Chapter Text
Sasuke’s frustration with Naruto wasn’t just about the endless optimism or the way Naruto seemed to brush aside the past. It was something deeper which was buried under years of resentment, anger, and confusion. He didn’t know why, but Naruto’s unwavering belief in the good of others and his ability to move forward with a smile despite everything, made Sasuke feel hollow. He saw it as naive, maybe even foolish, but it also made him feel like he was missing a connection to humanity that Naruto seemed to have in abundance.
Every time Naruto greeted him with that stupid grin like it was some kind of victory that he was back caused Sasuke’s anger to flare. Wasn’t it enough that Kakashi persuaded him to get back to this miserable village? He had come back because Kakashi always had a way to get through him and perhaps he realized that he did not want to completely lose himself by destroying everything standing in his path and not out of some idealistic sense of duty. Nevertheless, Naruto seemed to believe that everything could go back to normal.
Why couldn’t he just leave him be? Why did he always have to bring him into this mess of hope and connection? Sasuke was tired of it. Tired of the expectations and tired of Naruto’s unrelenting belief that there was still something worth saving in the broken pieces of their bond. It would have been easier to just shut him out, ignore his presence and maybe even walk away again.
But no, Naruto had to make everything difficult. Always pushing and trying to rebuild something that Sasuke didn’t even know how to care about anymore.
"You're a real pain, you know that?" Sasuke muttered under his breath as he clenched his fist when Naruto grinned at him and waved as he walked away after they received their new missions from Kakashi. He hated this. He hated how Naruto made him feel like the world could still be something worth fighting for. Worst of all was that he hated how, deep down, he wasn’t sure he wanted to fight it anymore.
☯
Naruto was standing on top of the Hokage tower, looking over the village. He loved coming here when he needed time to think and just feel a sense of security while scanning the village and making sure there were no threats lurking around. Lately, he had been visiting this spot more often as his troublesome thoughts kept drifting to Sasuke and his return. A few months had passed since Kakashi brought him back and his sensei never disclosed how he convinced him to come back. Even though it stung a bit that Kakashi did what he couldn’t, he was just glad that his teammate was back. However, every day felt like a new battle as Sasuke had no intention of investing effort into their friendship. Naruto did not want to admit what scared him the most which was that Sasuke perhaps never even considered him a true friend.
He exhaled deeply, his hands resting on his hips. He did not want to think like this. Not when they had fought side by side years ago. Still, it was the same as back when they were just kids, because even now Sasuke would shut him down each time he tried to get closer. It didn’t make sense to him. Sure, Sasuke was always difficult, but after everything they had been through, Naruto had hoped things would start getting better.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned around even though he already knew who it was. Sasuke stood there with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his dark cloak, his expression unreadable.
"Out here again?" Sasuke’s voice was low, almost as if he didn’t care to ask, but was doing so out of some lingering habit.
Naruto forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah. Just… thinking."
Sasuke didn’t respond right away, his gaze sweeping across the village, as if looking for something to distract him from the conversation. Naruto wasn’t stupid, no matter what some people thought, and he could feel the tension between them— thick and undeniable. It had been growing for months and neither of them had figured out how to handle it.
Finally, Sasuke spoke again. His voice was barely above a whisper. "You really think this is what you wanted? Getting everyone back together like this?"
Naruto’s smile faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered. He took a step closer as he caught Sasuke’s gaze. "I do. It’s not perfect, but I think it’s what we need."
Sasuke snorted and crossed his arms. "What do you think you’re doing, Naruto? You can’t just pretend like things didn’t happen, like people didn’t change."
Naruto’s brow furrowed. "I am aware of that! I’m not trying to pretend. But we’ve got to keep moving forward. We can’t just—"
"Can’t just what?" Sasuke interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "Forget? Act like the past doesn’t matter?"
"That’s not it, Sasuke! You think I don’t carry the weight of everything we’ve been through?!" Naruto snapped, his voice rising. "I’ve had to rebuild myself too. But I’m not going to let everything we fought for go to waste. And I’m not going to give up on you."
Sasuke’s jaw tightened. "I didn’t ask you to. But you keep forcing me into this… whatever this is. Why can’t you just leave me alone?"
Naruto’s chest tightened. Leave him alone? Was that what Sasuke wanted? To just walk away?
"I’m not forcing you," Naruto said, his voice softening despite the storm inside him. "I just don’t understand why you keep pushing me away. Why can’t you just let me help?"
Sasuke’s eyes flickered for a moment. It wasn’t anger exactly, but something far more difficult to pin down. A vulnerability that he refused to acknowledge.
"Because I don’t need your help," Sasuke replied, his voice firm but lacking its usual venom. He turned away, unwilling to face Naruto when the words left his mouth. "I never did."
Naruto’s heart sank. He had always known Sasuke was stubborn, but hearing those words hurt more than he thought it would.
"Sasuke…" he whispered, taking a tentative step forward. "I don’t need you to need me. I just want you to be here."
Sasuke stopped in his tracks, his back still to Naruto. The silence stretched on.
