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"If you hadn't tripped the sensor, we would have been out of there ten minutes ago, you idiot!"
"And if you hadn't spent ten minutes brooding over the blueprint, we wouldn't have been in the sensor's range to begin with, bastard!"
"I saved your sorry ass."
"I didn't need saving."
Kakashi Hatake pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning back in his worn leather chair. The fluorescent lights of the Cloud Agency briefing room hummed with an irritating buzz, competing with the sheer volume of his two best—and most headache-inducing—operatives. The air in the room felt thin, sucked dry by the intensity of their glare.
"Enough," Kakashi said, his voice low but commanding immediate silence. He dropped his pen onto the desk with a definitive clatter, the pen knocking into a picture frame with Kakashi and an old partner of his. "The target is neutralised. That is the only reason I am not writing you both up for insubordination. Again."
Naruto Uzumaki crossed his arms, huffing and looking away towards the grey wall. He was messy, loud, and wore his emotions on his sleeve like a badge of honour. His orange tactical vest was scuffed, a testament to his chaotic approach. Beside him, Sasuke Uchiha stood with perfect posture, checking the magazine of his sidearm with practised indifference. His dark hair fell over his eyes, hiding the calculation always present in his gaze. They were the agency’s top assassins, a lethal mix of raw power and tactical genius. They also absolutely hated each other.
Or so they claimed to anyone who would listen. But the way Sasuke’s eyes lingered on the scrape on Naruto’s cheek when he thought no one was looking suggested otherwise.
"Whatever," Sasuke muttered, holstering his weapon with a sharp click. "I saved his hide. Again."
"I said I didn't need saving!" Naruto snapped, though his cheeks flushed a faint pink, betraying his bluster. He looked up to Sasuke—literally and metaphorically, though he’d sooner die than admit the latter.
"Pack your gear," Kakashi interrupted, sliding a thick, manila file across the metal table. The sound of paper sliding on steel cut through the tension. "This bickering ends now. You have a long-haul assignment. High-value targets moving through the Northern Ranges. It's dangerous, it's cold, and you two are the only ones crazy enough to pull it off."
Three days later, the concept of 'cold' had been redefined entirely.
The mission had gone south - disastrously so. Their extraction chopper had been grounded by a freak blizzard that turned the sky a bruised purple, and the target’s private security had been heavier, and better armed, than anticipated. They were kilometres off course, trudging through knee-deep snow on a mountain face that seemed determined to kill them. The wind didn't just blow; it screamed, tearing through their thermal layers and biting into their skin like needles.
"Move faster, loser," Sasuke called out, though his voice lacked its usual venom. It was thin, snatched away by the gale. He looked back, his eyes scanning Naruto for signs of hypothermia.
"I'm moving, I'm moving," Naruto chattered, his teeth clicking together uncontrollably. His limbs felt heavy, sluggish, as if he were wading through molasses. He stumbled, his foot catching on a buried rock hidden beneath the powder. He braced for the harsh impact of the ice, squeezing his eyes shut, but it never came. A gloved hand grabbed his tactical vest, hauling him upright with surprising strength.
"Watch your step," Sasuke grunted, pulling Naruto close...too close. For a fleeting second, their chests brushed, and Naruto felt a jolt that had nothing to do with the cold. Sasuke didn't let go immediately, his hand lingering on Naruto's arm, his thumb brushing the fabric.
They found shelter in a shallow cave as night fell, painting the mountain in shades of charcoal and indigo. The temperature dropped to lethal levels. They had no fire starter, their packs lost in the scramble, and their comms were dead static.
"We need to conserve heat," Sasuke stated, sliding down to sit against the rough rock wall. He didn't look at Naruto, focusing instead on the swirling snow at the cave mouth to hide the slight tremor in his hands. "Sit here. Between my legs. It's the most efficient way."
Naruto hesitated, his heart hammering against his ribs, then sat. The contact was electric. Slowly, awkwardly, they shifted until Naruto’s back was pressed against Sasuke’s chest, Sasuke’s arms wrapped around him to hold the heat in.
"You're shivering," Sasuke whispered, his breath hot against Naruto’s ear.
"So are you," Naruto murmured, leaning back into the warmth. He could feel Sasuke’s heartbeat against his spine—steady, reassuring.
In the silence of the storm, the rivalry melted away, leaving only two frightened young men. They talked. Not about missions, kill counts, or the agency, but about the weight of the gun in their hands, the echoing emptiness of their apartments, the gnawing fear that they would die alone in a desolate place like this.
"I'm glad it's you," Naruto confessed, his voice thick with exhaustion and honesty. He turned his head, his nose brushing Sasuke’s jawline. "If I had to be stuck... I'm glad it's you."
Sasuke stiffened, then softened. He turned his face, their noses bumping gently. Their faces were inches apart, lit only by the faint reflection of the snow. Naruto could see the flecks of grey in Sasuke's dark eyes, the slight chapping of his lips. The urge to close the gap, to press his lips against Sasuke's and steal whatever warmth remained, was a physical ache in his chest, sharper than the cold.
