Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters, nor do I make any profit from this fanfic.

Warnings: Contains yaoi, spoilers, possibly some violence, and some foul language. If you cannot handle that, then do not read. Un-beta'd.

Rated: M

Pairing: SasuNaru/NaruSasu

Summary: With 2 1/2 yrs and the defeat of Madara behind them, Naruto and Sasuke have been through much. But when Naruto is talked into dating Hinata, both he and Sasuke are forced to face an inner struggle they've avoided for years. Canonverse, SasuNaru, minor NaruHina

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Chapter 2

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Alone on the back deck of his house, Uchiha Sasuke sat. The sun was hanging low in the sky; within awhile it would be sunset. Barefoot, bare-chested, and wearing black drawstring pants, he sat on the edge of the floor as he polished his weapons.

The old Uchiha district had been leveled long ago during the village's battle with Pein, taking all the physical remnants of the once busy quarter with it. When he'd arrived back at the village, after his temporary confinement, he'd been granted a house on the edge of the village. It was a smaller recreation of the main house where he'd once lived with his family all those years ago.

Sasuke expertly ran the blade of the wakizashi he held against the water stone, watching the smooth glide as he let his thoughts wander.

He really couldn't have cared less about the comfy arrangement. He didn't need anything extravagant given to him and would've been just as fine in an apartment. He'd lived in worse places, after all. Still, he'd never complained and had taken what was given to him. The one thing that had come with the house that he could truly say he valued was the expansive rear plot that was now partly a garden. It was a feature that Naruto had arranged for him. Once all plain green grass, over time he'd managed to have a pathway constructed and plant a variety of plants and vegetables in various sections. It was only when he was in his garden that he could feel a semblance of true peace. It was a stark contrast to when he was living within the dark caves of the earth.

The almighty Hokage had approved the house along with the formal apology. As far as Sasuke was concerned, however, the apologies were empty. He knew she could barely tolerate him. Yet, as unmoved as he was where the village heads' diplomacy towards him was concerned, he had to give the Hokage credit for standing up to what was formerly a militant and unforgiving council.

A murdering, unforgiving council, he thought darkly, his fine, dark brows pinching together as he paused in his work. The old members had died shortly after his return. He'd heard murmurings that all the upheaval and stress his return brought about had finally taken a toll on them in their old age.

Good. He might have accepted the faults of his clan but a part of his heart would always burn at the thought of what his brother had gone through. He might have finally understood Itachi's love for the village but it didn't mean he would forget the pain he'd gone through. To him they had been no better than Danzo. At least he got that fucker in the end. No one could tell him that he had been a good man with everyone's best interests in mind. He'd only been in it for himself and till this very day, he relished the fact that it was him who'd taken the son of a bitch down.

May he be rotting in his own hell, he thought vindictively. The council had wanted to give him hell for his death too, but it was to his great satisfaction that many of Danzo's past underhanded activities had been brought to the fore, exonerating him of the former Root leader's death.

Che. Whatever. What was done was done and he did not regret it.

Realizing his thoughts were going southward again, he refocused, lightly wiping the blade with water from the nearby bucket he'd set up next to him when he'd begun the ritual. Pouring the liquid over the sides a few times, he wiped it with careful, nimble fingers. Lifting it, he checked it. He was never satisfied until he could see his reflection clearly in it.

Seeing that he could, he lowered the weapon, sighing as he stared at the garden and lush property before him. There was only one person who had managed to make his complete transition into Konoha possible. It was the same person who'd gotten him to see the rest of the villagers as innocent inhabitants to Danzo and the council's scheme, thwarting his plans to annihilate the village as a whole.

The same person who'd planted the first plant in his garden.

Naruto.

In the end, they'd gone up against a depleted Madara together. He'd known the latter was using him of course, just as Obito and Orochimaru had tried to use him. And while he would've initially taken down Konoha using Obito's backing gladly to ensure that the sky would rain with Konoha's blood, he had never planned on being anyone's puppet, not even if the master handling the strings was his supposed ancestor. Simply because the world was cruel and imperfect hadn't meant that he would've been willing to destroy it. Therefore, after considering Itachi's final words, and the former Konoha Kage's, he'd joined the Allies and Naruto in the fight.

