A/N: Ah yes, some SasuNaru.
It's been awhile since I've written about them. v.v I'm working on a lot of other ships at the moment, so here's a quick thing I decided to write out. Enjoy!
X
Straw, clay, and some wood wasn't enough to break the sharp winds. Said wind signaled the end of the year and the impending winter. Many people were aware of the fact that their homes weren't compatible during these times. Cotton and wool along with live sheep were sold and traded in lump sums, for women were knitting and sewing in preparation. With whatever money was leftover, some people would purchase meats, bread, and vegetables, whereas others used their shaved sheep for sustenance purposes since they wouldn't survive the winter without a coat.
Young Uzumaki Naruto sat in the only window of his hut, which was in the kitchen area. His large eyes, the epitome of far away seas, were locked in a staring competition with the world above. Clouds came together, them and the sky being a sickly grey color. His eyebrows came together when a sudden gust of wind smacked him, his eyes burning even when he snapped them shut.
"Dammit, Naruto, close the window!" The boy did as his mother commanded, picking up the rectangular piece of wood that leaned up against the wall at his feet. He grappled to slip it in the hole of the wall, but succeeded anyway. Naruto skipped from the now closed window to his mother, hugging himself around the arms. Potato and cabbage soup brewed at the stove, giving the home a small sense of warmth.
"Ma, do you think the 'Arctic God' will pay us a visit this year?" Naruto asked, moving out of his hugging position to allow his mother to wrap a freshly knitted blanket around him.
Uzumaki Kushina smiled amusedly. "Are you still going on about that storm? Don't jinx it, boy, or I'll tan you." she replied, rubbing his scarred cheeks to warm them before heading to the stove. She stirred the soup, deeming it ready to be eaten.
Naruto hugged the blanket tighter around him as he moved to the window, using one hand to hold the blanket in place while the other swiftly moved the wood inward and out of the window. His azure orbs glistened in the grey glow of the sky as he stared again, up over the village. The clouds were still slowly moving together, joining to become one massive marshmallow. Luckily, the winds settled.
As she dished out two bowls of soup, Kushina glanced at her son wondrously gazing out of the window. She couldn't help but smile warmly. Although she despised the winter, something about it amazed her son to no end. She assumed it was because every other time of the year was sunshine and rain. Naruto was always a little different, the same way snow was a little different in comparison to the other types of precipitation that the village was used to.
"If you come finish your supper, you can go outside."
Naruto's ears perked and he wasted no time in joining his mother at the small, circular dining table. He blew at the warm soup, scooped up his spoon, then dug in. As he ate, he hoped that it'd snow when he went outside. Naruto enjoyed seeing the tiny flakes dance as they descended from the sky for as long as he could remember. Snow was something he'd watch with his parents as a baby from inside, and play with outside as he grew.
Once he finished his soup Naruto discarded his blanket. He neatly folded it, placing it in his mother's hands, which she exchanged with his boots. He slid them on, along with an extra long sleeved shirt and a light coat. It passed as a wind breaker, since it was the strongest material going about in the village. Luckily, Naruto's father was able to send a coat for him and his mother before it became popular. The prices were rising, and no livestock was enough for any seller as the cold drew by closer.
A gust of wind blew into the hut as Naruto opened the door. Kushina, who sat at the dining table, bade her son farewell and demanded him be back before dark while fixing him up a new scarf. He kissed his palm and waved at her then headed out, making sure to close the door right behind him so his mother stayed warm.
Most villagers were inside, Naruto being the only being wandering about aimlessly. His eyes, as usual, stayed glued above him. The now bunched up clouds stared back at the blonde. Naruto huffed as he looked back down at his level and smiled.
He strolled through his neighborhood, briefly watching as some men added last minute repairs to their homes. The men eyed the blonde boy distastefully when he wished them a good evening. "I think that little demon is going to cause the worst winter." said one of them, turning to his fellow neighbor for agreement. Said fellow neighbor nodded. "We should sacrifice him to the Arctic God since he loves the damn snow so much."
Naruto wasn't deaf to these curses and bad mouthing about him. He heard it all. However, he remembered what his father told him before leaving. It was useless to pick a fight with those people, because Naruto knew deep inside that there was nothing wrong with him. He wasn't planning on changing who he was anytime soon.
"Hey, Naruto!"
A young girl about Naruto's age ran up to him, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing elegantly in the light wind. An oversized coat covered her body down to her mid legs, the ends of her red dress seeping out from the ends around her ankles. She held wrapped, peppermint candies in her loosely gloved hands, holding them outwards when she approached her friend.
Naruto nodded with a wide smile, taking out a few coins that were in his coat pocket. He handed them to her, in which she smiled gratefully and gave him two peppermint candies. "Thanks, Sakura."
Sakura stuffed the candies and coins in one of her coat pockets before waving him off. "No, thank you. Mama needs to buy some more meat, so she asked me to sell these candies. How're things holding up for you?" she asked, the two moving to a walk towards the village square.
"Ma's alright. We got a letter from my father, he says he's good, which is good. I just hope we'll get some snow this year." Naruto looked up at the sky again. Sakura was used to this, being the boy's only true friend ever since they first started school. She liked him, finding his uniqueness attractive and his person soothing.
She scoffed, pretending to be irritated with his wishes. "You know we'll get snow!" Sakura yelled as they entered the square. Her friend simply laughed. "Good luck with selling those candies!"
Naruto watched as she took the candies out from her pocket before offering them to a nearby woman. He then skidded to a sprint, heading to the outskirts of the village. People grimaced and scowled as the boy passed them, though he ignored the looks.
It was slowly getting dark out, and Naruto embraced himself when he found it to be much colder. Teasing flakes of snow descended from time to time. The winds grew stronger, and Naruto's exposed skin burned at how cold it was.
Out in an open area, snow began to collect, a light blanket coating the grass. As he appreciated this, Naruto came to the conclusion that he was most likely alone. That, and it would be snowing back at his village by the next morning. Naruto learned early on that traveling just a little out of the village would earn him light snow. He distinctly remembered going with his father when he was still small.
Being alone was also something Naruto surprisingly enjoyed. He took a seat on the snow-covered grass, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his ankles through his boots. Besides Sakura, the boy had no friends. Since Sakura was a growing girl, she seldom had time to hang out with Naruto anymore. After his father left, Naruto began to grow accustomed to and enjoy his own solitude. A tiny flake landed on the tip of Naruto's nose, and he breathily laughed before twitching his nose.
