Sasuke felt the slightest amount of soreness between his fingers as he grasped his irons, the machine vibrating as he left dark indigo strokes on woman's arm. He'd lost count of how many customers he'd lined up today.

He came down with a fever two weeks ago. He beat it in a week's time. He was physically up to speed, but now he had to squeeze in all the people he'd cancelled on. He found a part of him missing the days when half of his business consisted of walk-ins. He didn't have so much catch-up work to do if he had to miss a few days.

Seven years ago, he would've been ecstatic to be so busy. Sasuke hadn't lost sleep over money in years. For Sasuke's entire early life, he felt a looming threat of homelessness. His family never had enough to pay the bills, and they just barely dodged the street by staying in his aunt's garage. Now, he lived in a loft in downtown Manhattan and paid his rent in full the second of every month, never a day late. Still, after long days like this, feeling grateful could be challenging.

Sasuke's phone vibrated, the device sitting beside him on his station. He always kept it close by. One look at the familiar area code on the call ID told him that this came to him from the other side of the country. Tsunade. This sort of thing was becoming increasingly common.

"Just a second," Sasuke said, reaching over to his phone.

Sure enough, there was a new text.

"River City. 6 pm PST."

Sasuke glanced down at the screen, taking a deep swallow. It was the second time that this had happened. Sasuke hoped that it would be as uneventful as the first one. After all, Naruto had hinted that they might possibly be moving some time in the nearish future. He knew that Naruto was giving Sasuke all the details he could safely give him.

"I'm going to grab myself a glass of water," Sasuke said. "Would you like one too?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," his customer answered.

Sasuke needed a few minutes to compose himself and focus. While Sasuke had reason to suspect that this was planned, he could never be sure. Juugo was sitting at the front desk reading. He glanced over at Sasuke, who had filled a couple of glasses at the water cooler by the empty waiting room.

Sasuke leaned against the wall, breathing in deeply and exhaling with his eyes closed.

"Hey…" Juugo said, looking up from his magazine. "Are you alright, Sasuke?"

It took Sasuke a moment to register Juugo's words. He took a small sip of water. It helped.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You sure?" Juugo asked, looking over at him gently.

No, he really was not. Though he was sure he'd be fine enough given a few minutes. Thankfully, Juugo was the only person who could see him.

Sasuke shrugged.

"River City's on."

Juugo's jaw dropped slightly, his brows knit.

"I just need a couple minutes to shake it off."

"Of course," Juugo answered, the concern in his tone obvious.

Where was Naruto? It was just pass sunrise there. Maybe his unit had set out to move first thing in the morning, and Naruto was putting his duffel together for the ride. He so rawly longed to hear Naruto's voice.

Sasuke looked away from Juugo now, closing his eyes and clearing his mind of anxiety. There was nothing that he could do about this. He took a series of deep breaths, counting each inhale and exhale. Keeping cool in high stress situations had always come naturally to Sasuke. He'd been through much worse than this.

He opened his eyes, feeling his mind clear. He checked his watch; he'd taken a total of two minutes. He returned to the customer, shoving this to the back of his mind for the time being. What other choice did he have? He had no doubts that these thoughts would find him at night.

His feelings toward Naruto… He'd had time to think after the conversation he'd had with Shikamaru several months ago. He watched his own behaviors and analyzed both his mind's and his body's responses to anything having to do with Naruto. He had no words for the way he would feel when he played Naruto's guitar. He lost himself in it, just as he did with the piano, and the familiar sound made it feel as though he weren't alone. He could almost smell him. Even without Naruto there with him, Sasuke was learning quickly, but hell if he didn't long for his presence.

And then he knew that Shikamaru was right. There was so much he wished to say to Naruto, yet the words stuck in his throat. He hadn't mentioned it in his letter. He wanted Naruto to hear the sincerity in his voice, so he wouldn't question it during times of insecurity. He knew that Naruto would cherish it, but this wasn't as easily achieved as he had hoped. He was every bit as clumsy in these regards as he feared he would be.

Yet when things like this happened, Sasuke was reminded that he might not have time to wait. Thinking about losing Naruto made him feel nauseous and dizzy. This vulnerability was the price of finding something that made him happy. As uneasy as that made him, he had no regrets.

Naruto sprinted through the desert as soon as he left town, the heat rendering his mouth dry as sweat dripped down his face. The arid desert stripped hydration from him, and in any normal state of mind, he'd be bending over his knees panting. He was fueled by adrenaline, unable to think of anything other than accomplishing his mission. He wouldn't rest until he delivered the news to Jiraiya personally.

It took Naruto some finesse to get himself in Jiraiya's office, to put it kindly. Some expletives were flung at him in the process, but it was difficult to turn a man down when they had an urgent resolve like Naruto's.

Jiraiya was sitting at his desk, drinking a glass of beer as he went through a stack of papers.

"Sir," Naruto announced himself.

"Naruto?" Jiraiya said, perking a brow. "What brings you here?"

Jiraiya's body rested in his chair, his brow just slightly arched as he studied Naruto with fingers steepled together.

"Our operation has been compromised."

Jiraiya almost immediately lowered his hands to the desk, setting down his palms neatly.

"Explain."

Naruto continued with grim determination.

"They know we're taking the eastward road tomorrow. They've planted IEDs on the road, starting about a kilometer out of town."

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

"My god…" Jiraiya replied, frowning sharply as he stared down at the papers on his deck. "How do you know that, son?"

"A local boy told me. He said that an ANA troop spilled the details."

"Who?"