Afterwards, the real fight of his life had taken place.

Throughout it all, his old childhood friend had pledged his devotion to him even when he'd had him kissing dirt, back against the ground, battered and bruised. He couldn't understand his drive then, that incessant need in him to never give up the things that meant so importantly to him, which in Naruto's case was him. Sasuke hadn't wanted to understand even though by then, he had. He'd been too hurt, too sick, too filled with conflicting emotions to want to reason with anyone. He'd had a purpose to fulfill and it hadn't included making peace with Naruto and allowing him to become Hokage then.

However, Naruto hadn't cared and it had pissed him off unlike anything else despite the fact that he'd been expecting it. And so, he and Naruto fought briefly. It had been the most explosive fight of his life up until that time, and not because it had been the hardest physical battle, but because it had been the most emotional one since that of his and his brother's. He'd been enraged at the other's tenacity and at the same time amazed by Naruto's massive power. Yet, as impressive of a display as it had been, it was not the raw demonstration of strength that had undone him. No.

It was his words.

From an early age, the idiot had always possessed a way with words. They were not articulate words, as nothing a part of Naruto's person could be described as eloquent in any way, but they had been impassioned words. Words spoken like they'd been wrenched from his very soul. It was a trait that angered Sasuke because it usually forced him to become as emotional as the naïve ninja, and sure enough, he'd reacted to his words; reacted with any form of violence he could unleash with his abilities.

And the idiot had fought back magnificently.

When he'd thought he had the blond cornered and on his knees, he realized later it has really him who was being defeated. The tears, the words, the guilt, the frustration—the heart-wrenching expression on his face and the pain in his blue eyes—everything had choked his resolve. He realized after that that at that moment he hadn't really had Naruto on his knees, not in terms of their physical battle.

He'd had him on his knees emotionally.

With Naruto's ardent ability for expression he'd explained to him in no uncertain terms how he felt about him, their situation, the injustice, and the unfairness of it all. Then he'd brought up Itachi. That was when the wounds he thought he'd managed to cover in his heart had begun to bleed a little. His brother had insinuated to him that Naruto would help guide him in the end, the knowledge continually bearing down in his mind throughout the battle, and midway through their quarrel he finally understood that it was not naïve charity Naruto felt for him. No. It was gut-wrenching sorrow and empathy, not just for him, but also for everyone who had been monopolized by what at the core was something started way before their time. It had trickled down unto them like a domino effect culminating in everything that was happening at that moment. Naruto's compassion was born out of affinity because Naruto had been through the pain like him.

Yet somehow, Naruto, unlike him, refused to let anyone else suffer.

Naruto wanted to protect the innocents in this drawn out sinister scheme, but at the same time, he refused to let him walk down the dark path alone. He'd always been trying to get through his head that he was not truly alone and when it became apparent to him that Naruto was more than willing to die alongside him so that he would never be lonely, even in the afterlife, it dawned on him further just how profoundly he'd misunderstood Naruto. The boy who loved life more than anyone on this earth would go that far for him, not just for the sake of his village, but because he wouldn't let his friend, his brother, go down alone. It was never clearer to him than at that very moment why the Kyūbi had said he would regret killing Naruto all that time ago.

Sasuke sighed. He hadn't wanted to understand. He'd wanted to remain ignorant so that he could fuel his rage, but in the end he had understood. His own brother had had absolute faith in the blond-haired ninja, and while at first he'd wanted to fight against it, Itachi's words and will had finally influenced him along with his own realizations about Naruto and their situation. When everything was said and done, he'd lain with Naruto on the crumbled floor of the earth beneath them, and eventually, he'd let Naruto lead him down a new path, one that led him back to Konoha and a new era where the need for compromise had been essential above all else. With time, he'd painstakingly grown to understand that, as well as why it was better to let bygones be bygones. Through thick and thin Naruto, the dead-last loser, was his greatest champion. It was really only because of Naruto that he was able to stay living here, active as a shinobi, living a somewhat normal life.

