at Sasuke like she was in a drama.

And Sasuke?Still at the back of the room.

Still looking out the window.

Like she hadn’t been kissed by a full-blown menace half an hour ago.

Naruto groaned. “Why does my first kiss have to be her ?”

Sakura didn’t even look at him. “You’re the one who kissed her.”

“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!”

Sasuke didn’t say a word.

Naruto slumped across his desk. “This sucks.”

They were supposed to be a team now. He had been so hyped . He was finally a ninja, he was on a squad with Sakura, he had a cool headband, and..

Now everything was ruined.

Sakura hated him (more than usual).

Sasuke wanted him dead (probably).

And their teacher was two hours late .

At one point, Naruto tried to strike up conversation.

“So… what kinda missions do you think we’ll get? Maybe something cool, like chasing rogue ninja?”

Sakura didn’t respond. Sasuke blinked slowly.

He tried again. “Or maybe we’ll be sent on, like, a secret mission! We could fight bandits!”

“Pretty sure we’re just walking dogs at first,” Sakura muttered.

Naruto frowned. “No wayyy”

After another painful ten minutes of nothing happening, Naruto had an idea.

A terrible idea.

He tiptoed over to the classroom door, grabbed a dusty chalkboard eraser, and balanced it right on top of the frame.

“What are you doing?” Sakura hissed.

“It’s a test ,” Naruto whispered. “If our sensei can’t dodge this , how strong can he be?”

Sakura facepalmed. “You're gonna die.”

Then, right on cue-

click

The door slid open.

A silver-haired man stepped inside, orange book in hand.

THUNK.

The eraser dropped right on his head.

...

He just stood there.

Didn’t even flinch.

Naruto laughed.

The guy slowly looked up at them. One eye visible, the other hidden by a headband. Mask over his face. Totally unreadable.

Then he said:

“My first impression of you three is…”

Long pause.

Naruto laughed nervously.

Sakura smacked her forehead.

Sasuke blinked once.

The guy shut his book and shoved it into his pocket.

“Name’s Kakashi Hatake,” he said. “Meet me at Training Ground Three at 9 am tomorrow.”

Naruto blinked. “Wait, what? That’s it?!”

“We’re doing a little exercise,” Kakashi said. “Don’t eat breakfast. You’ll throw it up.”

And with that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“…What just happened,” Naruto muttered.

“Training Ground Three,” Sasuke said, already walking out the door.

Sakura followed right after her. “Try not to be late, Naruto.”

Naruto groaned and dragged his feet after them.

“This team’s gonna kill me.”

----------

The next morning.

Naruto was dying.

Not from training. Not from battle.

From hunger.

He sat on the ground at Training Ground Three, arms wrapped around his stomach, face pressed into the grass like the earth owed him food.

“I should’ve eaten something,” he groaned.

Sakura, standing nearby, rolled her eyes. “He said not to eat.”

“He said we’d throw up! He didn’t say we’d starve to death!”

Sasuke was already leaning against a tree, arms crossed, looking like she’d been there for hours and could wait several more without blinking.

Naruto glared at her. “Why are you always so calm?!”

Sasuke didn’t respond.

Naruto under his breath. “Tch.”

Sakura swatted the back of his head. “Shut up, he’s here.”

POOF.

Kakashi appeared out of thin air, hands in his pockets.

“Good morning,” he said cheerfully. “Hope you’re all feeling awake.”

“I’m feeling hungry,” Naruto muttered.

“You’ll live,” Kakashi replied.

He reached into his pouch and pulled out two shiny little bells.

“These,” he said, holding them up so they jingled, “are your mission.”

Naruto blinked. “There are two of them?”

“Exactly.”

Kakashi clipped the bells to his waistband and continued, all casual. “Your task is simple: take a bell from me. Those who get a bell pass. Those who don’t… will be expelled from being ninjas.”

Sakura frowned. “But there’s three of us.”

Kakashi shrugged. “Better try hard.”

Naruto’s jaw dropped. “THAT’S NOT FAIR!”

“Life isn’t fair,” Kakashi said, pulling out his book mid-sentence.

Naruto sputtered. “But we already graduated! You can’t just kick us out!”

Kakashi flipped a page. “If you fail this, you go back to the Academy.”

Naruto: “WHAT???!”

Sakura: “????!”

Sasuke: “...”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Kakashi added, finally putting the book away. “If you come at me without intent to kill, you won’t stand a chance.”

Naruto didn’t even hesitate. 

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!!”

In a flash, a crowd of Narutos, all grinning the exact same way, charged full speed toward Kakashi.

Sakura gasped. “He can already make that many?!”

Even Sasuke glanced over, mildly surprised.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Not bad.”

The real Naruto and his clones swarmed Kakashi from all angles, punches flying, kicks sweeping, trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

One Naruto actually connected , a clean punch to the chest.

But then-

POOF. A Log.

Naruto blinked. “Wait what?!”

Kakashi was gone.

The clones spun around in confusion.

Then..

“Too slow,” a voice said from behind.

Naruto turned just in time to swing at him.

Another poof . Another log.

“Substitution jutsu?!” Naruto shouted. “How did he-”

“Too slow,” Kakashi’s voice said from a tree branch above. “And too loud. You should go hide and try to ambush me. Just like the other two.”

Naruto looked around.

Sakura and Sasuke were gone.

“Wait! WHEN DID THEY-?!”

-----

Up in a tree, Sasuke crouched behind a thick branch, perfectly silent. She scanned the clearing below, calculating. Watching.

This was a test. A trap. A trick.

She knew Kakashi was strong and he wasn’t playing around.

She glanced down and spotted Naruto, running around in circles like a confused dog.

Sasuke sighed quietly. “Idiot.”

-----

Behind a nearby bush, Sakura was hiding with her hands over her mouth, trying not to breathe too loud. She peeked through the leaves and spotted Kakashi casually reading again.

She looked up at the sky.

This is fine.

She looked at Naruto.

This is not fine..

-----

Meanwhile, Naruto was still spinning in the middle of the field.

“HELLO?! WHERE EVEN ARE YOU?!”

A kunai flew out of nowhere and barely missed his ear.

“AAHHH!!”

He dived behind a tree and curled into a ball.

Naruto went into hiding.

Okay, not hiding exactly.

More like crouching in a bush trying not to yap.

“This is the worst test ever,” he whispered. “No food. No bells. No help. No teammates. Why am I the only one getting beat up out here?”

He peeked through the leaves and immediately got bonked in the forehead by a random eraser trap.

“OW. SERIOUSLY?!”

Somewhere in the trees, Kakashi chuckled.

Naruto faceplanted into the grass. “He’s a demon. I’m sure of it.”

-----

Elsewhere in the woods, Sasuke was moving like a shadow.

She didn’t make a sound. Her kunai was ready in her hand.

She spotted Kakashi standing near the stream, book in hand again.

She narrowed her eyes.

Now.

In a blur of movement, she launched a barrage of kunai, forcing Kakashi to dodge then shot out from behind a tree and aimed a perfect sweep kick straight at his side.

He caught her foot. Barely.

She followed up with a punch that grazed his jaw before vanishing again into the trees.

Kakashi actually looked impressed.

“Not bad,” he said.

-----

Back at the edge of the forest, Sakura was trying to track the others until she saw Kakashi standing still near a bush.

Too still.

She crept forward, panic rising.

“Did… did something happen? Did..?”

She peeked around the bush and saw Sasuke's body slumped over.

“OH MY GOD.”

She screamed and passed out on the spot.

----------

Eventually, noon came.

Naruto was flat on his back in the grass, twitching slightly.

Dirt on his face. Leaves in his hair.

His soul had left the chat.

Kakashi appeared next to him, totally fine. Not a scratch on him.

“Well,” he said. “That was entertaining.”

Naruto grunted weakly.

Sasuke landed nearby, panting.

Kakashi gestured toward the center of the clearing where a tall wooden post stood.

“Tied-up loser spot,” he said. “That’s you, Naruto.”

Naruto tied to a post, still hungry. Still humiliated. Still wondering if this was some kind of weird ninja hazing ritual.

Kakashi stood in front of them, arms crossed.

“You guys suck,” he said casually.

Naruto’s head snapped up. “HUH?!”

“You didn’t work together,” Kakashi said. “That was the point of this whole test. You each acted alone. No teamwork. No communication. No coordination.”

Sakura frowned.

Sasuke looked off to the side.

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but… yeah. He had charged in solo. Sasuke had gone lone wolf. Sakura had fainted.

“Now,” Kakashi said, reaching into a box, “we break for lunch.”

He dropped two bento boxes on the ground.

“But-” he pointed at Naruto, “the one tied to the post doesn’t get any.”

Naruto’s stomach let out the saddest growl ever recorded.

“Wha-what?! That’s so unfair!!”

Kakashi shrugged. “This is punishment. For charging in without thinking.”

Naruto slumped against the post, defeated.

“If any of you feed him,” Kakashi said, walking away slowly, “you fail. All of you.”

He stopped near the trees, glanced over his shoulder with his usual eye-smile.

“Back in a bit.”

Then he vanished.

