Running in Circles
"CHIDORI!"
"RASENGAN!"
Their fists met.
The immense power concentrated in their hands exploded, showering the surroundings with smoke. As the mist cleared, it revealed that only one was left standing. The other lay on the ground, now ridden defenceless. Rain poured, soaking both their faces. The one standing looked at the other; memorizing the other's every detail, and making himself let go of every feeling that had bound them together. It was time to leave the past behind.
Sasuke walked away, away from Naruto's unconscious body.
"Sakura –chan!"
Naruto called, spotting the pink haired woman amongst the busy crowd. The woman, Sakura, turned, a gentle smile tinting her features. She gave a small wave, holding a large white flower in one hand, standing outside the small flower boutique where she worked.
Naruto thought that she looked beautiful, surrounding herself amongst flowers. He thought that her pink hair perfectly complimented the shades of the never ending blossoms adorned around the room.
She looked gentle... so sweet.
"Hi, Naruto"
Sakura replied quietly, still concentrating on the bouquet of flowers she was arranging. Naruto approached her slowly. Sneakily, he playfully wrapped his arms around her waist.
Sakura let out a small laugh and a gasp as she quickly unraveled his arms, hitting him lightly on his head with the large flower.
Naruto's eyes closed, anticipating a greater hit, but opened his eyes wide with shock when he felt nothing come. His confused blue eyes met her green ones. She had always hit him-hard- when he had any kind of contact with her, even accidentally.
"What, Silly? You don't have to look so shocked... I don't hit you that often."
At that, Naruto couldn't help scoff.
"Yeah, right, Sakura-chan"
Sakura's eyes started narrowing at that,
"Naru-"
Sensing danger, Naruto immediately retreated. Chuckling nervously, he quickly mumbled
"Just kidding, Sakura-chan"
Sakura luckily seemed to relax at that, and Naruto inwardly sighed. An unhappy Sakura was not a pleasant one. The pink haired woman glared irritably at the flowers.
"I can't get them the way I want them to..."
Naruto cocked his head.
"They look fine to me..."
Sakura huffed.
"No, they're not"
She picked up another flower, and placed it carefully within the bouquet.
"Hey hey... Sakura chaaannnn... I don't know much about flowers, but you look really pretty today"
Naruto commented teasingly, poking her gently as he did so, a mischievous grin on his face.
He was blatantly ignored.
Pouting slightly with rejection, he was about to say more when-
"NARUTO!"
A voice yelled at him, making them both jump. Naruto immediately recognized it as Tsunade, the previous Hokage who was notorious for her monstrous strength. Paling, he immediately broke out into a sprint. As he ran, he looked back at Sakura, harbouring a large grin, and said what he always said as a farewell.
"Sakura chan, go out on a date with me later, okay?"
Sakura scrunched her face and stuck her tongue out at Naruto.
Running away with a lopsided grin, Naruto failed to notice the blush that dusted the pink haired girl's cheeks.
"NARUTO!"
A fierce, angry woman glared at him, arms crossed, looking annoyed. He let out a nervous laugh, avoiding the older woman's eyes. She almost growled, and started on her rant.
"YOU ARE 23 YEARS OLD, NARUTO! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GROW UP?"
"Old lady Tsunade..."
"YOU'RE THE HOKAGE, DAMN IT! STOP PUTTING OFF THE PAPERWORK!"
Naruto's hands went up, signalling his defeat.
"I'll go do it now..."
"YOU BETTER!"
Naruto walked to his office in defeat, sighing with annoyance. Looking at the piles of paperwork stacked on his desk made his stomach turn, but he was the Hokage after all... and he had to admit, it was important.
Naruto grudgingly seated himself at his desk, cradling his head gently with his hand as he read through the endless mission reports that seemed to never end. He wrote continuously, under the fear of the old lady Tsunade's wrath. Before he knew it, it was evening.
Finally writing down the last name on the mission account, he dropped his elbow and let his head fall to the desk. Feeling proud of himself, he stretched, and made himself comfortable on the hard desk, his eyes already falling shut.
Suddenly, Naruto's breath seized.
He sensed someone nearby. An unknown, but yet so familiar chakra could be felt, and Naruto, stiffened, his hand grasping his kunai tightly, waiting for the attack.
"Naruto"
Naruto looked up immediately, eyes widening.
What the hell...that voice...
Deep and levelled, a voice that Naruto knew could belong to only one.
He's back?