Sasuke’s gaze dropped to Naruto’s lips, his pupils dilating. His hand moved, fingers grazing Naruto’s hip. "Naruto..."
But the wind howled outside, a reminder of their reality. Neither moved to cross that final line, terrified that one kiss would shatter the fragile peace they had found, or worse, that they wouldn't survive to regret it.
The ambush happened at dawn, shattering the morning silence.
They were moving towards the extraction coordinates, the snow crunching loudly under their boots, when a sniper shot cracked through the valley like a whip.
"Get down!" Sasuke screamed, his voice raw.
Naruto dove, scrambling for cover, but he was exposed in the open snowfield. He saw the second glint of a scope on the ridge, a deadly star in the distance. He couldn't move fast enough. He locked eyes with Sasuke across the snow—a look of pure terror.
Sasuke didn't hesitate. He didn't think. He just moved.
A weight slammed into Naruto, knocking the wind out of his lungs and driving him into the snow.
A wet thud. A sharp, agonised gasp.
"Sasuke!"
Sasuke lay on top of him, heavy and warm. Blood was rapidly staining the pristine white snow crimson, a horrific contrast. He had taken the bullet meant for Naruto’s heart.
"Damn it... clumsy..." Sasuke choked out, blood bubbling past his lips, staining his pale skin. His hand came up, cupping Naruto’s cheek, smearing blood on his skin. "Don't... don't you die on me."
"No, no, no!" Naruto scrambled up, panic clawing at his throat. He dragged Sasuke behind a jagged rock formation, his hands shaking violently as he ripped open Sasuke's jacket to apply pressure to the wound in his chest. The blood was hot on his freezing hands. "Stay with me! Don't you dare close your eyes, you bastard! You can't leave me!"
The next six hours were a blur of adrenaline and terror. Naruto carried Sasuke—who was dead weight and fading fast—over two kilometres of jagged terrain. Every step was agony, his muscles screaming, his lungs burning in the thin air. He didn't feel the cold anymore. He only felt the terrifying slackness of Sasuke’s body against his back, the slowing rhythm of his breathing against his neck.
"I love you," Naruto sobbed into the wind, the words finally escaping him now that Sasuke couldn't hear. "I love you, so please stay."
The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the hospital room for weeks. It became the metronome of Naruto's life, counting down the seconds of a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.
Sasuke was in a coma. The doctors said the bullet had missed his heart by millimetres, but the blood loss and hypothermia had done massive damage. He looked small in the hospital bed, tubes and wires snaking out from under the sheets.
Naruto was a ghost haunting the corridors. He trained until his knuckles bled, punching the heavy bag until the leather cracked. He ran drills until he collapsed, his lungs burning, just to stop the thoughts from consuming him. But every evening, he was there, sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chair, holding Sasuke’s hand.
"Kakashi says it wasn't my fault," Naruto whispered, pressing Sasuke's limp hand to his forehead. The skin was cool, dry. "He's a liar. It should be me in that bed. It should have been me."
He looked at Sasuke’s pale face, devoid of the smirk that usually drove Naruto crazy. The silence was louder than any argument they’d ever had. It was a void where Sasuke’s sarcasm should be.
"Wake up," Naruto pleaded, his voice cracking. "I'd trade the world for you, Sasuke. I'd burn it all down just to hear you call me an idiot one more time. Just wake up."
When Sasuke finally opened his eyes three days later, Naruto wept openly, ugly sobs that shook his entire frame. Sasuke couldn't speak, but he squeezed Naruto’s hand, a weak, trembling pressure that felt like the world to Naruto. They didn't kiss. The timing felt fragile, like shattered glass that would cut them if they held it too tight. The fear of loss was still too fresh.
Before Sasuke was discharged, Naruto was deployed.
"A drug cartel," Kakashi explained, handing him the dossier. His single visible eye was tired. "Casualties need to be minimised. It requires precision. It requires you."
The mission took three month and three and a half weeks. Alone in damp safe houses, smelling of mould and old cigarettes, Naruto felt the distance like a physical wound. Travelling light, and freeing multiple houses filled with kidnapped kids.
He wrote letters by candlelight, the ink smudging under his hand. He hadn't managed to send a single one in the almost three months but he was almost done as so was the letter he wanted to send.
Sasuke, The silence here is loud. It reminds me of the mountain. I look at the moon and wonder if you're looking at it too. I miss your voice. I miss your scowl. I miss you. (Burned).
Sasuke, I think I love you. (Burned)
All I could think about was you today, and I wish I was with you. (Burned)
Hey Idiot, I'm coming back! Don't die. (Sent, but never delivered).
When Naruto returned, exhausted, unshaven, and desperate to see his partner, the hospital bed was empty. The sheets were stripped, the room smelling of bleach. Sasuke’s apartment was dark, dust gathering on the furniture.
"Where is he?" Naruto demanded, storming into Kakashi's office, slamming his hands on the desk.
