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The Chūnin Exams were finally over.
It had been way harder than Naruto expected—especially considering he was already an overqualified Genin who'd literally saved the world. But still, the exams were strict, traditional, and full of annoying written portions that Naruto barely scraped through.
But he passed.
He finally passed.
The moment the results were announced, Naruto was ready to collapse—but before he could, the gang dragged him into a surprise celebration that could only be described as utter chaos.
Everything was decorated like a child's birthday party—balloons, bright streamers, oversized cartoon ninja cutouts, and an offensively sparkly "CONGRATS NARUTO!!!" banner strung across the yard. There were even little party hats.
Kiba's idea, obviously.
Naruto was pissed. But he was also laughing so hard he nearly fell into the cake. He couldn't stay mad. His friends Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Lee, Tenten, and Hinata were all there, grinning like idiots and genuinely proud of him.
It was stupid. And wholesome. And so them.
Except Sasuke wasn't there.
Naruto had begged him all morning to come.
"It's for me, you bastard! You have to be there!"
But Sasuke had already been scheduled, more like strategically deployed, on a training mission just outside the village with Tsunade. Naruto knew it had been deliberate. A well-timed escape plan disguised as "progress."
Was Naruto pissed? Absolutely.
Did he throw an actual tantrum about it? Like a freshly promoted thirteen-year-old Chūnin? Also yes.
Because he knew why Sasuke didn't want to go.
He was still uncomfortable being around everyone, especially their old classmates. The war, his past, the guilt... it clung to him like a second skin. Sasuke never said it out loud, but Naruto could see it. The way his shoulders tensed anytime someone from their past looked at him too long.
Still.
Naruto wasn't going to leave him alone with them. No way. Sasuke wouldn't be left to fend for himself while Naruto played party host. They were together now.
Officially.
He'd made that known the week before, during one of their patrol meetings loudly, and with an arm wrapped tightly around Sasuke's waist. Which only encouraged Kiba to immediately start teasing Naruto about his "super hot brooding boyfriend," making exaggerated swooning gestures and asking if Sasuke wore the yukata from that night around the house.
Naruto nearly decked him.
Kiba better be glad Sasuke wasn't there because Naruto was absolutely planning to throw him into the cake if he flirted one more time.
So here he was torn in two.
Happily laughing with his friends... and quietly sulking that his other half would rather leave the village than celebrate with him.
The guilt of that thought twisted in his chest.
Sakura plopped down next to him after a couple of drinks, their arms brushing as she raised her cup. "So... Sasuke escaped again, huh?" she teased with a smile.
Naruto let out a dry laugh.
The joke landed, but not without its sting. Sometimes even just hearing the words "Sasuke leaving" could trigger that old, buried panic. There were still moments, still fights, when Sasuke, in anger or frustration, would threaten to walk out of the apartment, and Naruto would completely unravel. Collapse. Shut down. He'd have a panic attack so bad he couldn't speak.
But things were better now.
He was seeing a therapist, Sakura's not-so-gentle insistence and it was helping. It didn't fix everything, but it made breathing easier. It helped him understand himself more.
Still, it didn't make today hurt less.
"That asshole," Naruto muttered, staring into his half-empty cup. "Didn't even take me to the exam hall. Just packed a day bag and gave me a quick 'good luck' at the door like I was going to a dentist appointment or something." He took a long gulp of beer, scowling into the foam.
Sakura chuckled gently beside him. "You know how he is, Naruto. Sasuke-kun just... needs more time."
"I know..." Naruto said, voice softening. Guilt crept in, slow and steady. "I just... I wished he was there, you know?"
His fingers tightened around the cup.
"I know the Chūnin Exams aren't a big deal. Not compared to everything else that's happened. But still... he's like family now. No—he is my family. Him just being there would've made everything feel a little more real. A little more worth it." Sakura didn't say anything at first. She just placed a warm hand on his shoulder, squeezing once before smiling.
