Home Again
A rod-iron cell was not what Sasuke would've called a warm welcome from his former Konoha home. The cold, unforgiving ground of the cell made his heart flutter in a panic like an inmate destined for the electric chair. He didn't blame them for distrusting him or even fearing him, but after so graciously helping the village thwart Madara and Obito's plans of creating a false reality, he expected a little bit more warmth. While not knowing his fate was frightening enough, even scarier still was the thought of coming face to face with the ghosts of his past life.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought of them in the past, but the thought of revisiting Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi made his insides twist. Over the last two years he had changed dramatically and he knew without a doubt they had too. He'd seen them on the battlefield, bruised and battered ― eyes filled with determination and cunning that only a shinobi of the leaf possessed. It was easier to see them as mindless tools to the Konoha government from a distance but behind these bars they were real people. Behind these bars their words and judgements would hurt more than any wound on the battlefield could, with no hope of escaping them.
In a chair near the entrance sat Kiba Inuzuka, watching the Uchiha cautiously as if waiting for the man to make his escape. He'd been at it all night, trying extra hard to keep at least one eye open. Akamaru paced unhappily down the row of cells, as apprehensive about being there as his master. They as well as the rest of the genin that had trained alongside him knew what he'd put Naruto and Sakura through with his absence. Many feared he would make a break for it, but where could he even hope to go? Sasuke was done with running, he'd even said so to Tsunade the day she'd thrown him into the grubby little cell but did anyone ever listen to him? No. Privately he wished Kiba would be relieved of his duty so he'd get to see some variation in glares.
As if his prayers had been answered, the door swung open but the man who stood in the doorway was not taking over Kiba's duty as Sasuke was sure he'd find every excuse not to. Kakashi Hatake smiled kindly beneath his mask at the Inuzuka before muttering a few words. Kiba got to his feet, nodded solemnly and headed for the door, Akamaru at his heel. "If he gives you any trouble, just give a shout." He said before exiting. Kakashi nodded but said nothing until the door was securely shut.
"So, you're back for good, eh?" The jōnin asked casually, looking over his former pupil. Sasuke had to admit, it was nice seeing Kakashi in less of a state of shock. Less than a week ago Kakashi had had to watch his best friend Obito die a second time, by his own hand no less. Unfortunately he wasn't given much time to mourn with the reconstruction of the village going on. Despite it all, he seemed to be recovering quite nicely. "Or are you planning on a great escape act?"
Sasuke gave an exaggerated sigh, shrugging his shoulders at the jōnin. "You Konoha shinobi must be deaf or stupid ― I've already told Tsunade I'm not going anywhere and she's told anyone of importance the same." He said pointedly, though a hint of amusement gleamed in his dark eyes. Fond, painful memories came to mind ― especially ones involving insulting his old team members with hilarious results. It was hard to leisurely reminisce without being reminded of what he left behind and what he could never truly regain.
"You say that as if you weren't a Konoha shinobi yourself. You do remember what life was like before becoming a missing-nin, I hope?" Kakashi said mildly, arching a brow over his one visible eye. Sasuke hated that lopsided hitai-ate of his. Everyone knew he had a sharingan eye under that mask, why bother concealing it anymore? After Obito nearly took it back for himself, Sasuke would've imagined Kakashi having more appreciation for the dōjutsu but that didn't seem to be the case.
"But of course. How could I forget?" Sasuke said with the breath of a laugh, "Spending my days with the motley crew that was once Team 7. Perpetually late Kakashi Hatake, annoying Sakura and..." Sasuke's voice trailed off. It was hard to think of Naruto. Naruto had never given up on him, even after Sasuke had given up on any semblance of his former self.
"I should go," Kakashi shrugged himself off of the wall. "I just wanted to let you know who's going to be taking over Kiba's shift, so you don't say anything stupid."
"Who?" Sasuke asked, trying his best to keep the curiosity out of his voice to no avail. "Someone with less fleas, I hope?"
For a few excruciating moments Kakashi stood silently, gauging how much Sasuke wanted to know and how much he'd make the Uchiha fight for the answer. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, a knock sounded at the door followed by Kiba's reappearance. To his surprise, Kiba was smiling.
