Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warning: This chapter contains content that may not be suitable for children. It includes male/male relations, masturbation, and minor Sakura bashing (for those of you who like Sakura). If you are uncomfortable with any of the above topics now is your chance to turn back. Any and all flames will be returned tenfold.
Goodbye Now Hello Tomorrow
Face Off! Whoa…
The two face each other as equals, neither gaining the upper hand. Sasuke has his Sharingan activated. They clash and meld together like the forces of Yin and Yang. Naruto's Yin, deadly and stealthy, to Sasuke's quick and destructive Yang. Naruto dances around Sasuke almost like a dancing partner in this deadly dance of blood and sweat. Sasuke's demanding punches were answered by Naruto's kicks and lashes. Like this, they could have danced for hours, but Sasuke wanted his questions answered.
Their fight has moved from the clearing into the forests of Konoha's training grounds. They dash between trees and jump into the treetops to exchange deadly punches. Anyone watching would have only been able to see two black blurs rushing back and forth through the forest.
Gracefully, Sasuke plants his feet into the trunk of a tree. With a burst of chakra into his feet, Sasuke jumps towards Naruto and slams his body into Naruto's sending them both tumbling to the ground to wrestle it out using pure physical strength just like they used to. No chakra, no weapons. Just bodies and muscle. The result of their little wrestling match is a breathless Naruto staring up at a smirking Uchiha, the bigger nin pressing his knees onto either side of his chest.
"Looks like I win, dobe," said Sasuke panting above Naruto. The blonde just grunts at him.
"Yeah, you sure did."
"Tell me why you left the village, dobe." Naruto, in the midst of their battle, had completely forgotten about the current situation his was in concerning the Uchiha. He panics and starts trying to get away from the man above him, or push the ANBU off him at least. Sasuke simply grabs his wrists and pins them to the ground next to his head, but the blonde refuses to give in thrusting the center of his body into the Uchiha's larger form without any thought to what he actions mimic.
"Get off me!"
"No, not until you tell me why."
The sapphire-eyed ninja struggled in vain a few seconds longer, but with no results. It only made Sasuke angrier, and judging by the glare the blonde was receiving, he was very annoyed as well. He stopped struggling with a huff.
"Fine, you bastard, I'll tell you," he said defeated. "I was tired of being treated like dirt, so I left. I was tired of everyone lying to me about how they cared, and I was tired of being called a demon by the people I swore to protect day in and day out. I left because it was better for everyone that way. With the 'demon' finally gone they could be happy. I left to some place were I could finally act as myself."
Sasuke is outraged by the confession. "That's why. That's the reason why you left! Why didn't you confide in someone? Why not talk to the Hokage?"
"It's hard to 'confide in someone' when they push you away or are too busy to even look at you," Naruto sneers at him.
"And Sakura…"
Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. "Are you kidding? She hates me. She would rather I be dead than here." Naruto sighed. Sasuke is inwardly shocked to hear this statement. What had Sakura done to contribute to this behavior? He knows that she has never been the kindest person to Naruto, but he didn't believe that Sakura hated the blonde, but then again she is very pigheaded in the presence of certain people, and to this day, she doesn't know when to shut her mouth.
"I'm sure there was someone else…"
"Look, Sasuke, you may not think it's a good reason, but you don't know how it feels to be looked at day after day like you're less then human and deserve to be dead. Leaving the village gave me a chance to live without that, and I don't regret my decision to live instead of die."
Sigh. "Can you let me up, now? You're heavier than you look."
Reluctantly, Sasuke gets off Naruto and stands up. He aches a little at the absence of the heat between his legs that had been present when he had been straddling the blonde. He almost completely lost his nerve when Naruto started bucking into him. Almost being the key word. Needless to say, the friction very nearly inspired the most interesting of sensations.
"So why come back here?"
With a huff, Naruto sits up starting to dust himself off.
"I don't know yet," he whispered. "But does it really matter?"