Staring through the slowly falling flakes, Naruto's eyes widened as they slowly began to make out a silhouette. He quickly shuffled to his feet, preparing for an old farmer or simply elderly person to scold him. The dark silhouette began to move, walking towards the blonde. As it drew closer, Naruto began to notice that it belonged to no elder. Not even an adult.
"Hey!" Naruto yelled, assuming it was a person his age.
He gulped when the silhouette stopped. Suddenly, the snow itself stopped, then began whirling in an intentional direction. Wind nearly knocked Naruto down on his face, and he wheezed when pressure was added to his lungs. His eyes burned, and he squeezed them shut, using his hands and arms to block his face.
Next thing he knew, Naruto was on the ground on his side. Cold liquid covered his face, and he had to move his facial muscles to keep them warm. The winds had stilled, and he could breathe again. He panted, the insides of his nostrils burning as he regained a regular breathing pace after light coughing.
"What're you doing out here, moron?"
Without opening his eyes, Naruto shakily turned on his stomach and brought himself up on his feet. Still breathing heavily, he rubbed his eyes before opening them. He then opened his mouth in a silent gasp at the boy standing before him.
He looked to be no older than thirteen, just as Naruto assumed. His upper body was covered with a simple blue short-sleeve, his arms wrapped in bandages from the forearm to the tips of his fingers. White shorts covered his lower body, his feet bare. How the boy survived with such little clothing was amazing.
But Naruto was amazed most by how the wind whirled around him as if he were it's lord. His inky obsidian hair blew gracefully, his shirt moving with the winds, and dark lashes brushed against pale cheeks for his eyes were closed. When they slowly fluttered open, onyx orbs stared through Naruto's soul with a deep scowl.
His skin, his unmarked skin, was as white as the snow that continued it's previous descending down when he opened his eyes.
Naruto blinked in awe, wetting his lips. He rubbed at his face, warming it. "Aren't you cold?" he asked.
The boy narrowed his eyes briefly before scoffing. "Do I look cold to you, stupid?" he replied, placing one hand on his hip. He looked up to the sky nonchalantly as Naruto gaped, then stuttered for words.
"I-It's kinda rude to answer a question with a question."
"You answered my question with a question first, idiot."
Naruto pouted, growing irritated with the name calling. He was used to it, considering most boys his age liked calling him out of his name. "My name's not 'idiot'. It's Naruto."
"I don't care." The boy turned around, walking back in the direction he came from. Naruto couldn't help but follow, poking his back. "Yes you do. If you didn't, you wouldn't have said anything, duck butt!"
At that moment the boy turned, grabbing Naruto's wrist in a vice grip. The blonde tried to tug his wrist away from the pain, but said pain was soon forgotten when he noticed the snow stilled once again. Naruto wiggled his legs when he noticed the temperature drop much more lower than seconds ago.
"Watch your damn mouth." the 'duckbutt' growled, roughly shoving Naruto backwards as he released him. He turned his back again, and as he did, the temperature slowly rose to its initial point and the snow gracefully danced its way to the ground.
Naruto had fallen down again, landing on his backside. Instead of getting back up to his feet, he crossed his arms and glared at the duckbutt's back as it slowly retreated. He decided not to mess with the boy any longer. He obviously wasn't friendly. Might as well let him leave.
However, after a few more steps, the boy looked to his right. He stared at nothing in particular. Naruto watched him for a bit, straightening his back. He then gasped when he noticed the boy glance at him very expectantly. The boy plopped down, mimicking Naruto's sitting position.
"…Why are you out here?" he asked again, his voice much more calmed and free of it's previous venom. Naruto blinked, then stretched his lips into a small smile. He relaxed, leaning forward with his hands on his ankles once again.
"I like to watch the snow. It's very–"
"No one likes the snow."
Naruto stopped speaking. The response was immediate. He noticed the boy hunch over, and a breeze ruffled his hair. Perhaps he was from the village and went unnoticed by Naruto. He had the same mindset as everyone else when it came to the snow. But something in his voice was different. He wasn't appointing disdain to the snow.
"I-I do. I love it, why else would I be out here?" He smiled, holding his arms out and his hands open. The small balls of frost melted once they touched his skin, and Naruto marveled at their beauty before they disappeared.
Blue eyes looked up after a while, being locked in obsidian ones as soon as they did. The duckbutt looked back at him, his eyes glistening in the light of the white snow. They resembled sparkling gems, and Naruto almost felt naked under his gaze.
Speaking of naked, Naruto scanned the boy's outfit again. "I'm surprised you're not an ice person. You should go home and change! I'm cold for you!"
The boy's eyes softened for a second before he turned around with a scoff. "I'm not cold. I'm fine. I've been out here for a while, I'll be fine for a few more hours." he said in a hushed tone. Naruto frowned, confused. "Does your mother knit? If you want, I could go back to my house and have my mom lend some wool, or perhaps a blanket? We've got plenty."
He heard the boy laugh amusedly. "You're helpless. Keep your blankets and scarves, I'm fine." he replied, deciding to turn around to completely face Naruto.
Said blonde pouted. He couldn't really argue, considering the boy looked fairly healthy. His mother would probably smack him and make him apologize for insulting the boy. He learned from an early age on that poor people were embarrassed or offended when offered luxuries they couldn't repay.
"Alright, alright. When do you plan on going back home?"
"I'm already home." the boy said with a heavy shrug.
Now Naruto was really confused. "Where's your family? Are they gonna pop outta nowhere the way you did?" he asked. He quickly regretted it, for at the mention of his family the boy's indifferent face turned sour. He turned back around.
All was silent. The blanket on the grass grew thicker as Naruto fumbled with his fingers, sometimes tracing designs in the snow. He frowned, disappointed with himself. He didn't want to give up the opportunity of gaining a new friend.
"Do you," he started, noticing the boy slowly turn his head over his shoulder, "like the snow? Is that why you're out here?"
The boy stared at Naruto for a while, the blonde feeling exposed again. He grappled to hold back squirming, and the boy smirked mockingly. Naruto glared at him, pouting his lips.
"No. I hate it." He watched as Naruto deflated, going back to tracing designs in the building snow. The boy then sighed, standing. "You should go home. It's getting late."