Kakashi looked older than usual, the lines around his eye deeper. "He took a mission. Solo infiltration. He left a month after you did."
"He wasn't ready! He could barely walk!"
"He was cleared by medical," Kakashi said, though he wouldn't meet Naruto’s eyes, shifting papers on his desk. "But... he's missed his check-in. One month and two weeks. We sent someone after him but also lost contact with them."
Naruto didn't wait for permission. He didn't wait for a briefing. He packed his bag and left within the hour, fear a cold knot in his stomach. Kakashi didn't stop him.
The town of Otoped was unnerving. It wasn't just quiet; it was silent. As Naruto walked down the main street, the wind whistling through the eaves, he saw blinds snap shut in windows. People crossed the street to avoid him, heads bowed, eyes fixed on the pavement. The fear in the air was palpable, thick like smog; this wasn't just a town, it was a prison run by a warlord.
Naruto scaled a building, the brick rough under his fingers, crouching on a rooftop to survey the area. The only sign of active life was the local hospital. People were rushing in and out, but not with the frantic energy of an emergency—it was the hurried, terrified movement of people trying to stay unnoticed, glancing over their shoulders.
He infiltrated the hospital through a ventilation shaft, the metal cold against his stomach, dropping silently into a linen closet that smelled of antiseptic and starch. Voices drifted from the corridor.
Through the crack in the door, Naruto saw two women. One with distinctive pink hair, the other blonde.
"He's lucky to be alive, Ino," the pink-haired woman whispered, her hand resting tenderly on the blonde's lower back.
"I know, Sakura. But he's a fighter," Ino replied, leaning into the touch. She reached up, tucking a stray lock of pink hair behind Sakura’s ear, her fingers lingering on Sakura’s cheek. "Like us."
Sakura smiled, a soft, intimate expression that Naruto felt like an intruder witnessing. She leaned in, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to Ino’s lips. "I love you. Be careful on your rounds."
"I love you too," Ino whispered back.
Naruto’s heart ached. He wanted that. He wanted that ease, that openness.
"He keeps muttering a name in his sleep," Ino added as they pulled apart. "'Naruto', I think?"
Naruto’s breath hitched.
He waited for them to leave, then slipped out of the closet, moving like a shadow. He found Room 304.
Naruto pushed the door open.
Sasuke was sitting on the edge of the bed, bandaging his own torso. He looked thin, his ribs prominent, his skin pale and covered in bruises that ranged from yellow to purple. But when he looked up and locked eyes with Naruto, the tension in his shoulders instantly evaporated.
"Naruto."
Naruto didn't think. Logic fled. He crossed the room in two strides and collided with Sasuke. But this time, he didn't just hug him. He grabbed Sasuke’s face in both hands, searching his eyes frantically.
"You're alive," Naruto breathed, his thumbs tracing Sasuke’s cheekbones. "You're real."
Sasuke’s hands came up to grip Naruto’s wrists, anchoring him. "I'm real."
Naruto pulled him into a crushing embrace, burying his face in the crook of Sasuke’s neck, inhaling the scent of antiseptic and Sasuke. Sasuke let out a shuddering breath, wrapping his arms around Naruto’s waist, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them.
"I thought you were dead," Naruto whispered fiercely into Sasuke's hair. "I thought I lost you."
"Not yet," Sasuke murmured, his voice raspy. He pulled back just enough to look at Naruto, his eyes soft, vulnerable. "I missed you, you idiot. Every single day."
They broke apart as the door creaked. Sakura stood there, holding a tray. Her eyes went wide with panic when she saw Naruto. Her hands instantly reaching towards a scalpel.
"It's okay," Sasuke said, his hand sliding down to interlace his fingers with Naruto’s—a possessive, grounding touch. "He's my partner."
Naruto nodded to her, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thank you. For saving him."
Sakura set the tray down, her expression softening as she saw their joined hands. "We didn't do much," she said modestly. "He crawled halfway across town with two bullets in his back before he collapsed in our garden."
"I was compromised," Sasuke explained, his voice tight as he recounted the memory to Naruto, his thumb still rubbing Naruto’s knuckles. "The infiltration went sideways. Orochimaru’s men were waiting. I managed to take out three of them, but I took two rounds in the back getting out. I knew I couldn't make the rendezvous, so I went to ground."
"You were barely conscious," Sakura added, checking the dressing on his shoulder. "If Ino hadn't spotted you in the hydrangeas, you would have bled out right there. We hid him in the house for three weeks until he was stable enough to move here under a fake name. A construction worker who fell through a window; something that wouldn't raise flags with Orochimaru."
"You saved his life," Naruto said, looking between Sakura and Sasuke. "I owe you everything."
It took another week for Sasuke to be combat-ready. They moved to Sakura and Ino's attic to avoid detection, and to be safer. The space was cramped, filled with dust motes dancing in the slivers of light, and smelled of old wood and memories.
Every evening, Sakura and Ino would sneak up with dinner, turning the strategy sessions into something warmer, more human.
