White daisies laid below his feet, dancing along with the wind, and caressing his bare feet. How long had it been since he stood alone in the middle of nowhere? Probably years ago in the village he was born into. It didn't matter anymore. His only priority was to find a suitable place to wither away and become a bed a flowers himself. Step after step he could hear the flowers die under him, feel their lovely essence along his skin, and smell their enchanting aromas as they all fell and died. Sasuke wondered if he would smell as lovely as daisies when he passed; yet that thought vanished once he saw him across the meadow.

Naruto didn't know why he had come running to the sickly beautiful fields, maybe it was the promise of finding a quiet place to lay his head, or to just witness something that wasn't so bleak. Whatever reason prompted him there…he was glad for it. But also quite frightened. Sasuke was standing there across from him, barefoot, without a shirt to cover his pale chest. Only a sword by his side, yet no sense of anger within his brow. Clearly something was different.

"Sasuke?" It was a stupid thing to say.

Sasuke didn't respond. At this point words were only excuses to live longer, and that was not an option. He just walked on past the blond genin. A few daisies were kicked up by his feet, and he couldn't help but feel pity for them, after all they were helpless weren't they? Their fates depended on whether they would be lifted up by the wind or trampled by nimble feet.

The Uchiha slumped against a large willow, his legs dangled in front of him as if they were nothing more than limbs on a tree. Naruto watched the scene with curiosity. Sasuke seemed…calm. It was a rarity, an oddity…it was downright crazy as hell. Despite all of this the blond couldn't make his legs move. It was his opportunity, his one chance to take the bastard and carry him home. Take him away from everyone and everything, strip him from strife, and that damned hatred that clung to his every cell.

But. Naruto could not move. His legs were planted in fear. What if he approached, and in turn it caused Sasuke to disappear like the morning dew? It made his brain tremble in anguish at the thought of not being able to see him, to know if he actually existed and wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

Sasuke closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, before opening them to the blue sky which lingered over his body.

"Usuratonkachi?" That was also a stupid thing to say. He knew very well that Naruto was above his body, looking down at him with the dumb and boyish smile that he always carried.