Naruto looked up from his drawings before standing as well. "Will you be here tomorrow?" he asked, the words leaving his mouth before being properly analyzed in his brain. Luckily, the boy thought nothing of it, only shoving his hands in his shorts pockets and strolling away.
"Hn."
X
Villagers thanked any gods or deities watching over them. Not a speck of snow or rain was shed overnight, and no type of frost collected anywhere. It gave people extra time to stock up. Once the snow came, it never stopped. It lightened, but kept at it for the winter's dedicated months. Everyone was especially happy and thankful for their extra day for preparation.
Everyone except for a certain blonde.
Pebbles that were too small to be considered rocks but hard enough to hurt were chucked and thrown in Naruto's direction in dozens. The taller boys laughed as Naruto tried to smack them aside and walk away, ignoring it. They persisted, only walking after him.
"Dumb blondie really was hoping for snow!" one of them cackled. Naruto rolled his eyes then hissed when a rock whacked the back of his neck. Honestly, it was a pretty dumb reason to be teased about. But Naruto kept from lashing out, only continuing his walk. They'd go away after awhile.
His mother was out, having gone early in the morning to the harbor to collect some stuff their father sent them. He was left alone with a cauldron of steaming porridge for breakfast. He'd taken a bowl and a spoon, deciding he'd eat out in his solitary field. It wasn't the same eating at home without his mother.
Rough hands met Naruto's scarred cheeks, and the blonde was forced to stop in his tracks. He squeezed the bowl and spoon in his hands before, closing his eyes shut to fight back tears. He heard the laughing behind him. They kept on calling him names, laughing loudly.
Their laughter was halted though when someone began screaming at them. Naruto opened his eyes, hearing the boys behind him scurry away. A tall, sandy blonde woman approached him, her honey brown eyes looking down at him with a mischievous twinkle.
"You alright, kid?" she asked. Naruto nodded after bowing gratefully.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks, Tsunade." He loosened his grip on the porridge bowl, swallowing down the burning rage in his chest.
The woman, Tsunade, only smiled warmly while ruffling his hair. "Don't let shrimps like them get to you. And always remember that what happened that day was not your fault. You were only a baby."
Naruto nodded, keeping his head bowed as he walked past her. Tsunade was one of the villagers that cared for him. She loved him like a son. He considered her his godmother since she was married to his godfather, who was his father's teacher. Naruto appreciated her.
The morning winds were very calm and steady. Naruto kept his hands warm with the bowl, the porridge heat lasting. His cheeks were stinging, and once he found himself out in the open area again, he placed the bowl down the feel his cheeks.
They were warm, and they burned. Naruto looked down and out at the much thicker blanket of snow over the grass. It was no longer snowing, but it was evident that it was over night. The blonde dug a hole for himself before sitting in it, feeling the texture of frozen grass beneath him.
He ate slowly, losing his appetite after a while. His bowl was moved to his right, the spoon still swimming in a reasonable amount of porridge. Naruto watched as it slowly sunk in the snow, closing his eyes after it stopped. His knees were hugged to his chest, and his chin was buried in the little opening.
The burning of his cheeks reminded him of the taunting, and the sizzling rage returned in his chest. At times like this, his father would usually be there for him when he ran home beaten and bloodied from using violence as a form of defense. His father knew that his poor Naruto would always be outnumbered, which was why he made his son promise to try his very hardest to hold back and be the bigger person.
A tear dribbled down a scarred, crimson cheek.
"What're you crying for, Naruto?"
Immediately, the boy's eyes snapped open, and by then more tears were sliding out of his sockets and down his cheeks. Naruto was quick to rub them, standing as he did so. When he moved his fists from his eyes, he smiled at the sight of the boy from yesterday staring at him with his hands coolly placed in his shorts pockets.
"Duckbutt! You're here!" Naruto exclaimed, raising his hands up in the air. The boy made a strangled noise of shock and anger in response. "My name's not 'duckbutt'. It's Sasuke."
My, how the tables turned. Naruto's smile widened, his teeth glowing in the bright light of the morning. "I didn't think you'd actually come back, Sasuke!" The boy, now formally addressed as Sasuke, frowned at the boy's enthusiasm. He then curiously watched as Naruto leaned over to pick up something buried in the snow.
Naruto walked closer to Sasuke, holding his now cold bowl of porridge outwards in offering. "Here, you can finish it." he said, his smile never faltering.
Sasuke shook his head, moving his hands from his pockets. "I'm not hungry." Naruto lowered the bowl, tilting his head curiously. "Oh, did you eat already?" he asked.
"No. I don't need to eat." Sasuke replied with a shrug. Naruto was briefly disturbed, but he let it go over his head, placing the bowl back down in the snow while shrugging himself.
Large blue orbs met with semi-large obsidian orbs when Naruto looked back up. They stared at each other, the wind stilling itself around them. Sasuke was first to clear his throat, Naruto blinking rapidly while shaking himself out of his little trance.
"How come you're out here again?" Naruto took a minute or two to process the question, then bent over and went to digging himself a hole. Sasuke tilted his head, watching as the blonde did so with shaky hands. He noticed the tan hands turning red, obviously from the cold.
Naruto took a seat when he saw a patch of grass, crossing his legs for warmth. He stared up at Sasuke, mildly bewildered by how Sasuke's bare feet stood atop the snow. He wasn't sinking in, despite the snow being far from frozen. Along with that, his pale feet weren't red from the cold, despite being thoroughly exposed to it.
Said observations were put to the back of Naruto's mind when Sasuke sat down before him, folding and crossing his legs and arms. He had an expectant look again, and Naruto remembered the question. He then broke into another wide smile.
"I love the snow." he said, twirling his finger in said snow.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde, looking him up and down from head to toe. Naruto shivered at the strong gaze, pouting when Sasuke smirked. "What? I'm cold." He even hugged himself for a bit to emphasize his point. Sasuke's smirk only widened.
"Are you?" Naruto watched as Sasuke tugged at the bandages around his arms, slowly unravelling them one arm at a time. Naruto expected to see scars and gashes, but was met with clean pale skin. "I thought you liked the snow. Don't complain now."
"I'm not, asshole!" The blonde saw a flash of Sasuke twisting his now bare wrist in a semi circular motion before something plummeted in his face. Naruto gagged when ice cold snow burned the back of his throat. His face also burned as the snow melted, and Naruto quickly wiped it off. Sasuke was innocently looking up at the sky.