After suddenly giving up on destroying the village, Uchiha Sasuke had disappeared. Almost as though he had fallen off the edge of earth, no one saw him or heard from him... for about 5 years now. Even Naruto, who had dedicated himself to finding him, had started to feel his will dissipate away slowly. No matter how much he wanted his best friend back, Naruto couldn't help questioning if the old Sasuke had even ever existed. Why he would come back after all these years was a mystery, an optimistic fantasy.
Panic and hope flooded through Naruto's body. Looking around, he concentrated trying to make out where the other was hidden. His eyes skimmed around the room.
A tall, black haired man stood in front of his desk.
Naruto jumped, shocked. He knew that Sasuke was skilled, but he hadn't expected that he would be able to get so close without him noticing. Trying to find his voice from the shock, Naruto whispered disbelievingly.
"S- Sasuke?"
Warmth flooded through the blonde's body, both from anger and happiness. He was alive-thank god he was alive, and Naruto had to force himself to not reach out to confirm Sasuke's existence. He missed him so much, and after years of chasing after Sasuke, Sasuke had finally shown himself willingly. Naruto longed to rebuild their relationship, to go back to how things were and could have been.
At the same time, Naruto's insides burned with frustration. The brunette always put him off balance, confusing him and making him question everything. How could he show up like that, out of the blue!? How could he leave in the first place?!
Dark, piercing eyes observed him carefully. Naruto hated that look; the purely apathetic, emotionless look that gave no clue to what the other was really thinking. Sighing, Naruto composed himself. He was just as strong, and the Hokage, after all; he trusted himself enough to not be overpowered by Sasuke. Convincing himself of the fact that he wasn't going to be obliterated on the spot with some surprise attack, Naruto relaxed slightly.
"What are you doing here, Sasuke? I doubt it's because you've decided to come back to the village."
He asked, honestly curious, sad, and a bit suspicious. No matter how childish Naruto acted or presented himself, he was 23; he wasn't the innocent, gullible ninja he had been 5 years ago. The other man stayed quiet, still looking at Naruto's face.
"I don't know."
Naruto tilted his head slightly, completely confused, and thrown aback by the answer. He had been expecting... well, he didn't know what he had been expecting. Silence, maybe, or even a complete avoidance of the question.
"What?"
'I don't know."
The black haired man repeated, slightly agitated. The blonde was completely at a loss of words at the decisive answer.
"What am I suppose to do now, Naruto?"
"What do you mean by that, Sasuke?"
Silence followed. Sasuke turned his head to the side slightly, dark bangs covering his eyes.
"How's the village?"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"What the- What do you mean, 'how's the village', Sasuke?! Where were you all this time, I was so worried! I searched everywhere for you, and you decide to disappear and reappear when you feel like it!"
Naruto was fuming. As much as he cared about the other, and had always projected his "never give up" principle, when Sasuke had disappeared, he had been so disappointed, so hurt, that his insides still prickled with a mix of sadness and frustration when he thought about the past.
Naruto had no idea what he was supposed to do any more. He felt like he was hanging on by a thread.
Suddenly, Sasuke spoke.
"W-why am I here, Naruto?"
His voice sounded oddly broken. Naruto's eyes widened as he heard Sasuke stutter, his voice powerless. Sasuke's head was slightly bowed, his hair hiding his dark eyes.
Something in Naruto broke. Overwhelming sadness flooded him as he looked at the other. That's when Naruto remembered; Sasuke was still Sasuke, his best friend, strongest bond. No matter what happened to him, he was a broody, cold, but still a gentle, kind person. Sasuke was Sasuke.
Sasuke is Sasuke.
All barriers around them fell. As Naruto fisted his hand into Sasuke and yanked him into an embrace, he was reminded of why he had been so drawn to Sasuke in the first place. His attitude so different than his, but the haunting past so similar.
"Dumbass"
Naruto whispered quietly, cradling Sasuke's head.
"You're one to talk, idiot."
Came the quiet reply. Both heads buried in each other's shirt, they took in each other's heat, feeling oddly at ease. The action felt natural, and Naruto felt euphoric and serene.
They held each other for what felt like hours, indulging themselves in each other's arms.
Suddenly, realisation hit Naruto; he was going to leave again.
And Naruto wouldn't be able to take that. He couldn't lose Sasuke again.
His hold tightened on the other, and he whispered heatedly.
"Don't you dare leave me again, Sasuke."
Silence. The other man stood stoicly, refusing to answer. Naruto felt moisture in his eyes.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto cried desperately.
His eyes opened. He found himself in his office, alone.
Naruto couldn't sleep for the next few days.
The dream haunted him. Seeing Sasuke's face up close; he could clearly recall his refined beauty even when he harboured dark, hollow eyes, in a vulnerable state. The dream had felt so real, that it killed Naruto to think that it had really all just been his imagination. Yet, there was not a trace of the other man left, not a single clue left behind.