When he finishes speaking, the Kyuubi carrier dares to glance up and is surprised to find a pale hand being offered to him, but he takes it graciously rising to stand next to Sasuke. They were so close, their chests no more than a breath away from each other. Staring into each others eyes for a moment, understanding passes between the two men in the silence. A connection that had been lost and ignored for years is found in that moment relit like a dying ember into the tiniest of flames, just hot enough to burn. Time froze seemingly irrelevant to the men.
With a sigh, Naruto broke the connection by looking down. Anyone present could have felt electricity course through the air between the two ninja, between the two men. After the surge seemingly settled, the two turn to move back to their starting point. Together, they walk back to the clearing to retrieve their belongings.
The setting sun paints the sky in gorgeous shades purple and orange. The colors, how they contrast so beautifully, remind Sasuke of what they used to be. Naruto's orange, bright and cheery, to Sasuke's purple, somber and silent. While the tones clash violently in other settings, right now in this instant no two colors went better together than these. Sasuke wants to feel the cohesiveness between them again. The camaraderie, the friendship. He yearns to touch and feel and breathe this person he once risked his life to save. He needs to capture this person he once tried to kill for no purpose other than because he was his most precious person and keep him safe in his arms, held there in safety and protection. Sasuke's gaze hovers on the blonde for several moments before he speaks.
"Oi, Naruto," calls Sasuke as he straps his katana back into its proper place.
"Nani?"
"'Ya hungry? I'll pay." Sasuke looks at Naruto and waits for the expected ramen response. Naruto smiles a small smile at him, but his words are something Sasuke never thought he would ever hear from the blonde.
"Thanks, Sasuke, but no. I'm not that hungry"
Okay, now this is getting ridiculous. The Naruto he knew would never have denied the offer of food. Maybe the blonde had been telling the truth, and he had changed drastically. Or maybe everything that the blonde had been before his defection been a lie as he alluded to earlier. Naruto chuckles at the "is that so" expression on Sasuke's face. It's a low pleasant sound that rumbles out of the back of the fox's throat.
"What? I don't eat too much these days." Naruto smiled. "Besides, I don't want anyone to know I'm back yet."
"Alright… Where are you staying?"
"Hold on, let me check." He pulls out the little slip of paper Tsunade had given him from a pocket in his cloak. He raises an eyebrow at the address on the paper. "She gave me the address of my old apartment."
Sasuke had figured as much. As of yet, no one had dared to rent the apartment Naruto used to live in. It was small and unfurnished, a little rundown. His old clothes still hang in the closet and old pictures still decorate the walls. Just the fact that the blonde lived in it was enough to keep most people stay, like it was haunted or something, but then again, they could have drawn that conclusion from the bloodstains on the bedroom floor that simply refuse to be washed out. Not that anyone had really tried to clean up the mess, no one, not one of Naruto's many friends had the nerve to.
"Well, let's head back then. I can check and make sure the apartment is safe." That was a lie. No one knows the blonde is back, so no one would be able to harm him intentionally, and besides, no one has been inside that apartment in years. In truth, Sasuke just didn't want to part with the blonde-haired ninja yet.
Sasuke watches as Naruto puts his cloak back on and pulls the hood up so no one would recognize him. Then Sasuke places his mask back on his face, and together, missing nin and ANBU captain, they walk back to the Hidden Leaf Village.
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Naruto enters his apartment for the first time in six years after Sasuke, somewhat timidly albeit. The ANBU captain looks around the small apartment, making sure there were no hidden traps or any other potential hazards present. Naruto looks around and goes into what was once his bedroom. He gaze shifts around, from the center of the room to the walls and the dresser. Everything is just as he left it six years ago, save for a thin sheet of dust coating everything. On the floor rests a long since dried bloodstain. The blonde cringes at the unwelcome memory inspired by the metallic smell that still lingers in the room.
"Is it true?" Naruto turns around to find Sasuke standing in the doorframe. He turns back around and stares at the stain along the length of the bed.
"Is what true?"
"You tried to commit suicide." This time it wasn't so much a question as a statement.
"Yes. I had been in a bad placed that day. I left early the morning after."
