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Notes: I was depressed and I needed fluff hahaha. Set a couple of days after Naruto and Sasuke's final battle. This is also part of the series of random one-shots I'm making that are technically canon-compliant, though this wasn't supposed to be the first story I publish from this series, but when inspiration knocks-you let it in to pound your ass.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and it's characters and I definitely don't make money off this.
Pairing: No pairings really but it is SNS fluff.
Warnings: Um, dealing with anxiety and panic attacks maybe? Playing with their chakra bond. That's about it really.
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Aftermath
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He wakes up in cold sweat, heart thudding loudly in his ears and breaths coming out in short gasps. His blue eyes move rapidly around him trying to recognize his surroundings, but he couldn't. Didn't. He remembers- he's facing Madara-no Obito- Kaguya? Naruto could feel his chakra hackles rising in his confusion. His heartrate increasing, every breath he takes makes his lungs burn, he needs to move-move and fight. Everyone was counting on him. He has to protect them. If only the world could stop spinning for one second-Naruto moves his hands to his head, his right hand feels light, no empty-why was it empty? What is happening? Oh God, he feels sick. He's suffocating, he's going to die and then Kurama will die with him-everyone on the field is counting on Kurama's chakra-they can't die! He tries taking deep breaths but his lungs refuse to cooperate. The thumpthumpthump of his heart beats in his ears and he can't control it. He hated this feeling, he knows it-has felt it before- this helplessness. His hand clutches at his heart, the gasps ripping out of his throat and he wheezes- is he dying? But-
Naruto!
There was a voice, a low and rumbling voice in his head. Naruto shakes his head and he feels his stomach flipflop with the motion.
Naruto! It's Kurama. Focus. You're in the hospital. You're okay Naruto. You're safe.
Hospital? Why is he in a hospital? That can't be right-he was fighting-who was he fighting? Why can't he remember? Naruto feels dread creeping up on him and swallows, his throat feels dry and scratchy, like tiny nails were stuck inside, choking him.
Naruto! Focus, child! You were fighting Sasuke!
Sasuke! That's right! Everyone was stuck inside the Infinite Tsukiyomi...only he and Sasuke can save everyone.
"I'm going execute the five Kages that are still inside the Tsukiyomi."
No, no no that can't be right. Sasuke came and he was fighting with them again, not against them. A choked sob rips out of him, the tears in his eyes gathering and blurring his vision. Naruto blocks the voice, it wasn't real. It can't be, it was lying to him. His hand moves to pull at his hair painfully before sliding down to claw at his throat. Why couldn't he breathe?
Stop! Naruto! Listen to me, everything's fine. Everyone's okay. Goddammit you brat-stop resisting me.
He squeezes his eyes shut, this has to be a dream. He knows he was on the battleground, Sasuke was by his side...he knows this. That's what's real. His closest friend was by his side.
Your obsession is unbelievable. Fine! Feel him out, Naruto. You can feel him, you're bonded. Remember?
Feel him? Feel Sasuke? Yes, he remembers that. He could feel Sasuke's chakra ever since they bonded. Even while they were fighting he knew where Sasuke was at all times.
Oh for the love of-Yes that's right. You can feel him, now focus on him. Follow his chakra.
The blond's hand falls heavily next to him as he concentrates on feeling Sasuke out. He finds the connection almost immediately, and it acts like a beacon. He feels it, strong and steady a short distance away and it moves him. Moves his body towards it and before he realizes it, Naruto's walking out of a room into a dimly lit hallway. He doesn't really process his surroundings, but his chakra tunes into Sasuke's, seeking it out and latching onto it like some sort of security blanket. His heart still beats so fast he could feel it in the tips of his fingers, while his breaths still come out in short gasps. He reaches a door and pauses, Sasuke's chakra is just behind this door. Yet again, his body moves and he enters the room, eyes taking in the prone figure on a hospital bed. Naruto's suddenly bathed in Sasuke's presence, it wraps around him like a warm blanket and the tension in his body leaves him in slow waves as he slowly comes to. His shoulders drop and his heart rate settles. He doesn't know how long he stood there, basking in the comfort of their connection, but he knows it's a while because when he finally moves-his feet ache.