"Stop sulking," she said lightly. "You're getting your own Genin team, remember? You're going on missions again! You did say you missed the good ol' days."
Naruto snorted, eyes softening with the memory.
He had said that.
It was one of the reasons he pushed so hard for promotion. He missed the structure, the sense of purpose. Team 7 had been his whole world when he was younger. More pain than joy, sure, but the joy shone brighter than anything else.
Those memories of laughter, of dumb arguments, of growing stronger together, they still made his chest ache in the best way. He wanted to make new memories now. New teams. New bonds. But still... He looked at the horizon and thought about him.
It would've been better with Sasuke there.
"Stop sulking!" Sakura said, smacking the back of his head with a closed fist—hard. It burned like a thousand suns.
"Sakura-chan! That fucking hurts!" Naruto yelled, clutching the back of his skull like it might detach.
The celebration was still going strong around them. Paper lanterns swayed overhead, casting soft gold light across the yard. The smell of grilled meat and sweet dango lingered in the warm night air. Tables were set up haphazardly, covered in mismatched dishes and half-empty cups. Balloons floated lazily overhead, and someone had definitely snuck party poppers into the mix because every few minutes, a loud pop! echoed in the background followed by laughter.
Choji walked over, beaming with both hands full of pork buns. "Hey, Naruto! What do you say!"
"Huh?" Naruto blinked, still half-offended and holding his head. "What do you mean?"
"Shikamaru said he'll promote you to Jōnin if you can beat all of us in sparring!"
"I did not say that and I have no power like that, you chicken dicks!" came Shikamaru's voice from the end of the table. He was slouched in his chair as usual but beside him, surprisingly, was Temari, calmly sipping her drink with a faint smirk. Before Naruto could respond, Choji stepped aside and Kiba squeezed in next to him, grinning like he was up to no good. "Come on! No Kyūbi, no Sage Mode, just good ol' Chūnin-level brawling."
Naruto looked around. Everyone was watching him now, half-teasing, half-serious. The lanterns made their faces glow, and there was something infectious in the atmosphere—the warmth of friends, the weightless feeling of celebration.
That did sound fun.
A grin slowly spread across Naruto's face.
They all relocated to the training grounds just a few streets away, their group loud and rowdy as ever. It was a beautiful night with clear skies, a full moon above them, and the summer air cool enough to breathe easy. Lanterns from the party still bobbed in the distance behind them.
Kiba, half-drunk and very confident, stepped into the ring first, rolling his shoulders like he was about to fight in the Chūnin Exams again. Lee, somehow the only one completely sober, had declared himself referee and stood in the middle with his arms raised high.
"Alright! Let's have a fair fight! No other jutsu except Taijutsu!" he announced, surprisingly professional about it.
The rest of the gang settled down in a wide circle around the ring, some already picking sides.
Shikamaru sat lazily with Temari curled in his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. Sakura and Ino sat beside each other, already giggling over who would win. On the opposite side, Hinata, Tenten, and Choji looked a bit more worried—Choji already holding out snacks like this was going to be a long show. Shino hovered a few feet above them, using his bugs as a makeshift camera drone to get the best view.
Naruto stepped into the ring with an exaggerated stretch, cracking his neck. "Don't cry when I knock you out, dog boy."
"Please," Kiba grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You're gonna be kissing the dirt in thirty seconds."
"One, two, three—FIGHT!" Lee shouted.
And the sparring began.
Kiba charged first—reckless, fast, and definitely too drunk for proper footwork. Naruto dodged left, ducked low, and caught Kiba off guard with a playful flick to the forehead.
"Cheap shot!" Kiba howled, stumbling back.
"Please, I'm being gentle," Naruto teased, eyes glinting.
The crowd erupted with laughter and cheers, already enjoying the show. Tenten had grabbed a stick and was keeping score in the dirt like this was a legitimate tournament. Ino and Sakura were already placing loud, dramatic bets, waving Ryo notes at each other.
