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“It can’t be legal to have children do this. Shouldn’t we need a license or something?”
The only answer his grumbled complaint received was a muffled grunt. That made sense, he reasoned. Naruto was still leaning down into the chimney, only his legs sticking out. He couldn’t exactly speak at the moment.
It looked mildly hilarious. It probably would’ve been funnier if he wasn’t so massively annoyed at the moment. This mission was tedious and frustrating. Who the hell would hire untrained genin for chimney maintenance? None of them knew how to do this. It would’ve been cheaper just to pay a civilian who actually knew what they were doing and didn’t risk fucking it all up and producing a massive fire hazard. Unfortunately, as Sasuke had learned long ago, people were often very stupid.
Distantly, he heard Naruto shout something to Sakura, who was waiting inside the home at the bottom of the chimney. He had no idea what they were talking about, the noises too muffled. Hell, he hadn’t even caught the reason why Naruto suddenly dove in, and it wasn’t like he could ask him now. Hopefully the reason wasn’t too stupid but he didn’t have high hopes.
For now all he could do was hover nearby, ready to grab Naruto’s legs if he started to tip head first down the shaft. Last thing that moron needed was to fall and land on his skull and lose more brain cells. Or break his idiot neck. Sasuke leaned against the brick, crossing his arms and doing his best to look causal and not concerned. No big deal, nothing to worry about.
He shot a poisonous glare down at a civilian who was standing in the street below and staring. The man shuffled his feet and moved on, not willing to cross an Uchiha. Good choice. Itachi may have killed his living family but the rumors of their famous tempers had been around since before Konoha’s founding. Madara was good for one thing at least.
“Ahhhhh!….. C’mere!….. son of a—“ with a burst of black dust, Naruto popped out, straightening up and standing free of the chimney. He had one arm raised above his head, waving— well, waving something. It was thrashing and hissing. Loudly.
“I said not to touch it!” Sakura’s frantic shriek finally echoed up to the roof, the sound no longer blocked by Naruto’s body. Evidently she had been trying to counsel him against this. Sasuke rolled his eyes. That was a battle lost before it even started, she should know better by now.
The moron finally got two hands on it. It thrashed less now that it was held more securely, scruffed by the neck skin like a wayward kitten. Sasuke couldn’t tell what it was, the shape strange and the fur covered in black soot.
“You’re gonna get rabies!”
“Opossums don’t get rabies,” Naruto leaned over and shouted down the chimney, balanced precariously on one foot. The only response from Sakura was a wordless shriek of frustration.
Well, at least he had an answer now for what that thing was.
“What are you planning to do with that?”
Naruto turned at the sound of his voice, his wide eyes the only spot of color on his entire upper body. Every other inch of him from hip to the end of his hair was dyed a deep ashy black. The whites of his eyes were shocking in contrast.
“Eh? I’m gonna take it into the forest, duh! It can’t stay here.”
Sasuke sighed, already anticipating that this mission wouldn’t be over until long after sundown. There went his plans to visit the evening market, all the good produce would be gone by the time they finished. He might as well take a break in that case.
“I’m coming with you,” he drawled with his hands shoved in his pockets. “Gotta make sure you don’t drop it in someone’s yard or do something stupid.”
Naruto only rolled his eyes in response, leaning down again to shout to Sakura that they’d be gone for a bit. Sasuke didn’t really feel bad about leaving her behind, she’d been able to sit comfortably inside while he and Naruto had been up on the roof for hours. Kakashi was a bastard when assigning team roles at times. His chivalry popped up at random inconvenient times.
Sasuke stepped off the edge of the roof, landing gently on the tips of his toes and rolling down onto his heel. It absorbed the impact and his landing didn’t even kick up a puff of dust. Textbook perfect, and graceful as well.
Naruto thudded down hard beside him, stumbling as the opossum took offense to the motion and started thrashing again. “You’re supposed to play dead! What’s wrong with you?!” Naruto twisted in a tight circle, looking torn between holding tighter and throwing the hissing animal away from himself.
Sasuke took pity on his teammate and spoke up. “What if we wrapped a towel over it? Not seeing sometimes makes animals calmer.”
“Yeah sure, go have Sakura grab one, just hurry!”
Only after the animal was covered with a fresh towel and holding still once again did they both release a sigh of relief. It looked strange, seeing Naruto hold an indistinct towel wrapped lump so far away from his body while covered almost entirely in soot. Sasuke couldn’t quite hold back a huff of laughter and Naruto screeched his displeasure over that for an entire block as they walked.