It was quiet for a minute. Naruto sat there, arms tied behind him, stomach growling every 15 seconds. He tried not to look at the others' food.

Sakura quietly peeled the lid off her box.

Sasuke didn’t move.

Then…

She picked up her chopsticks and started eating slowly.

Naruto looked at her with the most pathetic expression on earth.

“…I hate this.”

Sakura glanced away while eating her food.

Still nothing from Sasuke.

Naruto gave her a sideways glare.

Sasuke glanced up. Her eyes flicked to him. Then to his stomach.

Then down to her bento box.

She picked up a rice ball, walked over calmly, and crouched beside him.

“…Open your mouth.”

Naruto blinked. “Wait. Are you-”

“Don’t make this weird,” she said, and shoved it gently into his mouth.

He almost choked. “MMPH?!”

Sakura gasped. “Sasuke!! He said not to-”

“Shut up,” Sasuke said. “He looks like he’s gonna pass out.”

Naruto chewed slowly, still staring at her like she’d grown a second head.

“…Thanks.”

Sasuke stood up like it was no big deal and walked back to her spot.

Sakura looked at Naruto. Then at her food.

“…Ugh. Fine.”

She walked over and held out a piece of tamagoyaki.

“Say ‘ah.’”

Naruto blinked. “Ah?”

She stuffed it in his mouth like she was mad about it.

“You fail,” Kakashi’s voice said suddenly.

They all froze.

He was standing on a branch above them, arms crossed.

Naruto panicked. “WAIT-”

“You broke the rules,” Kakashi said. “You disobeyed orders. You directly ignored what I said.”

A beat of silence.

Then-

“Good.”

The three of them blinked up at him.

Kakashi hopped down from the tree and walked over.

“You’re a team. That’s what matters. You didn’t leave each other behind. You saw someone struggling, and you helped anyway.”

He looked at them, more serious now.

“Those who break the rules are scum… but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.”

They stared at him.

“You pass.”

Naruto’s jaw dropped. “WAIT. WHAT?!”

Sakura: “We pass?!”

Sasuke: “...”

Kakashi waved it off like it was no big deal.

“Congratulations. Barely. You’re officially Genin.”

Naruto grinned so hard it probably cracked his face.

Later, after Kakashi disappeared into the wind again like some weird ninja ghost, Sasuke quietly walked back over to untie Naruto.

“You didn’t have to feed me, you know,” he said, kinda quiet.

Sasuke rolled her eyes. “You looked pathetic.”

Naruto laughed. “I probably did.”

A pause.

“…Thanks,” he said again.

Sasuke didn’t say anything, but she didn’t walk away either.

And Naruto’s heart made a small ba-thump.

Chapter Text

Naruto had dreams.

Big ones.

He pictured himself jumping off rooftops, taking down enemy ninja, everyone cheering his name, Sakura swooning in the background.

Instead?

He was knee deep in mud pulling weeds out of an old lady’s garden.

“This is so lame,” Naruto groaned, yanking a stubborn root and nearly falling backward. “We’re supposed to be ninjas, not gardeners!”

“It’s a mission,” Sakura said, not looking up. “It’s what we’re supposed to do.”

“Yeah, but it’s boring! I wanna fight someone!”

Sasuke was on the other side of the garden, yanking weeds out calmly and efficiently like she’d already accepted her fate. She hadn’t said a single word since they started.

Naruto glanced at her.

Her hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, just enough to keep it off her face. Practical, sharp, and somehow still elegant. Not a single strand was out of place.

And… for a second, just a second, Naruto thought..

She looked kind of beautiful like that.

He blinked. Then immediately scowled and looked away.

Nope. Nope. Absolutely not.

“How are you not complaining?” Naruto asked, frowning at her.

Sasuke didn’t even blink. “Because I’m not an idiot.”

Naruto nearly dropped a clump of dirt. “Wha- EXCUSE ME?!”

“She’s got a point,” Sakura muttered.

Naruto grumbled and went back to yanking weeds, determined not to let Sasuke look cooler than him again .

By the time they finished, Naruto was covered in mud, sweat, and pure emotional damage. The old lady they were helping gave them a sweet smile and some pickled radish.

Naruto nearly cried. “Thank you for this sacred gift.”

Kakashi poofed into existence right next to him, as usual. “Good job today. Same time tomorrow.”

Naruto’s joy died instantly. “Wait, there’s MORE?!”

“Yep,” Kakashi said cheerfully. “More D-ranks. Possibly involving livestock.”

“I wanna fight bandits!!”

“You can fight weeds again.”

Naruto screamed into the void.

They walked back through the village as the sun started to dip. Kakashi had vanished (again), Sakura was rambling about how her hair got dirty, and Naruto was trying not to collapse.

Sasuke walked a few steps ahead of them, quiet as always.

Naruto jogged to catch up.

“…Hey.”

She glanced at him, unreadable as ever.

He scratched the back of his neck. “You were fast back there. Like. With the weeds.”

“That’s not a compliment.”

“I didn’t say it was!”

Pause.

“…But it kind of was,” he added, muttering.

Sasuke said nothing.

They walked for a bit in silence.

Then Naruto blurted out, “I’m gonna beat you someday.”

She glanced at him again, a little surprised. “At pulling weeds?”

“No! At everything!” he said, fists clenched. “I’m gonna get stronger. Stronger than you.”

Sasuke’s expression didn’t change. But there was a tiny twitch at the corner of her mouth. Not a smile exactly, but something close.

“I’d like to see you try,” she said.

Naruto looked away. “Tch. Just wait.”

Sasuke didn’t respond, but she kept walking beside him.

Not ahead. Not behind.

Just... next to him.

----------

Naruto hated this cat.

Tora hissed at him again, claws out, ears back, ready to destroy.

“I SWEAR I AM GONNA LOSE IT-”

“Don’t yell at it,” Sakura scolded, holding the cat’s pink ribbon like it was some kind of sacred relic.

Naruto pointed dramatically. “This thing is a demon ! Look at its eyes! That’s not a pet! It’s a monster!”

Sasuke held the squirming cat by the scruff of its neck with one hand, completely unfazed. “You’re being dramatic.”

“I’M BEING ATTACKED.”

Kakashi was leaning against a fence, reading his book like nothing was happening. “Remember, ninja must be ready for anything. Even… surprise cat retrieval missions.”

Naruto turned to him, betrayed. “You’re just enjoying this.”

Kakashi flipped a page. “Very much.”

Mission: Retrieve Tora the Cat.
Status: Technically complete.
Morale: At an all-time low.

They walked back to the mission office, Naruto grumbling the entire way. Sasuke walked ahead, holding the cat like it weighed nothing. The little demon was oddly calm in her arms.

Naruto watched her for a second. Her hair had come loose a little. She had a scratch on her cheek from earlier, but didn’t seem to notice. Or care.

He quickly looked away.

Weird. 

Why did that make his heart skip a beat for a second there?

At the mission office, the Fire Lady hugged Tora like she hadn’t just run off and traumatized half the village.

“Ohhh Toraaaa~! Mommy missed you!!”

Tora let out the most judgmental meow Naruto had ever heard.

“She’s so... evil,” he whispered.

Kakashi gave the team a tiny wave. “Good work. Same time tomorrow.”

Naruto grabbed his headband like he might physically explode. “I CAN’T TAKE ONE MORE CAT, KAKASHI-SENSEI.”

“Okay,” Kakashi said. “Next one’s dog walking.”

Naruto screamed.

Later that afternoon, Team 7 was done for the day. Sakura had gone off to buy more shampoo (for reasons Naruto did not understand), and Kakashi had vanished into the void again.

Naruto and Sasuke ended up walking back together, mostly because they were going the same way.

Naruto kicked a rock down the path. “This is not what I thought ninja life would be.”

Sasuke didn’t reply.

He kept kicking it.

“…You’re really good at missions,” he muttered.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Naruto shrugged. “Even the dumb ones.”

“You’re not the worst,” she said eventually.

Naruto blinked. “Was that a compliment?”

Sasuke looked away. “Toleration isn’t the same as admiration.”

“…Still counts.”

Another beat of silence.

Then:

“You were fast today,” Sasuke said, so quiet he almost didn’t hear it.

Naruto turned to her. “What?”

She didn’t repeat it.

Just kept walking, arms folded, expression neutral.

But Naruto couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the way home.

----------

A few weeks had gone by, and now they were standing in the Hokage’s office, about to receive their first real mission.

The room was way too quiet.

Naruto could barely sit still. His leg was bouncing, his arms were crossed, and his eyes kept flicking between the Third Hokage, the mission file on the desk, and Sasuke.

Mostly Sasuke.

Sasuke stood perfectly straight, arms behind her back, looking completely calm like always. Like she wasn’t nervous. Like this was just another weed-pulling mission and not a big step forward in their ninja careers.

Naruto hated that.

And also maybe… respected it.

Which only made him more annoyed.

“So,” he said, breaking the silence. “Are we getting a real mission this time or what?”

The Third Hokage smiled slightly. “Impatient, as always.”

Naruto sat up straighter. “We’ve done eleven D-rank missions already! We’re ready for something tougher! Right, Kakashi-sensei?”