Seeing Sasuke had brought back the emotions he had forced himself to submerse for the sake of himself, and the others around him. He realised, remembered how much he really felt for the other.
He was going insane. He had to stop being so obsessive.
He was the Hokage, damn it!
A couple days after the dream, Sakura spontaneously agreed to go out with him after he delivered his usual goodbye. He was shocked. Naruto was glad, he was...but not as much as he thought he should've been.
Sakura decided that they should go to the festival that was happening that night. Naruto agreed half heartedly, telling himself that it would be a good distraction. Flashing her a large smile, he planned out what they could do that night, to where they would go to what they would eat.
That night, he got dressed automatically, wearing the yukata Sakura had told him to wear. He picked her up, being charming and teasing. They held hands, quite naturally from years of knowing each other, and wandered around the festival.
"Hey Naruto, do you like me?"
Sakura suddenly asked, looking up at him with her large green eyes, batting her eyelashes slightly. Naruto froze, looking at her nervously. He swallowed, and responded cheerily.
"Of course I like you, Sakura chan! Um...Hey, let's go watch the fireworks!"
He grabbed her hand and ran over to the fireworks, avoiding making eye-contact with the woman throughout. Suddenly, Sakura stopped.
"Sakura-chan?"
Naruto asked, taken by surprise. There was an odd glint in the pink haired girl's eyes as she looked up at him. She slowly approached, hair swaying in the wind, as Naruto stood immobilized.
"Close your eyes, Naruto"
He heard her whisper. Mind still in a state of confusion, Naruto obeyed. Listening for her footsteps approaching him, feeling like he should be anticipating the woman- this had been the moment he'd been waiting for a long time- but wondering why Sakura hadn't been able to excite him in the slightest.
No, I love Sakura. I want this.
He could feel her getting closer. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Lips crashed into his, with force. Naruto gasped softly. Was this really Sakura? Hands grabbed his face, both lips moving fiercely. Naruto had no problem getting into the kiss, the movements coming naturally. Warmth flooded through him, as the other's lips left burning kisses on his. Naruto could feel his mind becoming clouded, his thought process leaving him. He reached for the other's thick locks, kneading his fingers through the strands, and pulling himself closer to the other's body.
The other caressed Naruto's cheek with the hand residing there, then slowly moved it down to his back. Naruto felt himself being pulled into a sturdy body with strong arms, holding him in place.
At the feeling of defined muscles pressing against his own chest, he realized that there was no way this was Sakura. Opening his eyes slightly, he vaguely made out pale skin and dark, inky black hair.
Naruto's heart jumped, with- not that he would ever admit it- overwhelming happiness, relief, and love.
A few moments later, the other moved back. Naruto opened his eyes, staring into the glazed eyes of the black haired man, meeting with the familiar face of Sasuke.
Sasuke returned Naruto's stare, both taking in each other with foggy eyes. Dark crystal blue eyes meeting black onyx ones, Naruto pulled the other man close and connected their lips again. Sasuke broke their kiss shortly after, in favour of trailing his lips down Naruto's neck.
Holding back a small gasp, Naruto leaned into the other's touch.
"That annoying pink girl" Naruto heard him mumble against his neck. The blond haired man opened his mouth to defend Sakura out of loyalty to their friendship, but was distracted as Sasuke bit down on his neck, sending prickles all throughout his body.
"She's isn't-mmm-bad"
Naruto responded, slightly out of breath.
"I-don't-like-her" Sasuke replied, biting down and sucking on Naruto's neck repeatedly.
Naruto's lips skimmed gently over the faint scar on Sasuke's otherwise pale, flawless skin, making the man sigh. Naruto trailed his lips from the scar to Sasuke's ear, before whispering huskily.
"You know, Sasuke... I've been waiting."
A shiver ran through the raven haired man's body.
"Where were you? I was all alone..."
Their lips met again in a heated kiss, with their tongues and lips slipping against one another, both men indulging in the foreign but familiar feeling.
They had both had enough. Running in circles, only to come back to where they had started. Naruto gently tugged at Sasuke's dark locks, and Sasuke gently placed his forehead on the crook of Naruto's neck. With Sasuke in such close proximity, Naruto realized that he had wanted this very badly... very badly for a very long, long time.
Naruto realized that nothing had changed. Just being near him could arise so many complicated emotions within him in an instant.
And as Sasuke teleported them to Naruto's house, Naruto smiled slightly, as he realized that he was really still the same childish boy from years ago.