Naruto grinned wider. He hadn't felt this light in ages.
Kiba came at him fast, fists wild and feet unsteady. Naruto easily weaved through the sloppy punches, ducking under one and jabbing lightly at Kiba's side, not enough to hurt, just enough to annoy. Kiba growled, charging again, this time aiming a sweep to Naruto's legs.
Naruto jumped, flipped mid-air, and landed squarely behind him.
"Too slow!" he taunted, smacking Kiba on the back of the head.
Kiba whirled around, teeth bared. "I will end you."
The two clashed again, feet scuffing up the dirt, laughter echoing as Naruto dodged blow after blow with barely any effort. He was grinning like a fox the entire time.
It all ended when Kiba lunged one last time and Naruto sidestepped and tripped him with a well-placed foot. Kiba fell flat on his back, only for Naruto to immediately jump on him, planting himself squarely on his chest, knees pinning his arms down.
"I swear to all the Hokage—if you fart, I will bite you," Kiba threatened, face red with rage and mild panic.
"I don't know, mutt, you look comfy down there." Naruto grinned wider. "Should I eat beans next time?"
"I give! I give!"
The crowd howled with laughter. Naruto stood and gave a deep, over-the-top bow to the audience like a smug performer finishing his act. His hair was messy, shirt half untucked, dirt on his knees, but he was glowing.
Kiba groaned and rolled over, dragging himself to sit beside Shikamaru.
"Did you forget Naruto fought a literal god in the war?" Shikamaru asked, not even looking up from Temari's shoulder. "Because I feel like you forgot."
"Shut up! He cheated!" Kiba snapped.
"Of course he did, sweetheart," Temari added dryly, and the laughter doubled.
Naruto flopped down next to Kiba, still breathless from laughing, and tackled him again just for fun. The two of them rolled around in the dirt for a few seconds, limbs flailing, not really fighting anymore, just being dumb and loud and young.
It was fun.
Something Naruto had missed.
Just being a kid for once.
Choji, who had mysteriously disappeared mid-fight, returned triumphantly with two large paper bags filled with drinks and snacks. "Reinforcements!" he announced like a hero, and everyone cheered.
He handed out bottles and cans—some fizzy, some stronger—and within minutes, the group had settled back into the soft grass, forming messy circles of conversation and laughter. Kiba was still complaining, now with a juice box in hand because nobody trusted him with alcohol after that spar. Lee was giving everyone unsolicited training advice. Tenten was making fun of his eyebrows. Ino was already half-asleep on Sakura's shoulder.
They stayed there for another hour or two. Just being together.
Just laughing.
Just living.
And for a while, Naruto felt the weight in his chest loosen. He didn't think about the empty spot next to him. He didn't think about the fight he had with Sasuke the night before. He didn't think about being disappointed.
Okay, maybe a little bit.
Because when he glanced over and saw Shikamaru and Temari curled up together, whispering quietly and smiling in that effortless way people in love do, something inside him tugged.
He imagined what it would be like to sit like that—with him.
Sasuke, beside him.
Sasuke, laughing under the stars.
Sasuke, being part of this.
It would've been perfect if he was here.
Still... Naruto smiled to himself as he looked around. Maybe it wasn't perfect.
But it was enough.
One day, ya know...
Sasuke didn't expect that his training with Tsunade would take literally five hours outside the village. He packed for two days. It was supposed to be a whole thing.
Instead, it turned into a quick "Look at this. Okay, let's go."
Classic Tsunade.
They walked in silence at first. Just the two of them through the clearing just beyond the village walls. The ground was still scarred from the last battle: cratered, cracked, scattered with the bones of old jutsu and broken steel.
"This place is what's left after people like us do what we do," Tsunade said, crouching down to touch the dirt. "It doesn't look like much, but it used to be filled with bodies. Screaming. Blood. Too much of it."
Sasuke said nothing, only followed her with his hands in his pockets.