Kakashi, leaning against the wall behind them, flipped a page in his book. “You did scream the entire time during the cat mission.”

Naruto groaned. “I was emotionally attacked.”

Sakura elbowed him. “Shut up.”

The Hokage opened the file.

“Very well. You’ll be escorting a bridge builder from the Land of Waves. It’s a C-rank mission. Low risk but outside the village walls.”

Naruto lit up instantly. “Let’s GOOOO!”

Sasuke tilted her head slightly. “What’s the client like?”

“Stubborn,” the Hokage said with a sigh. “But skilled. You’ll meet him in a moment.”

The office door swung open.

An older man with a straw hat, glasses, and a bottle of sake in one hand stepped in.

“This is the elite team I’m getting?” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You sure they’re even out of diapers?”

Naruto immediately stood up. “HEY-”

Kakashi gently pushed him back into his chair.

Sasuke didn’t move. But something in her eyes sharpened.

Tazuna looked at her. “Well, at least this one looks serious.”

Naruto glared. “I’m serious!”

“You’re loud.”

“I’m both!!”

Sakura sighed.

They were dismissed soon after with a departure time set for the next morning. Team 7 exited the Hokage tower in silence.

Until Naruto spoke up.

“I am serious, y’know.”

Nobody answered.

He turned to Sasuke, walking beside him. “You could’ve said something.”

Sasuke didn’t look at him. “Why?”

Naruto frowned. “Because he was acting like we’re useless.”

“You acted like you were useless.”

Naruto stopped walking. “Tch. Whatever.”

Sasuke paused too. Turned just slightly.

“You don’t have to prove anything to me,” she said, voice flat.

Naruto blinked. “I’m not trying to-”

“You’re always trying to,” she cut in. “Every mission. Every moment.”

Naruto looked down. “So what if I am?”

Sasuke looked at him for a second too long. Then kept walking.

Naruto stayed behind for just a second longer, his chest tight in a way that had nothing to do with the mission.

This was just the beginning.

Chapter Text

The road out of Konoha was long, quiet, and honestly kind of boring.

Naruto had been walking for thirty minutes and already felt like collapsing. 

 “Are we there yet?” he asked for the fifth time.

“We haven’t even left Fire Country,” Sakura said.

Naruto groaned. “This is why I hate C-rank missions. Too much walking, not enough punching.”

“You hate D-ranks too,” Sasuke muttered from ahead.

Kakashi, who was reading again while somehow still walking in a straight line, sighed. “Try to conserve your energy. There might be surprises ahead.”

Naruto perked up. “Like bandits?”

“Like death,” Tazuna muttered under his breath.

Naruto stared. “Awesome!!”

Sasuke glanced over her shoulder and gave him a look. “You’re an idiot.”

Naruto grinned. “Yeah, but I’m a fun idiot.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

A few hours passed. The sun was high, the path was dusty, and Naruto was 90% sure his legs were about to fall off.

He watched Sasuke ahead of him. Her hair was still tied back in that annoyingly perfect way, and her posture hadn’t slouched once.

She made being cool look so easy .

Naruto scowled. Then immediately tripped over a rock.

“GAH-”

Sasuke turned just slightly, enough to see him eat dirt.

He popped back up, brushing off grass. “I’m fine! I’m totally fine!”

She looked at him for one second longer than necessary, then kept walking.

Naruto’s heart was doing that stupid flutter thing again.

He hated it.

They passed a puddle in the road.

Just a boring little puddle.

Naruto walked right past it. So did Sakura.

But when Kakashi passed it… something exploded out of the water.

Chains flew.

Sakura screamed.

Two ninja burst from the puddle, covered in dark cloaks and metal claws. One wrapped Kakashi up instantly.

“KAKASHI-SENSEI!!” Naruto shouted.

Then the chain ripped.

And Kakashi was gone.. shredded to pieces right in front of them.

Sakura froze.

Naruto’s heart stopped.

Sasuke moved.

Fast.

She jumped between the attackers and her teammates, kunai drawn, eyes sharp. “Get back!”

Naruto stood there, shaking.

One of the enemy ninja charged at him, and suddenly Sasuke was there, kicking the guy right in the ribs.

“MOVE, idiot!”

Naruto snapped out of it. He jumped back, pulled out a kunai, and tried not to pass out.

Sasuke was fighting. Sharp, precise, fast.

And Naruto hated feeling like he was slowing her down.

The fight didn’t last long.

Because.. surprise! Kakashi reappeared out of nowhere and immediately knocked both attackers out like it was nothing.

“You left us?!” Naruto shouted.

Kakashi shrugged. “Had to see how you'd react.”

Naruto pointed dramatically. “I almost died!!”

“You didn’t.”

Naruto grumbled, but his hands were still shaking.

Sakura sat on the ground, trying to stop her own.

Tazuna looked like he aged five years in five minutes.

Sasuke stood still, eyes focused, breathing hard. Calm again. Like nothing had happened.

And Naruto..

Naruto was furious.

Not at Kakashi. Not even at the enemies.

At himself.

He looked down at his hand, still clenched tight around his kunai.

“I froze up,” he muttered. “I was useless.”

Kakashi turned. “You were scared. That’s normal.”

“I don’t want to be normal!” Naruto shouted. “I want to be better!”

Then before anyone could stop him, he raised the kunai and stabbed it straight into his own palm.

Blood hit the dirt.

“ Naruto!! ” Sakura screamed.

Even Sasuke flinched, eyes widening.

Naruto held the kunai in place, gritting his teeth. “I won't freeze again. I swear.”

Kakashi crouched down beside him, quiet. He took the kunai from Naruto’s grip and started wrapping his hand without a word.

“You don’t need to hurt yourself to prove anything,” Kakashi said softly. 

“...”

-----

The forest was too quiet after the fight.

The two enemy ninja lay unconscious on the dirt path, tied up with ninja wire. Tazuna looked like he’d seen a ghost. Sakura still hadn’t unclenched her fists.

Kakashi dusted off his hands. “Alright. Time to talk.”

He turned to Tazuna. “C-rank missions don’t come with trained assassins. Care to explain?”

Tazuna wiped his face with a shaky hand. “I… okay, yes. I lied.”

Naruto spun around. “ WHAT?! ”

“They told me I couldn’t afford a B-rank team,” Tazuna said, voice low. “But I needed protection. Real protection.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “From who?”

Tazuna swallowed. “A man named Gato. He’s trying to take control of our entire country. The bridge I’m building is the only thing standing in his way.”

“Gato? As in the Gato?” Kakashi asked.

Tazuna nodded. “He sent those two. He’ll send worse next.”

Naruto’s eyes widened. “Wait..worse than that?!”

Kakashi was silent for a moment. Then..

“This mission is now outside the scope of your original agreement. According to protocol, we should turn back.”

Naruto stared at him. “What?! No! We can’t just leave him!”

“Don’t be stupid,” Sakura snapped. “If it’s too dangerous, we’re supposed to go home!”

“But-” Naruto looked at Tazuna, who was holding his arm like it might fall off. “They’ll kill him if we leave.”

“He lied to us,” Sasuke said calmly.

“Yeah, and?” Naruto snapped. “You saw those guys! What happens when it’s just him out here alone?!”

Sasuke didn’t reply.

Kakashi turned toward Naruto. “This isn’t about bravery, it’s about survival. You three aren’t ready to fight Jonin-level threats.”

“I’m not going back.”

Everyone looked at him.

Naruto’s voice shook, but he didn’t care. “I don’t care if he lied. He needs help. I’m not gonna run away and pretend I didn’t see it.”

“You’ll die,” Kakashi said bluntly.

“Then I’ll die trying!” Naruto shouted.

Silence.

Then, Sasuke let out a quiet sigh. “He’s an idiot.”

But she stepped forward too.

“I’m not going back either.”

Sakura gawked at them both. “Are you serious?!”

“I didn’t come out here to quit halfway,” Sasuke said, folding her arms.

Kakashi looked at them, then closed his book with a sigh. “Fine. We move forward.”

Tazuna looked like he might cry.

Sakura threw her hands up. “This is so dumb.”

They made camp that night under the trees.

Naruto sat on a log, quietly poking at the fire with a stick. He kept thinking about what Kakashi said. You’ll die.

He wasn’t ready for that.

But he also wasn’t ready to turn his back on someone.

Sasuke sat nearby, sharpening a kunai. She hadn’t said anything since dinner.

“…Hey,” Naruto said.

She didn’t look up. “What?”

He hesitated. “Thanks. For backing me up.”

“I didn’t do it for you.”

Naruto smirked a little. “Still. You didn’t have to.”

She glanced at him, just briefly.

Naruto looked back at the fire, smile fading just a little.

“…You think we’re gonna make it?”

Sasuke didn’t answer right away.

“If you stay focused… maybe.”

Naruto laughed under his breath.

For once, they didn’t argue.

They just sat there. Quiet. Tired. But not alone.

----------

The mist rolled in like a bad dream.

One second, the road ahead was clear. The next, they could barely see past the trees.

Naruto felt the hairs on his arms stand up.

“…Is this normal fog?”

“No,” Kakashi said, voice suddenly serious. “Stay close.”

