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Chapter Text

【Sasuke – A Month After the Massacre】

The house was too quiet.

Even with the windows open and the evening cicadas screaming in the trees, the air inside the Uchiha compound felt like a sealed tomb. The kind of silence that stuck in your lungs and settled into your bones.

Sasuke stood in the kitchen doorway, staring at the clean table. There were still four placemats. Four chairs. Four pairs of slippers by the door.

No one had touched anything since that night.

He hadn’t moved them. Not even once. Because if he did, it would mean they weren’t coming back.

He swallowed hard and turned away.

Outside, the light was golden and low, the kind of sunset that used to make his mother open the shoji screens and let the breeze flow in while dinner cooked. He’d sit by the door, pretending not to listen while his parents talked.

Now the breeze passed through empty rooms and rattled loose scrolls. It was starting to get harder to remember their voices.

He didn’t want to be here anymore.

Sasuke stepped into his sandals and walked past the old training yard, past the cracked sparring posts, down the path that led through the trees and out of the compound.

The village was quieter at this hour, and that suited him fine. Most people didn’t bother him, they just gave him space. But it wasn’t kindness. It was fear. Pity. That awful, hollow-eyed look they gave him, like they were tiptoeing around a broken blade.

As if grief was a contagious disease.

He hated it.

So he walked further, down past the second training field, along the slope behind the Academy, until he reached the lake.

The dock creaked under his sandals as he stepped onto the weathered wood. He knew this place well. It had become his refuge.

He sat down at the edge, his back stiff, eyes on the rippling water. It was stupid, but sometimes he imagined the lake could speak. That if he stared long enough, it would tell him what to do next.

He didn’t want to cry anymore. Crying made it feel like he was still that eight-year-old kid sitting in a pool of blood and broken memories, waiting for someone to shake him and say it wasn’t real. But it was real. Every inch of it.

So he sat. Still. Silent. Waiting for the ache to fade.

He didn’t expect anyone else to come.

【Naruto – Elsewhere, Earlier】

Naruto kicked a rock down the street, hands jammed deep into the pockets of his orange hoodie. The sun was setting, and the streets were mostly empty. Most people were probably home eating warm meals with their families.

Naruto’s stomach growled. He’d have instant ramen again. Probably miso. Not that he was complaining. Not out loud, anyway.

He stopped in front of a shop window. There was a small family inside — a mother pouring tea, a father laughing, a kid bouncing in his seat. None of them looked at him, but he still turned away.

He hated that feeling. Like he was on the outside of everything. Looking in through glass no one else could see. He didn’t know why they hated him. He didn’t know why adults narrowed their eyes or muttered things behind his back. He didn’t know why other kids weren’t allowed to play with him, or why shopkeepers always charged him extra or why the villagers looked surprised whenever he acted nice.

He just knew that he was always alone. Even at the Academy, he didn’t really have anyone.

Sasuke Uchiha was the top student. Always quiet. Always cool. Naruto hated how people liked him. How they still talked about him like he was special, but he barely said a word. Even though something had happened to his clan.

Naruto didn’t know the full story, but he’d heard the whispers. “Tragedy.” “Genius.” “The last one.”

Whatever it was, Sasuke didn’t talk about it. He didn’t talk much at all.

But today… Naruto didn’t feel like being alone. So he wandered. Past the Academy. Through the trees. Until he saw the lake. And someone sitting on the dock.

Naruto froze when he saw the boy.

At first, he thought he’d imagined him, the figure was so still, barely more than a shadow against the lake’s golden surface. The fading sunlight made it hard to see his face, but that spiky dark hair was unmistakable.

Sasuke.

Naruto ducked behind a tree, peeking out with a mixture of curiosity and… hesitation.

He knew Sasuke. Everyone at the Academy did. Not that Sasuke talked to anyone, but you didn’t have to talk to be famous. People talked about him enough. Top of the class. Smart. Cool. Always calm.

And then there were the other whispers. The hushed adult voices, the tight expressions, the word massacre. Naruto didn’t know all the details, no one told him anything, but he knew Sasuke had no family. He knew something had happened.

Something big.

Something awful.

They were the same that way.

Naruto chewed on his lip. Normally, he’d never approach someone like Sasuke. Not because he was scared, exactly — but because kids like Sasuke never wanted anything to do with him. People like that didn’t want to sit next to the weird loudmouth no one liked. But Sasuke looked… lonely. Not the kind of lonely Naruto was used to — noisy, attention-seeking, frustrating lonely. No, this was different.

Sasuke looked like he didn’t even have the energy to be lonely anymore. Like he was fading.

Naruto stepped out from behind the tree before he could talk himself out of it. The dock creaked as he walked forward.

Sasuke didn’t turn.

“…Hey,” Naruto called, voice uncertain.

The boy finally glanced over. His expression didn’t change — no irritation, no interest. Just a flat, guarded look.

“…What.”

Naruto scratched the back of his head. “Didn’t think anyone else came out here.”

Sasuke shrugged faintly. “They don’t.”

Naruto paused. “…Can I sit?”

There was a long silence.

Sasuke didn’t say yes. But he didn’t say no.

So Naruto sat down beside him, leaving a full arm’s length of space. The air between them was heavy, like the lake mist was settling into their chests.

Naruto kicked his feet a little, watching his sandals skim just over the water. “I come out here when I don’t feel like going home.”

Sasuke was quiet.

“’Course, I don’t have a real home-home. Just my apartment. It’s fine, but it’s boring. Walls are kinda yellow. Smells like old paper.”

Still no response.

Naruto glanced sideways. “You don’t talk much, huh?”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, just slightly. “…Do you always talk this much?”

Naruto smirked. “Only when someone’s ignoring me.”

Sasuke looked like he wanted to sigh, but didn’t. His shoulders remained stiff.

Naruto hesitated. “They look at you weird too, don’t they?”

Sasuke blinked.

“I mean, the villagers,” Naruto went on, quieter now. “I see it. The way they stare. Like you’re… something they can’t figure out.”

“…Yeah,” Sasuke said at last.

Naruto leaned back on his hands. “They look at me like that too. Well, mostly like I’m a pest. Like I ruined their day just by breathing.” He laughed awkwardly. “Bet you don’t get kicked out of stores though.”

Sasuke’s brow twitched. “No.”

There was a beat of silence. Then, softly, Sasuke added, “But they don’t speak to me, either.”

Naruto blinked. That sounded worse, somehow. Like being erased.

“…So we’re both ghosts, huh?” Naruto said. “You, the quiet kind. Me, the loud one.”