On both sides of the street, civilians gave them a wide space as they moved, unwilling or scared to get closer. The ninjas they passed only needed to look long enough to recognize Naruto under all the soot before they adopted an exasperated and defeated expression. No one tried to stop them, thankfully.
“Let’s go this way,” Naruto suggested suddenly, turning on his heel onto a smaller winding street.
“Why?” Sasuke paused in the intersection, unwilling to take the longer route for no reason.
After a moment of foot shuffling and mumbling, Naruto finally admitted that he wanted to avoid passing the academy, and more importantly, Iruka. “He’s got a sixth sense for this stuff,” he huffed with a pout.
“You mean he can smell your bullshit from a mile away?”
“Whatever! Just walk this way, bastard!”
“Sure, sure,” Sasuke drawled and aimed an infuriating smug look at his teammate, enjoying his irritated grumbles. “I didn’t know you were so scared of an Academy teacher.”
Naruto shivered. “Wait until you really piss him off and then tell me that he isn’t freaky.”
“You really think he’d get mad about you catching an opossum?”
“Weeeeeellll I did kinda promise him no more wild animals last year and I don’t think this technically counts as breaking the promise, but why risk it?”
Sasuke paused and glanced at his teammate, who looked both sheepish and proud at once. “I never heard about that one. What prank used wild animals?”
Naruto grinned, the expression looking quite feral with his face so sooty. Like some kind of demon mask used in theater. His canines were really long, Sasuke noticed. Almost like an Inuzuka.
“Anbu barracks,” Naruto whispered and then ruined the effect by cackling loudly. “It’s all classified! But I’ll tell you this,” he leaned in close, his ashy hair brushing Sasuke’s cheek. “It took them weeks to find all them.”
With that said, Naruto skipped forward a few steps, elated and pleased with himself and… and strange. Sasuke watched him for a long moment before reaching up to wipe the soot from his cheek.
A comfortable silence fell between the two of them as they finally left the village and ducked into the surrounding forest. As always, the shade beneath the enormous trees felt safe. It made sense, why Hashirama and Madara chose to build here. Among the trees with trunks as wide as a house, it was impossible not to feel small, to feel hidden and tucked away.
Naruto crouched down near some tree roots poking out above the dirt, a dark cavern dug into the soil directly below. With gentle hands, he unwrapped the animal and placed it in the little space. “There you go, all safe now. Be good! Don’t get eaten!” With one finger, he quickly gave its head a scratch and then backed away.
The opossum took a moment to blink and adjust to the light before turning and waddling down into the hole below the tree roots. As easy as that. Naruto was staring at the spot it had disappeared, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth unsmiling. Maybe he was sad? Shit, Sasuke wasn’t someone who had skill in cheering up sad people.
“I always wanted a pet,” Naruto admitted in a soft voice.
Sasuke approached slowly, tapping Naruto’s shoulder with the back of his hand. When his teammate looked over, he waved inelegantly at the forest. “Let’s find a stream. You’re filthy.”
With a silent nod and a flare of his nose, Naruto picked a direction and started walking. He could smell the water, Sasuke realized. Useful. Their walk was abnormally quiet, a strange unfamiliar melancholy choking the air around them.
Shit, he hated when Naruto pouted. It was annoying as fuck and recently it started to make him feel bad too when he saw it. And that made no sense at all, so he only ended up more annoyed than ever. Maybe he should’ve had Sakura come along after all, she liked talking about emotions and stuff like that.
As they rounded another enormous tree, Sasuke finally heard the soft noise of water flowing over rocks. Just past a patch of fluffy grass and down a tiny bank, a small stream meandered through the shady forest. The water was clear, sparkling the tiniest bit in the sunlight that managed to make it through the dense canopy overhead.
Naruto let out a loud whoop and jumped down the embankment, splashing into the knee deep water fully clothed. He let out a shrill scream as he tripped on the wet stones and fell on his ass. “It’s cold as hell!”
Sasuke rolled his eyes, well aware that there was a tiny smile he couldn’t quite force down on his face. Whatever, it was funny.
Naruto unzipped his jacket and dipped the fabric below the water, squeezing and rubbing it together. Little clouds of black dust poofed into the water, flowing downstream as fast as they formed. Without warning, Naruto turned and flung the soaked thing right at him. He caught it out of instinct, frowning when icy water spattered his face and soaked into his shirt, little grey drops running in lines over his arms.