She turned to him after a while, eyes sharp but steady. "You've always been on the frontlines, Sasuke. You're used to cutting your way through a battlefield."
"That's the point," he muttered.
"No," she said firmly. "Not this time."
She stood tall again, brushing her hands off.
"If you're serious about this training, if you actually want to learn medical ninjutsu, you need to get that notion out of your head. You are not the sword anymore. You're the shield."
He frowned. "I don't run from a fight."
"I'm not telling you to run," she said. "I'm telling you to stay alive. You can't save anyone if you're bleeding out like an idiot ten feet ahead of the team."
Her words settled into the silence like dust.
"You protect yourself first, Uchiha," she continued, voice gentler now. "So you can protect the people who matter. That's what a real healer does. They stay standing."
Sasuke looked down at his surviving hand. These hands used to burn with lightning. Now, they were steady. Meant to heal, not harm.
"Why do you want to learn the art of medical ninjutsu, Sasuke?"
Tsunade's voice cut through the quiet, calm and direct. She hadn't asked before, not outright. Sasuke had only said he wanted to be more than a killer. Which was mostly the truth.
He kept his eyes on the horizon. The sky was slowly turning orange, the first hints of sunset painting gold across the edges of the clouds.
"When Naruto was unconscious beside me after our final battle... I thought he died," Sasuke began. His voice was low, measured. "I thought—this person, who cared about me more than anyone, who chased after me again and again just to bring me home... who never gave up on me..."
He paused, jaw tightening.
"I thought I had killed him."
Tsunade didn't speak. Just listened.
"That was my goal in the beginning, anyway. To sever everything. To be alone." He glanced at her briefly. "But he was Naruto. He's not supposed to die. He's the one who's supposed to win. He always wins."
He exhaled slowly, like he'd been holding it in for years.
"After we came back to the village, all I could think was... if he survives this... if Naruto makes it out alive, I'll make sure no one can ever hurt him again."
He looked down at his hand once more, fingers flexing unconsciously.
"That's why."
Tsunade showed a hint of a smile before turning away, heading back in the direction of the village.
Sasuke lingered a moment longer, eyes sweeping across the quiet devastation of the field. Then, with a breath, he turned and followed her silently.
They returned to the village just past midnight.
It wasn't a long journey. Sasuke had traveled farther and longer without blinking but tonight, it felt heavier somehow. Like the walk back had pulled something out of him.
Or maybe it was what he was walking towards.
He felt tired. Not physically, but somewhere deeper. Worn thin in places he didn't know could wear out.
And he was... yearning.
The apartment was quiet when he finally arrived.
Sasuke pushed the door open gently, careful not to make a sound that might wake Naruto—if he was even home. The lights were off. The faint glow of the moon slipped through the curtains, casting pale shadows across the floor.
He slipped off his sandals, set down his pack, and padded softly through the hallway. Every room felt still. A little unfamiliar in the dark.
Like it had missed him, too.
It had only been a day.
But it was the longest he’d gone without seeing Naruto since they started living together.
They’d fought the morning before he left. Not explosive, but heated enough. Naruto had shouted, called him selfish and said he was always running, always retreating when things got real.
Sasuke hadn’t yelled back.
He never does.
And deep down, he knew Naruto didn’t mean all of it. Not really. Just the heat of the moment. Just old wounds reopening in new ways.
He checked the time. 1:00 a.m.
The apartment was still empty. Still dark.
He thought coming home would bring relief, but instead he felt tight in the chest. Restless.
Sasuke went through the motions, took a shower, rinsing the day and road dust from his skin. He laid out their futons. Made tea. Sat quietly with the cup between his hands, trying to let the warmth settle into his bones.
It didn’t help.
He checked the time again. 2:00 a.m.
Still no Naruto.
A sigh slipped out before he could stop it. His eyes fell to the empty space across the room. Naruto’s shoes still missing from the genkan.
That idiot.
That reckless , stubborn, loud-mouthed idiot.
