A/N: A oneshot done after having Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars on repeat. You should listen to the song with the fic, it sets the mood perfectly.
It was midafternoon when Sasuke noticed the shift of chakra in the air.
"You felt that boss?" Sasuke looked at Suigetsu, nodded, and then spoke.
"I want you to push on for about 5 more miles; there should be an old hideout underneath a clearing. Wait for me there."
"Are you sure, Sasuke-kun?" Karin laid a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke gave her a look and she dropped it.
"Get moving."
So they went.
Naruto hopped through trees quickly and quietly, stopping only to catch the scent again. He finally had Sasuke's trail after so many months of chasing shadows. The smell was so strong he could almost taste it, and it would've tasted like Sasuke should. Naruto caught his train of thought and dropped it, forcing images of sleek pale skin and chocolate eyes to the back of his mind. It would serve no good for him to get distracted this close to the goal.
It was dark when Sasuke heard his footsteps.
He had made a small fire, and it threw his shadow over into the surrounding foliage from where he sat. The wind rustled through the trees and through his hair (which probably needed to be cut) and Naruto must have learned some sort of stealth after all of this time because Sasuke strained to hear him.
He didn't wait long. But it was almost expected, because Naruto had never been one to hesitate.
"You miss me, bastard?"
That voice sent him back to simpler times. A place he remembered calling home, where he had childish aspirations and an answer for everything. So, for a second he didn't reply and had to fight the urge to laugh. Naruto didn't take kindly to his silence.
"Sasuke-teme!" Ah, there's the temper he had been expecting.
"Hn."
"Don't smirk at me! Come on, we have to get you back to Kohona before Sakura-chan guts me!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, because this was really getting old. 'It's like he purposely ignores the fact that I'm trying to get something done,' Sasuke clenches his jaw in frustration, 'I'm not a kid running away from home anymore.'
"No, dobe."
"You're coming back home with me whether you want to or not!"
"No, Na-ru-to." And Sasuke can feel his anger boiling over like steam from a forgotten pot. So his hand is on his sword approximately 2 seconds before Naruto lunges. His sharingan blazes to life, and he blocks every swipe of Naruto's kunai with ease, a small smirk on his face. It only serves to rile Naruto up more.
"Still the same dead last, aren't you usuratonkatchi?"
In a burst of inhuman speed Naruto comes flying at him, snarling insults and sending them both to the forest floor. He is grabbing fistfuls of Sasuke's shirt, hair, and obi and ripping them away like a raging wounded animal. There are more insults, but they're all lost in the fray and don't hold much consequence anymore anyway. They spend a bit of time rolling in the dirt fighting for the upper hand until Sasuke sees an opening and takes it, pinning Naruto beneath him.
"Dobe, stop!"
"No Sasuke, you prick! I'm sick of this shit! Come home to me!" And as soon as it's out Naruto pales. His hands twitch beneath Sasuke with the urge to cover his rapidly blushing face.
"What was that, dobe?"
"Nothing, you bastard, now get off!" But Sasuke had heard him loud and clear. And it did make sense really, what other reason would Naruto follow him around the countryside like some lost puppy if not undying love?
"I don't think so. Now is the perfect time to clear this up." Sasuke gets comfortable and Naruto grits his teeth but stills, giving up temporarily on escaping.
"Well Sasuke-teme, why won't you come back to Kohona?"
"I have to kill my brother."
"We could hel-" Sasuke interrupts the beginning of this painfully familiar speech.
"No Naruto, I need to face Itachi. By myself. Without you or Kohona or anyone else."
"But-" Sasuke cuts him off once more as he brushes a lock of blond out of those electric blue eyes, wide and shimmering in the moonlight. All of a sudden he is tired, and pushing the dobe away for appearances sake is too much of a hassle. He presses a chase kiss to Naruto's furrowed brow, murmuring loud enough for him to barely distinguish words.
"It's okay, I understand. But I have to do this and I need you to understand." Naruto's eyes are welling with tears and he's pushing and scratching at Sasuke's chest. Sasuke continues fanning kisses along his forehead, face, ear and neck. By the time he has touched every square inch of that beautiful face Naruto is trembling.
"Sasuke." He whispers, clutching fervently to his slipping obi. "I'm tired of waiting." He nods and catches the lone falling tear with his thumb, painting the saltwater over Naruto's bottom lip.
"I know," he rolls off of Naruto and lays on his side, looking down into those misty cerulean depths, "me too." Naruto buries his face into his shoulder, breathing in the smell of Sasuke in all its power.
"Where do we go from here S'uke?" Naruto whispers into him, and Sasuke can feel the creeping clutches of sleep upon them. The stars are hung noticeably heavy in the sky tonight, and he could almost accept the fact that this is probably the last time he'd get to hold Naruto like this, or ever. This moment would almost be enough, almost, because he'd have to let it go.
"Chasing scars, like always. I suppose."
When Naruto awoke in the morning it was to empty arms and a massive heartache. All signs of the fire and Sasuke's stuff had been cleared, and all that remained was Naruto himself. He ran a hand through his bangs, and if he closed his eyes and pretended, it could've almost been Sasuke's.
Naruto grits his teeth to hold back the inevitable breakdown.
He gets up and goes over to retrieve his pack from the branch it's hanging on. And if he hadn't lowered his head in submission to the situation he probably would have missed it.
Carved into an unsuspecting cedar tree, it was short and neat. But that was to be expected from Sasuke, because he never had much patience with emotions.
'Naruto,' it read, 'wait for me, I'll come home to you.'
And he could fight it back no longer, the tears swelled and flowed from his eyes as he smiled and spoke to the wakening forest.
"I know Sasuke. I understand."