That earned a faint twitch at the corner of Sasuke’s mouth. Not quite a smile. But not nothing.

Naruto sat up. “Hey, you ever skip rocks?”

Sasuke glanced over. “You’re not good at it.”

“You haven’t seen me try yet!”

Naruto picked up a flat-ish stone and flicked it toward the lake. It promptly sank with a bloop. “…Okay maybe you’re right.”

Sasuke reached for a smaller, thinner stone. “It’s the wrist,” he murmured.

He flicked it. One, two, three skips.

Naruto whistled. “Whoa. You’re like… secretly cool.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Secretly?”

“Yeah. ‘Cause if you were openly cool, people would stop acting so scared of you.”

Sasuke didn’t answer.

Naruto tried another stone. It bounced once and plunked.

“…Better,” Sasuke admitted.

Naruto grinned, suddenly warm with pride. They passed a few minutes in near-silence, only broken by the occasional plop or flick.

It wasn’t exciting. It wasn’t dramatic. But it was the first time Naruto didn’t feel like he had to earn someone’s attention by being loud, funny, or impossible to ignore.

And the first time Sasuke didn’t feel like someone was trying to fix him.

Just… sit beside him. Like he wasn’t broken. Like he was just a boy.

【Sasuke】

They didn’t say much after the rock skipping.

The sky turned from gold to pink, then to blue, the lake growing still beneath the deepening twilight. Bugs buzzed in the reeds. Somewhere far off, a dog barked.

Naruto lay back against the dock, hands folded behind his head, eyes on the sky like he was looking for something only he could see. Sasuke stayed seated, arms resting on his knees. He didn’t move. But something in his chest felt… less tight. Not fixed. Not okay. But not the same.

For a while, he’d forgotten about the silence in his house, the bloodstains burned into memory, the pressure to be something that made all of it worth surviving.

He’d just sat.

And Naruto — loud, weird Naruto — hadn’t asked anything of him. No questions. No fake sympathy. No flinching. Just a shared space. And somehow, that had done more than any adult’s quiet looks or passing words ever had. Sasuke stood up.

Naruto blinked, then sat up too. “Heading back?”

Sasuke nodded.

“I’ll walk with you,” Naruto offered.

Sasuke hesitated. But didn’t say no.

They walked along the narrow dirt path side by side. Their steps didn’t match, and Naruto kicked pebbles into the grass as they went, but the silence between them wasn’t awkward this time.

Sasuke had walked these streets a hundred times in the past month. Usually alone. Usually trying not to look at anything — not the shutters that never opened in the Uchiha district, not the villagers turning their heads, not the empty windows of his house.

But tonight, he didn’t walk with his head down.
He walked with someone beside him. Someone who didn’t shrink from what he carried.

They reached the fork in the road. To the left, the Uchiha compound. Cold. Empty. Waiting. To the right, the main road. The rest of the village. Ramen shops, streetlights, homes that still held laughter.

Naruto stopped. “So, uh… you live that way, huh?”

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto rocked on his heels, suddenly looking sheepish. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Another pause.

Then Sasuke said, quietly, “If you want.”

Naruto blinked. “Wait, really?”

Sasuke gave him a look that could’ve been mistaken for boredom, but the corners of his mouth tugged just slightly.

“Cool,” Naruto said, grinning. “I’ll come find you after class. Or maybe before. You usually sit near the window, right?”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been watching me?”

“No!” Naruto yelped. Then paused. “…Okay maybe a little.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but there was no venom in it.

Naruto scratched his cheek. “You’re Sasuke, right? Uchiha Sasuke?”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto.”

Sasuke nodded. “I know.”

Naruto lit up like someone had handed him the Hokage’s hat.

“Well, see ya!” he called, turning to go.

Sasuke watched him jog off, arms swinging, whistle off-key. The boy was a mess of limbs and noise, color and contradiction.

But he’d seen Sasuke.

Not just looked at him, really seen him. And somehow… that made going home a little less unbearable.

Sasuke slipped his hand into his pocket and felt the smooth surface of the stone he’d kept. One from the lake. It didn’t fix anything. But it was proof the moment had happened. That someone had reached out. And that maybe, just maybe, Sasuke had reached back.

【Iruka – From the Academy Window】

Iruka Umino rubbed the back of his neck and leaned against the windowframe. He watched the two boys below — one all light and motion, the other dark and still.

An odd pair.

But they’d walked together.

He didn’t think they even liked each other. Not yet. But there was something unspoken between them. Something raw.

Iruka had seen them both come and go — Naruto bouncing off the walls for attention, Sasuke moving through the halls like a shadow. He’d worried about them both. But maybe, he thought, they’d found something in each other the rest of the village couldn’t give.

He sipped his tea, now cool in its mug, and smiled faintly.

“Good,” he said to no one in particular. “That’s good.”

Chapter Text

【Naruto – The Next Morning】

Naruto had never been excited to go to school before. But today? Today was different.

He sprinted down the street with a half-eaten bun in one hand and his jacket flapping behind him like a cape. A blur of orange, motion, and crumbs.

People still turned their heads as he passed. Still looked. Still whispered. But for once, he didn’t care. Because today he had a mission. Today, he was going to sit next to Sasuke.

He reached the Academy steps and bolted up them two at a time, skidding into the hallway just as students were filing into their classroom. His stomach buzzed with nerves, but he didn’t slow down until he reached the doorway.

He looked around. And there he was.

Sasuke, near the window, back straight, notebook already out. Alone.

Naruto beamed.

He marched over and plopped down into the empty seat beside him without asking.

Several heads turned. Someone gasped.

Sasuke glanced sideways. “You’re late.”

Naruto shrugged, dropping his bag on the floor. “Wasn’t gonna miss the chance to sit next to you.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “…Why?”

Naruto blinked. “Because we’re friends now?”

Sasuke looked at him for a moment — not frowning, not smirking. Just… looking. Then he turned back to the window.

“…Hn.”

Naruto grinned. That definitely meant yes.

【Sasuke】

He could feel them staring. All of them. Their eyes were like pins in his skin — the other students whispering, casting glances, glancing away again like they’d get caught.

Not at him, for once. At Naruto. At them. Together. It was strange.

Sasuke didn’t exactly mind Naruto’s presence. The boy was loud, yes, and moved like he’d swallowed a bottle of lightning, but he was… honest.

He didn’t try to walk on eggshells. He didn’t look at Sasuke with pity or fear. And he didn’t pretend to be someone else when he was near him. That alone made him tolerable. Maybe even—

“Alright, everyone! Take your seats!”