Their eyes then met, and Naruto looked away with a blush after being caught staring. "You're fast." the blonde mumbled, an evil grin spreading on his face as he piled up some nearby snow. Sasuke made no sound, his eyes glued back up at the sky. Naruto made a lumpy ball, quick to fling it right for Sasuke's face. "Eat this!"
He didn't expect what had happened then. Sasuke raised his arm, the lumpy oval of snow stopping in mid air. Naruto's eyes were glued on Sasuke, who kept his eyes upward. The pale boy kept his hand and the snow there for a while, slowly looking down into Naruto's eyes. Naruto looked from Sasuke to his hand, then back up at Sasuke.
Sasuke shakily put his hand down, the snow falling into an ungraceful heap between the two boys. Naruto blinked a couple of times, ready for Sasuke to either disappear or for him to wake up in his bed back in the village at home.
When neither happened, Naruto cleared his throat. "How did you do that..?" he asked slowly, moving back in case the raven was angry. Sasuke stared at Naruto, a neat eyebrow raising after a while. The blonde rubbed his hands together, looking down at his lap. Perhaps he was just imagining whatever happened?
"If you're not afraid, take a look."
Naruto snapped his head up, leaning in as far as he could. He heard Sasuke swallow hard while moving his hands between them. They worked gracefully, twirling and spinning about. At first Naruto was confused, deciding it'd be best to just go back home. Sasuke was a crazy old nutcase.
But then, forming from Sasuke's hands were small beads of frost. They grew and multiplied quickly, and when Sasuke cupped his hands, a perfect ball of crystal clear snow sat nice and snug in them.
Naruto had to blink again, then again, in order to confirm that what he witnessed was true. When the ball of snow never disappeared, Naruto released a loud shriek. Whatever had happened was no joke. It was definitely real.
The snowball immediately made contact with Naruto's face, and Naruto could hear the panicked lecturing from Sasuke. Sasuke, someone he considered his new friend. Someone who had the power to make snow with his bare hands.
Wiping snow from his face, Naruto looked at Sasuke. The raven was beginning to rebandage his arms. Naruto was quick to react, grabbing Sasuke's wrist. "You have a gift! Do that again!"
Sasuke seemed surprised, for his eyes widened. They then returned back to normal size as he tugged the wrappings off his arm. "It's no gift, I can assure you. You should be screaming again." he muttered, frowning. Naruto nearly laughed, settling for a grin.
"No way, I think it's cool! Can you do some more tricks?"
Sasuke could only sigh, staring into Naruto's sparkling, enthusiastic eyes. The enthusiastic smile turned into a smaller, warmer smile, and Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. He stood, Naruto standing quickly after him.
"Here," Sasuke muttered, Naruto staring at his moving hands. Tiny beads of frost formed again, big blue eyes watching in wonderment. Sasuke stepped back before throwing his hands up in the air, the beads of frost shooting upwards. Naruto sighed in awe as flakes danced down slowly, landing all over his fluff of hair.
He couldn't stop himself from shuffling his feet in excitement. That, and the fact that he was getting very cold. Sasuke had little flurries swirl around Naruto's shivering body, only needing to wave his hand at the blonde as if dismissing him. Although it was painfully cold, Naruto enjoyed its…magical feeling. He couldn't possibly comprehend how Sasuke didn't see his cryokinesis as a gift.
As Sasuke caused another flurry of snow to fall to the ground, Naruto burst with an idea. "Can you make a hill of snow?" he asked, Sasuke's eyes glowing with amusement at the blonde's childish enthusiasm. "Hn."
With a concentrated frown Sasuke clapped his hands together. He then slowly spread them, Naruto watching from behind the boy as the snow piled on the grass parted. Sasuke pushed the snow into two large piles, then with another clap of his hands, he brought them together. A massive hill of snow stood before them, Naruto jumping up and down.
"Come on!" Sasuke yelped in surprise quietly when he was dragged by the wrist to the end of the hill. Naruto prepared to climb it, but when he took his first step, his foot slipped into the snow. It was his turn to yelp, pulling his leg from the burning cold.
Sasuke stared at him, an indifferent expression on his face. Naruto looked back at him, a small frown on his face. They stared at each other, having a silent battle.
In the end, Sasuke was first to turn away with a grunt, scowling up at his own hill creation. A bare, pale foot took a step beside the hole that Naruto's foot created. The hole quickly filled itself with new snow as Sasuke took another step, hard crystals of ice emerging from the hill behind the soles of his feet.
He leisurely climbed his way to the peak, and once he was there, a decent ladder of icicles was left in his wake. Naruto stared at them as they shone bright. Sasuke looked down at him with an expectant frown. "I didn't make this child like contraption for the hell of it, dobe." he called down.
Naruto half-glared at him before grabbing an icicle. It's coldness and rough texture felt like a million needles piercing through the skin of Naruto's hands. But that didn't stop him as he climbed, quick to reach the top with his raven haired companion.
"I'm here, teme." He smiled brightly, Sasuke shooting him a confused frown. "What now?" he asked.
The blonde laughed loudly before practically throwing himself down the hill. Sasuke didn't expect that, and Naruto only laughed louder when he heard the screams behind him as he tumbled down the powdery hill.
Sasuke stretched his arm out, a strong wind of snow shooting out to the end of the hill. He was just in time, for Naruto had landed head first in the newly created pillow of snow instead of bashing into the freezing ground. Sasuke frowned deeply when Naruto went limp, his face buried in the snow.
"Naruto..?" he called out, a bit chafed and surprised with how quiet his voice sounded. However, Naruto heard it, and the worry in his tone caused a fit of giggles. His spinning head was slowly raised from the snow, and Naruto gripped his stomach as he laughed aloud.
"I'm okay! Heehee, come on and try it, Sasuke!"
The raven ran a hand through his hair in relief, sighing heavily. "You damn idiot, there's no way I'm going down there the way you did." Naruto got back up on his feet, dusting his arms free of collected snow.
He then danced about, putting his fists to his hips and rolling them around in circles. "Aw, you're such a chicken! That explains the hairstyle!" he teased. He grinned when Sasuke growled like a feral. Naruto stopped his dance to wave his hands around.