“Nice catch bastard!” Loud cackles followed the taunt.
Sasuke dropped the jacket, a snarl on his face and insults waiting on his lips. Naruto was turned away, bent over and rubbing a palmful of water over his face. Sasuke crept closer, stepping down onto the water and using his charka to silently walk across the top of it. Naruto dunked his head under the water for a moment, hands scrubbing at his hair. After he straightened up, he twisted around and opened his mouth. Probably to yell something else at him, Sasuke realized with vicious glee. It was immensely satisfying to see Naruro freeze as he registered Sasuke standing right there.
It was quick work to plant one foot on Naruto’s shoulder and shove. Without much resistance at all, Naruto stumbled and fell into the stream, arms flailing wildly. He landed with a loud splash, flopping completely underwater like a limp noodle. He popped back up quickly with eyes wide and shocked. Water dripped from his face. His mouth opened, ready to yell, before he was interrupted by a hard shiver shaking him from head to toe.
Laughter bubbled up, unfamiliar and lighthearted. Sasuke lifted a hand to cover his face as he laughed, his eyes squinted with the force of his humor. Only when his cheeks ached faintly could he force himself to stop, unbending from where he had started to clutch at his stomach. He opened his eyes again, looking ahead.
Naruto still sitting in the water, the current flowing around his elbows. His wet hair was plastered to his head, a few stubborn streaks of ash coloring parts of it black. And his eyes… Sasuke traced over the shape of them, wide and blue, sparkling exactly like the water around them. A little soot remained around his eyelids, a thin line of black making them stand out more than ever.
He was smiling, Sasuke realized. Naruto was grinning up at him from where Sasuke had knocked him down. There was no anger or annoyance on his face, no humiliation or embarrassment.
“Good one, jerk,” Naruto conceded good-naturedly. He clearly meant it.
For a moment, Sasuke could only stare. A strange feeling was building in his chest, getting heavier as he watched a drop of water trace its way down Naruto’s cheek scars and run in a line by the corner of his lips, still framing his exceptionally sharp toothed smile.
It was a nice smile, he realized. A bit different, wild enough that it might scare civilians in the cities that don’t see many shinobi passing through. Somehow that only added to the charm. He really liked Naruto’s smile, he decided, especially at this exact moment.
He didn’t really know what to do with that revelation.
It was the simpler decision to push those thoughts aside and simply offer a hand, gripping Naruto’s hand within his own and tugging him back to his feet. His teammate murmured a quick thanks, his cheeks turning a tiny bit darker. It was difficult to notice with Naruto’s tan complexion but Sasuke could do so with ease after so much time spent together. It seemed the longer he stared, the darker his teammates’s cheeks became. He hadn’t let go of Naruto’s hand yet.
“So this is what you two were doing while Sakura finished the mission alone.” A drawling voice from behind had both of them jumping and whipping around in shock. Kakashi stood at the top of the embankment, his one visible eyebrow raised in a challenging expression.
The man shrugged and turned away. “I’m sure you’ll have time to explain it all to me after you’re done running laps around the village… with Rock Lee.”
Naruto groaned loudly and trotted after their teacher, his complaints and pleading easily ignored by the older man. Sasuke stood still for a moment longer, only just then realizing that at some point between entering the stream and Kakashi showing up, he had lost focus on his chakra and sank slowly into the water. His legs were wet up to the knee, toes chilled by the icy current.
He really should’ve noticed that.
With a firm mental shake, chiding himself to get it together, he hopped up the embankment. He bent down and grabbed the wet jacket that Naruto had forgotten to bring along and followed silently after his teammate and his sensei.
His arm sat heavy over Naruto’s shoulder, hand hanging down between his shoulder blades. If he pressed his palm flat to his back, would he feel his heartbeat? Would it be racing in fear or slow and steady, betraying Naruto’s endless confidence in him?
This close, he could see all the little details.
Details were important to Sharingan eyes. Hunter’s eyes, he once heard them called. Whoever said that was long dead, their identity forgotten over the years. But Sasuke never forgot those words.
Colors and movement naturally drew his gaze. The mixture of the two solidified, a permanent memory created. Picture perfect forever. Some of it even carried over, an inactive Sharingan still saw more than the average eye ever could.
This close, he could see the shadows on Naruto’s cheeks, tiny lines of darkness sitting peacefully in the divots of his cheek scars.