Iruka’s voice cut through the room like a kunai. Naruto sat up straighter, but not before shooting Sasuke a thumbs-up under the desk. Sasuke stared at it. Then slowly, very slowly, lifted one corner of his mouth in return.

Not quite a smile. But closer than he’d been in a long time.

【Naruto】

Naruto had always been used to whispers. But this morning, it was different. Usually, the whispers were about him — about how annoying he was, or how he messed up, or how the teachers sighed when he walked in. Today the whispers were still about him…

…but now they included Sasuke.

“Why’s he sitting there?”
“Did Sasuke say he could?”
“Maybe it’s a dare…”
“No way. Look. They walked in together.”

Naruto wasn’t used to being noticed like this. It wasn’t all friendly sure, some of the looks were weird, others were flat-out annoyed, but it was… different. It was attention that didn’t come with instant rejection. Even if half the class still thought he was a pest, now he was a pest next to Sasuke Uchiha and that, apparently, changed things.

He was still grinning about it when a shadow dropped into the seat behind him.

“Yo.”

Naruto turned his head. “Oh. Hey, Shikamaru.”

The Nara boy slouched over his desk, chin in hand, already halfway to sleep mode. “Didn’t think anyone sat with Uchiha,” Shikamaru mumbled.

Naruto gave a smug little shrug. “Guess I do now.”

Shikamaru yawned. “Huh. Troublesome.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes a little. “You jealous?”

“Too much effort to be jealous,” Shikamaru said.

Naruto scratched his cheek, glancing toward Sasuke, then back at Shikamaru. “So… uh. What do people say about me when I’m not around?”

Shikamaru opened one eye lazily. “You’re never not around.”

“Tch. You know what I mean.”

Shikamaru didn’t answer for a second. Then, eyes still half-lidded, he said, “They talk. They always talk.”

“Yeah,” Naruto muttered. “And you?”

“I don’t talk.”

Naruto waited for more. He didn’t get it.

Shikamaru slouched lower, practically merging with his desk.

Naruto frowned. Not angry, exactly. But he didn’t feel any better, either.

【Sasuke】

Sasuke caught the tail end of Naruto’s conversation with Shikamaru. He didn’t hear the words, but the look on Naruto’s face was tight and quiet when he turned back around.

The class went on as usual. People talked, giggled, passed notes. But more than a few kept glancing over — at them.

Naruto, oblivious or just pretending not to notice, doodled in the margins of his notes. Sasuke felt something twist in his chest. He’d been alone so long it felt normal. But now, sitting next to Naruto — someone who talked and tried, who wasn’t afraid of him — it was like he’d opened his eyes and realized how cold the room had always been.

People stared at Naruto the way they stared at him. But it wasn’t pity. It was avoidance. It was judgment.

And they didn’t even try to hide it.

He looked at Naruto again. The idiot was drawing a poorly proportioned fox doing a backflip and grinning like a maniac. But the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Sasuke frowned.

【Iruka】

Iruka wasn’t dumb.

He saw the way the other students looked at Naruto. He’d seen it for years now.

Most ignored him. Some sneered. Even the quieter ones, like Shikamaru and Hinata, kept their distance. They didn’t hurt Naruto, but they didn’t help either.

Iruka knew he wasn’t blameless. He’d let things slide. Tried to be fair. Tried not to single anyone out.

But when Naruto entered with Sasuke this morning, Iruka saw something new ripple through the class. Not hostility. Not confusion. Uncertainty.

It was a crack in the pattern. Iruka could work with cracks.

He tapped the chalkboard, voice sharp. “Alright, enough theory. Outside, everyone.”

Murmurs and chairs scraping followed. Iruka held back a grin.

“Uzumaki. Uchiha. You’re up first.”

【Naruto】

Naruto nearly choked.

“H-Huh?!”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Iruka folded his arms. “If you’re close enough to sit together, you’re close enough to spar.”
Naruto sputtered. “But we just— we haven’t even—!”

“You’ll do fine,” Iruka said with terrifying finality.
Sasuke was already walking toward the center of the training field. Calm. Focused. Totally unconcerned.

Naruto scrambled after him, heart thudding a little faster than he’d like to admit.

You can do this. You’ve watched him fight before. You’re fast. You’ve been practicing. Sort of.

They faced each other in the sparring circle. Sasuke’s stance was relaxed but precise. His eyes sharpened — not cruel, not cold, just focused.

Naruto dropped into a clumsier version of something he’d seen a chunin do once.

Iruka raised a hand.

“Begin.”

The second Iruka’s hand dropped, Naruto dashed forward, kunai in hand.

He didn’t have a plan. He never really had a plan. He just moved on instinct, the same way he always did. Hit fast, keep moving, hope for the best.

Sasuke dodged the first lunge like it was nothing. Naruto’s kunai sliced air. The second and third swipes missed too and the fourth was blocked clean with Sasuke’s forearm before he twisted his wrist, disarming Naruto with a clink.

“Too slow,” Sasuke said flatly.

Naruto backed up, already grinning. “Oh, so that’s how we’re playing, huh?”

Sasuke said nothing, but his stance shifted, and Naruto saw the slightest curve at the corner of his mouth.

Almost a smirk.

Naruto darted in again, this time throwing a feint left and ducking under, close enough to see Sasuke’s surprised blink as Naruto’s foot caught his side and threw him slightly off balance.

It wasn’t a full knockdown. Not even close. But Naruto heard it. The breath knocked out of Sasuke’s chest for just a second.

The crowd around the sparring circle went still. Naruto landed, panting. Sasuke righted himself, rubbing the point of impact.

“Huh,” he said.

He sounded… amused?

“Not bad.”

Naruto blinked.

“Wait. Was that a compliment?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Don’t get used to it.”

【Sasuke】

Naruto was unpredictable. Sasuke had expected wild swings, yelling, and clumsy rushing. He got all of that. But also… something else. Adaptability. Instinct. And a complete lack of hesitation.

Sasuke’s classmates were cautious around him. They measured their steps. Held back. Afraid to go too hard, or too soft, or do anything that might insult the Uchiha heir.

Naruto didn’t care. He moved like he wanted to hit Sasuke. Like he believed he could. And when he did, even just that light kick, he lit up like he’d just caught the Hokage’s hat.

He wasn’t trying to humiliate Sasuke. He wasn’t scared of him either. He was just… trying his best. Trying to be seen. Sasuke hadn’t realized how long it had been since anyone looked at him like that, like an equal. Not a prodigy. Not a survivor. Not a ghost in training. Just… a rival.