Although it was far from easy sometimes. There were times where he would get so caught up in memories, he didn't go out in public until he'd shaken it off. Then there were times he felt so emotionally wasted it was almost oppressive. The nightmares were the absolute worst, however. They were always so unbelievably vivid, leaving him shaken and unguarded. Feeling that something was amiss, Naruto had once taken him to see Tsunade for an impromptu evaluation, which resulted with him being diagnosed as moderately depressed with chronic mental stress caused by the trauma he'd endured over the years.

The mere notion of being depressed irritated him. To him, all that signified was a sign of weakness. When he'd killed his brother and then later learned the truth about everything, he supposed his emotional desolation could've been a sign of depression but he'd managed to turn it into fuel for his fury and revenge. Now that he was living in relative peace he often had too much time to contemplate over it.

Gentle gusts of the early evening breeze blew in then, blowing some of the inky locks of his bangs in his face. Sitting back, he vaguely observed the sun nearing the horizon as he ran a strong, graceful hand through his hair and pondered over his current state in life further.

He supposed living alone didn't really help matters. Tsunade suggested he become more socially active, as did Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi at some point or other, but he'd been anti-social most of his life anyway, and frankly, he had no desire to begin assuming some lively persona. It simply was not him. He could deal with the occasional outing with the fellow Konoha nin but that was more or less where he drew the line. The other suggestion the Hokage had made was getting a "female companion".

Tch. Like hell. That was out of the question.

He was still trying to figure out how to be normal; he did not need some simpering, shrill-voiced, demanding woman to add to his troubles. A few women had already tried to cozy up to him over time, while on duty and off, and he'd made certain to get across the point that he was not interested. Certainly flashing his Sharingan was a bit extreme, but it always seemed to get the job done. Naruto always complained that he would be forever alone if he kept that up, but in this, he would not hear reason. His love life or lack thereof was no one's business but his.

For now, he was perfectly fine with dealing with his issues on his own. Well, not completely on my own, he thought with a shake of his head, thinking of Naruto. When he wasn't on a mission Naruto was always there for him, bringing him tomatoes, inviting him for ramen, training with him, even on days when he'd rather be left alone. Of course, he also occasionally trained with Kakashi, who was a considerable help to him being the only other Sharingan wielder alive. And he even let Sakura fuss over him on occasion as long as she kept her emotions in check. As for that freak Sai... well, he just ignored him altogether. However, Naruto... he was still his best friend. That said it all.

The sound of knocking at his front door suddenly roused Sasuke from his thoughts. Rising and picking up the wakizashi, he wiped it quickly with a nearby cloth and brought it in with him, setting it on its stand along with his other weapons as he made his way towards the door. Sensing the other person's chakra, his mouth quirked slightly in annoyance. What did she want so soon?

Without even bothering to put on a robe, he opened the door. "Sakura."

He mildly observed as the kunoichi smiled at him, eyes darting to his chest and coloring a little before she quickly caught his gaze again. "Hello, Sasuke. I hope you weren't busy or anything," she said uncertainly.

"No, it's fine. What do you need?" he asked, wanting to get to the point.

"Well, I wanted to see if you would be free this evening. You see, we are all gathering together for dinner to celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" he asked monotonously.

She smiled widely. "Celebrate Naruto beginning his Hokage apprenticeship!"

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction. So, finally the Hokage had decided to put the dobe to work. Naruto had been waiting for any indication that he would be favored for the next Hokage for some time now. As far as Sasuke was concerned though, he'd had no doubt the blond would be first choice. He ignored the meager twinge of envy that threatened to bubble up. He knew that Tsunade had an immense fondness for Naruto, as did all the Kage, but most importantly, he'd more than proven his worth to the village and had gained the unbridled trust of the shinobi nation. It had been hard to concede at first, but Sasuke eventually acknowledged that those were aspects that mattered tremendously when it came to earning the position.

"Hn. What time?"

Walking into Yakiniku Q sometime after dusk, dressed in causal black pants and a white shirt with the Uzushiogakure swirl, Naruto was pleasantly surprised to find all of the Konoha 11 there to celebrate his latest development. Sakura had sent him a message telling him to meet her there on the pretense of needing to talk to him about something. They all congratulated him enthusiastically, having been anticipating his arrival, with Shikamaru, Chōji, and Lee jovially patting him on the back, while Kiba playfully swatted his head and Shino and Neji respectfully gave their best wishes.