Sasuke stood up. Tightened the belt of his yukata. Brushed his hair back with one hand. “Dumbass,” he muttered under his breath, already walking toward the door.
He stepped out into the quiet night to go find him.
Walking around Konoha always brought back memories of his childhood.
A childhood that felt almost erased now—faded around the edges, like an old photograph left out in the sun.
There was the dango shop he and his mother used to visit after errands. That bakery over there? It used to be a tea shop, where he and Itachi would wait for their father after meetings. The bookstore used to be two blocks over—he remembered holding onto his father's sleeve as they picked out new brushes and ink.
Everywhere he walked, the village whispered pieces of a past he desperately wanted to remember as happy —but no matter how hard he tried, every memory came with that same tinge of sadness.
Still, he kept walking.
It wasn’t hard to find Naruto.
With that obnoxiously loud voice, he practically echoed off the Hokage Tower itself. Sasuke caught the sound of him somewhere just past the woods toward the training grounds.
Laughter. Teasing.
Voices he recognized instantly.
He followed them quietly, letting the trees shade his presence as he drew closer. The moon was high now, casting silver light across the clearing.
And there, in the center of it all, was Naruto.
Alive.
Smiling.
Sasuke kept a good distance between himself and the group, leaning quietly against a tree trunk, arms crossed as he watched the scene unfold.
They were gathered in a circle around a bonfire, its soft orange glow casting flickering shadows across their faces. Empty bottles and drink cans littered the ground, signs that they'd been here for hours. It looked... cozy. Familiar in a way that tugged something deep in his chest.
Naruto suddenly stood up from the circle, dramatically pointing an accusatory finger at a blond girl across from him. Sasuke recognized her—Temari, from the Sand. The Kazekage’s sister, if he remembered right.
“You can’t drag Shikamaru to the Sand! He’s going to be my advisor when I become Hokage!” Naruto’s voice rang loud and clear across the training field, echoing just slightly in the woods.
Shikamaru groaned in his seat while Temari rose with a playful smirk, standing in a cocky stance like she was about to go to war. “Too bad. I’ve got this man wrapped around my finger,” she said, chin tilted defiantly.
Naruto looked utterly betrayed. “That’s not fair! Not fair! ” he whined, voice high like a petulant kid.
Sasuke almost laughed. Almost.
“Relax, Naruto,” Sakura called out from her seat, sipping her drink with a long-suffering sigh. “You barely made it to Chunin. Let Temari have Shikamaru for, I don’t know, ten years? Maybe then you can steal him back.”
“And you could do so much better, Temari-san,” Ino added with a teasing grin, shooting a jab at Shikamaru that made him sit up straight with indignation.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” he barked, eyes wide.
The circle erupted in laughter again, loud and warm and unfiltered.
Sasuke remained under the trees, letting himself be a quiet observer. His eyes never left Naruto.
He hadn’t seen him like this in a while. Unburdened. Happy.
And gods, how he missed him.
“Besides, you can have Sasuke as your advisor,” Kiba added with a grin.
Even from a distance, Sasuke noticed the sparkle in Naruto’s eyes at the sound of his name.
“Sasuke would kill me if I made him work with the Hokage,” Naruto laughed. “Even if it was me. But… I feel like there are still things I want to do before I even think about becoming Hokage.”
“Really?” Ino blinked. “I figured you’d jump at the chance. You’re literally a hero already.”
“There’s still so much to see, ya know?” Naruto said softly. “Feels like being Hokage would tie me down before I get the chance to explore.”
Sasuke listened in silence, brows slightly drawn. In all the months they’d been together, Naruto hardly talked about becoming Hokage anymore. You could count the number of times on one hand and most of the time, Sasuke had been the one to bring it up.
But Naruto… Naruto would talk about traveling beyond the village. About dragging Sasuke along to see the world. About leading a genin team on wild missions.
It was starting to sound less like a detour from his dream—
And more like he was quietly letting go of it.