【Iruka】

Iruka watched closely.

Naruto was fast. Wild. Sloppy. But determined.

And Sasuke, who usually didn’t take his sparring partners seriously unless they had a jonin title, was engaged. Focused.

There was a rhythm to the match. Sloppy on Naruto’s side, graceful on Sasuke’s — but not unbalanced. They pushed each other. And more than that, they watched each other. Not just in the way a shinobi reads an opponent. This was different. Personal.

Iruka glanced around the watching students. Most were stunned. Some annoyed. A few looked impressed. None of them said anything. Especially not when Naruto landed a hit. Not a cheer. Not even a clap.

Iruka frowned.

He noticed Sasuke did too.

【Sasuke】

The match ended with Sasuke knocking Naruto back with a clean sweep of the leg, leaving him flat on the dirt.

Naruto groaned, squinting up at the sun. “Ow.”

Sasuke offered a hand. Naruto blinked up at it like it was a trick.

“…Really?”

“Don’t make me take it back.”

Naruto grabbed it and let himself be hauled up, wheezing. “Okay, yeah. You win.”

Sasuke didn’t let go immediately. He held Naruto’s wrist just a second longer than necessary. Then let go.

Naruto blinked again, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess I still got a long way to go.”

“You’re not weak,” Sasuke said without thinking. Naruto froze.

“What?”

“You’re untrained. But not weak.”

“…Whoa. Two compliments in one day? Are you dying?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. But his gaze swept the group again, to the other students who were already whispering behind their hands.

Some were looking at him with mild confusion. Like he’d done something strange by not beating Naruto into the ground. But most just went back to ignoring Naruto like usual.

Sasuke’s brow furrowed. Did they always act like he didn’t exist? Had they just never seen Naruto? Or was this… normal? Sasuke didn’t like the answer forming in his head.

【Naruto】

After the sparring session, Iruka gave them both a five-minute break to drink water and recover before the next round.

Naruto sat near a tree at the edge of the field, shirt rumpled and grass in his hair. His chest still heaved a little from all the running. Sasuke stood nearby. He hadn’t left.

Naruto tilted his head. “…Hey.”

Sasuke didn’t respond.

Naruto scratched his cheek. “You… you’re not embarrassed, right? That I got a hit in?”

Sasuke gave him a side-eye. “You want me to be embarrassed?”

“No, I just—” Naruto tugged at a loose thread on his sleeve. “I know people probably think it was a fluke.”

“They’re wrong.”

Naruto blinked. Sasuke looked ahead again, arms crossed.

“You didn’t fluke your way into hitting me.”

“Oh,” Naruto mumbled. Then: “Thanks.”

They were quiet for a second. Then Naruto added, voice a little lower: “You noticed too, right?”

Sasuke turned slightly. “Noticed what?”

“…That they don’t really care. When I do something right.”

Sasuke didn’t answer right away.

Naruto chuckled bitterly. “Yeah. Figured.”

“They’re blind,” Sasuke said finally.

That made Naruto look up. Sasuke wasn’t looking at him — just at the field, distant.

“But I’m not.”

【Iruka】

By the time the day ended, Iruka had gone through every standard drill — teamwork exercises, kunai accuracy, chakra control basics. He’d watched Naruto fumble half of them, laugh off the rest, and recover in ways that shouldn’t have worked but somehow did.

He’d watched Sasuke glide through everything like he was born knowing how. But more than that… he watched the space between them. It had changed. Naruto wasn’t clinging, and Sasuke wasn’t pushing him away. There was a rhythm forming — awkward, lopsided, and unspoken — but present.

And for the first time in months, Iruka saw Naruto leave a training session not just grinning, but… lighter. Like the weight he carried had shifted just enough to breathe a little easier. And Sasuke — though still quiet, still unreadable — had lingered. Not out of obligation. But intention.

Iruka would not interfere. Not yet. But he would watch. Because something important had begun here. Maybe fragile. Maybe strange. But important. And very real.

【Sasuke】

They walked home in silence. Not because they had nothing to say, but because neither of them knew what to do with what had just happened. Sasuke didn’t usually walk with people. He didn’t need to. He wasn’t asked to. And honestly, most people didn’t dare. But Naruto didn’t even think to ask. He just started walking and assumed Sasuke would come with him. And Sasuke… did.

The sun dipped low, casting long shadows on the cracked stone streets. They passed a vendor who gave Naruto a sour look. Naruto didn’t react. Sasuke did.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even stop. But he noticed the way Naruto’s shoulders tightened slightly. And the way they relaxed again a second later, like this had happened so often that Naruto’s body just adjusted without thinking.

That made something cold settle in Sasuke’s stomach. He’d known Naruto was ignored. He’d seen it. But knowing wasn’t the same as feeling it crawl under your skin and stay there. Sasuke clenched his hands in his pockets. He didn’t want to pity Naruto. Naruto wouldn’t accept pity anyway. But there was something sharper than pity forming now.

Not sympathy. Not curiosity. Something more like… this isn’t right.

He didn’t have words for it yet. Didn’t know what it meant. But he kept walking beside Naruto. And didn’t look away.

【Naruto】

By the time they reached the river’s edge, where their paths split, Naruto slowed to a stop. Sasuke did too.

Naruto shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “You’re, uh… not so bad, you know.”

Sasuke tilted his head. “Obviously.”

Naruto snorted. “Tch. Modest, huh?”

Sasuke smirked faintly.

They stood there for a second. The wind brushed the water gently. Kids were laughing somewhere far off. A door slammed. Leaves rustled. Naruto looked down.

“…You’re not gonna disappear tomorrow, are you?”

Sasuke frowned. “What?”

“You know. This wasn’t just… a one-time thing?”

Sasuke was quiet. Then: “Do you want it to be?”

Naruto’s eyes lifted. Hopeful. Nervous. Sasuke looked away, face unreadable.

“…I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Naruto grinned. Big, bright, real.

“Yeah. Okay.”

Sasuke turned, hands still deep in his pockets, posture loose. Naruto watched him go a few steps. Then called out: “Hey, Sasuke?”

Sasuke paused.

“Thanks. For fighting me for real.”

Sasuke didn’t look back. But Naruto saw the faintest twitch of acknowledgment — a single nod, almost invisible. And somehow, that meant more than any full sentence ever could.

