Dreaming Again

Naruto stood on top of a hill overlooking Konoha. Off to the side the faces of the Hokages looked down at him and at Konoha. The sun was setting: the colors of the sunset deep and beautiful shades of reds, yellows, and oranges in the sky.

As though to emphasize Naruto's favorite color, orange seemed the most prominent of all the other colors. The setting sun's rays illuminated part of Naruto's face, leaving part of the side of his face in shadows, giving him a more mature, more thoughtful look than what normally would have been on his face. Even the orange in his black and orange jumpsuit seemed darker, more mature.

Sakura came up behind Naruto, her hands clasped in front of her. Wind blew her pink hair gently, leaves gently flying by her and Naruto.

"It's over," she murmured. Naruto didn't respond to her words.

It was over. Everything was over. Orochimaru dead. The Akatsuki defeated.

And Sasuke had returned to Konoha.

Sasuke was on the hill there as well, even if not as close. He stood motionlessly, watching the two of them from afar.

Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, and then back at Naruto. The look she gave Sasuke and then Naruto betrayed her heart's new desire. Sasuke was her past love. Naruto was her new love.

"Naruto," she spoke quietly, her words heavy with emotion. So heavy in fact, that Naruto understood the intent, the meaning without her actually giving a confession.

The meaning was clear: I've chosen you – you over Sasuke.

Naruto turned to her and gave her a gentle smile –

A smile that told her that she had been too late. He cared for her, it was obvious, but he didn't care for her like that any more.

The wind blew around them, Naruto and Sakura, and even Sasuke who looked at them from a distance. Sakura gave a shaky smile, understanding the rejection for what it was. She wouldn't pester him like she had done to Sasuke. No, this heartache was much more painful. This rejection was deeper, more mature. She truly knew Naruto. It wasn't like with Sasuke.

While she had thought she had known Sasuke, it wasn't the same. She was closer, more connected with Naruto. The heartache of losing him was so much deeper. Naruto had always been there for her. To see that she could have had him, that she was too late, made the rejection that much worse.

Sasuke watched the exchange, wondering why Naruto had rejected Sakura. Everything that Naruto had ever hoped for had occurred. They had defeated Akatsuki. No great threats were left. Sasuke had returned. Even the Hokage position lingered in reach for Naruto. Why didn't he take the last thing that he had always dreamed of? Why did he reject Sakura's affection? He could have everything he'd always dreamed of having!

Sasuke watched the two of them as they walked toward him slowly. They smiled at him. Naruto's smile was bright and cheery; Sakura's sad, but resigned. Sasuke didn't return a smile of his own, but he fell in step with them just the same, walking with them, the setting sun at their backs.

- - -

Several years had passed. Naruto was Hokage, and Sasuke was dutifully following his ninja duties, following every order Naruto gave him. As an ANBU, he frequently found himself at Naruto's beck and call, watching him interact with many shinobi.

One interaction in particular had recently caught Sasuke's attention.

Sasuke watched bemusedly at the interaction between Hinata and Naruto. Hinata's crush was obvious, and for once, Sasuke felt that Naruto had finally realized Hinata's deep affection for him.

"Hinata," Naruto said, smiling at her gently. He gazed into her eyes and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. Sasuke's breath stopped as he watched the exchange, expecting Naruto to kiss Hinata, for him to tell her that he loved her back. They would get married and have children. It was obvious.

A vision of Naruto and Hinata getting married, him in a black tuxedo, her in a beautiful white dress came to his mind. They would be married on top of the hill where he had seen Naruto overlooking Konoha when peace had finally come to the Hidden Leaf Village.

Naruto would grasp Hinata around the waist with his left hand, and smile at her as they ran down the hill, laughing together as they ran. Her wedding dress's white train would flow behind her, her veil held up by white birds as wedding guests threw rice in the air to celebrate their union. They would look into each other's eyes, lovingly, blocking out the rest of the world save for each other.

The vision suddenly vanished, and Sasuke was brought back to the moment where Naruto's hand was still lightly squeezing Hinata's shoulder. Sasuke then truly looked at Naruto's smile, and he realized it was the same smile that Naruto had given to Sakura. It let her know without words that he didn't return her feelings. Hinata was a friend, nothing more. Hinata swallowed and nodded, for some reason not surprised by his rejection.

Years later, she ended up with Kiba and Shino. The three of them were very happy together.

- - -

Fifteen years passed. Fifteen years when Naruto and Sasuke remained completely and utterly single. Neither of them had even ever bothered with one-night stands.

