Work Text:
SasuNaru
The apartment is quiet again, so quiet the sound of blood rushing in the ears is audible. Naruto is all alone, just like Sasuke left him. The village is buzzing with life, but it doesn't reach him here. In this room, the silence is a physical presence, a weight on his chest. He thinks about the lyrics, about the chaos he’s come to live in, the chaos they both built.
This is for the lions, living in the wiry, broke-down frames of my friends’ bodies…
He remembers the Valley of the End. The way they tore at each other, not with hate, but with a desperate, self-destructive love. They were both broken, both wiry frames, but Naruto thought his love was enough to make them whole. Sasuke left, and Naruto spent years chasing him. But even when he was gone, he was always with Naruto. He was the thunder in the silence, the storm on the horizon.
Sasuke came back, and the chaos returned. The feeling was a wild, desperate melody Naruto was always singing, and Sasuke was the one person who could sing harmonies. Sasuke was the one person who understood the rhythm of Naruto's broken heart. But then Sasuke kissed him, and the harmonies turned into a cacophony.
The flood water comes, it ain’t gonna be clear,
it’s gonna look like mud, but I will help you swim.
I'm going to help you swim.
Naruto begged Sasuke to stay that night, the night he left. But Sasuke was drowning in his own mud, his own revenge. Naruto thought he could save Sasuke. But when the water came, it wasn't clear, it was murky. Sasuke's kiss, his confession..it was all a blur. The mud was back, but Naruto still wanted to help Sasuke swim. And in that moment, Naruto realized he couldn't swim either. They were two drowning men in a muddy flood, and Naruto was the one who had been holding his breath the longest.
This is for the snakes and the people they bite.
Orochimaru was a snake, but Sasuke, with his coldness and betrayals, had also become one. He bit everyone who got close, and Naruto had allowed it. He had taken bite after bite, thinking his love could heal the poison.
For the friends I've made, for the sleepless nights.
His friends—Sakura, Kakashi, Shikamaru—had all suffered because of Naruto's obsession. Naruto recalled the sleepless nights filled with worry and endless training, all for Sasuke. He sacrificed everything for a ghost.
For the warning signs I've completely ignored.
Jiraiya's warnings, Kakashi's concern, Sakura's quiet tears—all of it had been ignored. Naruto had a blind spot for Sasuke. He saw only the broken boy, not the vengeful rogue ninja. The signs were there, but Naruto ignored them.
There's an amount to take, reasons to take more.
The village had taken from Sasuke, his family, his innocence. But he had also taken more—from his friends, from his village, from Naruto. It was a cycle of pain, and Naruto had been a part of it.
It's no big surprise you turned out this way.
Naruto had known from the beginning that Sasuke was headed down a dark path. The rage in his eyes, his cold ambition—it was a ticking time bomb. But Naruto still believed he could defuse it.
When they close their eyes and prayed you would change.
Naruto knew his friends had hoped for a different outcome. They prayed for Sasuke to return, but they also prayed for Naruto to let go. They knew the danger, the risk.
And they cut your hair, and sent you away.
Sasuke had been sent away. He had been a prisoner of his own hatred. He had cut himself off from everything that was good, and Naruto had been unable to stop him.
You stopped by my house the night you escaped.
The memory was still vivid. The night Sasuke left, he stopped by Naruto's apartment. He saw the loneliness, the twin-sized mattress, the empty room. And in that moment, Naruto saw the pain in Sasuke's eyes. It was a mirror of his own.
With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay.
Naruto's heart shattered. He had begged Sasuke.
"Don't go, Sasuke," he pleaded, his voice a raw, broken whisper.
"Don't do this. I'll help you. Please Sasuke.. I need you.. this team needs you.."
But Sasuke's gaze was cold, resolute. He walked away, leaving Naruto to pick up the pieces of his shattered world.
You said, "Hey man, I love you, but no fucking way!"
The words were a dagger to the heart. Sasuke loved him. But his love was poisoned. It was twisted, selfish. He had chosen hatred over love, power over happiness. He had chosen to curse them both.
Naruto was left alone, with the memory of the kiss, the confession, and the lingering taste of mud and salt. They were both drowning, and the twin-sized mattress in his apartment was a constant, bitter reminder.
The silence pressed down, heavy and suffocating. The lyrics echoed in Naruto's mind, a dirge for a love lost and a future stolen. He walked over to the twin-sized mattress, the only piece of furniture in the room. He sat down, the springs creaking under his weight. He closed his eyes and imagined Sasuke beside him, their bodies close, their breaths mingling. But the image was fleeting, replaced by the reality of the empty space.
He reached out, his hand brushing against the cold, empty space where Sasuke should have been. Tears streamed down Naruto's face. He knew he had to let go. Sasuke was gone, lost in the darkness of his own making. Naruto couldn't save him, and he couldn't save himself.
He opened his eyes, the room still silent, still empty. But now, there was a glimmer of resolve in Naruto's eyes. He would survive. He would find a way to live with the pain, with the loss. He would honor the love they had shared, even if it had been twisted and broken. He would live for himself, and he would let Sasuke go.
He stood up, his legs shaky. He walked to the window and looked out at the village, the bustling life, the promise of a new day. He took a deep breath, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a flicker of hope. He was alone, but he was not defeated. He would keep swimming.
He stood up, his legs shaky. He walked to the window and looked out at the village, the bustling life, and the promise of a new day. He took a deep breath, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a flicker of hope. He was alone, but he was not defeated. He would keep swimming.
He knew that forgiveness wasn't an easy feat. He couldn't just brush away the years of hurt and betrayal. But he could start with himself. He could forgive himself for the blind loyalty, for ignoring the warning signs, and for putting Sasuke above himself.
And maybe, just maybe, one day he could forgive Sasuke too.