He sat atop the old worn out shingles of the academy building, his gaze searching the horizon as the sun began to set, its light forever fleeting as it cast its last shadow, before veiling itself from the world, leaving in its presence a certain sense of emptiness so profound that it plunged them into darkness. And yet, as he sat shrouded by twilight he noticed a luminous light, shimmering against dusk. It's crescent like shape a hue of soft white as he basked within those gentle rays. And the male couldn't help but peer up at the moon as her vast beauty swept across his whole world.
Slowly, he extended his arm out towards the heavenly aurora, and curled his fingers, as if grasping for her hand and with a strained smile, he looked to her once more. Those sorrowful blue eyes glistening within the moonlight, "Oh Monster, what have you done?"
He sat still for a moment, the golden strands of his hair gleaming against her as his knees drew up towards his chest, and with a soft sight he wrapped his arms around himself, chin resting atop his knees. Since then he thought of this often, of how he had allowed such a man to escape from this place, despite the crimes committed, the misery brought. And yet, when he thought back to that moment, he thought of the way the male gazed upon him, not as a child but a normal boy, curious and eager to learn about the world. Of those chilly brown eyes that simply watched him, of the way those lengthy dark lashes swept across those pale cheeks, and that smile of his which seemed so genuine, how it curled softly at the corner, and spread across his lips. And then to those final minutes, where their gaze met once more before his stunning disappearance.
"Where have you gone?"
His voice rose softly against the tree tops as it drifted with the wind, the sweet sound acting as a melody as the town below drifted off into a blissful slumber. The stars twinkling from above as they mindfully watched the land below.
Often he sat like this, engrossed in the mere thought of him, of the way that faint smirk seemed to suppress a solemn sense of deceit. And once more, he found himself drawn back to those weary eyes that held a heavy burden, a dreadful remorse. Was this man really behind the gruesome slaughter of an entire clan?
"Itachi…" He elongated each word, as if drawing it out. There was a stillness to it as his name carried onto the wind, and yet it tormented the boy, and each night since he found himself asking why, how could he have done it?
"No matter how much I try, I just can't understand." The gentle ease of his voice quievered oh so slightly as he lingered in her luminescence, the soft turquoise of his gaze radiating against hers, "They may have been cruel, and unjust; in dignified and perhaps inhumane, but what lead you to kill? To harm these people, our allies? How could you stain the soil on which we built our lives, our homes? Are you a friend, or a foe; a monster, or a mere weasel? How could I simply place my faith unto someone whose absence plays a constant reminder to what I've done. And how can you dare call me a Prince, when I'm nothing more than a monster?" The glimmer of her presence seemed to dampen as he sighed once more, and as his gaze cast downwards towards the shingles that lie below, he began once more. His voice but a bare whisper, "And what of your brother? How am I to face such a boy, fully aware of the burden that I have cast upon him? Of the way those bitter eyes dart towards me, as if piercing thin fine needles into my flesh; is that not what I deserve? Perhaps my passing will ease his soul, if only for a fleeting moment. Is it too much to ask for life, or would it be seen as egotistic to wish for an end?" He was still for a few moments more, and though he could hardly recall the way his breathing slowed, or how his lashes came to rest upon his cheek, he found himself succumbing to a certain darkness as grogginess set in. He dreamt of that hospital room, and of that once so charming male who welcomed him in with a weary gaze.
The male slouched despite his slender frame, thumbs hooked into the linings of his pockets as the wind began to press against his lean figure, causing him to shiver. With an incoherent mutter, the boy suddenly glared up towards the moon, as if to blame her for all his faults when he caught something resting against a rooftop, its silhouette casting an evening's shadow against those old shingles as it began to stir about restlessly, basking in her embrace. Intrigued, he found it in himself to scale the building and once high up his gaze fell to the blonde, who dazzled in the moonlight. His mouth slightly ajar as he softly snored, nose twitching ever so gently, and those golden strands of his radiating within her luminescence. He towered over the figure, his gaze a curious one as the boy began to stir, yawning softly between the two.
And when he finally came to, a certain sense of drowsiness obscured his vision and in an attempt to wake himself he rubbed at his eyes, blinking once more as his gaze focused upon the silhouette that draped over his resting figure, it's frame defined within the moonlight as he came to notice that raven like hair accenting his features, and those same brown eyes wary as they gazed upon the boy.
His voice had suddenly grown weak, and in a struggle to regain his composure a strangled murmur slipped through those tender lips, "…Monster?"
"What?" The male's voice was rough and ragged, as if he were spiteful of the boy for his mere existence, "Do I look like a monster to you?" His gaze left the blonde's as he sat himself upon the roof, legs crossed from beneath him as he glanced up towards the night skies, lips pursed into that of a rigid line, "If anything the monster here is you."
Silence loomed over the two as they sat alongside the other, and when the dark haired male hesitantly snuck a peek, he found himself distraught by the sudden sense of ambiguity that clouded those once vast and curious eyes.
"Hey," The taller male turned now, to acknowledge the blonde who spoke without much of a thought, his gaze fixated upon something before him, "If given the chance, would you kill me? Even if I demanded it of you?"
Silence resumed as the male began to contemplate, his fingers twitching absently with anticipation, or was it rather a certain uneasiness that suddenly pumped through his veins, causing him to shiver once more. As the weight carried on, the blonde spoke again, his tone more chilling then the last, "Sasuke," He called, "Will you kill me?"
"Naruto." For the first time, the blonde seemed to look towards the Uchiha as their eyes met, and with an audible sigh, the male continued, his gaze narrowing upon the boy, "Don't be such an idiot. Your soul may weigh heavily on that ill conscious of yours, but we both know that your heart stands strong, and it beats; if you'll only listen. It's aggravating for someone so feeble to ask another for death, despite what you've done. And I'm not going to kill you, and I'm not going to hate you, but just watching you live out this sorry excuse for a life is reward enough, for the trouble you've brought."
"So then, what shall I do? Even this life isn't mine, it's never belonged to me. What should I do?"
An irritable groan escaped from the male's throat as he looked towards the moon, at her serene presence, "Make it yours. You think these people give a fuck what happens to you, what you do? The only person you should be considered about is sitting right in front of you. You owe me a life Naruto, whether you realize it or not, and it's about time you've paid it."
"W-what?"
"Become better than me." As he spoke, Naruto noticed the way his lips seemed to curl into that of a twisted grin, those eyes which had once seemed so dull and full of hate, now brimming with a sense of certainty, "And we'll slay that demon together. That's the only way to repay the debt you owe me."
The blonde's gaze widened as he sat, astonished by the words, "K-kill?" He asked, his head shaking in disbelief, "Only a monster k-
"Kills?" The Uchiha snickered, as if this were all to his amusement, "Well I never said I was an angel, now did I?"