Sakura reached for a kunai. Naruto clenched his fists. Even Sasuke tensed, her eyes narrowing.

That’s when they heard it.

The sound of a blade sliding from its sheath.

A shadow appeared ahead. Tall, wrapped in bandages, massive sword strapped across his back.

Zabuza Momochi.

“Yo,” he said. “I’ll be taking the old man now.”

Tazuna flinched behind them.

Kakashi stepped forward, pulling up his headband to reveal the Sharingan.

“You’ll have to go through me.”

Sasuke’s breath caught.

For a second.. just a second.. her eyes locked on the spinning red tomoe.

That symbol.

That power.

Her chest tightened, old memories flashing too fast to stop. Her father. Her clan. Her brother.

She blinked hard and looked away.

Not now. Not here.

She clenched her kunai tighter.

Zabuza smiled behind his bandages. “Gladly.”

The fight was fast. Brutal.

Zabuza moved like a ghost, slashing through the mist, water clone jutsus and kunai clashing. 

Kakashi was the only one who could keep up.

For a while.

Then it happened.

Water Prison Jutsu.

One moment, Kakashi was countering. Next he was trapped in a spinning orb of water, held in place by one of Zabuza’s clones.

“KAKASHI-SENSEI!” Naruto shouted.

He ran forward-

“Stop!” Sakura yelled. “You’ll get yourself killed!”

Sasuke grabbed his arm.

He turned to her, wild-eyed. “He’s gonna die! ”

“We’re not strong enough,” she snapped. “Not alone.”

Naruto’s breath came fast. His hands shook.

Then he looked at her.

Really looked.

She was scared too. But not frozen. Not running.

Just waiting.

For him.

“…Okay,” he said, quieter. “Then let’s go together.”

They moved fast.

Sasuke launched a volley of shuriken, drawing the clone’s attention.

Naruto split into five with Shadow Clone Jutsu, circling wide.

Zabuza’s clone turned and blocked Sasuke’s throw.

That’s when Naruto charged from behind and threw Sasuke’s kunai right back toward the clone.

The blade hit.

The clone dispersed.

Kakashi dropped to his knees, gasping.

Sasuke landed beside him, eyes wide.

Naruto skidded to a stop, heart pounding. “Did we..did that work?! ”

Kakashi looked up at them.

“Nice job,” he said.

Then turned toward Zabuza, cracking his neck.

“My turn.”

The real fight went next-level after that.

Kakashi copied Zabuza’s every move. Every slash, every jutsu. The mist began to clear. The pressure shifted.

And then..Kakashi landed a clean hit, knocking Zabuza into the riverbank.

He didn’t get back up.

Just as Kakashi was stepping forward to finish it..

thwip!

A needle flew through the air, piercing Zabuza cleanly in the neck.

Everyone froze.

From the trees, a figure appeared. Masked, dressed in hunter-nin gear, silent as a shadow.

Naruto tensed. “Who’s that?!”

The masked ninja bowed slightly. “I’ve been tracking Zabuza for some time. Thank you for weakening him.”

Kakashi narrowed his eye. “Hunter-nin… from the Mist?”

“That’s correct,” the ninja said. “This man is too dangerous to leave lying around.”

Without another word, the hunter-nin grabbed Zabuza’s body, hoisted it over their shoulder, and vanished into the trees.

Just like that.

Gone.

Kakashi didn’t move. For a long time, he just stared at the mist where they disappeared.

Naruto whispered, “Is it… over?”

Kakashi finally nodded. “For now.”

-----

That night, Team 7 camped near the water.

Kakashi was resting.

Tazuna was quietly staring into the fire.

Naruto sat beside Sasuke, still trying to process everything.

“…I thought we were gonna die,” he muttered.

“We almost did,” Sasuke replied.

Naruto chuckled weakly. “But we didn’t.”

Sasuke didn’t respond. Just looked at the flames.

Naruto glanced at her. Her ponytail had come a little loose. There was a scratch on her cheek.

He remembered the way they’d moved together. The unspoken trust. The way she’d kicked that guy off him. The way she hadn’t hesitated.

“You were awesome today,” he said.

Sasuke blinked.

“…So were you” she muttered.

Naruto smiled.

Then winced.

His hand throbbed. The bandage Kakashi wrapped earlier had loosened, and now it was all smudged and slipping.

He started fumbling with it, trying to redo it one-handed.

Sasuke watched for a moment. Then sighed.

“Give me your hand.”

Naruto blinked. “Huh?”

She pulled out a fresh strip of bandage from her pouch and reached for him. “You’re terrible at this.”

He hesitated then held out his hand.

Sasuke re-wrapped it efficiently, fingers brushing his skin just barely.

It didn’t take long, but Naruto’s chest felt like it was buzzing the entire time.

“There,” she said, tying it off. “Stop bleeding everywhere.”

Naruto stared at the new bandage, then at her.

“…Thanks.”

She looked back at the fire. “Don’t make it weird.”

He looked away real fast because what the hell was that feeling in his chest??

He didn’t know.

He just knew…

He wanted to keep fighting beside her.

Chapter Text

The next morning came with sore muscles and too many emotions.

Team 7 followed Tazuna through the misty roads of the Land of Waves until they reached a small, quiet house by the water. It didn’t look like much, but after everything they’d been through, it felt like a palace.

“You can rest here,” Tazuna said, rubbing the back of his neck. “My daughter and grandson live here too, so try not to wreck anything.”

Naruto kicked off his shoes at the door and flopped face first onto the wooden floor. “I love this house. I’m never leaving.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Try being useful and help bring the supplies in.”

“Too tired...”

Sasuke stepped over him without a word.

Inside, they were greeted by Tazuna’s daughter, Tsunami, who bowed politely, and her son Inari, who barely spared them a glance.

Naruto waved. “Yo! I’m Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage!”

Inari looked him dead in the eye.

Then walked away.

Naruto blinked. “Okay…”

“He’s been through a lot,” Tsunami said gently. “Please don’t mind him.”

---

They settled in for the day.

Kakashi rested in a corner, and Sakura was helping Tsunami in the kitchen. Naruto sat on the porch, legs dangling off the edge, watching the waves roll in.

Sasuke sat nearby, quiet as usual, cleaning her kunai.

For a long time, they didn’t speak.

Then:

“…You’re quiet today,” Naruto said.

“You’re loud every day,” Sasuke replied.

He huffed. “That’s not an answer.”

She paused, then answered. “Just thinking.”

Naruto glanced at her. “About the fight?”

“…About everything.”

Naruto nodded slowly.

“I thought I was gonna screw everything up again,” he admitted.

“You didn’t.”

“You saved me.”

She didn’t respond.

Naruto looked down at his bandaged hand. “I meant it, you know. About not freezing again.”

Sasuke finally looked at him.

There was something unreadable in her eyes. Not pity. Not annoyance. Just… quiet understanding.

“You’re improving,” she said.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she quickly added.

Naruto grinned. “Too late.”

She almost smiled. Almost.

---

Later that evening, they all sat around the table eating dinner until Inari suddenly slammed his chopsticks down.

“You’re all gonna die,” he said.

The room fell silent.

Inari stood up, fists clenched. “You think you’re heroes, but you’re not! Gato’s men are everywhere. You can’t win. You’ll just end up dead like the others.”

Naruto shot to his feet. “Don’t say that!”

“You don’t know anything about this place!”

“And you don’t know anything about me! ” Naruto shouted. “I’m not gonna die. I’m not gonna give up. I’m gonna protect people no matter what! ”

Inari flinched but didn’t back down.

Naruto sank back into his seat, fuming.

Sasuke stood up, not for drama, just to take her dishes to the sink.

As she passed by Naruto, she muttered under her breath,

“…You’re really bad at talking to kids.”

Naruto blinked. “He started it.”

She didn’t stop. Didn’t answer.

But there was no judgment in her voice.Just a little calm.

A little tired. Maybe even a little impressed.

Naruto watched her walk away.

And for some reason, his chest felt weird again.

----------

The next morning, Team 7 stood in a clearing surrounded by tall trees.

Kakashi yawned and pointed upward. “Today’s lesson: chakra control. Specifically, learning how to climb trees without using your hands.”

Naruto squinted. “...That’s real?”

Kakashi nodded. “Yup. It’s also necessary if you ever want to stop faceplanting on missions.”

Naruto pouted.

Kakashi continued, “Focus your chakra to the soles of your feet. Too little and you won’t stick. Too much and you’ll blast off the bark.”

He demonstrated by casually walking up the nearest tree and standing sideways like gravity was a suggestion.

Naruto’s jaw dropped. “WHAAAT- That’s REALLY cool!!”

Kakashi dropped back down. “Your turn.”

Sakura went first.

She took a breath, stepped forward, and calmly walked five steps up the tree trunk like it was nothing.

“Textbook chakra control,” Kakashi said, nodding.

Sakura beamed.

Sasuke narrowed her eyes.

Then stepped up to try it herself.

She made it halfway before her foot slipped and she landed lightly on the ground. Not perfect, but not bad.

Naruto was next.

He charged at the tree yelling “LET’S GOOOO!”

Took one step up… two…
And then..

THUNK.

Flat on his back.