The sun was almost directly overhead, sitting just a tad behind Naruto. The light fell down in a blazing sheet, warm and inescapable. It made his hair glow, a white gold color. As if he had been out in the sunshine frequently, long days spent traveling or swimming or just sitting in the warmth. His skin had a deep tan that confirmed those theories.
He looked healthy, Sasuke thought privately. He looked like he was thriving. His clothing was different, colors more muted and the shape fitting better than his orange monstrosity had. And he was taller too, they were easily standing eye to eye. How strange, he almost missed being able to look down on him.
Each breath moved his ribcage in a way that made it brush against Sasuke’s limp fingers. Proof of life, of existence. Not at all similar to the way he had left him years ago, nearly dead in the icy water. Eerily still and weeping blood into the lake below.
There was no blood now, no ragged hole torn through his shirt. His eyes shone with life.
Naruto looked good. He survived and he was here begging Sasuke to come back despite all the sins that passed between them.
How stupid. A pointless endeavor.
He didn’t understand it, how Naruto could look at him, at someone who hurt him so much, and not burn with anger. Some days Sasuke felt he was made only of anger, writhing and biting and painful. A cloud of toxic smoke, barely contained within skin. The emotions gripped him and burrowed deep and refused to leave.
But Naruto… he didn’t seem to have that problem. He saw it all and rejected the poison, pushing it from his body so effortlessly. He stood in front a teammate who betrayed him and begged only for a reunion, for peace and friendship and a return to the way things were.
How foolish. Deluded. A heart that soft would be shredded by ninja life. Even now, letting him stand so close, letting him to touch so casually…
Sasuke allowed himself stare, bold and unashamed, just to memorize the new details of Naruto. What remained as he remembered and what changed. He didn’t have a justification for it. It just pleased him in some strange way to do it.
But that was all it could ever be. A stolen glance, a staggered conversation. Nothing more.
Sasuke knew this well. It tasted like disappointment, familiar and unshakable.
And yet still, something tugged painfully from behind his ribs as he left with Orochimaru, listening with forced impassively as Naruto screamed desperately at him to stay, to come back. Something much too close to hope was bleeding from him, that brightness being replaced with a rancid sadness.
He’d told Naruto as much. It was pointless to chase after him. Someone like Sasuke, with all that anger and sadness in his bones… he didn’t belong near someone like Naruto. The sooner he learned that, the better.
Compared to Naruto’s warmth, Orochimaru and his hideout seemed especially inhuman.
The sand was hot enough that Sasuke swore he could feel it through the soles of his shoes. A harsh wind whipped around his face, the sun beat down on his shoulders without mercy. Sometimes it hurt to breathe, the very air making his nose ache and bleed.
This environment was suffocating, panic inducing. It weeded out the weak, the unprepared, and the unlucky.
Whoever suggested to build a village in the middle of Suna’s Great Desert should’ve been ignored. Fucking crazy.
With a muffled curse, Sasuke pushed himself further. He was almost at the oasis, no point in stopping to rest now. Not when his team was waiting.
If Suna had one point in its favor, it was their ruthless pragmatism. The desert had no tolerance for bullshit. The rules around the oasis were simple and widely known. Ninjas of only one village were allowed use of the oasis at a time, and a single scout would be sent ahead to ensure it was free to use before the rest of them could arrive. The ninjas had a few hours to drink, bathe, and rest, and then they would leave in peace.
No fighting allowed. Not at the oasis, not in the surrounding dunes. Absolutely no fighting allowed.
As the fastest ninja in Team Taka, Sasuke had volunteered to be scout. His team was an hour’s walk behind him, ready to follow if he didn’t come back with warnings.
As he crested another hill of sand, the first glimpse of something green in the distance brought a flood of relief to him. He’d never been so happy to see a palm tree in his entire life. With a burst of energy, he sprinted towards it. The yellow sand churned under his feet, writhing like something alive that wanted to trip him. He was determined not to let it slow him down, not when he was nearly there.
Just behind the top of the last hill, carefully out of sight, he paused for a moment. Listening closely, he couldn’t make out any voices. No shifting sand or footsteps, no coughing or mumbling or humming. No human-made noise to be found. He couldn’t smell any fires or food or perfume. A relieved grin flashed across his face. The oasis was likely empty, and he could claim it for his team. They’d finally be able to refill their water supplies, Karin hadn’t stopped bitching about dehydration and kidney damage for the last day. The endless heat only made his tolerance for the nagging worse than usual.
Fuck, he might just spend the next few hours floating in the cool water. He was so tired of sand and heat.