"The perimeter is weak here," Sasuke pointed out, his finger tracing a line on the paper map spread across the floorboards. "We go silent."
"Actually," Ino interrupted gently, sliding a bowl of stew towards Sasuke. "That's where the delivery trucks unload. It's busy at 0400. You'd be better off coming in from the east wall. The guards there are lazy; I treat half of them for 'back pain' which is mostly just an excuse to sleep on the job."
Sakura nodded, tearing a piece of bread and dipping it into the stew before holding it to Ino's lips. Ino took a bite, smiling her thanks, her hand resting casually on Sakura's thigh. "She's right. Orochimaru is arrogant. He assumes no one would dare breach the east wing because that's where his personal quarters are. But the rotation there is slow."
Naruto watched the exchange—the bread, the smile, the casual intimacy. It was a language he and Sasuke hadn't learned to speak yet, but one he desperately wanted to learn. He looked down at his own bowl, feeling a pang of longing so sharp it almost hurt.
Sasuke’s knee knocked against his under the low table. When Naruto looked up, Sasuke wasn't looking at the map. He was looking at Naruto, his expression soft. He didn't say anything, but he pushed his own bowl slightly closer to Naruto’s, a silent offer to share, to connect.
"We take the east wall then," Sasuke said, his voice rougher than usual.
After dinner, Sakura and Ino cleared the plates. "Try to get some sleep," Sakura whispered, squeezing Sasuke's shoulder. "You need your strength."
"Good luck, boys," Ino added, linking her pinky with Sakura’s as they descended the ladder, leaving the two assassins alone in the dim light.
The silence of the attic wasn't heavy; it was charged. They laid out their bedrolls side by side, close enough that they could feel the heat radiating off each other.
Naruto turned onto his side, facing Sasuke. The moonlight filtered through the cracks in the roof, illuminating the sharp line of Sasuke’s jaw and the softness of his eyelashes.
"Sasuke?"
"Naruto?"
"Do you think..." Naruto hesitated, tracing the pattern of the wood grain on the floor with his finger. "Do you think we could have what they have? Normalcy? Breakfast together without worrying about a sniper?"
Sasuke opened his eyes, the onyx depths reflecting the moonlight. He reached out, his hand finding Naruto’s in the dark. His fingers were calloused, familiar. "I don't know if we're built for normal, Naruto."
"I don't care about normal," Naruto whispered, shuffling closer until their foreheads touched. "I just care about us. I don't want to hide anymore. I don't want to be afraid that the next time I see you, it'll be in a hospital bed."
Sasuke let out a shaky breath, his thumb stroking Naruto’s cheekbone. "I was terrified," he admitted, the confession barely audible. "In the snow. I wasn't afraid of dying. I was afraid of leaving you behind."
Naruto’s heart stuttered. He pressed his face into Sasuke’s palm, kissing the centre of his hand. "We survive tomorrow. We take down Orochimaru."
"And then?" Sasuke asked.
"And then," Naruto murmured, closing his eyes as sleep began to pull at him, "you take me on a real date. No guns. Just us."
"It's a deal, loser," Sasuke whispered. He pulled Naruto into his arms, tucking Naruto’s head under his chin. "Go to sleep."
Held tight in the arms of the man he loved, for the first time in years, Naruto didn't dream of war.
The moon was obscured by thick clouds as they breached the compound, rendering them invisible.
Naruto moved like a phantom. He took out the outer sentries with efficient, brutal silence. A hand over a mouth, a quick strike to the carotid. Twelve guards down, not a single alarm raised. He looked back to see Sasuke watching him, a look of impressed pride—and something hotter—on his face.
"Show off," Sasuke mouthed in the dark.
"Watch and learn," Naruto signalled back with a grin.
They moved deeper into the belly of the beast. A high-ranking guard rounded the corner. A fight broke out—hand-to-hand, visceral and fast. Naruto ducked a swinging baton that shattered a vase behind him, sweeping the guard's legs while Sasuke delivered a knockout blow to the temple.
They were a perfect unit. Synced breathing, synced movements. Two halves of a whole dancing in the dark.
But luck never lasted forever.
A security camera pivoted with a mechanical whine. A siren screamed into the night, jarring and violent.
"Contact!"
Gunfire erupted from the hallway ahead, tearing chunks out of the plaster walls.
"Go!" Sasuke yelled, drawing his weapon, the muzzle flash illuminating his determined face.
They moved into a dance of violence. Bullets chipped the concrete around them, sending dust into the air. A round grazed Naruto’s cheek, the hot sting drawing blood, but he didn't flinch. He provided suppression fire, the recoil of his weapon jarring his shoulder, while Sasuke manoeuvred, sliding across the marble floor to take out two guards with pinpoint precision.
Sasuke winced, clutching his healing side, his face twisting in pain. He stumbled.
"Sasuke!" Naruto abandoned his cover, sprinting across the open hall. He slid in front of Sasuke, raising his own weapon and taking down a guard aiming for Sasuke’s head.