Sakura sighed. “You’re supposed to focus, not scream at the tree.”

“I was focusing!”

“No, you weren't.”

Hours passed.

Sasuke was improving steadily.

Sakura had already reached the top and was now cheering herself on quietly.

Naruto?

Naruto had about twelve new bruises and a forehead full of leaves.

He slammed into the ground again, groaning. “WHY does this tree hate me?!”

He sat up, wiping sweat off his face, bandaged hand trembling slightly.

Sasuke watched him from across the clearing.

He wasn’t giving up.

Not even close.

Most people would’ve quit after the fifth fall. Or the tenth.

He was on twenty-three.

Sasuke picked up a leaf, crushed it in her palm without thinking.

She didn’t understand him

But…

She didn’t hate it.

That evening, Naruto stayed behind to keep trying.

Kakashi had dismissed them, Sakura went inside to help with dinner, and Sasuke lingered, pretending she had a reason.

She leaned against a tree, arms crossed, watching as Naruto slammed into the dirt again.

He groaned, face down in the grass.

“Are you done yet?” she called.

“No,” he grumbled into the ground. “I’m gonna get it.”

He pulled himself up again, brushing off bark and dirt and his pride.

Sasuke shook her head slowly. “You’re the most frustrating person I’ve ever met.”

Naruto beamed. “Thanks.”

She sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “Why am I still standing here.”

-----

The clearing was quiet. The sun had started dipping behind the trees, turning everything gold.

Naruto stood in front of the tree trunk again. Sweaty. Dirt-smudged. Still bruised.

But his eyes were focused.

He took a deep breath.

Focused.

Ran.

Step. Step. Step. Stepstepstepstep-

YES.

He didn’t stop. He didn’t fall.

He reached a branch. A real actual branch. He grabbed it, swung himself up, and shouted at the top of his lungs

“LET’S GOOOOOOOOO!!!”

His voice echoed through the trees like a victory anthem. Birds flew. Somewhere in the distance, a deer probably panicked.

Sasuke, still leaning against her tree, didn’t move.

But her mouth tugged upward . Just slightly.

She caught it. And immediately wiped it off her face.

Naruto dropped back down a little less gracefully than intended and stumbled into the clearing, grinning like his life had just peaked.

“Did you see that?! I DID IT! I ACTUALLY DID IT!!”

“You don’t have to yell.”

“I do actually!” he said, still catching his breath. “Because I thought I was gonna DIE out here!”

Sasuke crossed her arms. “You were just being dramatic.”

“You were watching me, weren’t you?” Naruto said, stepping closer. “You saw the whole thing.”

“I was making sure you didn’t break your neck.”

“Aww,” he grinned, “you do care.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“You were totally impressed.”

“Hardly.”

“You smiled .”

“I did not. ”

“You did,” he said, walking a little closer. “It was tiny. But it was there. A little 'wow Naruto actually did something right for once’ smile.”

Sasuke narrowed her eyes. “Do you want me to knock you down the tree again?”

Naruto just laughed.

And for the first time..

Sasuke let out the faintest chuckle. Barely there. Almost like it slipped out before she could stop it.

Naruto froze. “Wait..was that a laugh ?”

She turned away fast. “No.”

“It was! Oh my god..you can laugh!”

“You’re hallucinating,” she muttered, turning away.

But her steps slowed. Just a little.

Naruto was still behind her, probably grinning like he’d won the lottery.

She didn’t need to look to know. She could feel it.

“…Wipe that look off your face before I knock it off,” she said over her shoulder.

There wasn’t much bite in it. More like… a warning she didn’t really mean.

She kept walking.

Didn’t glance back.

Didn’t smile.

But her ears were just a little red.

Chapter Text

It started with a chore.

Tsunami had asked them to help clean out the old tool shed behind the house. Just organizing. Nothing life-threatening. Easy, right?

Wrong..

Naruto was at the top of the ladder, stretching to reach a box wedged on the highest shelf.

Sasuke was below, keeping the ladder steady, because she knew he was going to do something dumb.

“Why are you up there again?” she asked, squinting up at him.

“I saw this cool old box! It might have, like, kunai or some ancient secret scroll!”

“Or termites.”

He ignored her. “Just a little further...”

The ladder wobbled.

“Don’t fall,” Sasuke muttered.

“I’m not gonna fall!”

He fell.

It happened in a blur.

Naruto lost his balance, tried to grab the shelf, missed completely, and flailed like a pancake in the wind. Sasuke reached to steady him but instead.. he tumbled right into her.

They crashed to the floor.

Hard.

Naruto landed on top of her, face smashed against hers.

Lips first.

THUMP.

Silence.

Naruto froze.

Sasuke froze.

And then..

“You guys okay in there?”

The door creaked open.

Sakura stood frozen in the doorway, broom still in hand.

Naruto was on top of Sasuke.

Sasuke looked like she was about to explode.

And the air reeked of “we swear this isn’t what it looks like” energy.

“…What. The. Actual hell.”

Naruto flailed off her like a pancake.

Sasuke shoved him away like he was contagious.

Sakura blinked.

Slowly.

She had always admired Sasuke.

Cool. Collected. Smart. The kind of person who walked into a room and made everyone shut up.

Sakura used to wonder what it’d be like to be that unbothered.

To not care what people thought.

To not try so hard to be noticed.

But lately…

She’d been watching more closely.

Watching Naruto train harder than anyone.

Watching Sasuke sit through dinners a little quieter, a little softer.

And especially last night, when Naruto stayed out in the training field long after everyone else had gone in.

And Sasuke had stayed. Just watching him, worried about him.

From observing them past few days, she knew they would be together sooner or later. And deep inside of her, she has started shipping the two together.

“You kissed?!” Sakura blurted before her brain could catch up.

“NO!!”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!! YOU’VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!!!”

Sakura squinted. Naruto looked like he was about to pass out. Sasuke looked ready to commit a crime.

Sakura didn’t feel mad this time.

She mostly just… wasn’t surprised. 

She tilted her head.

“Wow,” she teased, deadpan. “Sasuke. You know you could get someone way better, right?~”

Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched violently.

“It wasn’t a kiss,” she snapped.

“Mhm.” Sakura turned, already walking out. “I’ll be sure to tell the ladder~”

She paused in the doorway, glanced over her shoulder.

“…You’re still cool, by the way,” she said, tone lighter. “Even if your taste is… questionable.”

Naruto made a strangled noise.

Sasuke looked like she was ready to throw a broom at Naruto and her.

And with a smug little grin, Sakura disappeared into the hallway.

----------

Naruto hadn’t slept well.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Sasuke’s face.

Specifically: Sasuke’s face underneath his , in a dusty shed, with their lips pressed together.

He groaned into his pillow.

“I’m never climbing anything again.”

Sasuke hadn’t slept either.

Every time she stopped moving, her brain replayed the exact frame-by-frame of Naruto’s mouth crashing into hers, the way her chest had clenched, and the way her hands did not immediately shove him off.

Her jaw tightened.

“It didn’t mean anything,” she muttered. “It was an accident.”

A very…warm accident.

She scowled harder.

Breakfast was tense.

Tsunami was humming in the kitchen.

Sakura was sipping tea way too innocently.

Naruto sat down across from Sasuke, then immediately looked at the wall like it owed him money.

Sasuke stared at her rice like it had personally offended her.

Sakura looked between them.

Then she smiled.

“So. Sleep well?”

Naruto choked on air. “I-I-fine. Totally fine. Super normal.”

Sasuke didn’t say a word. Just kept trying to eat normally.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. You two are just radiating normal.”

Naruto shrank a little in his seat.

Sakura smirked and added with mock concern,

“Glad to see falling face-first into Sasuke didn’t completely scramble your brain.”

Sasuke’s chopsticks snapped in half.

Naruto turned into a tomato.

Sakura casually sipped her tea. “Oops. Did I say that out loud?”

Then she looked between the two of them and added sweetly,

“Hope you two don’t fall again. We wouldn’t want another... accident. ”

Sasuke stood up so fast her chair screeched.

Naruto sank halfway under the table.

Sakura just smiled and popped a rice cracker in her mouth, looking very pleased with herself.

Later that morning, Kakashi sent them to the clearing to “train.”

Which was code for “get out of the house before someone dies.”

Sakura offered to stay behind and help with groceries.

Naruto and Sasuke walked to the clearing in silence.

Very loud, awkward silence.

“You’re walking weird,” Sasuke said.

Naruto flinched. “What?”

“You keep looking at the ground.”

“I always do that!”

“No, you don’t.”

“I DO NOW.”

“…Idiot.”

He sighed. “Can we just… forget it?”

Sasuke paused for a second, then replied.

“…Fine”

Naruto blinked. “Wait, really?”

“Nothing happened.”

“Right,” he echoed, his voice cracking. “Nothing.”

More silence.

Then, hesitantly, he added,

“So… you’re not mad?”

Sasuke didn’t answer right away.

She looked at him again—really looked.

His hair was messy, like always. Still had a smudge of something on his cheek from breakfast. And his eyes—blue and wide and stupidly sincere—looked genuinely nervous.

“…No,” she said at last.

And just as the tension started to ease..

Naruto tripped over a root.

