Rejoice! I have updated!

Dozo.

Voices of a Distant Star

CHAPTER 10

As though reminding him of that first message – a message that began everything; and changed all that Naruto took for granted – the day had begun with snow.

It was only a few weeks since I was assigned to the space fleet that we received news of the third expedition's complete rout from a Tharsian assault.

Naruto stared absently out the large window at the white that currently covered the training ground. His hard blue eyes softened as the sight properly registered through his blank mind. It felt almost nostalgic...

"Oi, Uzumaki!"

The expressive blue was hidden once more when the caller reached his side. Naruto knew who it was without even turning to see. After all, only Kiba, his old middle school friend, would know how he truly was and not be deterred by his cool stares. Only Kiba would be brave enough now to approach the Naruto Popsicle. Said brave soul was currently demanding the reason to Naruto's most recent assignment. The dark brown eyes flicked over to his lifeless blue apprehensively. "Tell me you did not volunteer readily for this assignment."

"I did."

Kiba sighed heavily at the calm response. "You're nuts, I tell you! They say that it's a rescue team they had to put together as fast as possible but you know that's just an excuse. Have you seen the equipment? They're antiques – just like the crew!"

Naruto had to laugh at the stupidity of the rant. If the crew were antiques, what was he then? Probably the crazy antique worshiper.

Kiba's voice grew annoyed. "It's not funny, man! Look, even if you get to Agartha in one piece—"

Naruto started. His blue eyes widened. His phone had just- It had just—

"...who knows if they're not all dead already?" Kiba ended his rant only to realize that his listener wasn't exactly listening anymore. Instead the blond's attention had been taken solely by the old orange mobile in his tanned hands. Curiosity quickly got over his anger when Kiba saw what was actually being displayed on the small screen. "Whoa, your phone can still receive messages? It looks distorted..."

Naruto was silent for a long while. He didn't really care that it was distorted. He knew who it was from. His mind recalled idly what Kiba had just told him and Naruto suddenly felt the need to reply. "I know...I know what you're saying, but this could be my last chance..."

Kiba blinked at the puzzling words and blinked again when Naruto stood up. "Hey man, where are you going?"

The handsome, tanned face lit up with the barest hint of a smile as he turned back to answer. "We're given half a day to prepare our stuff. I'm going home."

Kiba blinked yet again. It was the first time in a long while that he had seen his blond friend smile.

'Dear twenty-five-year-old Naruto, Hello. This is sixteen-year-old Sasuke.'

The strange space dust twinkled pure white from the dim light of the ship. It reminded Sasuke of snow.

"It's still as beautiful as ever..."

Sasuke turned to the woman he was tending to. He blinked in puzzlement – how had she known he was thinking of snow? – before realizing that she was actually referring to the twinkling view of empty space being displayed through the ship's large window. He was about to reply when the woman spoke again. "I'm so glad I came...you can't find such a wondrous view on Earth..."

The innocently spoken words struck a strange chord in Sasuke. Here he was, wishing he could escape and just return home while someone else could be thinking him lucky to have experienced such beauty. He wasn't feeling very lucky at the moment, though. Thus unable to share the woman's gratefulness, he continued staring at the darkness blankly.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned, startled, at the call. Kakashi's dark eyes smiled cheerfully at the raven, in his non-injured arm a toolkit. "Mind giving me a hand?"

Sasuke frowned as he took in the heavily bandaged arm slung across the older man's chest. "Shouldn't you be resting in bed?"

The gray-haired commander only smiled and gestured for Sasuke to help hold the torchlight. Sasuke glared at the man and took the large torch gruffly. Silence easily encompassed the two as they worked. It was only after a few half hours of the companionable quiet that Sasuke found himself breaking the silence. "I wonder what's going to happen to us now...hopefully the ship holds up until the rescue team comes..."

The absent thought made Kakashi pause in his work. He shot a thoughtful look to Sasuke before turning back to the burnt circuit he was supposed to repair. "We've gathered a lot of information from your past experiences and this expedition. The Tharsis ruins are currently being investigated and analysis of the Tharsian culture has already begun. The higher-ups may be considering alternative approaches to handling the Tharsians even as we speak. Our efforts are starting to bear fruit...and that should be enough for now.