"C'mon, scaredy-cat!"
Sasuke leaned over so that his side touched the hill. He then shuffled to his back, folding his arms over his chest. Naruto couldn't help but burst out laughing again as Sasuke slowly rolled his body forward, staying in position as he tumbled down the hill.
Laughter was all that could be heard when the raven reached the bottom. At first Sasuke glared venomously at Naruto, but the blonde was unaffected. He kept laughing, then the face splitting grin was settled down. Naruto's whiskered cheeks were glowing a soft pink, and his eyes sparkled happily.
By then Sasuke's throat rumbled with soft laughter of his own.
X
"Naruto."
Naruto looked up when his name was called. His arms were stretched out for balance, and he took small steps at a time to try and reach his summoner. Said summoner was sitting crossed-legged at a semi far distance from Naruto.
At one step Naruto put too much pressure onto his leg, the limb sliding backwards. He tried to keep balance, yelping and screeching as he slid and skid his legs outward in near splits and back and forth. When he finally lost balance, Sasuke shot a hand out to the blonde. A wind of heavy snow made its way to Naruto, being just in time, for Naruto landed in the cold fluff face first.
The fox boy lifted his snow covered face after a minute or two to smile. Sasuke kept his arm stretched out. He curled his fingers repeatedly, beckoning for Naruto to come forth. Naruto prepared to, but it was unnecessary, for a strong breeze pushed Naruto and the snow enough to slide across the ice. Naruto laughed lightly the entire way.
"What is it, Sasuke?" he asked when he finally reached him. Sasuke watched as the other male stood and dusted his clothing free of snow before taking a seat in front of him. Naruto looked into those strong obsidian eyes. He found it easy to read Sasuke now. Just one look and he could tell what the raven was feeling. Right now, he had something on his mind.
Sasuke shifted, crossing his arms. Naruto felt the temperature around them drop, and he embraced himself in preparation. He then moved his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out the two candies he had purchased from Sakura the previous day. He forgot to remove them since he wasn't intent on eating them right away.
As an attempt to ease the atmosphere, he handed one to Sasuke. Sasuke shook his head. "I don't–"
"It's just a peppermint drop. It won't bite. Actually, you're supposed to bite it."
"I know that, moron."
Naruto smiled when Sasuke accepted it. The two boys simultaneously unwrapped their treats, popping them into their mouths. Sasuke bit his early, his face turning sour as he chewed. Naruto on the other hand sucked the sweet treat with rosy cheeks and a satisfied smile.
"So, what were you gonna say?" he asked, using his tongue to move his shrinking candy around in his mouth.
Sasuke's eyes briefly widened in realization as he swallowed, then he crossed his arms again. "You never answered me. How come you were crying when I found you?"
Immediately the smile Naruto wore dropped. He'd silently hoped Sasuke would forget during either their hill rolling, snowball fight, or ice skating. It was the most fun he'd had personally. Considering no one in the village enjoyed the snow's presence, Naruto rarely got to go out and play in peace. Especially since his father left abroad.
"I was just upset." He paused, chewing the last of his candy. He then swallowed. "Some jerks at my village were bothering me about how we didn't get any snow. Our village is pretty small, so everyone knows each other. Overall, everyone hates me."
Sasuke had twisted his face into a frown. "Perhaps they hate the sun. At least, that's how I see you."
The raven sighed when Naruto tilted his head in confusion before blabbering about how the villagers loved the sunny weather. When they got back on the main subject, Naruto wore a stern expression.
"My mom told me a story. I was eight when she told me about the day I was born." he started slowly. Sasuke had moved in a little, and the small flurry of snow had stopped. Naruto scratched his cheek. "My birthday is October tenth, in the fall. I guess Mother Nature forgot that when I was born." He chuckled softly.
"My dad is the village's leader. He's called the 'Hokage'. The fourth. He's fairly new since the previous Hokage were ruling for a while. He's in charge of like, money and stuff." Sasuke had guessed that Naruto's father was some sort of political leader. That, and Naruto knew nothing about it.
Naruto seemed to have sensed Sasuke's thoughts. "I hated how he was always away. He would usually come here and take me with him when it snowed. We had lots of fun, kinda like today." He was silent after that for a bit, staring at his lap.
"Is he dead?" Sasuke asked, and the fear that grew in Naruto's eyes pushed him on edge.
"No, no! He sent us a letter from another village! He goes to neighboring villages for meetings and stuff, he'll be back!"
Both boys could hear the doubt in the boy's tone. "A man named Orochimaru was in line to be Hokage during the time my dad was running," Naruto started up again, Sasuke intrigued. "He was incredibly jealous and vengeful after my dad won. When my mom got pregnant, he declared that she was carrying a demon. Some sort of antichrist. Some believed him.
"Then, the day I was born, the 'Night of Kyūbi' occurred. A terrible blizzard had happened. Snow and hail pounded through houses, and the winds knocked houses down along with tearing them apart. They said the strong winds sounded like the roars of a fox demon. So many people died."
Sasuke sighed heavily, and Naruto hunched over with a droopy face. Sasuke then decided that he didn't like this side of Naruto. He wasn't used to it. He flicked his wrist a bit, and a small smile graced Naruto's face when flakes of snow danced around his frame.
"Afterwards, so many villagers threatened to kill me. My father was able to hold them off, though. He was loved, so his words had at least held them at bay. Now that he's away, everyone torments me about every little thing. Especially my love for snow."
Silence brewed around them. Flakes still danced and swirled around Naruto. As they did, the blonde began to feel how cold and wet he was. His clothing was soaked from the amount of snow he'd been rolling around and playing in. He was definitely cold.
The silence also made Naruto all types of comfortable. He looked over at Sasuke, who was scowling deeply at his lap. He was briefly afraid that his new friend was starting to consider him to be some type of monster, too. He swallowed thickly when Sasuke looked up at him.
His fears were gone, however, for Sasuke's hard eyes had softened. Pity. "Those jerks hit you, didn't they? That's why your cheeks had red marks." he said, rolling his eyes to look away when Naruto nodded.
"I at least hope you had a good childhood." Naruto said. He was finished speaking about himself. Sasuke had scoffed, making eye contact with the blonde again. Naruto had shifted, getting comfortable, then leaned in with his undivided attention given to the dark haired boy.