“Whoa-!”

He reached out to steady himself

Grabbed her arm

And instinctively pulled her with him as he fell backwards into the grass.

They crashed down hard, a tangle of limbs and momentum.

Sasuke landed on top of him.

Their noses were inches apart.

Both of them froze.

Naruto blinked up at her.

Sasuke didn’t move.

His hands were still gripping her arms, her hands braced against his chest.

Her heart was pounding. Loud.

So was his.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, he didn’t even know what, but nothing came out.

Sasuke’s eyes darted away. Then back.

And her face flushed scarlet.

“Let. Go.”

“B-But you are the one on top of me!”

She got off him fast, sitting up and brushing invisible dirt off her clothes. “You’re unbelievable.”

Naruto sat up too, still red-faced. “I was trying to not fall! You were just next to me and I-I panicked! S-Sorry!”

She didn’t answer.

Didn’t even look at him.

But her hands were still shaking a little.

And her face?

Still flushed.

She stood and turned away quickly, muttering something.

Naruto watched her go.

And for some reason, he couldn't stop staring at where her hand had landed over his heart.

Back at the house, Sakura handed Tsunami a bag of rice, smiled, and said:

“So… on a scale of 1 to ‘Sasuke’s gonna kill him,’ how much trouble do you think Naruto is in?”

Tsunami just blinked.

“…I should’ve known you three were trouble.”

----------

The next day, it was quiet. Too quiet.

The kind of quiet that made thinking hard to avoid.

Sasuke sat alone on the porch, knees drawn up, kunai resting forgotten beside her.

She stared at the mist hanging over the water.

Not training. Not meditating. Just… thinking.

And she hated it.

The kiss.. that accident..kept replaying in her head like a scene she couldn’t delete. Not because it meant anything. Not because it mattered. Just because…

Because it felt like it did.

And that was the problem.

I don’t have time for this.

She clenched her fists.

She had goals. A path. A future already carved in blood and fire. She was supposed to get stronger. Strong enough to face him . Strong enough to do what had to be done when the time came.

There’s no room for distractions.

No room for…warm hands. Or stupid grins. Or the way he kept showing up, again and again, even when she didn’t ask him to.

Even when she didn’t want him to.

Especially then.

Naruto was on the roof, lying on his back, arms behind his head, staring up at a sky that didn’t have answers.

He’d been thinking about it, too.

Not just the kiss. Not just that moment earlier.

But the weird feeling in his chest afterward.

And how every time Sasuke looked at him lately, he felt like he’d just run up a mountain.

And maybe, just maybe…

He was starting to understand something.

He thought he liked Sakura.

But when he really looked back, like really thought about it, he never knew much about her. He liked the way she talked. The way she smiled. But mostly…

He liked how much she paid attention to Sasuke.

Was I just trying to keep up?

He sighed, blowing out a breath that stirred his hair.

Sakura had always looked at Sasuke like she was the center of the world. Naruto had wanted someone to look at him like that.

But lately…

Sasuke did look at him.

Not all the time. Not in big ways.

But in the quiet, in the moments between fights, in the small things.

She saw him.

And that?

That was worse than any crush.

Back on the porch, Sasuke exhaled sharply and stood.

Enough.

She couldn’t afford to get attached. Not now. Not when the path ahead of her was built on ashes and revenge.

I can’t be weak.

I can’t let anyone in.

Even if part of her, some annoying, traitorous part, wondered what it would feel like to just stop for a second and let someone hold the weight with her.

Just for a little while.

Up on the roof, Naruto sat up and looked out at the mist.

He didn’t get it.

But he was starting to want to.

And for once, it had nothing to do with proving anything to anyone.

He just wanted to understand her.

Chapter Text

The morning mist was thicker than usual, rolling across the trees like it was hiding something.

Naruto couldn’t sleep so he slipped out early for a walk.

In a small clearing just past the edge of the forest, he found someone kneeling near the roots of a tree. Picking herbs. Moving so quietly they almost looked like part of the mist.

Naruto paused.

They looked up.

Delicate features. Long dark hair. Calm eyes.

“Oh,” the person said softly, “I didn’t expect anyone else to be out here.”

Naruto blinked. “Uh..hi. Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

“You didn’t.” The person smiled. “You just move… loudly.”

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, flustered. “Y-Yeah. I get that a lot.”

They stood and brushed off their hands. The way they moved..calm, graceful..was weirdly hypnotic. Naruto had no idea why he was staring so hard.

“Are you a ninja?” they asked.

“Yup! The best in my class, well, sorta.” Naruto grinned. “I’m training with my team right now. Important mission and everything.”

The person nodded, looking thoughtful. “That’s good. Strong people should protect others.”

Naruto’s grin faltered just slightly. “You think I’m strong?”

“You have kind eyes,” they said. “Kindness is its own strength.”

Naruto’s face exploded into red.

“I..uh..thanks. You’re… pretty cool too. I mean, you’re pretty. Cool. Like..cool looking. In a cool way!”

The stranger just smiled again. “You’re funny.”

They bowed slightly and turned to leave. “I hope we meet again.”

Back at the house, Sasuke and Sakura were preparing lunch.

Sasuke noticed when Naruto came back.

Noticed the dumb grin on his face.

Noticed the way he was whistling.

And she definitely noticed when he walked in and said:

“I think I met a forest fairy..”

Sakura looked up from peeling vegetables. “The what?”

“She was really nice,” Naruto said, still smiling. “Pretty. Long hair. Said I had kind eyes.”

Sasuke didn’t react.

Not at first.

But the knife in her hand bit just a little harder into the cutting board.

“That sounds safe,” she said flatly.

Naruto blinked. “Huh?”

“Stranger in the woods. You just talk to people who show up out of nowhere?”

“She wasn’t creepy!”

“You wouldn’t know creepy if it kissed you in a shed.”

Naruto turned red instantly. “THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT.”

Sakura made a choked sound behind her hand.

Sasuke cleaned up. “Tsunami needs help with the water. I’ll go.”

She left without another word.

But Sakura noticed that she was a little tense, jealously.. perhaps?

----------

The next day, as Team 7 escorted Tazuna across the bridge, the fog was worse than ever.

The mist swallowed everything.

The bridge groaned beneath their feet, half-finished and slick with dew. Shadows stretched long in every direction but none of them belonged to the sun.

Kakashi’s eye narrowed. “He’s here.”

And then-

“Hello again.”

Zabuza stepped from the fog, blade resting across his shoulder like it weighed nothing. His bandaged face twisted into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Beside him, the masked hunter-nin appeared, silent and still.

Naruto squinted at them, something tickling the back of his brain. That figure… the way they stood. Calm. Centered.

He couldn’t explain why it felt familiar.

But it did.

The fight started instantly.

Zabuza charged at Kakashi, blade slicing the mist itself.

Steel clashed. Water erupted. Chakra split the air.

Sakura stayed near Tazuna, kunai drawn, shaking but focused.

Naruto and Sasuke stood back-to-back, eyes scanning the fog.

Then-

A blur.

The masked ninja appeared in front of them in a breath.

Sasuke lunged first. “Naruto! Move!”

Naruto barely had time to react before dozens of thin, sharp needles flew through the air.

He dodged most. Sasuke knocked the rest aside.

But it was just a distraction.

Ice bloomed.

One mirror. Then another. And another.

Before Naruto could blink, he and Sasuke were inside a dome of perfect, shining crystal with each panel reflecting the same masked figure again and again and again.

“What is this?” Naruto breathed, spinning in place.

Sasuke gritted her teeth. “A trap.”

The real figure stood inside one mirror. Calm. Silent. Watching.

Then-

They moved.

Too fast to track.

Needles flew. Sasuke got hit with one in the arm. Naruto took a hit to the shoulder.

They struck back with kunais, but their attacks bounced off the mirrors like stones against steel.

Outside the dome, Sakura screamed.

“Naruto! Sasuke!”

She pounded on the edge of the mirror cage, but her hands passed through the mist. Useless.

She turned toward Kakashi and Zabuza but they were already locked in a battle that split the bridge itself.

She was on her own to protect Tazuna.

Inside, Sasuke’s breathing was heavy. Her arm bled freely. Naruto stood near her, hands clenched, face pale.

“Why can’t I hit them?” he growled.

“They’re too fast,” Sasuke muttered. “They’re moving between the mirrors.”

Naruto tried to summon a clone, but three popped into existence and were cut down before they could blink.

The masked ninja spoke.

“You can’t win here.”

Naruto turned. “Who are you?!”

No answer.

Just that voice.

Quiet. Familiar.

Kind?

No…

It couldn’t be.

Could it?

Sasuke lunged forward again. “Don’t just stand there, do something!”

Naruto moved.

Too slow.

Another needle flew.

It grazed Sasuke’s cheek again.

Naruto’s chest tightened.

Needle in his shoulder. Blood on his hands. His head spinning.

The mirrors were everywhere.

So many reflections.

So many versions of the same enemy.

He lunged again.

Too slow.

The masked ninja moved like wind, appearing, vanishing, reappearing, striking.

Naruto turned..

And took another needle straight to the side of the neck.

The world tilted.

Colors blurred.

His legs gave out.