"Oh, and about the rescue team; we're just received some detailed information."

Sasuke only paid half an ear to Kakashi's long explanation to their situation. It didn't really interest him that much. What did catch his attention, however, were the man's next words.

"Someone we know is on the list – Neji."

Previously closed dark orbs lit up in surprise as they turned to Kakashi. "I heard that he'd stayed on in the force...hope he's fully recovered...but isn't that great, Sasuke?"

"C- Commander, may I go take a look at the list?"

Sasuke's request puzzled Kakashi. It was just a list of names, after all. One look at the eager face, though, had the man craving in. He sighed as he waved the raven away. "All right. Go ahead."

The raven's delighted thanks seemed to lift a weight off Kakashi's shoulder. It had only been a short while, but he was sure he had seen the melancholy in Sasuke's eyes finally lift a little. And simply recalling the sweet smile on the fair face had Kakashi smiling as well.

The corridor to the control station seemed abandoned, and when Sasuke did enter the large room, it looked even more desolate. He was still able to find the communication's interface and enter the right codes that allowed him to call up the list. It popped up onto the holographic screen almost instantly, albeit looking wane and hazy from the lack of electricity being properly linked into the large computer. Heart pounding almost crazily in his chest, Sasuke scanned the long list for his friend's name. His dark eyes lit up even more at the familiar name. "Hyuuga Neji...it's really him..."

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sasuke started for the second time that day. He spun around guiltily and tried thinking up a proper excuse for using up the rationed electricity of the ship just to check if his friend's name was on it. The young officer standing at the doorway frowned disapprovingly at him. "Don't waste power, you hear?"

Sasuke apologized profusely as the officer turned to continue on her rounds. He quickly set to his task in switching off the computer but froze. It had only been a moment, but—

Sasuke's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. Just a few names down to Neji's name was another that Sasuke would never have dreamed to see.

No: 0079 Uzumaki Naruto

Hey, Naruto...

The dimming light of the screen could only capture a part of the blossoming happiness causing the large smile on Sasuke's face.

You know something?

The falling snow was cold, but Naruto felt decidedly warm in his casual coat and woolen scarf.

Hey Sasuke...

His heart felt lighter somehow; as though it knew he was on the right path.

Know what?

He paused suddenly, the crunching of his shoes on the hard snow also ceasing.

I have loved many things.

The puffs of small, white clouds his warm breath created lifted themselves into the sky to dissipate and Naruto followed their flight.

Like the clouds in the scorching Summer heat...

Sasuke had given up standing to slide onto the cold metal floor of the ship. His trembling legs didn't have the will to carry his weight anymore.

The scent of the cool Autumn breezes...

He dark eyes were filled with tears, and he couldn't prevent their descent down his cheeks even when he covered them. He didn't mind, though. He knew it was just his happiness overflowing.

The sound of raindrops as they hit the umbrella...

He was remembering again all those times—

The gentle softness of the earth during spring...

It was raining again.

The slight chill in the air after school...

But the blond and raven were safe and dry inside their classroom. They had cleaning duty that day; their names written at the bottom corner of the large blackboard in front of the classroom testified to that—

On Duty: Uzumaki / Uchiha

The smell of the blackboard duster...

Later, they had to remember to thank Jiraiya for throwing an umbrella into Naruto's schoolbag before the blond went to school.

The wet smell of Asphalt when it rains in the evening...

Even then, they managed to go through Naruto's homework while snacking on lollipops – they only managed to see the black ink by the light coming from inside the store they were 'camping out' at.

The cosiness of the convenience store, in the dead of the night...

Sasuke smiled fondly at the memories he shared with a certain blond.

I wanted us to...

Naruto continued staring up into the blue sky; past the clouds that held the falling snow; past the sun; out the solar system; through the dark space; to hopefully reach that certain raven.

I hoped that we could...

...experience them together, always...

Sasuke smiled. Wherever, Naruto was, he hoped the blond received his wish that—

We are...

...here.

Naruto smiled. He hoped that wherever Sasuke was, the raven would receive his wish that—

Someday, we will meet again.

Comments please. This was a rather hard chapter to write. Hurr.