Said boy looked down to the ground. "My family is dead. I killed them." he said coldly. Naruto gasped loudly, his stomach twisting dangerously as he considering making a mad dash.
Sasuke's eyes remained on the ground. "I was seven years old. I was born with these special abilities. I couldn't control it. My older brother tried to help me, but I was too afraid I'd hurt him. I didn't directly murder them. It…was an accident."
Naruto released an explosive sigh. He knew Sasuke didn't have it in him to kill. He was very aloof and came off rude, but something about him kept Naruto from fearing him in any type of way. Sasuke's voice had cracked at the end, being almost below a whisper. "What…what happened?" Naruto whispered.
"…The house was slowly freezing. Day by day, I grew more and more emotionally unstable. I locked myself in my room out of fear. But they didn't leave. My older brother, everyday, started knocking on my door and trying to coax me to come out. He never forced me. Though I heard him getting weaker by the day. Then, one day, I heard his slow footsteps, and his croaked voice calling out for me. He hadn't even reached the door before collapsing. I came out, and the house was frozen. My parents had froze to death by the fireplace in their bedroom."
"Why were you so afraid..?" Naruto immediately asked, his voice quiet.
Sasuke's eyes were blazing red when he finally met Naruto's eyes, and shiny tears dripped down his cheeks. He stayed scowling. "I had had a dream about my powers taking my family from me. A dream about harming them. I thought I was preventing it."
The scowl twisted into a furious glare, and Sasuke growled. Hard winds howled, and Naruto sneezed whilst trying to embrace himself with warmth. He noticed Sasuke's glare, and he gulped. Sasuke stood, roaring. "That's why I don't understand why you find this curse to be a gift!"
When he stomped his foot, Naruto stood, and when he did, a large flower of spiked icicles emerged from the ground. One spike collided with the side of Naruto's face and he yelled in pain and shock, gripping the disturbed area. Sasuke took note of what he'd created, then looked at Naruto with widened, crimson eyes.
Blood dripped down from his temple when he removed his hand, and a purple blue color quickly aroused on his skin. The blood froze as the winds around the boys grew stronger. Naruto felt immense pressure on his lungs, and he wheezed as he tried to breathe. Sasuke watched in contained horror as the blonde bled, bruised, and wheezed.
All in his fault.
Naruto's large blue eyes teared up from the wind burning it, and all he could see was Sasuke's blurred figure running away, fast, from him. He tried to call out to him, but it only caused another fit of coughs. His head throbbed and he gripped it to try and settle it.
Hail and snow began to drop. The hard balls of ice thudded all over Naruto's body. Luckily, the winds calmed, and Naruto panted as he ran in the direction of his village. His heart pounded in his chest as tears dripped down his cheeks.
"Sasuke's gone."
The storm blazed behind him, being hot on his tail as he ran through the square. Nearby animals made a large fuss, and some sellers screamed at the blonde. Their screams went unheard, and were quickly forgotten when they looked up at the sky behind Naruto.
Dark skies quickly made their way over the head of the village. Winds howled, and people quickly grabbed their animals and produce before heading inside. Naruto, whose head still pounded, ran to the front of the village. He burst through the door of his house. Kushina jerked violently, yelling in surprise.
"What happened to you?" she gasped, placing the ladle she used to stir their supper down. Naruto gave her no time to talk, along with himself no time to explain. "A storm's coming!" Her eyes widened when she heard the wind howling outside.
The wood used to cover up the window crashed into the home. Kushina hugged Naruto close to her, trying to protect him from the incoming large balls of hail. She then moved under the table, dragging Naruto with her. Her hands grabbed a nail coming out of the floorboards.
Kushina then brutally ripped some of the floorboards up. Naruto looked over into the hole, seeing what seemed to be a not so spacious cellar. The small hut shook with the wind, rocking the table. Kushina was quick to grab her son. "Go inside, Naruto!" she urged, the blonde boy quickly stuffing himself in. It looked like a well, being made of cement. It was very fitted.
Naruto looked up, shivering from the earlier wind on his soaked clothing. "Aren't you coming in, Mom?" he asked. Kushina nodded, moving to fit her legs in. Naruto hugged her around the legs, trying to help pull her down.
He then gasped when her body crushed him up against the hard cement wall. His head was pounding harder than before. "Ma.." he squeaked. Kushina sighed shakily, fear leaking heavily into her voice. "It's too small." she said, quickly crawling back up to the surface.
Their hut was still shaking, the rhythmic sound of hail falling from the sky. Some people screamed from outside. Naruto gripped his head, losing focus. "Ma, no!" he called out, straining to look up at her. She kissed her hand, her arm shaking as she reached out to rub his forehead. She then gasped.
"Your head is burning up. A-And…your hair." Naruto frowned as tears dripped down her cheeks. She ran her fingers through his hair, caressing his scalp. Naruto closed his eyes, enjoying the petting. Kushina lightly tapped the large mark on his right temple, feeling the frozen blood.
He hissed and she retreated her arm. She then smiled when he opened his eyes. "I love you, okay? I'll be here when this is all over. This will all be over, soon." Naruto didn't have time to reply, for she placed the floorboards back in the space. Naruto heard the hidden farewell in her tone.
"No! No, Ma come back!" He tried to push the floorboards up, feeling a heavy weight keeping them down. He cried, punching and pushing the floorboards. It was no use. Kushina, from above, had laid her body over the floorboards. She stared up at the ceiling, her head going past the small, round, wooden table.
More tears dripped down to her ears, and she suppressed her sobs to hiccups. She rubbed her face, feeling the hut rock a bit as the winds screamed. She could remember being where her son currently was, holding her precious newborn close to her chest. The winds outside roared the same way they did twelve years ago.
"Minato.." she cried, smiling softly up at the ceiling. "Take care of Naruto."
Said blonde shook as he cried, feeling the hut vibrate from below. He gave the floorboards one last punch before grabbing his bruising fist. Naruto's head pounded and his muscles grew sore. He laid up against the wall, staring into the pitch black darkness. A million thoughts ran through his mind, the last one being a crimson pair of eyes before he closed his eyes.
"Sasuke.."
X
Despite being in a tight space, he was freezing. He shivered, feeling the cold water of frost melting on his skin. Naruto groggily opened his eyes, his head aching dully. The floorboard had ungracefully sunken in, as if something crashed through it. Small peaks of above could be seen, and Naruto had predicted that it was early morning the next day.