"I'm just getting my stuff." Kiba announced louder than necessary. "Don't get your panties in a twist." It was then Sasuke realized there was someone standing just outside the door out of sight that Kiba was speaking to. He had to urge himself not to crane his neck to look. Uchiha's are not so nosy.
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask at the Uchiha. "See you later, Sasuke."
Sasuke frowned, watching the two men clear out of the room until finally the stranger outside ventured in. Naruto's blonde head peeked into the cell curiously, making Sasuke once again feel like a circus attraction. And yet he couldn't take his eyes off his former team mate.
Time had blessed Naruto in pleasant little ways that Sasuke had never been able to truly admire on the battlefield. His shoulders were broad and strong, and Sasuke had witnessed first-hand the new techniques that the late Ero-sennin Jiraiya had passed along; he'd become a shinobi to be truly proud of. His hard blue eyes did their best to not inspect Sasuke too thoroughly in fear of seeming too interested but Sasuke caught his glance a couple times ― they told tales of his exhaustion. His smile had faded as well, as his jawline seemed to be quite accustomed to frowning in the most unfortunate way.
"Sasuke." Naruto acknowledged, dropping himself into the chair Kiba had been taking up residency in previously. Though his tone was a little less than friendly, he seemed far less guarded and aggressive than Kiba ― which was probably not a good trait for a shinobi on guard duty but Sasuke appreciated the more agreeable company without complaint.
While Kiba was socially inept in Sasuke's situation with his dog breath and blunt nature, Naruto was quite accustomed to speaking to feared creatures behind bars. The thought brought memories racing back to Sasuke, when he'd met the Kyuubi face-to-face. Even behind bars it was intimidating, deadly ― and yet Naruto faced that beast every waking moment of his life. A commendable feat at the very least!
As much of an improvement Naruto was over Kiba, he also did not seem up to speaking to the prisoner he watched over. Sasuke couldn't help feeling a little disappointed; there were so many things he'd been wanting to ask the blonde. How had he finally learned how to utilize the nine-tailed fox? How had Itachi broken out of the Impure World Resurrection? Had he gotten any action since they'd last seen one another?
Watching the blonde in silence was maddening to say the least, however he couldn't quite find the right words to start a conversation off. And whose to say he wouldn't refuse to speak to him outright? His frustration getting the better of him, Sasuke cleared his throat and barked out, "How are your wounds?"
Naruto's eyes were on him before the words came out but he seemed to look through him, as if Sasuke was still a long lost memory. "Why are you here?" He asked instead, disregarding Sasuke's question entirely.
Why? Sasuke had wondered the same thing since the last blow had been exchanged in the war. Why was he here when he could go anywhere freely? Even he wasn't quite so sure. "I was tired of running." he replied, with as much certainty as he felt.
At this, Naruto's eyes pierced through him, hard and cold. "Now? You chose to stop running now of all times?" His voice wavered on a decibel that made Sasuke realize he may have just said entirely the wrong thing. "For God's sake... They want you executed, Sasuke!"
The word seemed foreign to Sasuke, but it sounded like poison in Naruto's mouth. Executed? He hadn't really put much thought into how they would punish him for cavorting with a well-known and wanted man, as well as killing a hokage candidate. Though until recently he never fathomed giving himself up willingly or at all either. He couldn't find the right words so he opted to say nothing, staring back at the blonde through the rod iron cell who had more than enough words for the both of them.
"The Konoha Council wants you killed, you're lucky you even got this far." Naruto said a little quieter, reclaiming his composure in front of the man he was supposed to be guarding. However, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the blonde's cheeks were flushed in anger. "If someone higher up had noticed you on the battlefield sooner we would've been ordered to kill you on sight."
"But they didn't." Sasuke said flatly, "Luckily you guys had your hands full with two other crazy Uchiha and no one seemed to mind when I stepped in to help."
Anger flashed through Naruto's eyes once again, Sasuke was obviously not on his good side yet. Privately Sasuke wondered if he ever would be. "They don't forgive crimes that easily, you should know that." Naruto said grimly, standing from the chair and approaching the barred cell that kept them safely apart. "I certainly wouldn't blame you if you left." Naruto added with the breath of a laugh.