He finds a seat beside Sasuke's bed and he drops down heavily on it, exhaling laboriously. Slowly, the past few days' events start coming back to him as he stares blankly at Sasuke. They won the war, Kaguya was no more, Sasuke was home and they both-he looks down at their missing arms, a bitter smile stretching his lips. For a world war-they got off easy considering. His blue eyes take in Sasuke, scanning the multiple bruises and bandages littering practically every inch of Sasuke, knowing he wasn't better off than the Uchiha. He could feel his own body aching, his muscles tired and his bones whining with every move. His earlier panic kept him from really feeling anything, but now that he's slowly settling, he is distinctly aware of both himself and his surroundings. Naruto finds himself feeling like a broken mess in more ways than one. His eyes shine with suppressed tears and Naruto scoots closer to Sasuke's bed. He lays his head down, hair brushing Sasuke's hip as he thinks about the last few days.
In the span of three days the five nations lost countless shinobi, Neji sacrificed himself, Shikamaru and Ino lost their fathers, he met and fought alongside his own father and lost him too, Sasuke lost Itachi for the second time- countless other families probably lost mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and-it wasn't fair. No one should have to feel this pain, the pain of having your loved ones ripped from you, taken by someone else's hand and burned with hundreds of other bodies. The only thing those families were given to remember their loved ones by were empty graves and forehead protectors. It was devastating and Naruto understood the feeling, he finally knows what it's like after all to lose someone like that. He couldn't imagine what it must feel like for those who grew up with those loved ones, got to know them day in and day out, fought with them, made up, cared for them... He spent a total of three days with his father and he could feel his heart bleed.
A choked sob echoes in the eerily silent room. Naruto's lifts his left hand to smother it uselessly, but the sobs kept coming, shaking his body and forcing his back to curl as hot tears spill endlessly over his scarred cheeks.
"Everyone's so broken, Sasuke..." he breathes hoarsely. Naruto's arm coming up to rest under his forehead when his fingers brush Sasuke's. Naruto pauses, hesitating for a second before he wraps his fingers around Sasuke's hand. It was cold, and it sends a shiver down Naruto's spine, but he doesn't care. He squeezes Sasuke's hand and watches the steady rise and fall of the Uchiha's chest. "How are we supposed to fix the world Sasuke?" Naruto never voices his doubts, but he honestly didn't know how he was supposed to bring everyone together. How is he supposed to stop them from wanting vengeance and retribution? How was he supposed to convince thousands of people to come together? Without a common enemy brining them together, the nations will have to deal with generations' worth of contempt and enmity.
The only thing Naruto knew was his own conviction and he can't claim to be able to magically solve thousands of people's resentments and pain. So the tears continue to fall, this time silently as Naruto allows himself this moment, this night to fall apart, because starting tomorrow, he has to start implementing a plan he has no idea how to start. Naruto twists his head to watch Sasuke, cheek pressed against the inside of his arm. "I don't know what to do..." Naruto admits softly, thumb rubbing slow circles on Sasuke's hand.
These were the spoils of war huh? A thousand deaths or more, lost friends and family, and two broken shinobi, one without purpose and the other with too much purpose. Five powerful nations nearly crumbled because of one man's bitter hatred, how was Naruto supposed to stop that from ever happening again?
A sudden squeeze of Naruto's hand pulls him out of his thoughts. He jerks his head up, eyes wide and mouth open, heart leaping into his throat. Sasuke was supposed to be drugged how is he awake?
"Sasuke...?" Naruto says, voice low. He narrows his eyes at Sasuke when he finds no response and is still seemingly asleep, eyes closed and breathing even. For a minute he just stares, expecting Sasuke to repeat the motion. Maybe it was a reflex? Those happen right? The blond exhales a weary breath, fingers flexing around Sasuke's as he tightens his grip anyway. Either he imagined it or it was just a simple reflex.