He slowly stretched his arms as much as he could without them colliding with the opposite wall of cement. He then reached up, pushing the floorboards upward. It was still stuck, and he pushed harder. He then began punching it again, feeling the pain from the previous evening return.
As he punched, he heard shuffling. "Hey, Ma! I'm okay!" he said, his voice slightly croaky. Footsteps made their way to where he was, and Naruto watched as milk white hands gripped the floorboards. They were pulled up.
The bright light of the morning burned Naruto's eyes. He squeezed them shut as they teared up. It was snowing lightly. Naruto predicted it'd been snowing for a while, for snow had fallen in when the floorboards were removed.
He placed his hands above on the surface floor of his kitchen, struggling to pick his weight up. Hands gripped him from behind, helping him to sit on piles of wood. Naruto looked around before him, seeing that the roof of his home fell in. Wood and debris surrounded him, the home he grew up in looking completely unrecognizable. Snow sparkled.
"Naruto?"
Naruto turned around, being met with wide green eyes. "Sakura?" Sakura was shaking, her face being paperwhite. Her eyes were rimmed pink, dark bags present beneath them. She still wore the oversized coat, which was covered in frost. Her hair was pulled back into a knitted beanie hat, some strands loosely falling out of it. She also wore pants under her dress.
"Are you okay?"
"Where's my mother?"
Sakura's face fell, her eyes quickly collecting in tears. They dripped as Naruto's own face fell. "I'm sorry, I don't know." she said softly, shrugging lightly. "I've been out here since the storm stopped with some of the villagers looking for survivors." The girl narrowed her eyes towards Naruto's hair.
"What's happening to your head..?" she asked, running her fingers through it. Naruto too narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" He watched as Sakura rummaged through her coat pockets. She pulled out a small mirror, it's back having an encrusted jewel Sakura flower on it. The mirror was turned, and Naruto gasped at what he saw.
About half of his head was inked black. Some thick strands of blonde were still present. His wound on his temple had frozen to pure ice. Naruto reached up and touched the ice, shivering. His skin was slowly losing it's color, his cheeks being tinged red.
The duo turned towards the door when a young woman came in, holding a pot of steaming soup. "Sakura, I–" She cut herself off with a gasp of terror. They frowned in confusion when the pot of soup dropped from her hands. Soup splashed around her feet.
"It's that insidious boy who brought forth the storm! The demon is still alive!"
Sakura gasped as the half-blonde's eyes widened. "N-No, I didn't!"
Villagers gathered around the home at the woman's screams. Sakura wrapped her arms around the boy, and he felt her shaking like a leaf. They all reacted the same way upon seeing Naruto, who was shedding tears as he watched them. Sakura attempted to convince them otherwise, to soothe Naruto.
It was no use. "We must kill him! That boy is a threat to our village!"
Naruto was quick to shake out of Sakura's embrace and run, pushing past the terrified villagers. He sobbed loudly as he ran, his head beginning to throb with a striking vengeance. He ran through the village square, nearly tripping over the debris.
The village was a mess, things turned and toppled over if not completely destroyed. The snow came up to his knees, but it didn't stop him from going. His sight was blurry and he ached all over. His chest twinged, for he craved his mother's embrace. He then growled as he cursed his father, wherever he was.
Snow made it's way from his knees to his ankles as he moved from the village. He made his way to the outskirts, briefly stopping when he noticed something in the corner of his eye. It was the snowman and practical snow slide he'd made with Sasuke the day before. Naruto scoffed, more tears leaking down his cheeks as he continued running.
He lost feeling in his legs when he collapsed. Naruto shook like a leaf in the wind, hugging his soaked legs to his chest. Light snow caressed him. He hiccuped when he could no longer cry, his tears feeling like ice on his cheeks. Naruto couldn't bring himself to check if the tears had frozen on his cheeks.
A bloodcurdling cough escaped him before a pair of bare, pale feet approached him. Naruto's eyes widened. "Sasuke..?" he croaked, his head feeling like stone. He heard a gasp.
"Naruto?" Obsidian eyes were staring at him then, Sasuke having crouched down to his level. Sasuke's face was overwrought, and his eyes leaked fear. "What the hell happened to you? Why're you back out here? L-Look at your hair!"
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle lightly. The outburst was unusual for the raven. Sasuke reached out, one hand cradling Naruto's neck and another the small of his back. Naruto hissed, for Sasuke's hands were ice cold to the touch. When he began trembling harder, Sasuke chewed his lip.
"Aren't you cold?" Naruto asked with great struggle due to his clattering jaw. Sasuke frowned softly before shaking his head.
"My internal organs are frozen, Naruto. The biggest organ of my body, the skin, is frozen as well. I can't feel anything. That's why I don't need to eat or use the bathroom. That's also why, I didn't feel the house getting colder back then."
Blue eyes widened before squeezing shut. Naruto curled up against Sasuke's chest, being taken aback when he felt nothing. No such beats or vibrations could be felt from within. He wasn't lying. Everything inside Sasuke was frozen solid. Even his heart, which Naruto was mainly searching for.
"Now we need to get you somewhere warm, I know you're cold." Sasuke's voice shook as he got back up to his feet, carrying Naruto. The winds were fierce, piercing Naruto's skin through the weakening fabric of his clothing. He felt like crying for warmth, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything. His legs felt like lead, and he couldn't move them. His head and eyelids also felt heavy.
However, Naruto stayed awake. He kept his eyes up, staring at Sasuke as he walked. Sasuke's teeth were gritted and his eyebrows were nearly knitted together. Pure determination was written all over his face.
It began to snow again. It hurt Naruto, but he still drank in it's beauty. The white flakes danced and jumped about as they made their way to the ground. He smiled, leaning his cheek against Sasuke's still chest. "He's not breathing.."
Naruto tugged on Sasuke's shirt, the latter looking down. "Hn?" Still trembling violently, Naruto's face fell. "You're," he started, trying to control his chattering jaw to speak. "not breathing?" Sasuke sighed heavily, his breath like frost against the skin of Naruto's face.
"My lungs are frozen. Why would I need to breath?"
"How'd…you sigh?"
"I'm just taking air into my mouth. It's not going anywhere."