"I've got you," Naruto growled, hauling Sasuke up. "I've always got you."
"I know," Sasuke panted, leaning into him.
"We're at the office!" Naruto shouted over the din, kicking the heavy oak doors open with a splintering crash.
Orochimaru sat behind his desk, calm, a snake-like grin on his face. The room was opulent, filled with stolen art. He didn't look like a man about to die. He looked like a predator waiting for a meal.
"So, the broken birds return," Orochimaru hissed, drawing a long, slender blade.
The fight was intense. Orochimaru was fast, unnaturally so. He moved like water, deflecting bullets with his blade. He lunged at Naruto, the steel grazing Naruto’s ribs. Sasuke screamed, throwing himself into the fray, his combat knife clashing against Orochimaru’s sword with a shower of sparks.
Furniture was smashed; the panoramic windows shattered, letting in the cold night air. Sasuke and Naruto fought back-to-back, covering each other’s blind spots, moving as one entity.
"Now!" Sasuke yelled.
Naruto tackled Orochimaru, pinning his arm to the floor, ignoring the blade slicing into his shoulder. It gave Sasuke the opening. Sasuke didn't hesitate. A single shot echoed through the room, final and deafening.
Orochimaru slumped back, blood blooming on his chest like a dark flower. But as the light faded from his eyes, he smiled. A chilling, knowing smile that sent shivers down Naruto’s spine.
"The fire..." he rasped, blood coating his teeth. "It spreads... and it burns everything you love."
The extraction chopper landed them back at the Cloud Agency HQ just as the sun began to rise, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges. They were battered, bruised, and exhausted, but alive. And together.
Sasuke sat on the bench of the chopper, and Naruto sat next to him, their thighs touching. Sasuke reached out, taking Naruto’s hand in his, interlacing their fingers tight.
"We made it," Naruto whispered, leaning his head on Sasuke's shoulder.
"We need to tell Kakashi about the town," Sasuke said, resting his chin on Naruto’s head. "About Sakura and Ino. They need protection."
"Yeah. We will."
But as they rounded the corner to the main administration building, the triumph turned to ash in their mouths.
They stopped dead. Sasuke’s grip on Naruto’s hand tightened to the point of pain.
Black smoke billowed into the morning sky, choking out the sun. The alarm system was blaring, a mournful wail. The west wing of the agency—Kakashi's wing—was engulfed in flames, the orange fire licking at the sky like a hungry beast.
Paramedics were rushing a stretcher out of the burning entrance. On it lay a man with silver hair, his tactical vest shredded, his skin grey with soot, an oxygen mask over his face.
"Kakashi!" Naruto screamed, the sound tearing from his throat. He tried to run, but his legs buckled. Sasuke caught him, holding him up, even as his own face went pale with horror.
They scrambled towards the paramedics, ignoring the shouts of the fire crew. Naruto reached the stretcher just as they were loading it into an ambulance. Kakashi’s single eye fluttered open, glazed with pain and something else—fear.
"Kakashi! Who did this?" Naruto yelled, grabbing the rail of the stretcher. "We'll kill them! We'll burn them down!"
Kakashi’s hand shot out, surprisingly strong, gripping Naruto’s wrist. He pulled Naruto down, his voice a harsh rasp against the oxygen mask. "No. Listen to me."
"Kakashi, we can track them-" Sasuke started, his voice cold with fury.
"Stop!" Kakashi coughed, a wet, hacking sound. He looked between them, his gaze desperate. "Do not dig. Do not look into the matter of the fire. Do you hear me?"
"What? But they hurt you!" Naruto argued, confusion warring with his rage. "We can't just let-"
"Your duty," Kakashi hissed, squeezing Naruto’s wrist until it hurt. "Your duty is to survive. To live." His eye softened as he looked at their joined hands. "There are more important things in life than vengeance. More important things than the Agency."
"Kakashi..." Sasuke whispered, understanding dawning in his eyes. A warning. A conspiracy.
"Focus on what matters," Kakashi whispered, his strength fading. "Don't look into the fire. Let it burn. Just... protect each other. No one else was hurt..."
The paramedics pulled the stretcher away, slamming the ambulance doors shut.
Naruto and Sasuke stood frozen in the chaos, the sirens wailing around them. The base burned, casting long, dancing shadows against the rising sun. The smell of smoke was thick in the air, choking and acrid.
"He knows," Sasuke murmured, stepping closer to Naruto, his back to the fire. "He knows who did this."
Naruto looked at the retreating ambulance, then at Sasuke. He remembered the warmth of the cave, the promise in the attic, and Kakashi’s desperate plea. There are more important things in life.
He gripped Sasuke’s hand tighter. "We won't look," Naruto said, though the words tasted like ash. "Not today."
They stood together, watching their old life burn, holding onto the only thing that had survived the fire...each other.
