Author's Note: This was an idea I got earlier today, which I thought was cute. It's not much in the way of a story; I just thought it'd be a nice idea for character exploration and practise in thought processes. I apologize if my Sasuke is a little out of character, as I'm not really used to writing him in this much detail.
This will either be a two-shot or a three-shot fic.
The first chapter is from Sasuke's point of view, but third person. Next chapter will be the same events of this chapter, just from Naruto's point of view. And hopefully the third chapter will be the next event in the story.
I hope you like it, reviews are greatly appreciated!
-- Is a scene change or time skip.
Chapter One - Anonymous BenefactorTo everyone else today was just a normal day. Well technically it was just any other day. People still carried on as normal, doing their shopping, attending school, completing missions… As for Sasuke, this was a day that held no celebration, but a significant meaning. It was his birthday. He was seventeen now, which meant he had been back in Konoha for three full years.
It really didn't seem that long. Life had pretty much carried on without him once he had left. Not that he was expecting anything else. Everyone had carried on… apart from Naruto, who had fought to near death to try and get him back. It was stupid, Sasuke had once tried to server those ties with the blonde, but that stubborn idiot could never take the hint.
Things were different now, of course. If Sasuke hadn't wanted to stay here everyone would be dead by now.
Putting down the half empty cup of tea on his table, he walked over to his balcony. For the past three years now, he had always gotten a certain anonymous gift, and wondered if that person was going to show up or not. He tried to catch the person last year, but failed to do so.
With a frown, he picked up the rose that lay on his balcony floor, turning the tag over in his fingers as he read the words Happy Birthday scrawled in quick, but neat handwriting.
For a while he wondered if it was Sakura who was leaving these gifts, but that girl had no clue when his birthday was. Besides, her kind of gift wouldn't be anonymous. She's the kind of person who'd want the whole world to know she had bought The Sasuke Uchiha a birthday present.
He placed the rose in a black vase to match the rose's colour, staring at it indifferently. He didn't know why he wanted to know who was behind it so badly. He supposed it was because ever since he came back, no one has really noticed him or taken time to get to know him. It was stupid, but Sasuke would have to wait yet another year to try and catch the culprit.
--
Sweat rolled off his cheek and onto his collarbone, dripping down his bare chest and getting soaked up by his black sweatpants. Training had been a little tougher today because of the heat, which was strange because October doesn't see much summer-weather.
After a glass of water, a shower and a fresh change of clothes, the raven was feeling better. He lifted his head, feeling a sudden chakra presence and frowned, walking over to his balcony window. He remembered with a start, rushing to the railings and looking around almost frantically for the person that was here moments ago… but whoever that person was they were gone now.
How could he have been so stupid as to forget? All this waiting was getting too much to bear. This anonymous person was starting to grate against him just slightly. If they wanted themselves to be known, why didn't they just come out and hand him the present in person? What was Sasuke going to do, throw it back in their face?
Well, he wouldn't do that discourteously anyway.
It wasn't until he looked down, that he realized exactly what the person had left for him. Sasuke felt a sudden rise of… panic? Hope? He had no idea what he felt, but it was overwhelming and made him catch his breath and need to regain his composure for a few seconds.
Slowly, as if the present might disappear at any second, Sasuke reached down and picked up the rose. This time the rose was different. It wasn't black like the others, and for a brief second the raven wondered if this was some sort of prank.
The rose was orange.
Sasuke gulped, walking back into his house and placed the rose in the black vase. Why would Naruto do this? It really puzzled him, once the shock had gone, as the why the dobe would go to such lengths when he felt… Sasuke didn't even know anymore. It was getting confusing all of a sudden, and he didn't like not knowing what was going on in his teammate's head.
He frowned at the rose, as if it was Naruto and snorted. That idiot knew how to bring out the hidden emotions in the raven, and now he wondered if the blonde did that intentionally.
It wasn't like Sasuke hated Naruto. Hate was something he was all too familier with, he thought bitterly, and strong words like that shouldn't be something that's thrown around carelessly. No, in a way he cared for Naruto. He was after all his teammate, and not to forget his best friend. Some of the things they had been through together, like Sasuke dieing to save Naruto's life, were the kind of things that made the Uchiha search hard for exactly what he felt for the blonde.
Was it compassion? Adoration? Love?
That prospect scared him more than a little. The last people he had ever loved were brutally murdered by the person he looked up to and adored the most. The memory passed quickly and his fists unclenched, but the bitterness was still there in the back of his mouth. Love was unfamiliar territory, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go trespassing on it just yet…
But curiosity got the better of him and he stood up, not sure on how to approach Naruto. He knew he couldn't do it directly. He wanted Naruto to be the one to come to him.
--
Sasuke stared down at Naruto's balcony from his roof, gulping just slightly as he stared down at the something he had left there, wondering if it was too cheesy or corny to retaliate in this way… but it was too late now. Sasuke had already stopped masking his chakra to draw Naruto's attention, and started leaping from roof to roof back to his own house the second he heard the blonde come outside.