Sasuke wasn't laughing however. Swiftly the Uchiha came to his feet, nearly grabbing the blonde by the throat through the bars but opting to show a little restraint, he clenched Naruto's shirt between his fist instead. "If something happened under your watch they would never trust you again, let alone as Hokage. You don't need anyone thinking you're a traitor, idiot."
At this, Naruto grew silent in his understanding and Sasuke released his grip on the blonde's collar with a huff. As usual Naruto was saying things without properly thinking them through. Though the blonde had obviously yet to notice, Sasuke knew there were Anbu stationed around the holding cell, just waiting for such a plan to come to fruition. He wasn't willing to give them the satisfaction. Dignity was all he had left after all this time.
In the silence of the room, Naruto slunk to the ground, his eyes revealing nothing but cold defeat. "I wanted to save you." He murmured quietly, more to himself than to Sasuke. "And yet it feels like I've led you to your death." The certainty in his tone left chills racing up Sasuke's spine, as if the man already knew this was his friend's fate. It was frightening to Sasuke to have been left in the dark about all this but even more frightening must've been learning about it with no way of stopping it as Naruto had.
"You led me home." Sasuke replied simply, finding a smile biting at the edges of his mouth. Home. He hadn't thought of anywhere as more than a temporary resting place in so long it felt strange giving anything such a permanent name.
A knock on the door cut short his musings and to his surprise, Tsunade entered. Behind her came the voices of what sounded like very troublesome villagers trying to squeeze their opinions in before the door shut behind her.
"Naruto, Sasuke." Tsunade greeted briskly, Sasuke glanced to Naruto awaiting an eager chirped greeting to the head of the leaf village but he seemed to have very little to say, his eyes downcast and grim. "I'm sorry to break up your touching reunion but I need to speak to Sasuke alone."
The feral fear that flashed through Naruto's eyes could've chilled Sasuke to the bone, but before Naruto mouth could even begin to form a protest, Tsunade pulled the blonde to his feet and ushered him out. A few words passed between them that Sasuke couldn't hear but he paid little notice because the Fifth Hokage had already returned to stand in front of his cell.
"I'm sure you know some people aren't happy to see you here - alive at least." Tsunade began, watching Sasuke's expression with precise attentiveness. Sasuke wasn't quite sure what she was looking for but he chose not to question. As far as he knew, this was a test that he desperately needed to pass. "Well, I certainly have no qualms. You were born and raised in this village and with the knowledge I have now about your brother's crime and the circumstances of yours, I am willing to allow you to stay."
"And live?" Sasuke asked, swallowing hard.
The Hokage smiled leisurely, raising an eyebrow coyly to Sasuke's displeasure. She reminded him so much of Sakura it was unsettling. No wonder Sakura had followed in her footsteps as a medical ninja. "With some restrictions, but yes."
With his impending doom no longer hanging over his head, Sasuke found himself letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He was going to live like he hadn't lived since Itachi planted the seeds of hate in his mind so many years ago. A (mostly) carefree life of peace and happiness. If he'd been given this opportunity a few months ago he would've spit in the Hokage's face, oh how much had changed since then.
Without further notice, Tsunade jammed a key into the cell's old lock, freeing Sasuke from his prison. Cautiously, Sasuke followed the Fifth out of the holding cell and into the sunlight. It was nearing dusk and there weren't many villagers to be seen in the dimly lit street. While some buildings were still in ruins, many had already begun being restored to their former glory like a shinobi healing after a long fight.
Across the small square was Naruto, his chin resting in his hands as he watched a woman ushering her son into their house for the night. Sasuke could've swore he saw a hint of longing in those blue eyes of his but it was quickly replaced with Naruto's absolutely surprised expression seeing his best friend out in the free world.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, sprinting across the road like a true homage to his father, The Yellow Flash. Before Sasuke could think to brace himself, Naruto was slamming into his chest, toppling them both into the dirt.
"Why would you do that?" Sasuke snapped though he couldn't find any anger within him even at Naruto's unpredictable antics. This was what it was like to be a normal, happy person; not hell-bent on revenge.