Shikamaru like himself had grown taller; the once lazy ninja having long since risen up to his responsibilities as a shinobi and, along to his own teammates, Shikamaru was one of his best confidantes. If for whatever reason his friends from Team 7 were not around, Shikamaru somehow always seemed to appear at just the right time, advising him, if albeit sometimes reluctantly. Neji and Shino had grown too, both ninja remaining as calm and composed as ever, with Neji in particular now a part of ANBU. Chōji, Lee, and Kiba had also matured; Chōji looking even more like his father now, Lee still looking frighteningly like Gai-sensei, and Kiba... well, he was still Kiba.

Naruto inwardly smirked when he thought about the last time Kiba had challenged him to a spar after an argument over who was better—an argument that had been started by the dog-breath nin, of course. It had been sometime after he'd brought Sasuke back. It had taken less than ten minutes for the whole thing to end in his favor and he'd also managed to pull Kiba's pants down in front of the small crowd of friends that had gathered to watch. It was another two weeks before Kiba would even give him the time of day.

Once the male repartee had ended, Ino pushed her way through. "Out of the way! I want to greet the man of the hour," she complained, her annoyed face giving way to a happier one upon reaching him. The svelte kunoichi remained fond of her purple uniform while retaining the long flaxen hair she'd always had, still in its signature ponytail with the long bangs that neatly covered one of her green eyes.

"Congrats, Naruto!" she told him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Naruto blushed. "Thanks, Ino," he replied, coyly rubbing the back of his head.

She then moved to one side to make way for Tenten and Hinata. The kunoichi had blossomed into beautiful women over time, the former with her dark hair still drawn up in buns and wearing her signature white sleeved blouse and dark pants, while the latter with her dark blue hair still long and the telltale eyes that indicated her Hyūga lineage still the same mysterious shade of pale lilac.

Standing before him, Tenten effortlessly smiled and congratulated him while Hinata gradually gave him a tremulous smile.

"Congratulations, Naruto-kun," she said in that shy voice of hers.

He smiled brightly at her. "Thanks, Hinata," he responded gratefully.

He didn't have too much time to say anything else to her before Sakura, now dressed in her regular daywear, walked up to him and hugged him, whispering to him, "I knew it would happen soon or later."

Naruto flushed with happiness as she saw the sincere joy in her green eyes. He hadn't told anyone yet, having spent the rest of the afternoon in the administrative section with Tsunade. He'd been planning on at least telling the rest of his team later on. But he especially couldn't wait to tell Sasuke. Where is he anyway, he briefly thought to himself.

"How did you guys know?" he asked with a smile, looking at everyone surrounding him.

Sakura laughed somewhat sheepishly. "A little birdie told me," she replied vaguely with a wave of her hand.

Naruto looked confused for a second before shaking his head and smiling. With everyone finally turning to go back to their seats, Naruto's eyes widened as he finally spotted Sasuke seated at one of the corners of the long table.

In typical Sasuke-fashion, he'd stayed calmly seated, waiting until the commotion was over. Dressed in a black, long sleeved, open-necked shirt and matching pants—civilian apparel he tended to favor these days—he sat cross-legged, catching his gaze as he approached and sat down next to him.

"So, Tsunade finally gave you the heads-up," he commented in his deep-voiced drawl, giving him a sideways glance that caused his bangs to partially cover his face from Naruto's view.

Naruto, who vaguely noticed Sakura sitting on his other side, smirked at him. "Yeap! Don't tell me you actually doubted me, bastard," he challenged.

"Hn, idiot," he replied, one dark eye glinting at him and the smallest of smiles playing at his lips.

Naruto smiled wide. With that exchange alone, Naruto knew that Sasuke had communicated to him in his own way that he was happy for him.

Within a short time, the marinated meat was brought to them and they began to cook it over the grills, everyone chattering animatedly throughout. Naruto smiled to himself. He was never more happy than at times like this. Not having grown up in a household with family, his friends were the closest thing to a family he had. Celebrating even the slightest accomplishments were always a treasure to him.

