Hi, this is my first published fanfic.
It's sort of a really late christmas/new years gift for my best friend :D
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Konoha, the Hidden Leaf Village.
It had been 3 long years since Sasuke had stepped foot in the Hidden Leaf Village. Many things had changed since he last left, but the essence of the charming village still remained.
Defending Konoha from the likes of Obito had shown Sasuke that they were in need of a strong new leader, one that could protect the village, single handed, if need be. He realised that only he would truly fit that role and vowed to those on the battlefield that he would be the next Hokage to do so. That statement was not met without scrutiny, but Sasuke was not bothered by the glares and hushed words. He had a new goal and he had to rise up to achieve it.
He smirked, laying in bed, as he thought of the possibilities and opportunities that he would receive when he becomes Hokage. As Sasuke thought of what had passed, dawn broke and the first rays of sun crept through the blinds of his window. He let his mind wander to other things and a certain blonde was one of the first things to snake it's way into his thoughts.
Naruto had been so glad to have the old Team 7 back and Sasuke could tell from the glint in his eyes and the puff of his chest, he was almost overwhelmed with the memories. Although a vague niggle of sentiment was not lost on Sasuke, he just did not see reason to let such an event effect one so greatly on the battlefield. But the blonde had always been emotionally driven and that had it's advantages and disadvantages. On that day, however it played to his advantage as Naruto proudly leapt into battle ecstatic to have his team back together.
In moments when Sasuke had time look to Naruto during the fight he noticed how much the jinchuriki had developed. Being so close with him and not having to go up against, but instead with him, allowed Sasuke to admire things he had never before about Naruto. The first thing he noticed was Naruto's impeccable prowess in battle. Gone were the days when Naruto would go recklessly into a battle or attempt his clone jutsu only for the clones to turn against him or do their own thing. The second, he observed when the blonde was thrown back by Obito. The way in which he landed revealed to Sasuke the supple roundness of Naruto's backside. The curve was rather feminine and given the chance Sasuke would have surely-
The cracks of day had made their way across the room and travelled up to temporarily blind Sasuke with their intense brightness, pausing his train of thought before it took a dangerous path. Dangerous for productivity that is. Sasuke had planned to spend most of today training, alone, in the fields in preparation for the coming forces and his role as Hokage.
Day light had signalled that Sasuke needed to get a move on if he wanted to make it out of the village unseen. Being seen would undoubtedly lead to a barrage of people wanting his attention. The rivals Sakura and Ino were among the main culprits as was Naruto. However he didn't mind being spotted by the blonde as much. Sasuke had missed the bond that he had denounced with Naruto all those years ago. He was the first person he had a true connection to since Itachi had left and their constant competition had kept him motivated to become stronger. Not that he hadn't had motivation back then.
Packing up his tools and snacks, Sasuke headed out. Taking back routes to reach the entrance, Sasuke managed to exit undetected. Although he did seem spot some movement and a flash of neon yellow, though there were no further interactions so he Naruto must have been tied up already or he might have imagined the sighting. Heading out into the surrounding forest, Sasuke made his way to the Third Training Ground. Hoping to learn from Naruto and draw power from emotions, Sasuke quickened his pace eager to push his body to the limits.