He hit the ground with a dull thud.

For a second, the world just stopped.

Sasuke’s eyes widened.

“NARUTO!”

Something inside her snapped.

She moved without thinking.

Not with strategy. Not with training.

Just instinct.

She dropped beside him, checked his pulse, saw the needle sticking out of his neck, the blood.

Still breathing. But unconscious.

She clenched her fists.

Stood up.

Stepped in front of him.

He’s down.

He’s vulnerable.

And I won’t let you touch him again.

The masked ninja moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

But she saw it.

Her eyes burned.

And then-

The world slowed.

Reflections sharpened.

And when her gaze caught her own eyes in the mirror-

Two tomoe.

Both sides.

Black. Alive. Awake.

Her breath caught.

She had done it.

But she didn’t feel proud.

She felt…

Terrified.

Because this power didn’t come from rage.

It didn’t come from revenge.

It didn’t come from her past.

It came from him.

From Naruto.

From the sound of his voice when he was laughing.

From the way he grinned like nothing could break him.

From the way her chest caved in when she saw him fall.

I’m getting too..

Too close.

Too attached…

Too used to the way he makes everything feel… less heavy.

She couldn’t afford this.

Couldn’t afford to get any closer.

Because if she did-

If she let him in-

There’d be no going back.

Only pain.

Only loss.

She knew how that story ended.

But in that moment…

She didn’t care.

She didn’t step back.

Didn’t run.

She stayed.

Right in front of him. Between him and everything that wanted to hurt him.

Because the thought of him not waking up again?

That was more terrifying than any enemy.

She couldn’t let him die.

Not now.

Not ever.

And this time, it wasn’t for the mission.

It was for him.

Time passed. She wasn’t sure how much.

She blocked what she could.

Took the rest.

Her Sharingan helped, but her body couldn’t keep up.

But she kept standing.

Every hit dug deeper. Every step got harder. But she didn’t stop.

Not while he was still breathing behind her.

Not while she could still stand.

-----

When Naruto finally came back to his senses, the first thing he heard was the sound of metal hitting the ground.

The second thing he heard was his own heartbeat.

And the third?

Was Sasuke’s voice.

“…Idiot,” she breathed.

He opened his eyes.

And froze.

She was standing over him.

Barely.

Her knees were shaking.

Her arms were full of cuts. Her clothes soaked in blood.

Needles stuck out of her shoulders. Her back. Her stomach.

She looked like she could collapse at any second.

“W-Why…” Naruto’s voice cracked.

She looked down at him.

And smiled.

A real one.

Tired. Small. Sad.

“…I couldn’t let you go.”

Then her legs gave out.

And she fell forward.

Naruto caught her.

His hands immediately came away red.

“…No. No, no no no-”

He shook her. “Sasuke! Sasuke, wake up.”

She didn’t move.

His breathing hitched.

His vision blurred.

And something inside him snapped.

From outside the mirror dome, the chakra changed.

Raw.

Wild.

Red.

Kakashi looked up sharply.

“…That chakra.”

Inside the cage of ice, Naruto stood.

Head lowered.

Fists clenched.

And when he raised his head-

His eyes burned.

“You…”

His voice was low. Shaking.

“You will pay for this. I’m going to kill you.”

And then the air around him exploded.

Chapter Text

The air inside the ice dome was heavy.

Haku felt it the second the red chakra rippled out.

It burned.

It growled.

It moved .. alive, hungry, ancient.

He looked up slowly.

Naruto stood at the center of the dome.

Head lowered. Hands clenched. Blood dripping.

And behind him-

Sasuke, motionless. Bleeding. Still.

Haku felt it in his chest.

That familiar ache.

Naruto.. He’s like me.

But then Naruto raised his head.

And his eyes glowed red.

Not with rage.

With wrath.

Naruto didn’t know what was happening.

He just knew it hurt.

Everything hurt.

His body was burning. His mind screaming.

All he could see was her.

Sasuke. On the ground. Pale. Silent.

Because of them.

“You killed her,” he said.

His voice was low. Shaking.

“YOU KILLED HER.”

The red chakra pulsed around him.

Wild. Sharp. Furious.

He took one step forward.

The mirror he touched shattered.

Haku’s eyes widened.

He moved again fast. A blur of needles and wind and mirrors.

Naruto didn’t flinch.

He roared and lunged, and every mirror he passed cracked from the force.

Haku tried to hit him.

Tried to trap him.

But he was too late.

Naruto slammed into the mirror with a snarl and grabbed Haku by the arm.

“Why did you do it?” he growled. “WHY HER?!”

“She was protecting you,” Haku said softly.

“THAT’S NOT AN ANSWER!”

Naruto threw him back hard.

Haku skidded across the floor, catching himself on one knee.

He coughed.

His hand trembled.

So this is the Nine-Tails’ power…

“…You’re stronger than I thought.”

Naruto stood slowly.

Didn’t look back.

“Shut up.”

“But I still have a mission.”

Haku raised his hand.

Naruto turned.

And the red chakra exploded off his body like a second heartbeat.

He charged forward.

No jutsu. No strategy. Just rage.

Haku dodged, barely, and felt the fist graze his mask.

The mirror behind him shattered.

He launched a barrage of needles.

Naruto didn’t flinch.

He ran through them, red chakra boiling, burning, howling.

He slammed into Haku and threw him then dashed after him before he could stand.

“You killed her!” Naruto screamed. “She was protecting me!”

He grabbed Haku by the collar and slammed him into the ice.

“YOU DON’T EVEN CARE, DO YOU!?”

Haku’s breathing faltered.

“I didn’t want to hurt her.”

“ THEN WHY DID YOU?! ”

Naruto’s grip tightened.

His hands were shaking again but for a different reason now.

The voice. The calm. The familiarity.

It gnawed at him.

But he shoved it down.

Now wasn’t the time.

Not with Sasuke lying behind him.

“You will pay for this.” His voice broke.

Haku stared at him, still masked, still silent.

And whispered,

“…If it makes it easier… kill me.”

Naruto froze.

He couldn’t breathe.

And the red chakra howled around him.

-----

The wind had gone still.

The mist curled around the broken mirrors like smoke.

Naruto stood over Haku, fists trembling, red chakra slowly simmering back into his skin.

He stopped himself right before his fist connected with Haku’s face.

He hadn’t struck the final blow. 

But he could have.

He wanted to.

No, he had wanted to.

Until now.

Haku didn’t fight back.

Didn’t move.

He just whispered,

“…You couldn’t kill me even though I killed your girlfriend. You are kind, Naruto.”

Naruto flinched.

"N-Not my girlfriend!"

Then-

A crack.

His mask.

A single fracture along the edge.

Naruto watched as Haku reached up, fingers trembling.

He pulled the mask off slowly.

And Naruto’s heart stopped.

Long dark hair. Soft eyes. A quiet kind of sorrow.

It was her.

No, not her.

It was him.

The person he met in the woods.

The one who called him strong.

The one who smiled at him like he mattered.

The one he thought was kind.

“No,” Naruto whispered. “It’s you?”

Haku looked away. “I’m sorry.”

“You were the one in the forest.”

Haku nodded once.

“You smiled at me. You… you said I had kind eyes.”

“I meant it.”

“Then why?! Why would you do this?! ”

Haku closed his eyes.

“I owe him everything,” Haku said. “He gave me a reason to live. A purpose. If he needed me to kill, I killed. Because I had nothing else.”

His eyes shimmered. Not with tears, but something emptier.

Naruto stared.

He couldn’t speak.

He could barely breathe.

“I didn’t want to hurt your friend,” Haku said quietly. “But I had to choose between her… and the man who saved me.”

“And now,” he whispered, “I think I’ve failed you both.”

Naruto shook his head. “You didn’t have to do this. You didn’t have to be this.”

“But I am,” Haku said, almost smiling. “And you’re still kind.”

He looked toward the battlefield in the distance.

“I think my purpose is ending.”

Naruto followed his gaze.

Zabuza.

Still fighting Kakashi.

Still alone. Getting pushed back by Kakashi.

Haku stood slowly, staggering, one hand pressed to his side.

“I can still protect him. Just one last time.”

Naruto stepped forward. “..No”

“You’re strong,” Haku said again. “Too strong to break like me.”

He turned.

“I can’t die just yet.”

And vanished into the mist.

Naruto stood there, alone again.

Shaking.

His fists were still clenched.

His breathing was ragged.

The red chakra flickered around him, angry, wild… and beginning to fade.

Slowly.

Like it had done what it came to do.

He turned.

And ran back toward Sasuke.

His legs nearly gave out when he dropped to his knees beside her, trembling fingers hovering over her shoulder.

“Sasuke…”

She didn’t move.

He leaned in closer.

His face pressed gently against her chest.

thump.

Another thump.

Steady. Weak. But there.

“…You’re alive,” he whispered, voice cracking.

And just like that—

The red chakra vanished.

Gone.

No growl. No fire. No rage.

Just him.

Just Naruto.

He collapsed forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her close, burying his face into her shoulder.

“You idiot,” he whispered, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “You’re not allowed to do that. You’re not allowed to..”

His voice broke.

“I thought I lost you..”