Chapter Text

【Naruto】

Naruto Uzumaki sat slouched against the wall behind the Academy, his arms loosely folded behind his head, the fabric of his hoodie bunching at the elbows. The late sun filtered through the chain-link fence, leaving stripes of gold and shadow across his face.

His head still ached from the day’s lesson, chakra theory again. Something about the flow of energy through the tenketsu and the spiral paths of the chakra coil system. It didn’t make sense, no matter how many times he stared at the board.

But it wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. Once, more than once, he’d asked someone for help. A classmate, a chūnin walking by, a jōnin once who seemed nice. None of them answered. Some stared through him. Others just walked away. He’d even thought about asking Iruka-sensei. But every time the idea came, it curled up in his stomach like a knot. Iruka already had enough to deal with. And Naruto didn’t want to seem stupid in front of the only teacher who didn’t treat him like a ghost.

So he’d tried the library. Only, that hadn’t worked either. The first time, the old librarian told him the Academy section was for supervised use only. The second time, she didn’t say anything just looked at him, frowned slightly, and locked the door behind her. He’d stood there for a while, pretending he wasn’t waiting. Pretending he hadn’t seen the other kids let in just minutes earlier.

He didn’t know why. And he wasn’t going to ask again. That was just how it was.

A shadow fell over him.

Naruto cracked one eye open. “…You again?”

Sasuke Uchiha stood in front of him, arms crossed, face unreadable. “You fell asleep sitting?”

“I wasn’t asleep,” Naruto grumbled. “I was thinking.”

Sasuke arched a brow. “That must’ve been exhausting.”

Naruto scowled. “Tch. Shut up.” But there was no real heat in it.

Sasuke didn’t walk away. “You didn’t get the chakra diagram today.”

Naruto looked away. “So what? It’s not like I can go ask someone. No one ever—” He stopped himself.

Sasuke tilted his head slightly. “You want to go to the library?”

Naruto blinked. “Huh?”

“The diagram’s in one of the beginner books. You said you want to be better, right?”

“You—wait. You’re saying you’ll take me?”

Sasuke shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “I don’t care. I was going anyway.”

Naruto stood slowly, eyes narrowed, cautious but curious. “…They’re not gonna let me in.”

Sasuke looked at him a moment. “Then we won’t go through the front.”

Naruto stared, then grinned. Wide and a little wild. “You’re such a weirdo, man.”

Sasuke turned. “Come on.”

And Naruto followed.

【Sasuke】

The path to the library was quieter this time of day. Most of the village had moved on to dinner or errands or the final missions of the evening. It was the only time Sasuke liked being out, when the light was soft and people weren’t looking.

He kept a careful pace, matching Naruto’s without thinking about it. It was strange, walking beside someone who didn’t try to fill the silence with noise. Naruto usually did, but not now. Not when the walk meant something.

When they reached the library’s back entrance, Sasuke pulled aside a wooden panel he knew creaked less. They ducked in through the service entrance used by staff, stepping carefully across a dim hallway that led toward the restricted sections.

Naruto followed in complete silence, eyes wide. Not like he was scared, more like he didn’t want to mess it up.

Sasuke led him to the corner of the chakra theory section, where the Academy-level books were tucked low on the shelf. He crouched and pulled down one of the older volumes, opening it to a bookmarked page.

Naruto squatted beside him and peered over his shoulder. “That’s the diagram?”

Sasuke nodded. “See the chakra coils here? You said it looked like squiggles on the board, but the layout makes more sense when it’s drawn in layers.”

Naruto leaned in. His nose almost touched the page. Sasuke resisted the urge to nudge him for being too close. “You’re going to smudge the ink.”

“Relax,” Naruto mumbled, eyes squinting. “So the chakra starts here… and goes through these points?”

Sasuke was surprised. “Yeah. That’s right.”

Naruto grinned, proud. “Told you I was smart.”

“You didn’t say that.”

“Well, I meant to.”

Sasuke didn’t smile, not exactly. But something in his chest settled. Naruto wasn’t pretending anymore. He was trying. And Sasuke realized, in that moment, that most people probably never gave him the chance to.

They stayed that way for a while, flipping through pages, Naruto occasionally whispering a question. Sasuke answered without teasing. Not because he was being kind, but because it felt better to explain than to hold it in.

Then—footsteps. Both boys froze.

A heavy step echoed from the far hall. The creak of an old wooden floorboard. Then a voice:

“—thought I heard something. Could be a rat… or a stupid genin again…”

Naruto’s eyes went wide. Sasuke grabbed his wrist without thinking. “This way.”

They ducked behind the back shelves, weaving silently between towers of scrolls and crates. Sasuke knew this layout, he’d snuck in before. But he’d never brought anyone else. He kept hold of Naruto’s wrist, guiding him behind a tall shelf where old mission archives were stacked. They crouched low, pressed shoulder to shoulder in the shadows.

The footsteps came closer. A beam of light swept across the aisle behind them. Sasuke held his breath. So did Naruto. The air was thick and still. They were too close. He could hear Naruto breathing too fast. Could feel the jittery pulse under his fingers where he still held his wrist.

The light paused… then moved on. The door creaked shut again. Silence.

A beat passed. Then Naruto exhaled loudly. “That. Was. AWESOME.”

Sasuke released his wrist. “You’re a menace.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Naruto whisper-shouted. “You’re the one who dragged me into the shadows like some kind of ninja criminal!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and stood. “Come on. We’re not done.”

Naruto’s grin didn’t fade. “You’re totally enjoying this.”

Sasuke didn’t answer. But maybe he was.

【Naruto】

By the time they left the library, it was almost completely dark. Naruto hadn’t noticed how long they’d been inside. Sasuke still had the book tucked in his arm.

Naruto glanced over. “You think I could check one out someday?”

Sasuke looked at him. “Not with your name.”

Naruto laughed, but it was short. “Yeah. Figured.”

Neither of them said anything for a while. Then Naruto added, “Thanks, though.”

Sasuke didn’t respond, but his grip on the book tightened slightly. It wasn’t that they were friends now. But it wasn’t nothing, either.

Naruto didn’t know if it was the rush of sneaking into the library or just the way Sasuke had looked at him, like he wasn’t an idiot, but something felt different the next day. He still got the usual glares from parents walking their kids to the Academy. Still heard the murmurs behind his back, the ones that didn’t use his name. But it stung a little less today. Because now he had something that wasn’t theirs. It wasn’t friendship yet. Maybe not even trust. But it was something.

He plopped down at his desk and waited. Class hadn’t started yet. Kids were clustered in their usual groups. Naruto noticed Sasuke already seated two rows ahead — quiet, back straight, eyes on the front like he always was.