Tsunade herself drugged the Uchiha to accelerate the healing process. There was no way Sasuke would be able to wake up. Or maybe- maybe it was the chakra bond? Maybe Sasuke picked up on his inner turmoil? The thought sends a smile to Naruto's face and his thumb resumes its earlier activity. Naruto never imagined that one day he'd come to literally understand Sasuke's emotions, to literally feel what the Uchiha feels and to be able to tell exactly where the powerful man was standing. He didn't have the time to contemplate the full meaning behind their chakra bond before, but now that he was sitting right next to Sasuke, everything around them quiet and peaceful- Naruto could fully appreciate what the bond entails.
He's bathed in Sasuke, sitting next to him like this. He could feel his chakra flickering out to seek Sasuke's, wrapping around one another and enveloping him in warmth. It was soothing and Naruto couldn't find it in himself to care about Sasuke literally feeling and practically seeing everything he'd gone through. If there was anyone Naruto was willing to share his deepest, darkest fears and thoughts with, it was definitely Sasuke.
He knew, even before they bonded that Sasuke would never judge, but would actually understand. Sasuke's existence had always been a comfort to Naruto, sometimes an aggravating one, other times a depressing one, but a comfort nonetheless. Even when Sasuke wasn't physically there, Naruto would somehow find strength in thinking about him, in reminding himself that someday his best friend would find his way to be by his side again.
Naruto smiles, "You know...I still can't believe you're here?" he knew this day would come. It wasn't a twisted sense of self-righteousness, or arrogance on his part. He just-he knows Sasuke. For the longest time, he thought he didn't. Couldn't. For the longest time, he wasn't sure he ever could. But it didn't matter to him, he believed in Sasuke all the same, even when the last Uchiha didn't believe in himself, even when no one else did-Naruto just knew somehow.
"You're a complicated bastard you know that, right?" Naruto huffs a shallow laugh. His tears drying as he slowly moves to press his head more firmly against Sasuke's couldn't even tell how long he's been here, but his hand was starting to feel hot and clammy from holding onto Sasuke's so he knows it's been a while at least. He finds he has no intention of letting go any time soon and squeezes Sasuke's hand firmly and is only mildly surprised when pale fingers close firmly around his own in answer. The blond grins at the sedated Uchiha, chest feeling lighter already. He watches Sasuke breathe for a while longer, content.
A thought makes its way to Naruto's consciousness and his cheeks flare, his fingers start to absently trace random shapes on Sasuke's hand as he tries to wrestle the sudden need to go through with the idea out of his brain. What if someone sees them? Hell, what if Sasuke somehow wakes up and decides to Chidori his ass for it? Naruto would probably let him anyway, it'd be better than dying of embarrassment.
Naruto is horrified that none of those thoughts are actually discouraging and finds himself still wanting to go through with it. He coughs, trying to clear his throat. "Um-Sasuke? I'm going to..." he pauses, feeling awkward and his fingers still with him. "If-If you don't want to then you better say something now or forever hold your peace!" Naruto gets out in a rush. Heat travels at an alarming rate down his neck and up to his ears and he squeezes his eyes shut for a moment before opening them, determination and slight distress shining through.
"I'll kill you if you kill me, Uchiha." he warns the motionless body before him as he lets go of Sasuke's hand, feeling only slightly pathetic for what he was about to do.
Naruto moves to stand up shakily, then lifts a knee on the small space available on the narrow hospital bed. He swallows the forming lump of nervousness and repeats a mantra of 'too late to back out now, too late to back out now. Get a goddam grip Uzumaki' and presses more of his weight onto the bed, slowly sliding down to rest half on top of Sasuke's chest and half on the bed with the Uchiha's arm lying limply under Naruto's upper body.
He ignores the way his entire body burns in shame and closes his eyes, head pressed lightly to Sasuke's chest and he tries to focus on evening out his breathing. It doesn't work and all he can focus on is Sasuke's warm body beneath his own, which makes his face flush and his heart beat a wild rhythm in his chest with his stomach doing somersaults and his legs stiffening.
When Sasuke shows no signs of waking up, Naruto's eyes are still closed but the tension slowly starts leaving his body and he starts relaxing, legs first. They lift minutely to tangle a bit around Sasuke's while he shifts his upper body so that it isn't pressing onto Sasuke's right arm and is instead nudged gently until its curled loosely around Naruto. The blond's own arm drapes itself around Sasuke's chest, his palm resting beside his own head.