It was two days before they were allowed to see him. Kakashi had been moved to a secondary medical unit in the south of the city, a facility that felt more like a fortress than a hospital. Miraculously, no other agents had been hurt in the blaze; the fire had been concentrated solely on the executive wing.
Before facing their captain, Naruto and Sasuke made a detour. The drive back to Otoped was silent but comfortable, their hands linked over the centre console of the car.
When they arrived at the small clinic where Sakura and Ino worked, the air felt lighter. The two women were bustling about, Ino arranging flowers in the waiting room while Sakura checked inventory. When they saw Naruto and Sasuke, their faces lit up.
"You're alive!" Sakura cheered, pulling them both into a hug that smelled of antiseptic and lilies. "Give us an hour, we're still on the clock." Sakura quickly says, as another person waddles in with a guilty smile and a broken arm.
"Go for it, we'll be here." Naruto replied with a smile.
Naruto watched them work over the next hour. There was a synchronicity to them—Sakura would reach for a chart, and Ino would already be handing it to her. They laughed freely, their happiness radiating like a warm sun, thawing the last of the ice in Naruto’s heart.
"We have a proposition," Sasuke said, leaning against the door frame as the clinic quieted down. "The Agency... we need medics. Good ones. The pay is triple what you make here, and we can guarantee your safety."
Sakura exchanged a look with Ino; a look of profound, settled love. She shook her head gently. "We're flattered, Sasuke. But this town... it's hurt. It needs healing. We're happy here. For the first time in a long time, we're truly happy."
Naruto smiled, feeling a pang of second-hand joy. "I get it," he said softly. "I really do. Thank you for everything."
"Anytime, Naruto. It was a pleasure...and thank you both for freeing this town." Ino says.
"Yes, thank you both."
Leaving them felt like leaving a sanctuary, but they had answers to find.
Kakashi was sitting up in bed when they entered, reading a paperback with his usual disinterested demeanour, though the bandages covering half his face told a different story.
"You look terrible, Kakashi," Naruto said bluntly, pulling up a chair.
"And you're as tactful as ever, Naruto," Kakashi deadpanned, closing his book. "I told you to take a break. Go on a holiday. I hear the coast is nice this time of year."
"We're not going on holiday," Sasuke said, his voice sharp. "Someone burned down our HQ. Someone tried to kill you. We found traces of an accelerant in your office that wasn't standard issue, and a broken gas pipe. This wasn't an external attack, Kakashi. It was personal."
Kakashi’s eye narrowed. "I told you to leave it alone."
"We can't," Naruto insisted. "Who did this?"
"I am handling it," Kakashi said, his tone final. "That is an order. Stand down."
Confused and frustrated, they left. But 'standing down' wasn't in their vocabulary. They hit the streets, digging into the underworld contacts that usually sold information on arsonists. A highly connected informant sent them a message to meet them at the usual alleyway.
"Don't ask about the fire," a nervous informant whispered in a dark alleyway, backing away from Naruto. "The shadows... they're watching. Stop looking, or you'll disappear."
They didn't stop, they refused to. The two continued to ask around about the accelerant, and went back to the site of the fire – Kakashi's old office now burnt to a crisp.
Two nights later, it happened. They were investigating a lead at the docks. A smoke bomb went off, separating them.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, spinning around, his gun drawn.
But a hand clamped over his mouth, and a needle pricked his neck. The world went black.
Naruto woke up in a chair, his hands bound. The room was pitch black, save for a single spotlight on him.
"I told you to stop looking," a voice echoed from the darkness. It was distorted, deep, and laced with a strange mixture of anger and sorrow.
"Show yourself, coward!" Naruto shouted, struggling against the ropes.
"You can call me Mr. O," the voice said. A figure stepped partially into the light—a man in a mask, wearing a dark cloak. "You are persistent. Like him."
"Like who?"
"Kakashi." The name was spoken with a heavy weight. "Why are you allowed to be happy?" Mr. O asked suddenly, his voice cracking. "You and the Uchiha. You bicker, you fight, yet you stand together. You have what I... what I lost."
"We fought for it!" Naruto spat. "We almost died for it!"
"I didn't mean for it to happen," Mr. O whispered, sounding more like a lost child than a villain. "The fire... it was a mistake. A candle. I just wanted him to listen. I just wanted him to join me. But he refused. He always refuses."
Naruto paused, his intuition flaring. "You know him. You didn't want to kill him?"
"I would never kill him!" Mr. O roared, the anger returning. "But you... you are interfering. If you don't stop digging, I won't stop at just kidnapping you. The Uchiha... I will make sure he never walks again."
"Don't you dare touch him!" Naruto growled, thrashing.
"Then stop looking into the fire! It was an accident!"
Naruto worked his wrist. He had dislocated his thumb moments ago; an old trick. He slipped his hand free, grabbed the hidden blade in his boot, and sliced the ropes in one fluid motion.
Mr. O flinched back, surprised. Guards stepped out of the shadows, weapons raised.