"Why did you do it?"
"I realized that no one neither needed nor wanted me. I thought it would be better for the village if I was dead. I guess being a failure crosses over into other aspects of my life as well."
Sasuke looks at the large bloodstain on the floor, and his eyes follow several smaller ones to the old vanity. He had been told about the bloodstains by Sakura, Kakashi, and Sai but had never seen them himself. He hadn't wanted to believe that Naruto had indeed attempted suicide. He could only imagine what Naruto might have been feeling, but he didn't understand it. Despite everything Sasuke has been though in his short life, never has he ever thought to end everything in a self-induced death. Besides, Naruto had always been happy. He always smiled, always believed in himself. He never cried, never got depressed, and never shut up for more than a minute.
The Naruto before him had yet to smile as large or wide a smile as he used to so often. His words were quickly uttered and precise, and his whole demeanor wasn't what it used to be. It was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. What could have happened to the blonde to change him like this?
'He may have never existed.'
Had it all been a lie?
Naruto was now moving into the conjoined bathroom. He came back out with a rug in hand and used it to cover the stains. It works pretty well, but Sasuke wonders why the hell Naruto would have a rug in his bathroom. As though reading his mind, Naruto answers his unvoiced questions.
"It was in the back of the cabinet. I just have to use it until I can get the floor redone." He turns away from Sasuke and stands still gazing out the closed window onto the empty streets of Konoha. Sasuke silently approached Naruto from behind. He grabs Naruto's right wrist, spins the blonde around, and raises the trapped wrist up over his head so he could unclasp the ties and chains on the gloves. He pulls up the glove to Naruto's forearm before the smaller male starts struggling.
"Let go!"
Sasuke pulled the glove all the way off to expose the crisscross lines decorating the blonde's wrist and forearm. Naruto's body was pressed up flush against Sasuke's chest as the raven examined the scars. Sasuke traced the markings on Naruto's wrist as the small blonde winced in response to the tender caress.
Naruto tried to get away again, but was just pulled further into Sasuke's body. The difference in height and physical strength was obviously in Sasuke's advantage. Naruto's head reached just below Sasuke's lips. Their torsos lined up perfectly in a dominant vs. recessive fashion. Sasuke reached for Naruto's other wrist to examine it as well. The glove was removed, and the scars were now visible for the world to see.
A strange look appeared in Sasuke's eyes as he gazed from the scars to Naruto's deep blue eyes. He leans forward and kisses the scars in front of him; his tongue, as an afterthought traces over the crisscrossing pattern. His lips trail their elevated ridges, feeling and understanding the meaning behind these story lines, and leave a burning sensation on Naruto's skin as he pulls away, wrapping his arms around Naruto's waist in a gentle embrace. Slowly, Naruto raises his arms to wrap them around Sasuke's neck in absolute astonishment.
Sasuke buries his face in Naruto's hair and inhales his scent. He smells of a fresh spring frost. It's an intoxicating smell, warm yet icy. He suspects he could easily fall in love with that smell among other things pertaining to the blonde if given chance. He doesn't know why he is doing this though, but he can no longer find the will to stop himself even if he wanted to. Naruto smells so good, so different. When Sasuke's lips brush against the skin of Naruto's throat, the little blonde shivers at the wonderful sensation.
"Sa…Sasuke…"
"Naruto?"
Sasuke pulls away slightly to look into a pair of stunned sapphire eyes. Sasuke lifts a hand to Naruto's whiskered cheek. He leans forward and plants his lips on Naruto's in a chaste kiss. Both their eyes slide shut as they stay like that for just a moment. Then they move. Their lips move against each other gracefully and sloppily at the same time. Tongues collide in brief strokes, the tentative tasting of the man in front of him. Each giving just as much as they take, but then, the moment is gone.
They both pull away at the same time. With their bodies still pressed together by Sasuke's arm, they could only just pull away. They can feel each other's breath. Their noses still brush against the other at the slightest movement. Naruto looks down, away from Sasuke. Sasuke peers at Naruto.