Naruto wanted to reach out and to close the distance between them. But he didn’t know how. He could feel his own frustration bubbling, the urge to punch something or shout. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t change anything.
"You really think things can go back to the way they were?" Sasuke’s voice was quieter now and Naruto could almost hear the uncertainty hidden beneath his cold tone.
"I’m not saying it’ll be the same," Naruto replied softly. "Maybe we can make something new. Together."
Sasuke turned his head slightly, just enough to catch the look in Naruto’s eyes. It wasn’t just determination or hope. It was something deeper, something Sasuke had seen in Naruto back when they were kids and when they were both too naive to know what the world would throw at them.
The part of Sasuke that wanted to believe in that same possibility was buried too deep. It was too hard to imagine it after everything that had happened.
"You think that’s possible?" Sasuke asked, his voice barely a whisper now.
Naruto nodded, his heart heavy but still steadfast. "Yeah. I do."
For a long moment, Sasuke didn’t say anything. Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned and started to walk away, his footsteps slow and deliberate.
"I’ll give you one thing, though. You’re persistent." Sasuke grumbled and began to leave.
Naruto stood still, watching Sasuke’s retreating back. There was something in those words—a crack in his cold façade and it gave him a glimmer of hope that things could change. Naruto would just need to keep trying. He wouldn’t give up.
☯
Naruto had always been able to read Sasuke, even before they had started fighting side by side. His moods and quiet looks. He had always been keen to notice how his posture would change when something bothered him even if Sasuke didn’t like to show it. Being apart for so long changed that and he had a hard time discerning this subtle shift between them since Sasuke’s return.
It wasn’t just Sasuke’s distant, cold demeanor anymore. It was the way his body moved and how his eyes would flicker ever so slightly when Naruto said something that hit too close to home. Begrudgingly, he would observe how Sasuke’s hair, darker now and longer than before, would fall across his face and how it framed his sharp jawline in annoyingly perfect way. Those deep, brooding eyes haunted him often as they felt more intense now that they were both older.
Frustratingly, Naruto couldn’t stop noticing it and he couldn’t figure out the reason for it.
Tonight had been a breaking point. They had argued again, over something small and insignificant at first, but like always, it had escalated. Sasuke was quick to push back, his temper like a spark to dry kindling while Naruto’s own frustrations flared just as easily. Words were exchanged, sharp and bitter, until they were literally at each other's throats.
It was supposed to be like any other fight and just a way to release all the pent-up tension that neither of them seemed able to talk about. This time, though, something was different.
Naruto was on the ground, the cool evening air biting at his skin, his chest heaving from their struggle. Sasuke had him pinned, his hand on Naruto’s throat to show him who is in control, but not enough to do real damage. There was no anger in Sasuke’s eyes, not the rage that Naruto had seen so many times before. It was something else—dangerous, but in a different kind of way. Sort of thrilling even.
Naruto’s breath was shallow and not just from the fight, but from the proximity. Sasuke’s body was so close, his fingers lightly pressed against Naruto’s skin and despite the tension, he couldn’t stop focusing how Sasuke’s breath felt warm against his face.
He forced his gaze to meet Sasuke’s and tried to push the strange feeling aside. This was just Sasuke. His teammate. His friend. He should not be thinking about the way Sasuke’s fingers were so gently wrapped around his throat. Naruto felt his pulse quicken and there was a tightness in his chest that had nothing to do with the lack of air. His body seemed to betray him, tingling under Sasuke’s touch in a way he couldn’t explain. It was the oddest sensation, one that made his face flush with heat.
He swallowed, trying to focus and desperately wishing to disperse the weird sensation creeping into his thoughts. No. This is wrong. Why am I feeling this way?
Sasuke’s grip on his throat tightened just slightly, but not in anger—just in control. His eyes narrowed as though he were waiting for Naruto to break and to show some sign of weakness.
Get it together, he ordered himself angrily and bit his lip as he attempted to regain focus. Sasuke was just trying to provoke him. Like always.
Still, the longer Sasuke held him there, the more he noticed it. The way Sasuke’s chest rose and fell with each breath, the faint flicker of emotion behind his eyes that was harder to read now. Naruto could feel his heart hammering in his chest from the adrenaline rush which had nothing to do with the fight anymore.
"Why do you always make things so difficult, Naruto?" Sasuke's voice was low, almost a growl. The words felt like an accusation, but there was more underneath it as if Sasuke was struggling with something.
Naruto’s mind raced. He wanted to say something and defend himself, but for some reason his thoughts weren’t forming the way they usually did. Instead, the only thing on his mind was the feeling of Sasuke’s thumb brushing against the soft skin of his throat. He shivered involuntarily.
Naruto’s breath hitched as his gaze flickered to Sasuke’s lips and then to his eyes again. Sasuke’s jaw clenched and there was that familiar flash of irritation, but something else lingered there which made Naruto feel like he was seeing him for the first time.
No, he thought desperately. This can’t be happening. Not with him.