"Stop!" Mr. O commanded. The guards lower their weapons, as Mr. O steps out of the shadow. He looked at Naruto, seeing the fierce determination in his blue eyes. Naruto recognised him...but from where? "Go. Just... go. And tell him... tell him I'm sorry."
Naruto didn't wait to be told twice. He bolted.
Sasuke was tearing the city apart. He was hyperventilating, his composure shattered. He stormed into Kakashi’s hospital room, eyes wild.
"They took him! The arsonist took Naruto! You have to tell me what you know, Kakashi! Please!" Sasuke begged, his voice breaking. "I can't lose him. Not now."
Just as Kakashi was about to speak, the door flew open. Naruto stumbled in, dishevelled but unharmed.
"Naruto!" Sasuke practically tackled him, burying his face in Naruto’s neck. "I thought... I thought..."
"I'm okay," Naruto soothed, rubbing Sasuke's back. "He let me go. He... he just wanted to talk. He's not a villain, Sasuke. He's just... broken."
"Who?" Kakashi asked softly, Kakashi knew exactly who it was but he needed confirmation.
"He called himself Mr. O," Naruto said, looking at his teacher. "But I think you know him as Obito."
Kakashi closed his eye, a tear leaking out. "Obito. How did you know?"
"I remember you talking about him once. An old partner, you still have his picture on your desk."
Kakashi looks down at the slightly fire singed picture frame he managed to save before the fire broke out completely. He signs.
The next evening, a man walked into the hospital room. He wasn't wearing a mask. His face was scarred on one side, but his eyes were filled with repentance.
"Kakashi," Obito whispered, falling to his knees by the bed. He clutched at the bed sheets, gripping it in shame. "I am so sorry. The candle... the gas leak... I didn't know. I just wanted you to look at me. I just wanted you to come back to me. When you weren't in your office, I doused the room and threw things around but I couldn't do it. When I heard the door opening, I dropped the lighter on accident."
Kakashi looked at the man who had haunted his past. "You idiot," Kakashi choked out. "You nearly burned the world down because I said no?"
"I would burn the world down for you," Obito admitted. "But I never meant to hurt you."
Kakashi sighed, the anger draining out of him. He reached down, cupping Obito's scarred cheek. "Come here."
Obito leaned up, and Kakashi pulled him into a kiss—bruised, desperate, and full of years of unspoken longing and forgiveness.
Naruto checked his watch for the fifth time in thirty seconds. 7:03 PM. He was three minutes late. For a normal person, this was acceptable. For an assassin trained by Kakashi Hatake, it was practically a dereliction of duty.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Naruto muttered, wrestling with the top button of his shirt as he sprinted down the pavement. He wasn't built for formal wear. The collar felt like a chokehold, and the stiff fabric of the trousers restricted his movement in a way that made him itch for his tactical gear.
He rounded the corner to 'The Azure', skidding to a halt. He frantically smoothed down his messy blonde hair, which immediately sprang back up in defiance.
Sasuke was waiting by the entrance. And he looked... unfairly handsome.
He was wearing a sharp black blazer over a crisp white shirt, the top button undone just enough to be casual but still maddeningly elegant. He wasn't checking his watch. He was just standing there, hands in his pockets, watching the street with that cool, detached gaze that usually preceded a kill. But when his eyes landed on Naruto, the ice melted.
"You're late," Sasuke said as Naruto approached, panting slightly.
"Three minutes!" Naruto defended, trying to catch his breath. "There was traffic! And this tie tried to strangle me. It was a hostile entity, Sasuke."
Sasuke smirked, reaching out to fix Naruto’s crooked collar. His fingers brushed against Naruto’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with the cool evening air. "You're a disaster, Naruto."
"But I'm your disaster," Naruto grinned, leaning into the touch.
"Unfortunately," Sasuke murmured, though his eyes were soft. "Come on. We have a reservation."
Walking into the restaurant felt like stepping onto an alien planet. The air smelled of expensive perfume and roasted duck, not gunpowder and ozone. A maitre d' with a moustache that looked sharper than a razor looked them up and down.
"Reservation for Uchiha?" Sasuke said, his voice commanding.
"Right this way, sir."
As they followed the host, Naruto leaned close to Sasuke, lowering his voice. "I feel like I should be sweeping the perimeter. Everyone here looks like a target or a client. It's weirding me out."
"Relax," Sasuke whispered back, his hand briefly touching the small of Naruto’s back. "Try not to assess the structural integrity of the table or check for exits. Just... exist."
"That's harder than it sounds," Naruto mumbled.
They were seated at a private table by the panoramic window, overlooking the city skyline. It was beautiful, but Naruto felt acutely out of place. He kept waiting for a window to shatter, for a scream to ring out.
"You're vibrating," Sasuke observed, pouring a glass of deep red wine from the bottle the waiter had left.
"I can't help it," Naruto confessed, picking up the heavy crystal glass. "I feel like an impostor. Look at us, Sasuke. We're wearing suits. We're drinking wine that costs more than my rent. We kill people for a living. We don't do... this."