Suddenly, Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when a hand was waving in front of his face. "Naruto, you ok in there?" Sakura asked curiously, retracting her hand.

"Oh! Sorry Sakura-chan. I was thinking about something. What'd you say?" he asked sheepishly, scratching the side of his head.

She shook her head and gave a patient, motherly sigh. "I asked if you wanted loin or ribs?"

"Heh, how about everything!" he said with a gluttonous smile.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Of course."

"So when do you think Hokage-sama will retire, Naruto?" asked Chōji, his mouth full of meat and rice. The burly nin was seated in between Ino and Shikamaru who was seated directly opposite Naruto. On the other side of Ino at one corner sat Hinata while Neji sat at the other corner by Shikamaru. Meanwhile, on the other side of Sakura sat Lee and Tenten, leaving Shino and Kiba occupying the ends of the table—the latter accompanied by Akamaru who was laying down obediently by his feet.

Swallowing the food he'd begun shoving in his mouth, Naruto answered. "Well, she didn't give an exact date. She just said she wanted to retire within the next five years," he explained.

"That will give you plenty of time to learn from her," Ino said.

"Yeah. I'm glad she's giving me so much time to train."

Kiba chuckled. "Good thing too. I don't wanna have to work under a knuckle-head Hokage," he joked.

Naruto glared at him. "You mean the same knuckle-head that pulled your pants down in front of—"

Kiba's slit-pupil eyes went wide. "Shut-up!" he growled.

Naruto smirked victoriously. "That's what I thought," he said, promptly stuffing his mouth with rice. Their friends chuckled mildly.

Shikamaru leaned forward, one elbow coming to rest on the table. "You're really going all the way with it, huh. It's going to be a big responsibility when the time comes, Naruto," he said, eyeing him seriously.

Naruto sobered, looking into his friend's brown eyes. "I know, Shikamaru. But for me, this isn't just about making my dream come true. It's about servicing my village, protecting it to the best of my capabilities. Nothing would make me happier."

Shikamaru gave him a lopsided smile, pleased with his response, as were the rest of his friends.

"It'll be important to have a good support system around you, Naruto-kun," Lee chimed in then. "I think we should all make sure to keep training and get stronger so that we can support you accordingly!"

Naruto smiled, leaning forward slightly and making eye contact with his big-eyed, impassioned friend. "Thanks, Lee."

"I agree," Neji suddenly commented in his usual serene way. "It will be important for you to have a stable and loyal group of true subordinates and colleagues around you."

Naruto was about to reply to him when he realized Neji's pale eyes were not on him, but instead, focused pointedly on Sasuke who was silently eating his food next to Naruto.

Sasuke, sensing his stare, took another small bite of meat before calmly lowering his chops sticks and lifting his dark eyes to make eye contact with Neji.

"Are you insinuating something?" he asked calmly, staring impassively back at the older nin.

"Only that one can't help but wonder where you'll stand when Naruto takes his place as Hokage," he replied casually, arms crossing.

Naruto, as did everyone else, tensed, the atmosphere suddenly strained. "Hey, guys…" he began.

A smooth black brow rose. "Are you speaking for everyone here or for yourself, Hyūga?" Sasuke asked, his voice clipped.

"I think you should—"

"The both of you stop it!" Sakura suddenly butted in. Everyone at the table looked on warily.

Naruto sighed quietly. It seemed that the knowledge that for a brief time Sasuke had had designs to become Hokage, had not been forgotten. He knew Neji only said what he did out of concern, but...

He then glanced worriedly at Sasuke. If his normal stare could kill, Neji would be dead on the spot, he thought.

Neji and Sasuke had never really gotten along to begin with, he recalled. After Sasuke's return, Neji, without saying much, had made his distrust for Sasuke known. He'd only told him once that he kept his opinions to himself because he knew having Sasuke back in the village made him happy but that he harbored dislike for all the pain Sasuke had caused him. Naruto had found the sentiment touching but he'd asked Neji, as he did the others, to avoid being so hard on Sasuke and move passed those feelings. He wanted all his friends to get along despite everything, which was why Neji and Sasuke generally stayed out of each other's way.