"Naruto…"
Said ninja does nothing in response to the calling of his name. He merely looks at Sasuke's chest not bothering to raise his head at all. Sasuke uses the hand he holds to Naruto's cheek to coax the blonde's eyes to meet his own.
"Be safe. Sleep well."
Naruto nods.
"I'll be back tomorrow morning."
With that, Sasuke disappears in a small flurry of wind. Naruto stands where he is staring at the spot Sasuke just occupied, thinking about what had just transpired between the two of them.
'Sasuke just kissed me.'
"I think he wanted to do more than that."
'But he can't. I'm a missing nin and Sasuke still needs to revive his clan.'
"You know better than that, Kit. There are plenty of ways around that especially when dealing with you."
'Yes, but he doesn't know that.'
"So… It doesn't change the fact that you can carry a child and help him revive his clan."
'But I don't trust him anymore, Kyuubi.' He moves into the bathroom to take a shower. Fresh, if not dusty, towels were still stocked in the cupboards. He pulls one out, beats the dust off, and places it on the counter.
"I can understand you not trusting him, but if the Uchiha really wants you, he'll have you. Whether it is him taking you by force or you giving yourself to him, it won't matter." Kyuubi chuckled much to Naruto's dismay. "That's what makes him such an excellent candidate for a mate."
Naruto blushed as the implication of Sasuke being a dominate mate or lover. The kiss they had shared earlier had been sweet, and he had enjoyed it greatly. He knew he cared for, even loved Sasuke as more than just a friend, but he doesn't want to do anything about it. He doesn't trust him enough to believe Sasuke was doing anything more than just playing with him, and besides, the council could still sentence him to death when all is said and done, so it is better he just stay away.
Naruto sighs in defeat as he shuts Kyuubi out and turns on the hot water. He sets it to a decent temperature and steps under the steady spray to allow his muscles to relax.
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Sasuke steps out of Naruto's apartment complex and stares out into the starry night sky. The full moon stares back down at him as he stands in the middle of the deserted street. Naruto's apartment is located in a very poor district. Not many people stayed out late in this area of town due to the constant violence of the area. It was too dangerous for a normal person, but not a problem for a trained ninja let alone the ANBU captain.
Sasuke looks from left to right before forcing his feet onward. All he can hear are the beating sounds of his own feet hitting the pavement as he walked. The occasional shout would echo from a building, but he takes no notice of it. Some people linger in the alleyways, and upon seeing the ANBU captain, they shift to a darker corner of the alley in apprehension. Sasuke won't waste his time though. Not only is it of no consequence to them what they do loitering at night but he is too busy thinking about the kiss he and Naruto shared just minutes ago.
'I can't believe I kissed him.'
Sasuke smirks as he remembers how Naruto's lips move against his ever so slightly, melding with his in a perfect example of submission. 'He enjoyed it. I have to find a way to persuade him into my life again.' As an afterthought he adds, 'and my bed.' Sasuke's smirk disappears as his thoughts take him to a more serious topic.
He was still trying to get his head around the changes in Naruto. He has matured of course, but he is so distant at least initially. The fox's demeanor reminds him of a ray of sunshine hiding behind a dark rain-filled cloud. He wants the sunlight to shine through again, but for that to happen he would have to talk to the fox which may now prove a difficulty. He wanted, no needed, the blonde to talk to him freely again. He knows he probably doesn't deserve it anymore after everything he's done, but he yearns for the blonde's trust. It was going to be tough, but he had to find a way accomplish his task.
He turns onto a more lively market street. He was somewhat hungry, having not eaten dinner yet. Since he didn't feel like making his own dinner, he stops at a small rice shack and orders some onigiri. The few patrons already there are chatting in quiet voices, and a general atmosphere of peace hovers around the shop. He sits on a stool in a darker corner of the shop to wait for his food to be delivered. He only removes his mask just as his meal comes to the table. With a small whisper of idakimasu, he begins to eat his inexpensive meal. His revere crumbles when he hears an ear-splitting scream of his name.