Naruto's weight settles more and more as he listens to Sasuke's heartbeat, the tranquil thump thump of it successfully comforting the blond enough to get his eyelids to unclench. He lifts his head and twists his neck far enough to stare at Sasuke. It was mildly alarming how staring at his best friend like one of his creepy fangirls steadily fills Naruto with serenity, the longing in his chest morphs into something that resembles fondness.
He doesn't remember ever being this close to the Uchiha's face without feeling the inexplicable need to punch it. Naruto chuckles lightly at the thought, the flush covering his face eases into a healthy blush that covers his scarred cheeks. He takes a moment to appreciate his closest friend's presence so near his own and wonders how this could actually be real. A while ago, he'd felt trapped in a post-panic haze and now he feels grounded. He feels strong enough to face his fears again, knowing that- come morning, everything would be okay.
"We're going to be okay Sasuke." Naruto's smile is calm when he lifts his hand to move a few stray hairs off of Sasuke's face. "You're going to be okay. I'll be right here." he finds himself whispering. Then, he turns his head back down, ear pressed against Sasuke's chest and arm coming to loop around the Uchiha again.
He lets the steady beating heart under him lull him into sleep, his eyes drooping and Naruto struggles to stay awake, wanting to savor as much of this moment as he could, knowing he most likely will not get to do this again-but the exhaustion overtakes him, his body eager to rest now that his mind has finally quieted down.
Fucking unbelievable.
Naruto decides to ignore Kurama's exasperation.
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The next morning Tsunade is throwing a fit around the hospital and Sakura winces when another chair sails out the window.
"What in the hell do you mean he isn't in his room?!" Tsunade bellows angrily. "I swear to-Where the hell could he have gone?!" the mighty woman starts stomping down the hospital halls with Sakura following reluctantly behind and absently wondering if she should remind the legendary medic that hospitals have rules about loud noises. She watches as Tsunade slams her fist on top of the nurses' station's counter and it cracks- and nope, Sakura is not willingly going to deal with that.
"Can someone tell me where the fuck is Uzumaki Naruto?!" Tusnade demands. Sakura feels bad for a moment over the scrambling and stuttering mess of nurses and hides a small smile. She has a feeling as to where Naruto could have gone so she wasn't that worried. Tsunade's mostly worried because she'd given Naruto explicit instructions to not bloody move. He never listened and he probably never will though, so Sakura's not that surprised that it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since then.
When Tsunade shouts at a random nurse to get to work and find out and the poor nurse actually flinches in fear, Sakura decides she should probably placate her master somehow before the entire hospital staff decide to collectively hate Tsunade and plan her early demise.
"I'm going to check Sasuke's room." Sakura states firmly-loudly- over Tsunade's yelling, who stops long enough to whip around and narrow her eyes at Sakura. She waves her off eventually with a "That's right. That idiot's probably glued to the Uchiha's side."
Sakura nods and turns on her heel to head for Sasuke's room, she was ninety-nine percent sure that's where Naruto decided to hide and was fully prepared to see him sprawled on a chair in there. So when Sakura walks in and finds herself definitely surprised at seeing the blond sprawled quite unattractively (was that drool?) and predictably, it left her feeling confused. Because for some reason, Naruto decided that it was somehow a really good idea to sleep on top of Sasuke at some point during the night with his head tucked awkwardly into Sasuke's neck, with Sasuke's arm wrapped around Naruto's shoulders and Naruto's arm spread on top of Sasuke's chest.
Their legs made up a tangled mess with the blankets bunched half around them and half shoved to the end of the hospital bed. Apparently, he also thought it was a good idea to do so when they were both still seriously injured. Sakura holds her giggles in, not wanting to wake either up and she sneaks quietly back out of the room with a shake of her head, but not before smiling fondly at her stupid teammates.
A part of her hopes Sasuke wakes up first, the drugs should wear off in a couple of hours and she definitely wants to see how the powerful last surviving Uchiha decides to handle that particular situation.
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END
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A/N: I hope you all enjoyed. Thanks for reading and please do leave a comment, they do help and I like hearing from you guys.
Playlist:
*Pieces - Red
*Dark on Me - Starset