Still high on his own elation, Sasuke crept over the top of the hill and down towards the waters edge. The shore was ringed with a small grove of palm trees, stubborn little grasses and shrubs clinging to the harsh soil underneath them. The smell of water and greenery was heavenly. The water itself sparkled intensely, the overhead sun bouncing off the surface in a blinding display.
Without hesitation, Sasuke let his pack drop from his shoulders, landing behind him with a soft thud. He didn’t even care if anything inside broke, he needed to get into that water immediately. Another step forward and coolness crept over his toes. He sighed loudly in relief, relishing in the feeling, soothing his many burns from sand. A couple more steps in and the water sloshed happily at his knees, then at his hips.
Sasuke let his head tip forward bonelessly, near euphoric at the moment. The sun still beat down on the back of his neck ruthlessly, heating his dark hair to the point of pain, but he finally had water. So much water.
Fuck the Akatsuki, he was never running another mission across Suna’s desert. They could all stuff it, find some other moron team to do their bidding. Never ever again.
A small splash broke him from his thoughts. Sasuke spent a moment wondering if there were birds or snakes that lived here. Maybe he would be sharing the water with some interesting unfamiliar wildlife. Juugo would like that. Slowly, he peeled his eyes open. The water was shallow enough here to still be clear, shadowed by his own body so it didn’t shine so brightly. He watched his own toes wiggle in his sandals, which he hadn’t removed before wading in. Whatever, they’d dry in five minutes in this heat anyway.
Sasuke lifted his head, ready to dive in and swim.
And he froze.
In front of him, further out into the water, was the source of the splash. Not a bird, not a snake.
A toad swam along the top of the water. Not notable on its own, though certainly uncommon so far into the desert. But the little creature appeared to be wearing a red haori coat, the silk billowing in the water as it kicked and moved. It hopped onto the wet sand of the opposite shore and disappeared with a small puff of smoke, not appearing to have noticed him.
A summoned animal. Sasuke only knew two people who could summon toads. And one was dead.
“Fuck,” he spat eloquently.
His eyes darted around the oasis, still not spotting any sign of other people being here. No bags, no piles of shoes or clothes. He hadn’t heard anyone here either. Nevertheless, clearly he had made a mistake.
“Shit,” he mumbled and took a step backwards. Part of him was screaming in agony at the thought of having to leave and wait a few more hours to get back in the water but rules were rules. This oasis only remained open to foreigners because of the peace that existed here. Sasuke had no intention of breaking that tradition and getting on anyone’s shit list.
And he really didn’t have the energy to fight Naruto or whoever he was traveling with at the moment either.
Surely it was a teammate that was hidden somewhere around here. Naruto would’ve made a ruckus by now. Left a trail of discarded clothes leading right to the water or kept up a loud stream of complaints about the heat… but that was his toad…
The silence and stillness of the oasis was no longer peaceful, only odd. Wrong. It made something creep uncomfortably up Sasuke’s spine.
Akatsuki leadership might want him to confirm the sighting of the Nine Tails carrier. There was no active order to capture him but they always encouraged opportunistic snatching if possible…
With that flimsy excuse held firmly in mind, Sasuke edged slowly and silently out of the water. He kicked his wet sandals free and padded softly on bare feet across damp sand around the edge of the water. He peeked behind each tree, thoroughly searching the grasses and little shrubs below.
Finally, on the opposite shore, he heard a sigh as he approached an old palm tree, the wide leaves providing a nice shaded spot below. With slow steps, Sasuke crept towards the tree. One hand dropped to his sword, still belted to his waist. Just a necessary precaution, in case someone was startled and responded violently…
He rounded the wide tree and finally heard quiet breathing. Rhythmic and deep. Taking another step forward—
A bare foot poked out first, barely in view.
Sasuke paused for a moment, his unasked question answered. It was really all he needed to see, the tan skin and small size. Not Sakura or Kakashi or that pale weirdo, that was for sure.
Naruto. Naruto was here.
He had the confirmation now. He could report the Nine Tails was alive and well, traveling through Suna. He could leave now.
Nevertheless, he found himself inching forward, step by silent step. He finally rounded the tree and gazed down at his former teammate. His eyes swept from those bare feet to the tips of his flaxen hair.
Naruto had his pants rolled up to the knee, the fabric deep black and loose around his thighs. He must’ve bought it locally, or maybe it was a gift from someone in Suna. Naruto always was making friends wherever he went, no matter how illogical…
Body relaxed and at ease, Naruto was propped up against the tree, asleep in a messy slump. Surprisingly, he was shirtless, the fabric balled up and shoved behind his head to act as a makeshift pillow between his skull and the rough tree bark.