"Sasuke-kun!!!"
'Oh, God,' he thought rolling his eyes. A blur of pink hair rudely enters his line of sight as Sakura sits next to Sasuke to be close to him, a little too close for his comfort though. She is invading his personal space again, and he doesn't like it one bit.
"How was your mission, Sasuke-kun?"
"Fine," he grunted while chewing on some rice.
"What are you gonna do with your time off? Please don't tell me you're gonna go looking for Naruto again."
Sasuke looked up at her as if seeing her for the first time.
"She hates me"
Naruto's words echoed in his mind. Maybe Sakura did hate Naruto. She always gets angry whenever he takes off to search for Naruto, and never speaks of him with the others. The question was, however, why would she hate Naruto? The little blonde had never done anything to her except try to be a friend. Something was telling him it had something to do with him. He decides to find out.
"Why would you say that?"
"Well, I just think it'd be better for you spend time with me instead of looking for him all the time. He wouldn't even appreciate it."
'Like he would even know,' thought Sasuke.
"Besides he's probably dead by now, anyway, and good riddance too. Of course, it is a shame you weren't able to kill him first." She had yet to notice the death glare being sent her way. "…Because now you can't get the more advanced Sharingan. What was it called again, mangekyo?
"Sakura…" Sasuke was finished eating and had paid for his meal. He stood up preparing to leave, fed up with Sakura's stupidity.
"Yes, Sasuke-kun," said Sakura smiling brightly.
"You're annoying and stupid. Leave me alone."
Sakura sat there gapping as Sasuke walked away from her toward the Uchiha district. She sat there in astonishment until she just chalked it all up to Sasuke being shy. Who says the captain of the ANBU can't be shy towards women? She got up laughing and went home. (Stupid Bitch.)
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Sasuke enters his home silently enough. He deposits his mask and other equipment in the living room and walks down the hall to his room, gathering a fresh pair of black boxers and blue pajama bottoms. He walks into his conjoining bathroom, sets the clothes down on the countertop and undresses.
He turns the water on and steps into the shower. He gasped as the hot water hit is sensitive skin. He braced his hands against the wall, his head bent down so the water rushed over his sore neck. He sighs at the sensation as he lets his mind drift to what had happened earlier.
"That kiss…"
He closes his eyes, letting the water flow over his aching muscles. With his eyes closed, it was easier to think about all that had happened in the last few hours from fighting with Naruto to kissing him. Seeing him again for the first time in years, looking along the blonde's body, imagining what that body looked like without clothing. It entices him. He doesn't notice his growing erection until it is too late.
"Oh, God..."
Diligently, he raises his right hand over his groin and begins to pump himself up and down. With his eyes still closed, he could imagine Naruto's lips encasing him, sucking him off. He groans slightly at the mental image of blonde hair bobbing up and down on his cock making him cum.
He picks up the pace to a raw stroking stimulating the burning need in the pit of his stomach. In the meantime, his free hand pulls at his hair, a subconscious action that only aided to stimulate him in his current goal. He pumps himself into the familiar sexual oblivion that comes with orgasm.
"Naruto," he breathes out as he spirals down from his pleasurable height. Slowly, he washes the semen from his body and cleans himself off. He finishes washing his body and hair, steps out of the shower, dries himself, and dresses into his pajama bottoms. He walks back into his room and collapses on the bed, in sheer exhaustion.
He lies down under the covers and stares out the window.
'Goodnight, Naruto.'
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Naruto had finished his shower and was currently cleaning all the dust around the house. The floor is now spotless and the kitchen appears to be in mint condition. He has beaten the dust out of the mattress, pillows, and sheets successfully. By the end of his cleaning escapade, he is so covered in dust, cobwebs, and grime that he takes yet another shower.
By the time he got out of the shower it was three o'clock in the morning, and he was dead tired. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he stares out the window.
'Goodnight, Sasuke,' he thinks before moving to sleep.
He lies under the freshly washed sheets of his bed and fall into what he hopes will be a dreamless sleep.
TBC
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Until next time.