Naruto hesitated for a second, then slid into the seat beside Sasuke like it was no big deal. Sasuke glanced at him, brows faintly raised. “You actually got here on time?”

Naruto smirked, leaning back. “Nah. I climbed in through the window before Iruka showed up. Didn’t get caught this time.”

Sasuke let out a quiet exhale, not quite a laugh, but definitely not disapproval either. Just… surprised amusement.

“Idiot,” he muttered, but it didn’t have any bite to it.

There was a pause before Naruto spoke again, quieter: “Thanks. For yesterday. You didn’t have to help.”

“You’re bad at hiding,” Sasuke replied.

Naruto rolled his eyes, but the heat in his chest stayed warm. “I mean it.”

A beat passed.

“I didn’t help you,” Sasuke said finally. “I just… didn’t stop you.”

Naruto grinned. “Yeah. Sure. Same thing.”

They were silent for a bit as the rest of the class filed in. Naruto leaned forward, elbows on the desk. “So, uh… you think we could do it again? Not the sneaking part — well, maybe that too — but like… studying. And training. The stuff they teach here doesn’t really stick unless I actually do it, y’know?”

Sasuke glanced sideways. “You want to train with me?”

Naruto met his gaze, for once without a challenge in it. “I wanna get stronger. And I can’t do it alone.”

Sasuke looked away. “We’ll see.”

But that wasn’t a no.

【Sasuke】

They met behind the Academy after class, beneath the old tree where the ground was worn down from years of sparring drills. Sasuke brought the library book, the one with the chakra flow diagrams. Naruto had memorized half a page by heart already.

They practiced what they could remember from class. The basic stances. Kunai angles. Target throws.

Sasuke corrected Naruto’s grip without saying much. Naruto accepted it without flinching. It felt… normal. And strange. And maybe a little dangerous.

【Shikamaru – Nearby】

Shikamaru Nara wasn’t spying. That would’ve taken effort. He just happened to be lying on the roof of the Academy, where he always napped after class.

He opened one eye and watched the two boys below. Naruto was laughing too loud again. Sasuke rolled his eyes at something. Shikamaru couldn’t hear it, but he didn’t need to. There was a rhythm to it now, like they were learning how to breathe in each other’s space. It was kind of troublesome.

Later, when Naruto passed by him in the hall, Shikamaru spoke — not loud, not friendly. Just… there. “You know people are watching.”

Naruto blinked. “Huh?”

“They’ll talk if you hang around Uchiha too much.”

Naruto looked down at his feet. “Let them.”

Shikamaru stared at him for a moment longer, then shrugged. “Whatever. Just don’t drag him down with you.”

It wasn’t meant to be cruel. It was just the kind of honesty that no one liked to say aloud. But Naruto didn’t flinch. “He’s not gonna run away, y’know.”

Shikamaru didn’t answer. Just tucked his hands back behind his head and closed his eyes again. Still… when he opened them later, Naruto was still walking forward. And Sasuke was waiting.

【Sasuke】

Sasuke didn’t usually bring people to the Uchiha district anymore. The empty streets echoed too much. The silence clung to the air like ash. But Naruto didn’t seem to mind. He walked beside him without saying anything, just looking — not pitying, not questioning. Only curious.

They stopped at one of the old training fields: worn-down targets, the grass overgrown in some places. The air smelled like dust and memory.

Naruto tilted his head. “This place is kinda cool. Creepy, but cool.”

Sasuke gave a small shrug. “No one uses it anymore.”

Naruto kicked a rock with his foot, then crouched to set his scroll down. “Good. Then no one’ll tell us to stop.”

They started slow. Review from class. Basic stances, again. Sasuke demonstrated; Naruto mirrored him. Sometimes wrong. Often messy. But he kept at it.

“You’re bending too much at the knees,” Sasuke said, stepping around him. “Your center’s off.”

Naruto adjusted. “Like this?”

“Lower. But yeah.”

They moved on to chakra exercises next — holding a leaf to their foreheads, trying to channel control without brute force. Naruto kept scrunching his face. Sasuke tried not to laugh. “You’re not supposed to crush it.”

Naruto groaned, plucking the torn leaf off. “Then how the hell am I supposed to do it? It’s like… my chakra’s yelling at me.”

Sasuke hesitated. Then crouched beside him, picking up another leaf. “Don’t force it,” he said. “Just… listen. It’s not about pushing harder. It’s about balance.”

Naruto side-eyed him. “You sound like Iruka-sensei.”

Sasuke ignored the comment, eyes narrowing as he focused. The leaf on his forehead fluttered slightly, then settled. Still.

Naruto tried again. Failed. Tried again. Sasuke didn’t say anything this time. Just waited.

Eventually, Naruto sat back with a groan, sweat on his brow. “Ugh. I suck at this.”

“You’re getting better,” Sasuke muttered, looking away.

Naruto blinked. “Wait, was that a compliment?”

“No.”

Naruto grinned anyway.

【Naruto】

They ended the training with target practice. Sasuke hit the bullseye almost every time. Naruto… hit the wooden frame. Once. But it wasn’t about winning. Not today. It was about not falling behind.

They collapsed under the shade of a dead tree afterward, both breathing hard. Naruto stared at the sky. “You ever feel like… it’s never enough?” Sasuke glanced sideways. “Like no matter how hard you try, people still see you the same way. Like they’ve already decided who you are before you even show them.”

There was a long silence.

Then Sasuke said, quietly, “Yeah.”

Naruto looked at him. Really looked. They didn’t smile. They didn’t joke. They just let it sit between them. That feeling. That understanding.

Then Naruto broke the silence with a crooked grin. “Well, guess we’ll just have to prove ‘em wrong.”

Sasuke smirked faintly. “You first, loudmouth.”

Naruto laughed for real this time. The sound echoed in the ruins of a forgotten home.

The sun was slipping down behind the rooftops when they finally stood to leave. Their shadows stretched long across the grass, uneven and flickering. Naruto stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “Man, how are you so good at this stuff?”

Sasuke didn’t answer right away. He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, expression unreadable. Naruto tilted his head. “I’m serious. You act like it’s easy, but you’ve been ahead of everyone since the start. You train at home or something?”

Sasuke stared at the empty training dummy for a moment too long. He thought about the times he’d copied stances in secret, trying to mimic the quiet elegance of his brother’s movements. Thought about the mornings when the house was still and cold, and he’d trained alone in the same places they used to share. Thought about the ache of trying to hold on to someone and destroy them at the same time.

