Golden rays of the evening sun cascaded over the forest as a gust of wind rolled by rattling the branches and leaves on the trees. The summer heat was beginning to cool, as the season began to shift into autumn. The sounds of footsteps accompanied by groans and moans from a certain whiskered teen reverberated throughout the area, as grey clouds were beginning to close in on the once clear sky, threatening to rain.
Dust rose from the dirt path as Naruto entered the gates of Konoha, his whole upper body hunched over, as if he were trying to display to all onlookers exactly how tired out he was. Team Seven, accompanied by Kakashi and Yamato, had just completed an A-Rank mission, involving a kidnapping and a robbery of some of the villages on the outskirts of Konoha. To celebrate the success of the onerous task, Sakura suggested they all go to Ichiraku's, knowing it was Naruto's favorite restaurant. But the blonde simply wasn't up for it. His muscles ached at just the thought of exerting them any further.
"Are you sure? It won't be the same without you." The pinkette furrowed her brows.
"Nah, I think I'll pass this time. I don't even know if I can make it home." Naruto chuckled, scratching the nape of his neck, feeling slightly awkward declining her offer.
His comrades shared a few uneasy glances, before Sakura stepped out toward the blonde. Offering a soft smile, she lightly punched his arm.
"Okay, I'll come by to check up on you tomorrow. Until then, get some rest, baka!" She said, waving her hand in the air, as she turned to walk away, Sai, Yamato and Kakashi waving to the blonde as well before following behind her.
Naruto's grin faded, wincing at the force of the blow Sakura had given him as he turned the opposite direction to head toward his apartment. It looked like tonight he was just going to have to settle for one of the instant ramen packages that overflowed his cabinets and cupboards. He contemplated making a quick stop to the store for milk, but his joints complained once more, urging him not to make any pit stops and head straight home. He did have some milk in his refrigerator after all, though it was a couple days past the expiration date. It should still be fine right?
His thoughts were stopped short, as the Naruto suddenly felt the eerie feeling of preying eyes on him. He stopped in his tracks, glancing around himself for the predator. Exempting himself, the path was vacant. Waving the feeling off, he passed it for just being tired and paranoid, as he continued toward his home, as a quickened pace.
When he entered the humble apartment, he wasted no time in slamming the door behind himself and kicking off his dirt covered shoes. Using the remainder of his strength, he dragged his body to his bedroom, stripping down to his boxers, before collapsing onto the unmade sheets that were splayed out across his mattress.
"Ah…" Naruto let out a groan of content, relaxing his muscles and allowing himself to sink into the cushions. He yawned softly as blonde eyelashes fluttered closed over azure irises. As he began to drift into a slumber, the sound of three repetitive soft knocks reverberated through his bedroom from his window.
The feeling he had encountered earlier on the way home revisited him, as he felt the as it those same eyes were piercing through the back of his head. Naruto rolled onto his side to uncover his mouth from the sheets beneath him.
"Oi…I'm not home… Go men…" The blonde mumbled pulling one of his pillows to his chest, letting his chin resting atop, as his legs wrapped around it as they usually when he slept. Though he wondered who it could be, since Kakashi was the only one who greeted him through window rather than his front door, Naruto and his newfound comfort on the mattress were more important.
The blonde's comfortable rest was short lived when another round of knocks rang out, louder and harsher than the previous ones. Cursing to himself, the blonde dangled his legs off the edge of the bed, before sliding off to stand.
He winced at every step he took on his journey to the window on the other side of his room, trying his best to ignore the strain he was putting on his calves. He swore to himself that if Kakashi came to his window with more nonsense about 'Eating healthier' or 'When the next Icha Icha is coming out' he wouldn't hesitate to slam the window in his face. Lifting the wooden hinges of the window, the blonde rubbed his eyes.
"Kaka-sensei… What is it now?" Naruto grumbled, between a yawn, only to be greeted by the whoosh of another gust of wind, this time accompanied by a cold droplettes of precipitation. Upon not hearing a response, he dropped his arm from his eyes.
A cold sweat began to build on the brim of blonde eyebrows in a matter of seconds, as cerulean eyes caught view of who his real 'houseguest', who was propped up on a tree in front of his window. Naruto felt his bottom lip quiver, as well as the all four of his limbs as the other just stared him down with familiar stygian eyes.
"Are you going to let me in?" The cold voice said firmly, more as a statement than a question.
Instinctively, Naruto stepped back as he watched the other male climb through his window, his ebony hair plastered onto his forehead, as his drenched clothing created puddles on the hardwood flooring of Naruto's bedroom. Pale fingers closed the window behind him, before his actions froze upon hearing the blonde speak.
"Sa-Sasuke…?"
At the sound of his name being called, pale lips curved upward into a smirk, before turning around to face Naruto.
"… You're still as idiotic as always. I guess some things never do change, usuratonkachi." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his gaze never faltering from Naruto's.
"… I don't understand. Why are you here?" Naruto to another cautious step back, being sure to keep an eye on Sasuke's movements as well, in case the fair-toned teen attempted to attack him.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the blonde's defensive demeanor. It was to be expected though. Who in their right mind would let their guard down around an S-rank criminal?
Still, the rain drenched teen took more than his fair share of steps forward, breaking the personal space barrier between him and Naruto. Bearing his eyes into the other's cerulean ones, his mouth formed into a hard line.
"Simple. You're giving me a place to stay."
R&R Please`