Sasuke stirred.

Barely.

Naruto felt it before he saw it. Her hand twitching, fingers brushing weakly against his sleeve.

He jolted upright.

“Sasuke?”

Her eyes opened just a sliver, dazed and unfocused.

She blinked up at him slowly, like she wasn’t sure where she was or why he looked like he’d just fought a war.

“…Naruto?”

He exhaled. Or maybe it was a sob. His voice cracked.

“You’re okay—oh my god—you’re okay—”

Sasuke frowned slightly. “Why… do you look like you’ve been crying.”

“I wasn’t. ”

“You were.”

“Okay, maybe a little.”

He was still holding her, he realized. Arms around her shoulders. 

And this time she didn’t pull away.

Chapter Text

The world around them was quiet.

Not silent.

There were still distant echoes. Shouting, the sharp chirp of crackling lightning, like a thousand birds screaming at once, and maybe the sound of something crashing far off on the bridge.

But none of it touched them here.

This moment felt separate. Like time had cracked and left a pocket just for them.

Naruto shifted, carefully adjusting her so she could lean against him.

“You should be resting,” he said, brushing a bit of hair from her face.

She scowled faintly. “You look worse than I do.”

“That’s so rude. I’m traumatized.”

Her mouth twitched with a half smile and half wince.

“…Did I actually say something before I passed out?”

Naruto blinked.

She didn’t remember?

He looked away, face suddenly burning.

“Uh. Yeah. You… said something.”

“What.”

“Nope. You’re too injured to be interrogating me.”

“Naruto.”

He glanced at her.

She was still pale. Still bruised and wounded.

But her expression was pure Sasuke: dead serious.

He sighed.

“You said…”

He swallowed.

“You said you couldn’t let me go.”

Sasuke stared at him.

A beat of silence.

“…That sounds made up.”

“I was there.”

She didn’t respond.

But her ears were a little red.

Naruto looked down at their hands.

Hers was resting near his.

He didn’t reach for it.

But he didn’t move away either.

“You scared me,” he said quietly. “Like more than anything else ever has.”

She didn’t answer.

Just leaned a little more into his side.

They stayed like that for a while.

Not speaking. Not moving.

The wind brushed past them softly.

Mist curling like fog around a fire finally dying out.

And somewhere far in the distance, the sounds of battle still echoed.

But for now?

The world could wait.

It was quiet now.

The kind of quiet that came after chaos.

The kind that felt too soft, too fragile. Like if they said the wrong thing, it would all crack again.

Naruto hadn’t moved.

He was still sitting on the bridge, back against the railing, Sasuke tucked against his chest.

His arms wrapped around her gently but firmly, like letting go might undo everything that had just happened.

“I didn’t know it would feel like that,” he said suddenly, voice hoarse.

Sasuke blinked, still groggy. “…What?”

“When you stopped moving. When I thought… y’know.”

He swallowed.

“I didn’t know it would feel like that.”

She didn’t say anything.

Just listened.

Let him talk.

“It was like the whole world just… stopped. Like everything else didn’t matter. Not the fight. Not the masked guy. Not the mission. Just you.”

His voice cracked a little.

“I couldn’t lose you. Not you.”

He buried his face into her hair, muttering.

“I know you’re probably gonna punch me for saying all this when you’re conscious again, but I don’t care. You scared me.”

Sasuke didn’t answer.

Naruto’s hand was still wrapped around her shoulder.

And when he loosened his hold just slightly, she shifted closer.

They stayed like that.

Quiet.

Soft.

Just breathing.

But he didn’t let go of her.

Not just yet.

And she didn’t ask him to.

Until..

“…Aw. You guys are cuddling.”

Naruto flinched so hard he nearly dropped her.

Sasuke groaned. “No.”

Sakura stood a few feet away, arms crossed, glowing with the energy of someone who just found the perfect blackmail material.

Kakashi was behind her with his usual unreadable expression.

“This is adorable,” Kakashi said. 

Sakura added, “Should I start knitting a couple’s headband or just jump straight to RSVP-ing the wedding?”

“Sakura..” Sasuke growled.

Naruto scrambled to sit up straighter, absolutely red-faced. “I-It’s not. We weren’t- She almost died!!”

“Wow,” Sakura deadpanned. “That’s your opener? ‘She was dying’? Real smooth.”

“I hate this team,” Sasuke muttered.

Kakashi cleared his throat. “Well, in case you two lovebirds missed it. Zabuza’s gone, Haku too. Gato’s men ran the second he dropped. The fight’s over.”

Naruto blinked.

“…They died? It’s over?”

Kakashi nodded. “Done. Mission complete. We’re just waiting on emotional stability now, but clearly, that’ll take longer.”

Sakura elbowed him lightly. “Be nice, Sensei. They just went through a life-or-death confessional arc.”

Naruto groaned. “It wasn’t a confessional arc!!”

Sasuke buried her face in his jacket. “Please stop talking.”

Kakashi crossed his arms. “We can go over the post-battle briefing now, or wait until the snuggling ends.”

Sakura added helpfully, “But if you two start kissing again, I’m leaving.”

“I’M NOT-” Naruto exploded. “WE’RE NOT- THAT WAS A LADDER ACCIDENT!!”

Kakashi tilted his head. “Ladder Accident?”

Naruto’s face was redder than Sasuke’s blood, and he looked like he was seriously considering throwing himself off the bridge instead of answering.

Sasuke slowly turned her head toward Sakura and gave her the kind of flat, deadpan glare that promised violence the second she could stand again.

Sakura?

Sakura looked absolutely smug. Like all her suspicions had just been confirmed and she was already planning how to weaponize the memory.

-----

The sun had finally broken through the mist.

Team 7 sat gathered in Tazuna’s living room, clean bandages wrapped around wounds and silence wrapped around everything else.

Tsunami had left tea for them.

No one touched it.

Naruto sat on the floor, legs crossed, arms resting on his knees. He hadn't spoken since they got back. Not much, anyway.

Sasuke was sitting beside him, quieter than usual. Sakura was watching them both out of the corner of her eye, but for once, she didn’t say anything teasing.

And Kakashi?

Kakashi was standing by the window.

He hadn’t moved in a while.

Not until Naruto finally broke the silence.

“…So what happened. With them.”

Kakashi turned.

“Haku stepped in front of my Chidori.”

The words hung there.

“He saved Zabuza. One last time.”

No one said anything.

Naruto stared at the floor.

Kakashi’s voice was low. Steady. But not cold.

“Zabuza didn’t know at first. But when he saw Haku’s body… he changed. I think… he realized what he’d lost. What he had.”

He exhaled softly.

“He said Haku had always been more than a tool. He just never knew how to say it.”

Sasuke glanced at Naruto.

He was gripping the fabric of his pants so tightly his knuckles had gone white.

Kakashi looked at him.

“He asked me for a kunai.”

Naruto blinked.

“Why?”

“To fight. One last time. Not for power. Not for money. Just… for Haku.”

Sakura whispered, “He killed Gato, didn’t he?”

Kakashi nodded.

“And then he collapsed next to him. Said he hoped Haku was waiting on the other side.”

Naruto looked up slowly.

His voice cracked.

“He really cared.”

Kakashi nodded once. “Yeah. In the end, he really did.”

Naruto dropped his head, hiding his face.

Sasuke shifted slightly closer beside him.

He didn’t say it out loud, but…

She remembered Haku.

The way he looked at Naruto. The way he spoke.

Kind. Soft. Lonely.

A reflection of something she didn’t know Naruto still saw in himself.

“I didn’t want to fight him,” Naruto muttered. “Either of them.”

Kakashi’s gaze softened.

“You did what you had to do.”

“But he didn’t deserve to die like that,” Naruto said. “Haku didn’t deserve… any of it.”

“No,” Kakashi agreed. “He didn’t.”

Silence again.

Then, quietly, Naruto added:

“He wanted to be someone good.”

“You helped him remember that,” Kakashi said. “That’s more than most people ever get.”

The room stayed still after that.

Like no one wanted to break it.

Like even the air was mourning.

-----

Later, when Tsunami brought in dinner and tried to smile for them, they thanked her quietly.

Naruto barely touched his food.

He just sat there, staring at his plate, the weight of everything still heavy behind his eyes.

But when Sasuke reached out, under the table, fingers just brushing his sleeve-

He didn’t flinch.

Didn’t look up.

But he didn’t pull away either.

She hesitated.

Then nudged his arm again, slightly firmer this time.

He blinked.

Finally looked at her.

Sasuke didn’t say anything at first.

Just tilted her head slightly. Raised an eyebrow. “You gonna eat, or mope dramatically until you pass out?”

Naruto gave a weak huff of air. “I don’t feel like eating.”

Sasuke stared for a second longer. Then said, more quietly:

“He wouldn’t want you to starve yourself over him.”

Naruto’s lips parted, surprised by the softness in her tone.

“And neither do I,” she added, almost too fast. Like it slipped out.

He stared at her.

“Forget I said that.”

“…Too late,” he said, voice a little steadier.

Her mouth twitched with almost a smile.

And finally, Naruto picked up his chopsticks.

Small comfort.

But it was something.

And for now, something was enough.