“Yeah, we’re still young! This is the time in our lives when we should be rebelling and doing dumb shit,” Kiba declared, grinning.
“Being Hokage would make a responsible man out of you, Naruto and I don’t want to be the last idiot standing!”
Laughter erupted around the fire.
That was Sasuke’s cue.
He really needed to stop cowering around this kind of thing. No point pretending to be invisible or lurking in the shadows like he hadn’t spent his entire life doing that already. What was left to hide, anyway? Everyone here knew his past. Hell, they had
front row seats
to the whole downfall.
So he stepped forward.
Sakura was the first to notice. “Sasuke-kun!” she called, eyes lighting up.
Naruto’s head whipped around so fast, Sasuke swore he heard something crack.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto was on his feet and throwing his arms around him.
“You’re here?! What— I thought it would take you two more days—”
Sasuke leaned in close, cutting him off, voice low and intimate.
“Finished quicker than expected.”
Naruto practically beamed, then gave Sasuke a quick kiss before pulling him toward the bonfire so close it was a miracle Sasuke wasn’t sitting on his lap.
“Sasuke! Good to see you come to your senses,” Shikamaru said, raising his drink. “This dumbass has been sulking all day."
“Hn,” Sasuke replied with his usual deadpan cool.
“So,” Kiba leaned forward with a wicked grin, “what’s it like having Naruto as your boyfriend?”
Naruto immediately exploded into a mess of stammers, visibly short-circuiting.
Apparently, they
had
been tormenting him all night.
Sasuke just smirked.
“Not bad. His stamina’s great, so I can’t complain.”
The boys burst into laughter while the girls flushed crimson.
Naruto slapped both hands over Sasuke’s mouth in a panic. “Sasuke! Come on!”
Sasuke just raised a brow like he didn’t see the problem at all. But underneath it all, he was… content. There was something about this ridiculous group—about this version of Naruto, flushed and flustered and pulling him into the chaos—that made everything feel like home.
Naruto felt like he was floating.
Sasuke’s hand was warm in his, grounding him, steady but Naruto still skipped as they walked home, humming a tune too bright for the hour, like happiness was bubbling out of his chest and he had nowhere else to put it. Sasuke didn’t stop him. He just let him be. Let him be loud and silly and radiant. Let him be his idiot.
And Naruto adored the sound of that.
By the time they reached their apartment, Naruto couldn’t hold it in anymore. The door had barely shut behind them when he turned and grabbed Sasuke by the collar, pulling him in and kissing him like he meant to memorize him, like he’d been waiting all night just to breathe him in again.
Sasuke laughed into the kiss, a soft and surprised chuckle, before gently pushing him away with a blush that was impossible to miss, even in the shadows of the room.
“Go get ready for bed,” Sasuke said softly. “It’s almost sunrise…”
Naruto didn’t move right away. His grin softened, and he leaned in once more, kissing him slower this time, more deliberately, like a promise. Then, one final kiss on Sasuke’s nose, and Naruto rested his forehead against his.
“Thank you for coming today,” he said, voice hushed and trembling with just a hint of something raw.
He didn’t say how much it meant. How much he’d needed it. How much he still aches sometimes, in the quiet spaces Sasuke used to leave behind when he’d disappear. But Sasuke seemed to hear it anyway.
“I was barely there…” he said, not dismissively, just honestly.
“And that was enough for me.” Naruto’s thumb traced the back of Sasuke’s hand as he lifted it to his lips. “Just you being there—I loved every short second of it.”
He kissed his knuckles like they were sacred.
Sasuke turned his face away, ears burning. “Idiot…”
But his voice was soft. His eyes even softer.
Naruto smiled at the sight and let his hand drop reluctantly.
“I’m going to bed,” Sasuke murmured, nudging him half-heartedly. “Go wash up already, dumbass…”
Naruto laughed, warm and quiet, and turned toward the bathroom—his steps slower now, more tender.
And Sasuke watched him go, heart a little fuller than it was an hour ago.