There were too many feelings, too many answers. Hate, confusion. Grief disguised as anger. Longing he didn’t want to admit. He was still a kid. He still missed him.

Sasuke blinked hard. “I’ve just trained more than you.”

It wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t the truth either. Naruto looked at him for a long second, then gave a small nod. “Okay.”

He didn’t push. But Sasuke knew he’d noticed. Naruto always noticed things in a way that made it hard to look away.

They started walking back through the quiet streets of the Uchiha district. The silence wasn’t heavy anymore. Just still. Naruto kicked a pebble down the path. “Hey. Remember the dock?” Sasuke glanced at him. “You were sitting there like some mysterious loner, and I thought you looked like you’d punch me if I said anything.”

“I might have.”

Naruto snorted. “But you didn’t.”

“You were annoying.”

“And you were rude,” Naruto shot back, grinning. “Still are.” Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Naruto’s smile faded a little. “I didn’t think you’d talk to me. Back then. Nobody ever does.”

Sasuke didn’t know what made him speak, but the words came anyway. “You looked lonely.”

Naruto blinked. “…Yeah. You too.”

They stopped at the edge of the road that split toward each of their homes. The light was soft now, the sky dimming to violet. Neither of them said goodbye. But Sasuke nodded once, slow and certain. And Naruto grinned, hand raised in a lazy wave.

When they turned away, they both walked lighter than they had that morning.

Chapter Text

The Uchiha training grounds were quiet at dawn. The grass glistened with dew, and the practice dummies stood in rows, still and worn, their straw bodies wrapped in old bandages from generations of use. No one else came here anymore. Not really. But Naruto and Sasuke were already at it, breath misting in the morning cold, faces flushed with effort.

Naruto wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “Again?”

Sasuke nodded. “You still drop your guard after the third strike.”

“Tch,” Naruto grumbled, squinting. “Only ’cause you keep aiming for my face.”

“That’s the point,” Sasuke replied, calm. “If I were your enemy, you’d be on the ground already.”

“Yeah, well—” Naruto lunged again, a burst of chakra flickering in his steps, not quite a Shunshin, but faster than before. He didn’t land the hit, but Sasuke had to sidestep with more effort this time. They both paused, breathing hard. Naruto broke into a grin.

“You’re getting better,” Sasuke said, low but sincere.

Naruto blinked. “You think?”

Sasuke glanced away. “You wouldn’t last a second against a real enemy. But… you’d probably annoy them enough to get one good hit in.”

Naruto laughed out loud, chest puffing with pride even as he shoved Sasuke lightly in the shoulder. “I’ll take that as a compliment!”

The sun had barely cleared the rooftops when they slipped into the Academy technically on time, but barely. They didn’t talk as they walked through the halls. They didn’t need to. But once they stepped into the classroom, the air felt… different.

Conversations faltered. Naruto ignored it. He was getting good at that. Or pretending to.

He walked to his desk — middle row, near the window — and found his chair toppled over. His notebook, bent at the spine. Crayon doodles scratched over yesterday’s homework. He stilled, expression flickering only for a second. Sasuke stopped beside him. Looked at the desk. Then looked at the other kids.

Silence.

Shikamaru, seated one row back, caught the exchange. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even move, but his eyes followed Naruto as he righted the chair and carefully turned the page of his workbook.

Sakura’s voice broke the quiet.

“Sensei’s late again,” she said, a little too loudly. She was seated with Ino and two other girls, her gaze flicking from Sasuke to Naruto. “I hope class doesn’t get delayed just because someone keeps sneaking in through the window.”

Naruto didn’t reply. Sasuke sat next to him without a word. That was new.

Ino whispered something to Sakura. She tried not to laugh. Shikamaru looked away.

Sasuke didn’t.

【Sasuke】

Training wasn’t the only thing that had changed in recent weeks. Naruto had gotten quieter — not less energetic, but different. When they met in the Uchiha grounds, he still joked and shouted and tripped over tree roots with reckless enthusiasm. But in the Academy, he moved carefully. Like he was trying not to take up too much space.

It was starting to bother Sasuke more than he expected.

He didn’t understand why. He didn’t understand a lot of things about Naruto, like why it mattered so much when people looked at him like that. Why Sasuke wanted them to stop. Why it felt so different when it was just the two of them.

【Naruto】

“Alright, listen up,” Iruka said an hour later, clapping his hands once as he entered the room. “We’re doing something new today.” Naruto straightened.

“We’re going to the outskirts of the training forest,” Iruka continued. “You’ll be split into groups of four and given a small tracking task. This is not a real mission, it’s a controlled exercise. You’ll be followed, and there’s no danger, but you are expected to take it seriously.” There was a chorus of mixed excitement and groans.

“Chōji, Ino, Sakura, Kiba — Group One. Shikamaru, Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata — Group Two.”

Naruto blinked. “Wait… seriously?”

Sasuke just raised an eyebrow. Shikamaru sighed audibly. Hinata turned pink. Sakura frowned from across the room.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, the corners of his mouth already pulling up.

【Iruka】

The forest outside Konoha was green and loud with early spring life. Birds rustling in the treetops, insects buzzing low in the underbrush. Iruka led them down the narrow path until the Academy was just a memory behind them. He stopped at a fork in the trail, then turned back toward the students.

“All right,” he said, holding up a small scroll, “your task is simple. Each team will receive a scent tag and a map. A chūnin has left a false trail ahead, your job is to follow it through the forest and reach the marker.”

He handed Sasuke the scroll.

“It’s not about speed,” Iruka added. “It’s about working together. Coordination. Awareness.”

Naruto bounced on his heels. “We’ve got this. Right, guys?”

Shikamaru groaned. “So troublesome…”

Hinata said nothing, but nodded slightly. Her eyes flicked to Naruto, then darted away again.

Sasuke took the lead. “We should go. The others are starting.”

【Sasuke】

They didn’t talk much as they entered the trees. Sasuke was methodical, eyes sharp, already spotting faint disturbances in the brush — a boot print here, a snapped twig there. Shikamaru followed without argument, hands tucked behind his head.

Naruto tried to match Sasuke’s pace. He wasn’t bad at tracking, he just hadn’t been taught properly. Not like Sasuke had. But he watched carefully, asked a few quiet questions, and started picking things up faster than anyone expected.

Hinata lagged behind at first, then crept closer to Naruto’s side. She didn’t say anything, but when he slipped a little on the slope, she reached out on instinct and grabbed his elbow to steady him. Their eyes met.