Right, Nine Tailed Fox enhanced healing. Sasuke could remember one of Orochimaru’s rants about that, something about harnessing it for anti-aging properties. Naruto probably couldn’t get sunburned. Or if he did, it just healed within the hour.
That fox sure as hell made him cocky, Sasuke thought and let out an amused huff. It took a real spirited individual to leave so much skin exposed to the merciless sun in a place like this. Indeed, he couldn’t see even a hint of pink or red anywhere, just healthy golden skin. Muscles rounded pleasantly below the skin, the very picture of understated ninja strength.
He looked good. Healthy.
“What kind of idiot falls asleep alone out here?” He murmured into the quiet air. Strangely enough, Naruto still had yet to wake.
He should’ve woken up by now. That sharp nose surely smelled him, those ninja instincts must’ve registered his approach. And yet still, Naruto slept peacefully, the sun dancing over his collarbone.
Too trusting, too hopeful. Still not turning away from Sasuke, even his unconscious instincts registering him as friend despite all that passed between them.
Nearly without his input, his hand once again drifted to his sword. It was warm under his palm from exposure to sunshine, warm like some living creature. His sword was familiar, a comfort, something that never failed him. Every inch of it was memorized, every angle and texture and detail long entrained into his memory, He had never been so aware of its presence in his hand before.
It would be easy. Quick. Naruto might not even wake up. The oasis was empty, no witnesses. No backup…
It would be a terrible, shameful choice to attack a sleeping opponent. Dishonorable. Then again, ninjas had no honor. Whatever saved time, saved chakra, and kept them safest was fair play. A ninja killed in the darkness, in the silence, in the shadow of fear. Kakashi had taught them both that lesson, years ago.
Leave the honor to the samurai and the civilians, to people who had something to return to once the fight was over. A separation of life and battle, some invisible line that ninja simply did not possess. No, the best a ninja could hope for was to stay alive long enough to find some source of joy, something that made everything else worth it. Cling to that for as long as it lasted.
His sword was warm under his hand. He could feel his blood rushing, the pumping of his own heartbeat within his squeezing fingers.
He should do it. Naruto still worked for Konoha, still gave his strength to the village that sentenced his family to death. The village that stole parts from their corpses and sent Itachi away after bleeding him dry. If Naruto died, Konoha would be weaker. Easier to topple, to burn flat.
A gust of wind swept through the oasis, fierce and powerful. Sasuke endured the heat of it stinging his eyes, staring unblinkingly at the enigma sleeping before him. Above, the palm fronds shook as they were pushed around. The shade around them broke and a patch of sunlight fell over Naruto’s face. His eyelashes cast a shadow over his cheeks, those damned scars still as deep as ever. His hair glowed golden in the sunshine, light as corn silk and as pretty as anything he’d ever seen. It was longer than Sasuke ever remembered seeing it. An errant strand blew across his forehead, the end brushing across his nose. Naruto shifted slightly, scrunching his nose and letting out a small irritated whine, before settling down again.
Sasuke had the strangest urge to reach out and brush back his hair. Fix it so that it wouldn’t tickle his face again, make it better so Naruto could continue to sleep. More than that, he wanted to freeze time so he could stay right here in this odd moment of peace. Alone in the oasis, with the whisper of cool water and the twitching shadows. With the sunshine that burned him mercilessly but only made Naruto shine, tan and golden and perfect. Unharmed. No responsibility, no promises hanging over them. No enemies, no allies. Just them, the water, the plants twitching in the breeze.
Maybe in that world, he could sit down next to Naruto. Lean back against the same tree, pillow his head on his bare shoulder, and sleep alongside the other boy. In that world, he could steal a piece of this harmony and hold it with greedy hands, letting the lonely thing in his chest feed until it finally quieted down. He could set down his revenge and feel peaceful for a sweet moment…
He stared down at his former teammate and realized with devastating surety that Naruto was lovely like this, his golden skin dappled in brutal sunshine. He looked like the paintings his mother once pointed out in the marketplace, the half nude woman emerging from streams, the creatures of myth.
He looked like a lost past, like beauty long forgotten. A hope set aside. Something too pure to touch, something too good for bloody hands like his own.
His hand released the sword.
With silent steps, Sasuke backed away, eyes still pinned on the sleeping boy before him. He abruptly turned away and jogged across the damp sand, shoving his feet back into his shoes and tossing his bag carelessly over his shoulder.