Naruto nodded, remaining quiet again. His jaw was still clattering and his body was involuntarily shaking. The snow around them never stopped, and Naruto's eyelids felt heavy again. "It'll just be for a little bit." he promised himself while letting his eyes flutter shut.
Time passed, and he didn't feel any warmer than before. The winds were gone after some time, and he felt something soft beneath him. Then cloth. A blanket? Hands shook him softly but urgently, and Naruto gasped. The air tickled the back of his throat and he coughed violently, the coughs causing his head to pound.
He opened his eyes, grappling to do so. He was in a log cabin, from what he could tell. He looked down at his lap, finding himself snug in a bed. The blanket was thin, and his clothes were still wet with snow. Naruto was cold, but he felt sweat beading from his hairline.
In front of the bed was Sasuke, who was sitting at a dried out fireplace. Naruto watched as he grabbed some sticks, trying to lighten the fireplace. When he rubbed them together, frost slowly collected on it. Sasuke cursed, throwing the now frozen ice sticks across the room.
Naruto flinched slightly when they crashed on the ground. "Sasuke..?" he called out, his voice scratchy. Sasuke whipped his head around then quickly joined Naruto's bed side. He placed a hand on his forehead, frowning deeply. Naruto appreciated the cold hand on his heated forehead.
"It's so cold." Naruto whispered, his jaw twitching momentarily. The raven nodded. "I know, but you've gotta stay awake so we can take you back to your village." Sasuke quickly said before heading back to the fireplace. Naruto was quick to shake his head, but too weak to voice his protests.
As Sasuke paced back and forth, frost ran along the logs. Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he watched the frost quicken its pace. He shivered, moving like molasses to bundle himself up into a ball beneath the blankets. "Sasuke.."
After a couple more minutes of continuous pacing and frustrated noises, Sasuke joined Naruto's side again. He ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes. "This is all my fault." he whispered. Naruto swallowed thickly, his throat burning as he was enveloped in cold and hot air all at once. A whimper tore through his throat.
Large icicles emerged from the logs beneath Sasuke's feet as he crawled onto the bedside. Ice cold hands cradled Naruto by his back and neck, holding him close against his chest again. Naruto did nothing but shook, shook, and shook some more. He lost feeling in himself, and his body began to work on it's own.
"That's it. We're getting you out of here. I'm taking you to your village where you'll get proper care."
"No!"
Naruto fisted Sasuke's shirt, the latter looking down at him with widened eyes. "Are you insane? You'll die if you stay with me any longer! Don't you get it?! I'm a monster, Naruto! I won't do you any good!" He didn't expect for the boy, whose once sunshine hair was ebony and once caramel skin was white, to stretch his purple lips in a smile.
"Blizzard…last night," he whispered. Sasuke brought him closer, oblivious to the frost leisurely eating away at the fabric of Naruto's clothing. "everyone wants…to kill me."
The crackling sound of the frost taking over the log cabin finally registered in Sasuke's mind. He was quick to tighten his grip around Naruto before heading out of the cabin, straight into a blizzard that left him blind to any roads or familiarity as to where he came from.
Sasuke cursed loudly, deciding to go back into the cabin, only to be met with an ice castle. Naruto noticed Sasuke's blood red eyes. He buried his face in the still, cold chest as he listened to the winds howl around them. He was numb to the snow smacking him in the face when it blew in his direction. He'd stopped shivering, and the only evidence to him still being alive was his momentary mumbling.
Sasuke walked into the storm, seeing nothing but endless snow. He began to picture the worst, becoming overwhelmed. As he did, the winds grew stronger, and it became much harder to see.
The raven crashed down to his knees, settling Naruto in his lap, before raising his arms. Ice slid from the ground, overlapping each other above the two boys. Tiny holes let in some snow. Naruto's breath had gone shallow and he had ceased mumbling.
"You're just about the biggest idiot I've ever met." Sasuke began, holding Naruto close again. Blue eyes were glazed, almost out of focus. "But you're also just about the closest thing I've had to a best friend." Purple lips shakily smiled again.
Howls from the wind was all they heard. Naruto was still breathing, his face buried in Sasuke's arm. He began to think of his mother. He briefly wondered where she was, then began to speculate that she was gone. Then of course the little voice that told him his father was also dead arose loud and clear in the front of his mind. But that didn't matter anymore.
He thought of how he wanted to marry Sakura for a moment, but for some reason, he couldn't see her face in the glistening white robes. Naruto chuckled before mumbling something. Sasuke stared down at him, asking him to repeat himself.
"You're…my snow queen."
Sasuke's eyes widened before he gasped in what seemed to be pain, chewing his bottom lip and squeezing Naruto tighter against his chest. Naruto closed his eyes, thinking back to as far as he could remember. His mother singing him lullabies, his father helping him build an orange bicycle without training wheels, having dinner with both of his parents, meeting Sakura. His father kissing his forehead before climbing up onto the large ship, waving to him and his mother as he slowly faded away.
Then he felt something. Something vibrating against his face. Naruto struggled to shift himself, pressing his ear against Sasuke's chest. He squeaked. "Your heart.."
Sasuke blinked furiously, tears glistening in the shine of the ice that surrounded them. He, too, then felt the pounding throughout his body. The pounding that left him six years ago. Naruto laughed lightly, his dry throat evident. "…is beating. Let it beat, Sasuke."
The raven boy never breathed. He never felt the coldness of what he created. He didn't feel cramps in his abdomen after long days. He never felt nature calling. Once the blonde left, he gave him his heart. Sasuke was given his heart after Naruto was taken from him, the organ forever beating and thumping in his chest. To him, it was better than eating, breathing. He cherished it.
Light flurries of snow danced its way down as the two boys sat under the ice cave. Frost covered the freed boy, and he was frozen, his face stuck in an eternal expression of peaceful slumber. Sasuke laid his forehead on the one below him, his only friend still close to him.
He was oblivious to the tan, blonde, jumpy ball of sunshine dressed in beautiful white robes watching him from outside the caves of ice. That was until he heard the giggles and fits of familiar laughter.
X
A/N: Happy New Year!
My first story of 2016 and by God, is it terrible. I tried not to reference Disney's Frozen too much, considering I dislike the movie greatly (I only like Elsa, partially Anna, and the parents lol). I came up with the idea cause I personally love the snow. School's coming back soon, and it honestly makes me cringe. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and new year, and I wish you all the best! Muah!