Naruto blinked. “Thanks.”

Hinata flushed bright red.

Sasuke turned, watching silently. Then walked on.

About halfway through the route, the path split. The trail wasn’t obvious anymore. The scent tag had grown faint, the signs more subtle. Shikamaru crouched and examined the dirt. “Hnn. Could go either way.”

Naruto looked between the two options. “Left?”

“Right,” Sasuke said at the same time.

They both turned to each other.

Sasuke didn’t frown exactly, but there was a tightening around his eyes. “Footprints veer that way.”

Naruto scratched his head. “Yeah, but there’s broken branches going left. Like… someone tried to fake the path.”

Shikamaru glanced at them both. “Naruto might be right.”

Sasuke looked again. “…Could be.”

Hinata nodded. “I–I think the chakra trail’s weaker to the left. But it’s… masked.”

There was a moment of silence.

Sasuke stepped aside. “You take point then.”

Naruto blinked. “Really?”

“You saw something I didn’t. So go.”

Naruto grinned wide, like the sun finally broke through the clouds. “Okay!”

【Naruto】

They reached the marker twenty minutes later, a small wooden post with a red sash half-hidden under ivy. Only two other teams were there. They weren’t the first… but they weren’t the last either.

“Not bad,” Shikamaru muttered, stretching.

Sasuke didn’t speak, but Naruto could feel the quiet pride radiating from him. Hinata was nearly trembling from the adrenaline.

Naruto flopped onto the grass. “That was awesome.” Then, from behind them, a voice cut through the trees.

“Didn’t expect the dead-last team to finish at all.”

It was Kiba, dragging his feet into the clearing with his group. Sakura followed a few steps behind, arms crossed. She glanced at Sasuke, then Naruto. Her nose wrinkled slightly.

Naruto sat up, still smiling, but quieter now. Sasuke didn’t look at them. But he did move. Slowly. Deliberately. He stepped forward and stood between Kiba and him, arms crossed. “What’s your point?” he asked, tone flat.

Kiba blinked. “Huh?”

“You weren’t first either,” Sasuke added, without venom, just simple fact. “So what are you bragging about?”

Kiba opened his mouth, then closed it again. Sakura looked away. Shikamaru whistled softly and said, “Man… drama.”

【Naruto】

Later, back at the Academy, Iruka handed in the performance scores. Naruto leaned back in his chair, still high off the rush of being seen, of doing something well. Not just because Sasuke was there, but because he was.

Sasuke packed his bag slowly. Naruto glanced over. “You didn’t have to do that earlier,” he said quietly.

Sasuke looked at him. “Do what?”

“Step in.”

Sasuke didn’t answer at first. Then: “He was being annoying.”

Naruto smirked, but softer now. “You’re weird.”

A pause. Then Sasuke asked, “Why are you always smiling when people talk down to you?”

Naruto blinked. “What?”

“You just… brush it off. Like it’s nothing. Even when it’s not.”

Naruto didn’t know how to answer. He looked down at his hands. “Because if I don’t smile,” he said finally, “it’s harder to believe they’re wrong.” Sasuke looked at him for a long time. He didn’t say anything else, but when they walked home that evening they took the long way. Together.

They met again that weekend just past the Uchiha district, where the stone paths grew uneven and cracked, and silence blanketed the old training grounds. Naruto arrived first this time, for once, breathless but grinning. He flopped down onto the grass beneath the tree where they usually left their things. Sasuke came a few minutes later, kunai pouch slung over one shoulder, expression unreadable.

They didn’t speak at first. They didn’t need to.

The air was thick with early summer warmth and the buzz of distant cicadas. The training ground was nearly abandoned, except for a lone hawk circling overhead. They trained until their arms ached — throwing, dodging, pushing each other harder each time. When they stopped, they dropped to the grass again, backs pressed to the tree trunk, breathing heavy.

Naruto nudged Sasuke with his elbow. “So,” he said between pants, “been thinking more about that day on the dock”

Sasuke huffed. “You mean the day you stared at me like a weirdo and nearly say anything?”

Naruto scoffed, smirking. “Hey, I didn’t see you saying much either. You were all broody and intense, like hngh my pain is unknowable.”

Sasuke gave him a side glance. “It was.”

Naruto blinked. The humor drained just slightly from the air.

“I didn’t know what to say,” Naruto said more softly. “You looked… like no one should bother you.”

Sasuke’s expression didn’t change, but he looked down at his hands. “I didn’t want to be alone,” he admitted. “But I didn’t want anyone to see me, either.”

Naruto nodded slowly. “Yeah. I think I get that.” They were quiet for a long beat. Then he said, “You looked at me that day. Really looked. I wasn’t used to that.”

Sasuke turned to him, eyes sharper now, searching. “You didn’t flinch,” Sasuke said, voice lower. “Most people look at me like they feel sorry. Or like I’ll break. You didn’t.”

Naruto grinned a little. “You didn’t look breakable.”

Another pause.

Sasuke looked away, toward the branches overhead. “I remembered you before that day,” he said.

Naruto blinked. “You did?”

A faint nod. “I saw you sometimes. Climbing roofs. Getting scolded by shopkeepers. You were always loud.”

“Still am,” he offered proudly. Sasuke snorted. Naruto leaned back, arms folded behind his head. “You know, I think I wanted to talk to you back then.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“I guess I thought I’d mess it up.”

“You did,” Sasuke said dryly.

Naruto blinked. “Hey!”

“Took you years.”

Naruto gasped and shoved him in the shoulder. “Tch, and here I thought you were just some mysterious cool guy. Turns out you’re a smug bastard.”

Sasuke didn’t flinch. “Better than being a loud, orange gremlin.”

“Gremlin?! I should’ve let you sulk alone forever on that stupid dock.”

“You would’ve cried without me.”

“Yeah, in relief!”

They glared at each other for a moment — tight-lipped, serious.

Then, just barely, their expressions cracked. A smirk tugged at Sasuke’s mouth. Naruto snorted. They didn’t look at each other, but there was something steady between them. Something grounding. And when Naruto’s shoulder accidentally brushed Sasuke’s, neither of them moved away.

The sun was lower when they finally stood again, casting long shadows over the grass. Neither said anything as they gathered their things, shoulders brushing once more before parting. It wasn’t a promise, but it didn’t have to be. They walked side by side through the quiet streets — not quite smiling, not quite speaking — and if anyone watched them pass, they might’ve thought the silence meant nothing. But something had shifted. Maybe it had been shifting for a long time. And neither of them, not yet, had the words for it.