Disclaimer: Naruto, his friends and the world he lives in don't belong to me but to Masashi Kishimoto. I write this story only for my pleasure and I don't make any money with it.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Tealights

Naruto had to work until late in the night and returned to his apartment only when his guests were all firmly asleep. For some seconds he thought of Karin, spending her first night alone at her own place, then he found himself some space next to Sasuke, who had fallen asleep while reading, curled up in the middle of his bed. Naruto pulled out his precious book from below Sasuke's head, smoothed a page that had got crumpled, and finally went to bed himself.

He slept in, and woke up only when his guests were already up and active: Juugo was playing with a toy he had bought the day before (a yo-yo it was called, as Naruto learnt some days later), Suigetsu was mending his clothes, and Sasuke was busy arranging some items on Naruto's sideboard. (Naruto had no idea what he had put there. Some of his usual chaos,probably.)

When Sasuke got aware that Naruto was awake he invited him to join him.

"I told you yesterday about it", he said. "The last photo that was taken of our family, when my parents were still alive."

It was leaning against a piece of cardboard, and the cardboard itself was supported by one of Naruto's pots, which he did not use anyway. It was not perfect, Sasuke thought, he would have to get a frame for it, but all in all, it looked quite a bit like the pictures other people kept on their bookshelves and desks.

Naruto looked at it silently. So these were Sasuke's parents, he thought. His mother smiling warmly, standing right behind Sasuke, ready to hold and protect him if necessary. His father looked grim, and full of worries, as if he was aware of what was being planned against his clan. Itachi stood apart, distancing himself from his family, very serious he as well. Not what Naruto dreamt of when he dreamt of his family – he imagined his family all smiling, looking at each other with warm eyes, not staring into the camera – but a family all the same. Sasuke looked at the picture with dreamy eyes, and Naruto knew that he must not say anything critical. Maybe it was not necessary to have a perfect family to love them. And his mother definitely had loved Sasuke, you could see it in her eyes.

Suigetsu and Juugo had joined them; they were now looking at the picture too.

"Your mother was a beauty, eh, Sasuke?" Suigetsu said.

Sasuke nodded. He had never seen her like this. She had always simply been his mother.

"You look just like her", Naruto said, but his words barely reached Sasuke's mind.

A bit more masculine, Naruto thought, with a stronger jaw and stronger cheekbones, but still a fine, clear, rather feminine face. He looked at seven-year-old Sasuke on the photo: He was indeed very cute, even for a child of his age, but his eyes were already full of sorrow; he was smiling widely, but it was not the smile of happiness: It seemed as if he tried to make the family stay together by smiling at everyone, and into the camera. The smile of despair Naruto knew so well, even though his own despair had been of a different kind. At the age of seven, before the massacre, Sasuke had not yet assumed the air of grim determination that had become so characteristical for him in later years. He wanted to tell him that he would make him smile again, but a look at Sasuke absorbed in his pain, told him that these were not the right words at this moment.

Maybe that wide smile had really gone forever, Naruto thought, just as his parents had died forever. He touched the back of Sasuke's hand, and Sasuke took it and pressed it. He was still lost in his sorrow, barely noticing anything that happened around him, but Naruto's touch came as a relief, and suddenly he was very glad that he had showed him this picture of his family.

Juugo had come too, taking Sasuke's other hand and leaning against his shoulder.

"It must have been nice to have a family", he said.

"Sure it was", Sasuke answered. He forced himself to return to the present. (He had to, hadn't he? He could not burden a child as Juugo with all his suffering.) "Do you have some candles?" he asked Naruto.

"In the restaurant they should have some tealights", Naruto answered, still moved by Sasuke's sadness.

Sasuke had to close his eyes to turn around and away from the photos, so that he could follow Naruto downstairs. The restaurant was closed, however, and they had to go to some drugstore. Naruto insisted that they did not buy the plain, cheap tealights, but got some fancy, coloured ones, smelling of honey and cinnamon, and also some containers of stained glass to put them into. He watched patiently while Sasuke took his time to choose.

When they returned, Juugo and Suigetsu had left – to their respective friends, as Sasuke suspected. He would not have minded Juugo, but he was rather glad that Suigetsu was not with them when they put up and lighted the tealights. Naruto took a picture from the wall (one of Jiraiya's former lovers, that was no longer needed) and used the frame for the photo of Sasuke's family. They'd have to replace the pot too, eventually, for something more appropriate, but for the moment they were pleased with the result of their work. Sasuke took a step backwards to take it all in with his eyes – he felt still sad, but more peaceful than usual, and he did not fall into the abyss of black despair he used to fall into, and if he felt that he was beginning to fall, there was not only his dream of revenge to get him out of it, but also the little candles, and Naruto, who had come to his side and had put his arm around Sasuke's shoulder.

Naruto knew that he must not show it, and he had a bad conscience about it, considering Sasuke's sadness, but his heart was rejoicing: To him, the message of their improvised memorial for Sasuke's parents was clear: Sasuke was going to stay. He was making himself feel at home at Naruto's place.

"Do you have something of your own that you want to put up too?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shook his head.

"They didn't give you anything, did they? No photos, no personal items, not even your parents' names."

Naruto wondered whether he should tell Sasuke that by now he had learnt that his father was actually the Yondaime. He had not been told about him – he had been saved by him when he had been in danger of sprouting the ninth tail of the kyuubi, and finally the Yondaime had acknowledged him as his son.

He might look for some official photos of his father – there had to be some, in history books, or some news magazines – but it would not be the same. A photo of a young hero, not of a loving father.

He had dreamt of telling Sasuke about the Yondaime in triumph: I'm not a nameless orphan, I'm from a famous family, just as you are! But now there was little triumph in it: A famous father who had never had the chance to care for him was rather a sad than a glorious idea.

Sasuke felt his sadness and drew him closer, but Naruto stiffened.

"It's okay", he said. He did not want to be pitied by Sasuke.

Sasuke did not mind – he was content as it was, with Naruto's arm on his shoulder and his arm around Naruto's shoulders, and Naruto leaning against him. His sadness was not gone, but it was bearable now. He would avenge his clan, but he was in no hurry at the moment, and most of all, he no longer had to choose. Naruto had promised to help him, he would not have to do it all on his own. He'd still kill Danzou with his own hands – he could not let anyone else do this – but for all the rest they'd stay together. His heart was no longer broken into two pieces: He could be faithful to his family, and be with Naruto, his friend.

A/N: I know that this is again a rather short chapter. The reason is the usual one: I divided a rather long chapter into two parts (not halfs, the other half is longer.)