Shikamaru sharply observed both shinobi. "Sakura's right. We all agreed long ago that what happened in the past would stay in the past. We are here to celebrate for Naruto. Calm yourselves."

Pacified, both ninja broke their fierce stare off, Sasuke returning to his eating and Neji sitting back with a general look of disinterest.

The awkward moment passing, Ino cleared her throat, ready to change the topic. "Say, when are Kakashi-sensei and Sai returning?" she asked, looking at Sakura and Naruto.

"Tsunade-sama said they'll be returning within the week," Sakura answered while serving Naruto more helpings.

"Yeah, and there's also Captain Yamato and Karin who are due to return as well," Naruto said.

"They will all most likely be coming back together. After their mission was completed, they were sent to aid Kakashi-san and Sai temporarily," Neji intoned quietly.

The others nodded in understanding. They understood that Neji as an ANBU member was privy to certain information the others were not. If he was mentioning it though, then it was information that could be shared.

The mentioning of Karin also made Naruto look at Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. He still sat unperturbed, eating in that meticulous way of his.

After the war, Karin was gradually freed from interrogation and surveillance and granted citizenship in Konoha after declaring her desire to stay within the village. A girl without home or village and free from any allegiances to any organizations, she'd willingly decided to pledge her allegiance to the village and put her skills to use, becoming a kunoichi of Konoha. Over time the girl had gradually gained everyone's trust and eased into the circle of the Konoha 11 where she'd become known as a somewhat crazed but good friend. Although her relationship with Sasuke was a bit frosty, to say the least.

Karin still hadn't forgiven Sasuke for what he'd done to her during his fight with Danzo, Naruto knew. Luckily for all of them, she could compose herself whenever he was around but she had long since resigned from her position as a member in the club of Sasuke's admirers. Sasuke, of course, couldn't care less, like the unapologetic bastard that he could at times be. The whole situation could be taken care of if he'd just apologize, Naruto thought exasperatingly to himself.

"Anyway, Kakashi-sensei will be proud, huh, Naruto? He was taught by the Fourth and he ended up teaching the anticipated next Hokage," Kiba said with a lopsided smirk, resting one red-marked cheek on a propped hand.

Naruto smiled warmly, blue eyes twinkling with pride as he thought of that. "Yeah, I hope so," he replied softly.

Sakura leaned in slightly next to him. "I know so," she added encouragingly with a firm nod of her head.

"Great, now just don't go screwing it all up because of your lapsing idiot-tendencies," Kiba then added with a chuckle.

Naruto turned to glare at the ninja, but before he could retort, he found Kiba with a face-full of lettuce and bean sprouts, courtesy of Sakura, making half the table's occupants flinch and the other half laugh.

Naruto, of course, was one of those who laughed.

Sometime later, with stomachs full and everyone in good humor, the ninja walked out of the restaurant, waving to each other as they departed. As it was nighttime, the numerous light posts and street signs that decorated the village lit up the Konoha streets as the evening public milled around.

Naruto was walking with Sasuke, having only put a short distance between them and the doors when he was stopped short.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura called.

Turning slightly, he paused, sensing Sasuke do the same. Sakura was stepping forward, Ino and Hinata waiting behind her. Making his way towards Sakura, he stopped just in front of her. "What's up, Sakura?"

Sakura smiled. "Well, you see, Hinata just told us that Neji had to see to something, which leaves Hinata without someone to walk her back home. We were thinking if you weren't busy, maybe you could walk her home?" she said almost sweetly.

Naruto's dark golden brows furrowed. "Is that so? I wonder what Neji had to do," Naruto pondered curiously, seeing Ino and Hinata looking at him watchfully. Ino in particular seemed... anxious.

"Well, I wouldn't see a problem with it," he began, making Sakura's smile widen, "except that I'm not going that way."

Sakura suddenly frowned. "Well, it's not that big of a deal, right? You can always walk home with Sasuke any other time," she pressed.