"Oh shut up!" Naruto grinned, throwing up dirt at Sasuke, turning his white shirt a dusty brown. Behind the oaf, Sasuke saw Kakashi and Sakura emerging from the streets but before he could bring himself to be mature, Naruto pushed the Uchiha into the dirt, pinning him beneath his elbow.
Sasuke glared, entangling his legs with the blonde's and toppling him over once more. The two scuffled together in the dirt while Kakashi, Sakura and Tsunade looked on.
"He's not what I expected." Tsunade admitted quietly to the two jōnin, "But I can certainly see why you were so desperate to bring him home."
Sakura smiled at her teacher, affection in her green eyes. "It feels good having my boys home."
"Your boys?" Naruto whined, pausing from his position on top of Sasuke's back where he'd been making the shinobi eat dirt. "We're men now, Sakura."
Kakashi laughed, earning a glare from the two boys. "Hardly. Men don't play in the dirt."
While Sasuke's eyes stung with dirt and parts of his body ached from Naruto's horseplay, he couldn't help feeling more at ease than he had in years. With Naruto panting beside him and Sakura and Kakashi looking on in bemusement, Sasuke felt that he had finally returned home.
― ―
When the group finally said their goodbyes and dispersed, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a little bit lost as to where he was supposed to go. Naruto patiently waited beside him, perhaps he intended to walk Sasuke home. However Sasuke couldn't really fathom where that might be anymore. He couldn't imagine his old landlord had bothered to keep his room vacant for him after he'd left. He had fond memories of the old bat raising hell with the Third Hokage over Sasuke living there rent free after the Uchiha manor had been reduced to a graveyard. Something else more current plagued his mind however.
"What did Tsunade say to you when she made you leave?" Sasuke asked mildly, trying to hide his blatant curiosity.
Naruto cocked his head, thinking back to the conversation. It shouldn't have been too hard as it had only happened no more than an hour previously but it seemed to escape him. "You mean when she talked to you alone?"
"Yes." Sasuke said impatiently, unsure whether he was more aggravated by his own nosey-ness or Naruto's incompetent memory.
"Oh, she just said, 'Make yourself useful and clean your room' or something like that." Naruto recalled, reciting Tsunade's speech in a mocking tone.
Sasuke blanched. Tsunade had already made her decision before she even came to speak to him and Naruto hadn't even noticed. "Naruto, you idiot... she wants me to stay with you."
"Oh!" Naruto chirped, his grin spreading widely. "That's good, I didn't want you out on the street like some bum."
Finally choosing their destination, the two set off towards Naruto's apartment complex. Sasuke found that he could oddly remember every step it took to get to the dirty mess of a home. He hadn't spent too much time in there as far as he could recall but he remembered the way perfectly as if he'd made the trip every day.
In the distance, Sasuke could see the quiet, rolling water of the lake, a stage that had once featured their early friendship. Glancing at Naruto he realized the blonde must've been thinking of the same thing as his eyes too were focused on the lake and flimsy pier at its bank.
However if Naruto had his mind on it he didn't say anything to announce it, instead he merely smiled to himself and continued down the street that would lead them to his home.
"Ta-da!" Naruto sang as they reached his doorstep, opening his door without ever touching a key. This struck Sasuke as very odd as he recalled the few times he had visited, Naruto had made a point to even lock the deadbolt, perhaps in fear of irate villagers ransacking his home in his absence. He wondered silently if the villagers could genuinely love him after how hateful they were in the past. He hoped so. His opinions of Naruto had certainly changed, why couldn't theirs?
Stepping over the threshold, Sasuke felt the warmth of the room wrapping around him like a hug, banishing the brisk winter air from every corner of his body. It felt welcoming and calm. The two took to the floor near the quiet space heater that was filling the room with such wonderful warmth. Without his impending doom over his head, he was able to appreciate Naruto's company much easier.
Naruto smiled impishly at the Uchiha, noticing Sasuke beginning to truly relax for the first time in ages. "It's not huge or extravagant but it's home."
Sitting with his most important person in a warm, cozy apartment Sasuke couldn't help but reply, "It's perfect."