At some point, Sasuke had finally realized that he had fallen in love with his best friend, with his Hokage. He would do anything for him, but he never said the words out loud.

Recently they had spent more and more time together, going on missions just the two of them.

They had just finished a mission together. Both were dressed in ANBU gear. Another Hokage had been selected to help rule over Konoha like when Sandaime and Yondaime both ruled at the same time. Naruto was free to go on missions, missions that Sasuke always insisted on going on to aid his Hokage.

Sasuke and Naruto lay sprawled out by a stream. The sound of water flowing gently to their right, and the shade from the tree that they were under set a strange mood over the two.

Peace settled through Sasuke, a peace that had been absent for all of his life. Perhaps it wasn't just peace that had filled him. More like a piece had fit into him, like Naruto was the missing piece to his heart that would finally allow peace to settle over him.

"Naruto," Sasuke murmured. Naruto sat up and looked at Sasuke. It was a thoughtful look, a knowing look. Sasuke realized with a jolt, that Naruto knew.

Naruto knew of his feelings for him.

And with Naruto's look, Sasuke knew too – Sasuke knew of Naruto's feelings for him.

They hadn't even needed to speak: just a simple, knowing look.

"Sasuke," Naruto murmured back, his eyes searching Sasuke's, slightly incredulous as the knowledge filled him. Sasuke sat up and moved closer to Naruto. They reached for each other, their hands coming up to cup the other's face, pulling in for a slow, gentle kiss. When the kiss ended, they pulled apart, looking at each other. Naruto lied back down, and Sasuke laid his head against Naruto. Idly Naruto's hand began to play with Sasuke's hair.

"Fifteen years...we could have been together fifteen years ago," Naruto said heavily. Sasuke swallowed, feeling the momentary peace leave him as an unexpected sense of loss filled him. Fifteen years when he could have been this close to Naruto. He was happy that at last his feelings were known, happy that at last they were together, but the knowledge that if he had just said something sooner burned in his chest.

"Fifteen years..." Sasuke murmured. He wished he hadn't waited, wished he had thought to say something sooner. Had he feared the rejection that Naruto had given to Sakura and Hinata would be given to him too? Why hadn't he ever realized before that Naruto had rejected their affection because Naruto's affection belonged to Sasuke?

He didn't want to think of the loss, of the 'what ifs?' Instead, he propped himself up on his elbow and kissed Naruto again, wrapping his arms around Naruto's neck, showing him the love he felt for his friend, his Hokage, and soon to be lover, desperately wanting to make up for the lost years.

Sasuke awoke, feeling the ache in his chest.

"Fifteen years," he murmured. Why had he waited fifteen years to confess to Naruto?

Sasuke blinked, looking around him, catching his bearings.

He wasn't in Konoha. He hadn't returned to Konoha. Things weren't resolved, and he was definitely not as old as he had been at the end of the dream.

Yet the feeling of loss still nagged at him. He had wasted fifteen years in his dream when he could have been together with Naruto.

Sasuke put his head in his hands. He was being foolish. He wasn't in love with Naruto. The feeling of loss was something stupid, something silly.

Yet it still burned.

He didn't want to be left alone again. Loss was something that he didn't deal well with, yet why was he dreaming of a loss of years with Naruto of all people?

Was it possible that Naruto loved him?

His former teammate surely cared about him, dropping everything to become stronger to try and bring Sasuke back to Konoha. Naruto had simply refused to let Sasuke go. Everything was so confusing.

What would happen if Naruto let him go? Who would he have then?

Sasuke looked at his hands, noticing how they shook.

The dream from the week before popped to mind, and once again he was left wondering what this dream meant. It felt like a dream of what could be, a warning of sorts. This is what you could have, but at the same time showing him that he had to act in order to get what he wanted as soon as possible.

Did he want to be with Naruto? Did he love Naruto? Was that why he kept dreaming of him?

Even more confusing than the dream was the fact that he couldn't answer that question.

Sasuke knew he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep after a dream like that. Instead, he got up and stretched. He headed outside and noticed the sun rising over the hill, noting the reds, yellows, and oranges as the sun rose.

Something nagged at him as he watched the orange hues, as they seemed especially prominent in the morning sky. He idly wondered if in Konoha, Naruto was overlooking the same sunrise.

End…?

Just a little note, there was actually a little more to this dream, actually between Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, but as this is about Naruto and Sasuke, I naturally didn't add that part in.

More dreams to come? I dunno. I haven't had any recently. Though I might post a little something as a conclusion. Who knows? Let me know what you thought! ~ Jelp