Naruto thought for a moment, one hand coming up to rub at his chin. "Hmm. No, I guess not. But, hey, you and Ino could walk her home, right?" he said brightly.

Green eyes widened slightly. "Well, I mean—"

"It makes more sense that way, Sakura, since you said you were spending the night at Ino's and Ino lives closer to Hinata than I do. That way Hinata can get home with a companion and you two can head on to Ino's. Easy," he said with a shrug of his shoulder and a smile.

Sakura, in an action Naruto seemed to miss, grit her teeth. "Right. Easy."

Naruto patted Sakura's shoulder good-naturedly. "Problem solved then. Good night guys!" he waved to the three kunoichi before turning around to leave with a waiting Sasuke.

"Goodnight," he vaguely heard them say.

A short distance later, Naruto and Sasuke were walking down a quiet residential street. They didn't really have to walk home but they, like many ninja, enjoyed some light exercise after a meal. Either way it was a custom that Sasuke and Naruto had had before his defection and one they renewed after his return.

"I think Sakura wanted you to walk Hinata home," Sasuke suddenly commented in an almost bored tone. He was walking with his hands in his pockets, face slightly tilted.

Naruto looked at him. "Huh? I know that, Sasuke. She did tell me after all," he replied somewhat sarcastically, continuing to walk next to his friend with his hands casually locked behind his head.

Sasuke snorted, rolling his eyes. "I didn't mean—never mind," he murmured.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Naruto dismissed. "Anyway, what do you plan on doing tomorrow?"

"Probably going to train. I also have to see the Hokage. She asked to see me."

Naruto, more familiar with Sasuke than almost anyone, could hear the slight apprehension in his friend's voice. He hid a smile. He had a good idea what the meeting would be about.

"I wouldn't worry about it. It probably isn't a big deal," Naruto said casually, looking skyward at the stars littering the night sky.

"Hn. Who said I was worried?" Sasuke countered, looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"No one. I'm just saying. Anyway, do you wanna train with me later tomorrow after you finish what you need to get done?"

"Sure," Sasuke replied after a beat.

Arriving to the crossroads where each would go their own way, Naruto stopped a few feet in front of Sasuke, the latter turning to look back at him. "Hey... um, about the whole Hokage thing... everything's good right? We're good?" he asked hopefully.

After a moment, Sasuke nodded at him. "Yeah."

Naruto quietly studied the dark-haired nin in front of him. The lamppost above them cast a befitting shadow over his friend's face and half of his body, bathing him in an almost mysterious lighting as the gentle night wind lightly blew his bangs against his pale face.

There were some things Naruto felt like he should say. Exactly what those things were, however, was beyond him. It was a feeling that tended to happen to him every time he and Sasuke parted ways. There was always this tugging somewhere inside of him. He'd always summed it up to a need to never be separated from his best friend after bringing him back, after having chased him for so long. It was silly, he knew, but while it was a feeling he could ignore, it wasn't a feeling that had ever gone away the last two years. He simply classified it as one of those things he'd have to deal with.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he said, absently pushing away some of his blond fringe that had fallen into one eye.

"Alright," Sasuke replied.

Naruto nodded one last time, readying to flash away.

"Naruto."

He paused. "Yeah?" he questioned, looking curiously at his friend whose gaze had shifted to the side and appeared to be thinking.

Suddenly, Sasuke caught his gaze again—only this time he was smirking. "Congratulations, usuratonkachi," he said before poofing away an instant later.

Naruto, surprised, stayed there for another few seconds before finally smiling. Perhaps at another time the comment might've seemed insulting. But at that moment, to Naruto, there was nothing more heartwarming the bastard could've said to him than that.

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Author's Note: Rushed to get this out before Sunday! I wrote a chunk of this chapter while watching the season finale of True Blood lol. How I multi-task is beyond me, but damn am I sad to wait another year for the next season. I also managed to write a lot of Sasuke's pov while listening to Kid Cudi's last album and it struck me how some of his lyrics could eerily relate to Sasuke's struggles. Thanks Kid Cudi. Ah, and for those of you that have never seen how the Japanese sharpen/polish their swords, it's a very intricate process, and the delicacy with which they handle it is rather interesting.