It didn’t take long to trace his steps back through the sweltering dunes and find his team.
“We have to wait.”
“Ahhh— AHHH!” Suigetsu flopped backwards with a loud dramatic groan, jolting back upright with a sharp yelp as his back met the blistering sand. Karin hissed out some insult at him, likely some variant of idiot or moron, but Sasuke couldn’t be bothered to pay close enough attention to be sure. Their bickering was just background noise at this point.
“Who was there?”
Sasuke glanced over at Juugo, his largest and calmest teammate watching him with an curious look on his face. After a long moment, Sasuke glanced away first, back towards the oasis.
Too far too see, too far to sense. But the knowledge of who was there sat soul deep, a rock tossed into a calm pool of water. The waves sloshed over his mind.
“A team from Kumo.” He murmured and felt no guilt when Juugo accepted his answer with a nod.
Naruto sat on his kitchen countertop, his legs swinging in little arcs. The continuous tapping of his heels on the wooden cupboard doors should’ve driven him crazy but it only served a reminder that Naruto was finally back, so Sasuke hadn’t told him to knock it off yet. Too many weeks spent apart, it must’ve made him soft. How embarrassing.
But it was hard to stay in any kind of bad mood when Naruto was elated like this. Joy bled from him, formless and irresistible, drawing in anyone who bothered to look. Sasuke was looking. Enjoying the hazy warmth that being around him could trigger. If he could, he would close his eyes and lean in, savor and absorb it all until something more serious demanded his attention.
An eager finger poked at his shoulder and Naruto began faintly bouncing in place, entirely too excited.
“Look what I brought back from Kiri!” Naruto chirped in a singsong voice, reaching behind himself to pull out a pair of glass bottles. That must’ve been what he was trying to hide, twisting strangely when Sasuke walked into the kitchen just minutes ago.
Upon closer examination, he almost wished that Naruto had continued to hide them. They looked… unwise.
“Is that poison?”
“What?! No, stupid, it’s soda!”
“It’s blue.”
“Yeah!”
“It’s… glowing a little.”
“Eh?! Oh, yeah I guess so. Well I’ve already drank three and I’m not dead so it’s probably fine.”
Sasuke aimed a flat unimpressed look at his teammate. Not that the boy was at all deterred, smiling widely as he waved the glass bottles through the air between them. Sasuke eyed the drinks warily, wondering if this was a trick of some kind. Edible things just… didn’t look like that. And with Naruto’s healing capabilities it was entirely possible that he could’ve drank poison unknowingly.
It would be so in line with his luck, to die from a mysterious drink gifted by Naruto. Sometimes it felt like all his ancestors were laughing at him. Maybe he should spill some on the floor, see if it started smoking or bubbling or dissolving the tile…
“Just give it a try, it’s so tasty! If you collapse, I’ll carry you right to Sakura.” Naruto said it like that was a reasonable solution. He twisted around and started rummaging through his kitchen drawers. Probably looking for a bottle-cap opener, not that Sasuke would point him to the right place. Better to watch him struggle. It was what he deserved for bringing this bullshit to his attention.
Fuck, he didn’t even like sweet things.
With an irritated huff, Sasuke rubbed at his forehead. He was going to prematurely get wrinkles from frowning, he just knew it. Everyone in his life was so stress inducing. The only person who understood the social exhaustion was Shikamaru.
“Ah! Found it!” Naruto held the bottle opener high above his head, as if presenting it to the entire world. Without further delay, he cracked open both bottles and held one out to Sasuke.
It was hissing, a weird kind of fog lifting from the open rim of the bottle.
Fuck it.
Naruto had already done the work of convincing him to return to Konoha, making impossible deals with people in power to ensure Sasuke had a good life back in the village he had long despised. If he was going to die anywhere, this wouldn’t be a bad spot. Cradled safely in the apartment he helped Naruto pick out, eyes relaxed in the low lamplight. How many nights had they spent here together? How often did they seek shelter in each other when the shadows grew too deep and old sorrows threatened to swallow them silently in the night…
He watched Naruto take a long drink of his own soda and wondered if the idiot would ever realize just how far Sasuke would go for him. If he even realized just how much of Sasuke’s life he held in his unscarred hands, every hurt treated gently and smoothed as best as possible.
He thought that if Naruto knew, he would ask for something larger than drinking a suspicious soda. But then again, this was Naruto, so maybe he wouldn’t ask for anything at all. Nothing more than his presence, here in the night dim kitchen.