Sasuke seemed to sense the shift and his grip on Naruto’s throat loosened slightly, but it was enough to let Naruto breathe again. Just a little. All he knew was that tension between them had shifted from anger to something far more complicated.
"You’re so damn frustrating," Sasuke muttered, his voice almost quieter now and unsure. His eyes flickered, not meeting Naruto’s for a moment. There was a brief, almost imperceptible hesitation.
Sasuke stood up abruptly and stepped back as if he realized what had just happened, or maybe didn’t want to confront whatever it was that had passed between them.
"Don’t get in my way next time," Sasuke said, his voice cold again, but there was something off in the way his words came out. He turned his back to Naruto and walked away quickly, his shoulders stiff.
Naruto lay there for a moment, still feeling the strange itch, his pulse racing in his ears.
What the hell had that been?
☯
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he watched Naruto and every word that came out of the blonde’s mouth cut like a sharp blade. Naruto was persistent and relentless. As usual, he didn’t understand when to stop. The argument had started over something small, some stupid comment about the village, but it was like a match to gasoline. Naruto’s voice had gotten louder as his anger flared, and Sasuke had felt the familiar spark of his own irritation bubbling up. He didn’t have the patience for this anymore and for Naruto pushing for something which was far beyond repair.
They had crossed the line quickly, words turning into physical jabs, punches and blocks. Sasuke had always been the better fighter, but tonight, something was different. There was a flicker of determination in Naruto's eyes mixed with something more intense that made Sasuke want to push harder and maybe even see just how far Naruto was willing to go. The intensity was sharp, cutting through the tension between them like a knife.
Until it had gone too far.
In a blur of motion, Sasuke found himself pinning Naruto down. His hand was on Naruto’s throat, just to remind him who had the upper hand.
But even as his fingers pressed against the soft skin of Naruto’s throat, something shifted.
Naruto’s breath hitched, but it wasn’t from the pressure. It wasn’t fear or desperation, but it was dangerous. Like a line which shouldn’t have been crossed. Sasuke’s grip loosened ever so slightly as his mind attempted to make sense of the feeling creeping up his spine. There was an unmistakable change in the air around them. Naruto’s pulse was rapid under his fingertips, but there was an odd warmth between them that hadn’t been there before, a closeness that should have been familiar but felt too much. Sasuke could feel the way Naruto’s body responded to him and the heat that radiated from him, almost as if they were no longer just fighting.
Sasuke’s brain urged him to get back to the argument and then walk away like he always did. But when he looked down at Naruto, still struggling beneath him, something in his chest twisted. The soft, almost vulnerable look in Naruto’s eyes and the way his lips parted slightly made Sasuke hesitate.
That strange sensation creeping under his skin had nothing to do with the fight and nothing to do with anger.
Stop, Sasuke thought sharply, trying to push the thoughts away. This isn’t right.
He was supposed to be mad and to be done with Naruto’s insistence. But instead, his eyes lingered a little longer than they should have. He noticed the way Naruto’s chest rose and fell, the way his hair fell messily around his face. The way his lips looked and—no. Sasuke clenched his jaw and tried to pull away, but something about the way Naruto looked at him, vulnerable yet still defiant, kept him rooted to the spot.
He had felt this way before. Back when they were younger and when things weren’t so complicated. Back when Naruto had been a constant thorn in his side and when Sasuke had wanted to break away from him for good. Now there was a different kind of weight between them, one Sasuke didn’t know how to handle.
"Why do you always make things so difficult, Naruto?" Sasuke muttered, trying to push the frustration out of his voice. He didn’t want to feel this itch. But Naruto’s constant presence, his defiant stubbornness and his closeness gnawed at him in ways he couldn’t explain.
Naruto’s breath was shallow under his grip and Sasuke noticed the faint flush of his cheeks. Sasuke could feel the way his pulse thudded in his throat and the inexplicable tension that hummed between them. He wanted to pull away, to escape, but something kept him there.
Get a hold of yourself. He let out a shaky breath, though it was barely noticeable and slowly eased his grip on Naruto’s throat. His fingers brushed lightly over the skin, too gentle and when it made Naruto shiver for a moment, Sasuke’s gut throbbed. This wasn’t like before. This wasn’t normal.
Naruto, to his credit, didn’t say a word, but when his gaze strayed to his lips Sasuke knew he had to stop this.
"You’re so damn frustrating," Sasuke muttered and wanted to curse at himself that his voice sounded unsure instead of annoyed.
He stood up abruptly and distanced himself from Naruto as if the space between them could somehow clear the strange, unwanted feelings still lingering in the air. He couldn’t keep looking at him like this.
"Don’t get in my way next time," Sasuke said in a flat voice, trying to mask the unease in his chest. He turned away quickly, not wanting to let Naruto see the way his mind was still swirling and not wanting to deal with whatever that was between them.
But as he walked away, his heart was hammering in his chest the strangest thought flickered through his mind. Maybe I should have stayed. Maybe I should have…
Sasuke shook his head, pushing the unwanted thought away. He couldn’t afford to think like that. He couldn’t let Naruto get under his skin like that.