"Maybe we should," Sasuke said quietly. He took a sip of his wine, his eyes locking onto Naruto’s. "Maybe we've earned the right to be boring for one night."
"Boring?" Naruto laughed, the sound drawing a few disapproving glances from nearby tables, which he ignored. "I don't think you know how to be boring."
"I can be boring," Sasuke insisted, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I enjoy... reading. And tea."
"You're an old man trapped in a twenty-something's body," Naruto teased. He looked at the menu and his eyes widened. "Sasuke, I can't pronounce half of this. What is 'Confit de Canard'?"
"It's duck, you idiot. Just order the steak."
They ordered—steak for Naruto, the duck for Sasuke. As the tension of the environment faded, replaced by the warmth of the wine and the comfort of each other's presence, the conversation flowed.
"Do you remember that time in Brussels?" Naruto laughed, a little tipsy now. "When you tried to order coffee in French and accidentally insulted the waiter's mother?"
Sasuke groaned, hiding his face in one hand. "I suppressed that memory. Thank you for resurrecting it."
"It was cute," Naruto grinned, reaching across the table to pry Sasuke’s hand away. He interlaced their fingers, his thumb rubbing over Sasuke’s calloused knuckles—the only evidence in this pristine setting of who they really were. "You were flustered. I like seeing you flustered. It proves you're human."
Sasuke’s gaze softened, turning serious. "You're the only one who gets to see that."
"I know," Naruto whispered, the playfulness fading into something deeper. "And I'm the only one who gets to see this too. The real you. The one who isn't a weapon."
Sasuke squeezed his hand tight. "I didn't think I could have this. After everything... the clan, the agency, the blood... I thought I was destined to be alone. A tool until I broke. But you... you stubborn, loud, annoying idiot, you forced your way in."
"I'm good at breaking and entering," Naruto winked, though his eyes were wet.
"You broke into my heart," Sasuke said. The line was so cheesy it should have been a joke, but delivered with Sasuke’s intense sincerity, it hit Naruto like a physical blow.
"Sasuke Uchiha, being romantic?" Naruto teased, blinking back tears. "The world really is ending. Next, you'll be writing poetry."
"Shut up and eat your dessert," Sasuke murmured, his ears turning pink.
They sat in comfortable silence for a long while, watching the city lights twinkle below them. It was peaceful. No gunshots. No screaming wind. No Mr. O in the shadows. Just them, and the realisation that they had a future.
Their phones buzzed simultaneously on the white tablecloth, the harsh vibration shattering the moment but not the mood. A message from Kakashi: Come to the new HQ. Room 101. Explanations awaited.
Sasuke sighed, signalling for the bill. "Duty calls."
"It always does," Naruto agreed, standing up and adjusting his blazer. He offered his arm to Sasuke with a dramatic flourish. "Shall we, my dear assassin?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes but took the arm, leaning into Naruto’s side as they walked out, leaving the normal world behind to return to their own. "You're insufferable."
"And you love it."
"Yeah," Sasuke whispered, barely audible as they stepped into the cool night air. "I do."
They arrived to find Kakashi standing next to Obito. The burned-out shell of the old agency was forgotten; plans for a new building were spread on the table. Naruto notices the gentle way Kakashi looks at Obito. The way they whispered, reminds him of Sakura and Ino.
"This is Obito," Kakashi introduced, his hand resting on Obito’s lower back.
"The kidnapper," Sasuke said coldly, his hand twitching towards his weapon.
"I apologise," Obito said, bowing his head. "I was... jealous. Of what you two have. I threatened you out of fear, not malice."
"You almost killed Naruto," Sasuke spat.
"I wasn't hurt, Sasuke," Naruto interjected gently, placing a hand on Sasuke's chest. "He let me go."
"Orochimaru," Obito explained, "was my subordinate. He thought I wanted to rule the criminal underworld. He thought my obsession with 'controlling the world' was literal. It wasn't. I just wanted to create a world where Kakashi and I could be together. Orochimaru took things too far in Otoped. The fire at the HQ... that was my fault. A heated argument. A mistake."
"A mistake that destroyed our home," Sasuke countered.
"And I will rebuild it," Obito promised, gesturing to the building blueprints. "Better. Stronger. I have resources. I am opening a Joint Agency. No more hiding in the shadows. We will work together. You two... you are the best. I want you to lead the field teams."
Kakashi stepped forward. "He's an idiot, but he's my idiot. And he's trying to make amends."
Sasuke looked at Naruto. Naruto grinned, shrugging. "Joint Agency sounds cool. Plus, we get to boss people around?"
Sasuke sighed, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. He looked at Obito. "One wrong move, and I finish what the fire started."
Obito smiled, a genuine, crooked smile. "Understood."
Naruto wrapped an arm around Sasuke’s waist, pulling him close. "Come on, partner. Let's go home."
As they walked out into the cool night air, the Australian stars shining bright above them, they knew the mission wasn't over. But for the first time, they weren't fighting alone. They were a team. They were a family. And they were in love.