Sasuke straightens out his shirt as he walks to the gates in bleary dawn light, the straps of his bag weighing on his shoulders. His eyes are heavy and he's not entirely sure he has all his tools and he's left the plates unwashed in the sink. Doing chores at five am is too much, even for a genius.
Through the dim blur of dawn light, his eyes can pick out two figures already at the gate. Sasuke stops dragging his feet in the dust, holds his head a little higher.
He nears, close enough to identify them. Sakura sits pristinely on her bag, legs crossed, hair shiny and straight. Naruto has dropped his bag on the ground, jacket tied around his waist, making large motions with his arms and jumping around like it's lunchtime at the Academy.
Sakura sees him first. Her mouth moves in a cry of delight, and she stands, clasping her hands to her chest. Perfect passivity shatters into adoration. Naruto sees her face, turns, the sunniest grin the world will ever see gracing his face.
He waves his arms in Sasuke's direction and it's five am and Sasuke is so tired that he forgets himself.
His lips curve in response, holds up a hand lazily to let them know he sees them, and for a moment the bag on his back weighs nothing at all.