It was quiet. Very quiet, now that everyone was asleep. Almost everyone, anyways. Sasuke was up. Sasuke was always up. But he wasn't in his house now he was sitting on a bench, staring at the sky, struggling to hold the tears in his eyes. He mustn't cry. Children cried. He wasn't a child. He quit being a child the day his family was killed.
But the tears came anyway. There was nothing he could do. Gentle sobs began to wrack his frame, then began to get louder until he could not hold it in any longer. He screamed at the skies.
"What have I done to deserve this life?"
When no one replied he continued to sob, not caring about anything at all anymore except for the moment he was in right now. Nothing could stop his tears now. Nothing could stop his thoughts from turned dark, from turning into shapes of his past…and his future. Nothing could interrupt -
"My my, aren't we feeling helpless tonight."
Sasuke looked up, jerked from his world. All around him was night. There were no lights, and the moon was too dim to light up anything. He growled a warning to whoever was around him.
"Don't worry," said the voice sarcastically. "It's only me, your conscience."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, not even bothering to wipe the tears away. He knew that voice.
"Go away Naruto, I'm not in the mood right now."
"I could tell that from your amazingly deep and well-thought out cry to the heavens."
"Shut up."
"If I can sit down."
Sasuke grumbled something incoherent and Konoha's number one hyperactive knuckle-head ninja sat down next to the Uchiha.
"It's very quiet, isn't it? I guess that's how it should be, considering the time…Do you know what time it is, Sasuke? I don't. Speaking of time, why are you out so late? I'm sure you could go cry and be emo or something wherever you live, too."
"SHUT UP." Sasuke grabbed Naruto's throat. "SHUT UP. You don't know anything about me, you don't have any idea…" Naruto stared into the boy's dark eyes. "Why…" Sasuke forced out through clenched teeth. "Why do you, of all people, care so much?" Naruto shrugged, obviously unafraid.
"I was joking, Sasuke. It was a joke, I didn't mean to make fun of you."
"Yeah, well, you did."
Naruto sighed.
"I'm such a loser."
Sasuke almost laughed at this from Naruto. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto? The loser? If anyone is a loser, then Sasuke himself was! Naruto had improved so much, and here Sasuke was, here – just here –
"But you know what's funny?"
"…what, Naruto? What's funny?"
"Well Sasuke, when you call me a loser, I ignore it. I never believe you. But when I call myself a loser, it's true..."
Sasuke began to wonder why Naruto was sharing this much with him.
"…but, you know, if I could have one wish, you know what it would be?"
"…"
"I would wish...that you and I were normal."
"…what?"
"Well, god knows you're not normal. No offense. I mean, you're Sasuke Uchiha. Everybody loves you, and you absolutely hate everyone -"
"I don't hate everyone."
"Yes you do. And I'm sorry if this comes to a shock to you, but you really hurt some people. Why can't you just be a friend for once?"
Sasuke stared at the ground.
"Didn't I tell you to go away?"
Naruto laughed. "I know you've heard this a million times from me, but I guess I have to spell it out again. I just don't know when to give up." Sasuke sighed and looked away. "Anyways, I'm not normal either."
"Huh…I figured that out a long time ago."
"Whatever Sasuke. It's just that…things have always been hard for the both of us. Can you imagine just being normal?"
"Of course."
Naruto shrugged. "I can't." He stole a glance at the Uchiha, who was staring into the distance, his face a mixture of pain and loss. "What about you?"
"What?"
"If you could have one wish, what would it be?"
"That you would leave me alone."
Naruto sighed. "I guess I set myself up for that one. But I'm not kidding. What would you wish for?"
"Wishing never solved anything, loser."
"Sasuke! Let's play pretend for a moment, okay? Let's pretend you can wish for something and have it come true. What do you want more than anything?"
This struck something in Sasuke. He frowned and faced Naruto slowly. He knew what he was meant to do.
…but was that was he wanted more than anything?
"To have a time machine," he said softly. Naruto nodded. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You don't think that's weird?"
Naruto cocked his head to one side. "A little."
It was silent again.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I would wish for a time machine?"
Naruto shook his head. "No." Sasuke stared at him. Naruto caught his gaze. The Uchiha sighed and shook his head.
"My whole family is dead, Naruto. And there's nothing I can do to bring them back. So I wish, I wish I could just go back and…" he choked up. "And make it right."
Naruto nodded solemnly. "I understand." He glanced at Sasuke, who was wiping his eyes furiously.
"Look Naruto," he said quickly. "This is not ordinary. This is not something that will now happen hereon in. This – never – happened."
Naruto nodded. "I get it." He stood up, staring at the stars. "Hey Sasuke…I heard that the stars are people who loved you looking down on you. Do you think, if one of them was someone you knew, do you think they'd be proud of you?"
Sasuke looked up, suddenly near tears. There was one star, right above him, and he thought he saw…
"Because…" Naruto said quietly. "I think they would."
Leaving Sasuke staring up at the skies, Naruto left as silently as he came.
Sasuke sat there, counting the stars.
Father…mother…aunty…uncle…
He closed his eyes and, like the chilled wind, a sweeping whisper found its way to Sasuke's ears.
…that's my boy.