With a sigh, he accepted the bottle and grimaced at the wet touch of glass to his skin. Without any further hesitation, he lifted it and drank.
The carbonation burned his nose, making his eyes water. And the flavor—
Ugh. Awful. It was like if a chidori fucked a blueberry. Just vaguely electric and fruity and wrong. It burned to swallow, as if it had alcohol in it. Sasuke was positive it did not contain any alcohol and he was too nervous to ask what exactly was making it burn. Perhaps Naruto really would end their night delivering him to Sakura for poison extraction.
“So? What do you think? It’s good right! I brought back a whole box but Sakura won’t touch it and Kakashi used his bottle to dissolve the scum in his bathtub. Rude! But you like it, right?”
Sasuke watched Naruto’s mouth run away with him, that hyperactive brain always spinning much too fast. Trying to get out as many words as possible before someone walked away. Still not convinced after all these years that someone would care enough to stay, to listen even if he took a breath and spoke slowly.
“Sasuke! Say something!” Naruto tossed his head back, groaning as if in pain. If he leaned any further to the side, he would fall right into the sink.
“Your tongue is blue.” The words left him quietly, pulled free like an unwilling confession in the quiet night. “It looks really stupid.”
Naruto blinked at him, once. Twice. His pretty face was slack with surprise. Then it twisted into familiar irritation.
“Ah! You ungrateful jerk!” His hands shoved at Sasuke’s shoulders, not hard enough to do more than unbalance him and force him to rock back on his heels. With a roll of his eyes, he adjusted his stance, finding his balance quickly once he caught Naruto’s smaller hands in his own and forced them still.
Somehow in the scuffle, they’d ended up closer. Naruto still sat on the countertop without an ounce of grace or shame, but now Sasuke stood between his spread knees. They settled together easily, like neighboring puzzle pieces coming home. Long separated and waiting to be clicked back into place.
Like this, Naruto was a little taller than him. He had to tilt his head the tiniest bit to look into his eyes. This angle made the light catch on his blonde lashes, something a little strange and ethereal about their glow.
Naruto had very warm hands, the skin soft and unmarked. They felt nice cradled in his own grip, loose and relaxed as Naruto tended to be at home.
And this close, he could smell the sugar on Naruto’s breath. He could see the way the soda stained even his teeth the lightest shade of blue. Tan skin looked almost bronze now, metallic and pretty. His eyes reflected the yellow light of the lamp in the corner, a chunk of warm gold curled around the edge of his pupil.
He was beautiful. Soft. He allowed Sasuke so far into his guard over and over, never seeming to learn his lesson. Never realizing that Sasuke was a wild thing, long starved. And now that he was fed and comforted, he was determined to come back. To stay put.
Sasuke squeezed the hands still held in his own and Naruto let him do it, staring wide eyed down at him in choked silence. He could see goosebumps rising along his forearms, the invisible blond hair standing on end under Sasuke’s gaze.
Whatever he was thinking about, Naruto didn’t share it. But his cheeks darkened the slightest bit, a wine deep flush in the low light and Sasuke decided that enough was enough.
It was easy, to lean in. No second guessing, no anxiety at all. As easy and natural as one breath following the next.
He tilted his head up and the slightest bit to the side. Their noses brushed, light and fleeting, before he kissed Naruto.
The hands he held finally squeezed back, hard. Surprised but not pulling away.
Warmth bloomed in his stomach, sweetness at his lips. Naruto was soft everywhere, blood-hot and giving and exquisite. He felt good to touch and he smelled like home, something unnamed that made his entire spirit relax. Sasuke released their entwined hands if only so he could rest one of his own on Naruto’s chest. Under the shirt, under the skin and muscle, his heart beat wildly. Quick and strong, undefeated. Still enduring even after so much hurt, so much heartbreak. Soft and lovely, protected and adored under his touch.
Naruto’s familiar hands cradled his own face, thumbs stroking the delicate skin under his eyes. Mapping the shape of his face, the hills of his cheeks and the hard angle of his jaw. Memorizing, savoring. As if he was something precious, something worth saving and bringing into a warm home. Something worth keeping.
The heart under his palm beat and beat and beat, pounding away as they pressed closer and savored one another. Giving and taking, making unspoken promises. Coming home, making soft what was once sharp with hurt.
The deep blue night stretched silently beyond the windows and Sasuke felt his wounded heart beat in time with the one under his hand. Sweet and soft and lovely.