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Outside, the world is in chaos, but inside, it’s quiet.
Naruto stares at the ceiling of his hospital room, unable to sleep. He’s still too filled with adrenaline, too filled with, well, everything, to relax.
Not to mention the pain. He’s hurting all over, and this time, Kurama isn’t there to heal him. Naruto can feel the fox’s presence, but Kurama is just as tired as Naruto is, so he needs rest to replenish his chakra.
So, for now, Naruto has to rely on human medicine, but nothing can really take away the agony of losing an arm.
Naruto lifts the stump, and the short sleeve falls closer to his shoulder. It’s been cleaned and wrapped in bandages, ending right above his elbow.
Sometimes, it’s like he still can feel his fingers, but whenever he tries to move them, pain shoots up and makes his eyes water.
Still, all in all, he could’ve been hurt worse. Losing an arm is a small price to pay.
Especially since…
Naruto glances towards the door. They had returned from the Valley of the End hours ago, and Sasuke had been immediately locked into a secured hospital room, and even Naruto isn’t allowed to visit him.
The only reason he still hasn’t raised hell for it is only because he’s tired as fuck.
Now, though, he slides out of the bed. The floor is cold beneath his bare feet, but he barely notices. He just follows the tug in his heart, the bond that remained even after they lost their arms. The bond that’s always been there, really.
Naruto cracks open the door and peeks out. The hallways is quiet, but Naruto already knows where the security cameras are. It’s not going to be easy, considering he’s not able to use a single jutsu without his arm, but he’s a goddamn ninja. He leaves his room and uses the cameras’ blind spots to head to the stairs.
Sasuke’s room is on the floor above his, and Naruto moves quietly towards it. Less surprisingly, it’s guarded by ANBU.
This is the most difficult part—how is he going to get into the room with the guards in the way? He can’t use any of his usual skills for distraction.
Naruto stays in the shadows as he thinks, but then, suddenly, the guards move away from the doors and walk away.
It’s possible it’s a trap, to get Naruto do exactly what he’s doing right now, but at the same time, he remembers Kakashi’s expression when he visited him earlier.
Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.
Naruto moves to the door, realizes the key is still in the lock—again, clearly left there on purpose—and slips inside.
The room is dark, the only lights filters in through the windows and the moon in the sky. It now looks normal and safe again, but Naruto hasn’t forgotten. He never will.
Sasuke isn’t sleeping either. He isn’t even in bed. Instead, he’s sitting on the windowsill and watching the sleeping village through the windows.
“You just couldn’t stay away, huh?” Sasuke mutters without looking.
“I—well—” Naruto feels his cheeks heat. “Yeah? I guess?” He walks closer and Sasuke makes room, so Naruto can sit beside him, his back against the window. “How are you feeling?”
Sasuke’s black hair falls on his face and he’s keeping his left eye closed, probably to let his Rinnegan rest. The remaining black eye glances outside first, then back to Naruto’s face. “I don’t know,” Sasuke admits quietly. “I try not to… think about things too much.”
Naruto moves before he can regret it, cupping Sasuke’s pale cheek with his palm. His touch is gentle, careful. “I still feel like I’m dreaming,” Naruto says softly. “Dreaming that we’re here, alive.”
Sasuke leans into his touch and it doesn’t feel awkward or weird. It never does, not with Sasuke. “I was lost in that darkness for years,” Sasuke says and breathes out. “I couldn’t see past it. I could only feel that hatred… and that grief. The need to get justice for my clan. And—”
“To yourself,” Naruto finishes, brushing Sasuke’s cheek with his thumb. “I get it.”
“You sacrificed your arm to bring me back,” Sasuke continues and glances down. “I…”
“I’m gonna throttle you again if you even dare to utter that it’s your fault or that you owe me for it,” Naruto warns him, without moving his left hand away. “Just so you know.”
Sasuke chuckles. “Noted.” He lifts his right hand places it over Naruto’s left—what they have left. Naruto sees the bandages from the open sleeve of Sasuke’s shirt.
It’s just so surreal. To touch Sasuke like this, and to have Sasuke touch him.
To have Sasuke touch him like this.
They look at each other in silence for a long moment, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Naruto just feels Sasuke’s chakra, low reserves as they are, but still. And their bond. It’s so vibrant, so warm, between them.
“Have you… always felt it?” Naruto asks tentatively.
“I…” Even in the darkness, Naruto sees Sasuke blush. “Yeah. I have.”
“Did it ever… make you think?” Naruto says. “How things could’ve gone between us? A different path?”
Sasuke’s lips brush Naruto’s palm and his heart jumps in his throat.
“Sometimes,” Sasuke says and closes his normal eye too. “When I was… still with Orochimaru, I… did think about you. Often. It was worse after… that day.”
“When we saw each other again after three years?” Naruto mutters and Sasuke nods.
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Sasuke continues, still eyes closed. “I just keeping like I have to. I was so blind to… so many things.” He opens his eye again but now it’s crimson, with black tomoe spinning in the middle.
Naruto shivers as he looks into that eye, even though he knows that Sasuke would never use genjutsu on him. He never has.
“I asked you this before, while we bled on the rocks,” Sasuke says, “but let me ask again. What exactly does me being your friend mean to you?”
Naruto knows he’s oblivious at times, but this is one of the few things he’s not. Back then, only a few hours ago, he’d been too filled with emotions to formulate a proper response. But now…
“I didn’t lie when I said that I hurt when you hurt,” Naruto murmurs. “But… yeah. It hasn’t been just that. Never has.”
“What am I to you, then, Naruto?” Sasuke asks, and Naruto hates the way he’s pulling the answers out of him, but maybe that’s what he needs.
“My everything,” Naruto whispers hoarsely, blinking tears from his eyes.
Sasuke smiles softly. “I know.”
And when he leans to kiss him, Naruto knows.
He’s everything to Sasuke, too.