Jiraiya was carefully watching Naruto. Naruto didn't want to admit that he didn't ask. It had been for Konohamaru's safety.

"I don't know, sir."

"Goddammit…" Jiraiya sighed, shaking his heads. "Fucking hajis…"

Naruto stood in front of Jiraiya, retaining his perfect posture. Jiraiya was deployed at the beginning of the war; he could've lost friends to the enemy. Despite the situation at hand, he hated hearing someone speak this way.

"Alright, you can go, son. On the behalf of everyone in this unit, thank you for telling me this."

"Sir…" Naruto paused. "May I stand guard tomorrow morning?"

Naruto wanted to see how this unfolded. He felt as though this were a much more personal matter, and he owed it to Konohamaru to personally ensure that everyone was kept safe. He doubted he would be able to speak with Konohamaru for a long time.

"Of course."

Naruto had only left Jiraiya's office an hour ago when the new plans were announced at dinner. They would not leave. Everyone would keep to the barracks tomorrow, and the unit would be at full alert until otherwise notified. The communications freeze would continue until further notice.

A somber air resided as Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Naruto ate their supper. Neji glanced at Naruto for a moment.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"People saw you going into Jiraiya's office."

It was strange for a low-ranking troop like Naruto to meet directly with a colonel, and Naruto had caused quite the stir.

"They're saying that you provided the intel."

Naruto shrugged, a weary smile on his face.

"Konohamaru told me," Naruto said quietly to Neji, Tenten, and Lee. "Keep that to yourselves."

The three of them stopped eating for a moment, eyes widened.

"Wow…" Tenten answered. "Who would've thought that scrawny little kid would save us?"

The lot of them began eating again.

"Too close for comfort," Neji grunted.

"It'll be okay now," Naruto told them with a grin. "Our guard's up. We just have to tend to this situation before we can move."

"Naruto, you've indirectly saved our lives," Lee said with a warm smile.

"Nah…" Naruto replied. "That was Konohamaru's doing. All I had to do was send the info up the chain."

"Take some credit at least," Neji added.

"It never hurts to be nice to people, I guess," Naruto shrugged.

Tenten sighed as she leaned her face against the heel of her hand.

"Why do you have to be taken? And Sasuke, oh my God…"

Naruto had showed Neji and Tenten some of Sasuke's pictures. Tenten's reaction had been priceless.

"Why are the good ones always gay?" she lamented.

Lee looked a little hurt by the comment.

"Sasuke and I are bi," Naruto corrected.

"And taken," Tenten followed up.

"Don't worry, Tenten. I'm sure you'll find someone easily once we get back."

Naruto couldn't help but notice both Lee's and Neji's gazes fall on Tenten, who seemed entirely oblivious

"Yeeah, yeah. I miss dating," she sighed.

"Is there…" Lee began. "Isn't there anyone you like here?"

Tenten stopped to consider.

"A few," she evaded. "I just hadn't thought of dating someone from the unit. It seems like a bad idea."

Naruto's couldn't miss the look of resignation on Lee's and Neji's faces. Even as Tenten's friend, Naruto had to admit that she was quite the catch. He couldn't blame Lee and Neji for hoping.

Soon enough, their scheduled time for dinner came to a close. A group of about seven spotted Naruto in the crowd.

"Hey," one of the men yelled. "Is it true that you're the one who saved our asses with this intel?"

Naruto chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Of course, the man's comment only caught more attention.

"Ah, one of the villagers told me about it. It was a no brainer to share it."

For Konohamaru's protection, he'd be as vague as possible.

"I don't care how it happened…" pitched in a pale man with a red buzzcut. "Because of you, we're not walkin out into a fuckin' active minefield tomorrow. I'm gonna go back to my wife and little girl."

He saw at least a dozen people around them nod in agreement.

"It's really nothing. The villager is the one who deserves the credit."

"Dude must have balls the size of a stallion's," another man interjected.

Naruto tried not to laugh. If only they knew that it had been none other than that twelve-year-old kid who tried to sell them Gatorade every time they went to the market.

"Well, however you figured it out," a thin-lipped woman added. "Thank you."

"Of course," Naruto replied with a beaming grin.

Throughout the night, as he went to his bunk, brushed his teeth, and walked the halls, he'd receive a nod and a "hello" from literally everyone he passed. News hadn't taken long to spread.

Naruto had only done what anyone else would in that situation, though it was true that he was the only one to befriend a villager to this extent. Still, that was just basic compassion. Yet it would've been a lie to say that Naruto wasn't cheered up by all of the encouragement.

He didn't know what awaited him the next day. Security had been heightened, and they were heavily barricaded. It would have been insanity for the militants to attack them at this time. They'd waited months, perhaps even years to land this perfect opportunity to take out an entire unit. Now that their guard was up, launching an attack would be suicide.

Naruto expected that they'd stay long enough to neutralize the threat, as it was now unsafe for them to move. They were most vulnerable when they traveled, unable to hide behind barricaded walls and strategically placed snipers. Tanks and ammunition could only take them so far. The enemy was far more familiar with the terrain and knew how to hide.

He exhaled and closed his eyes, trying to free his mind of anxiety. He remembered spending the night at Sasuke's house, the night before he left for Afghanistan. They lay in bed together, sharing an intimacy that carried no obligation for lust. Even with the blistering heat of an Afghan summer, the nights were cool.

He tried to imagine the scent of Sasuke's room, Sasuke's warm and freshly showered body pressed against him. These lonely nights stretched on, but at least he knew Sasuke longed for him as well. He felt less foolish this way.

He allowed that comfort to whisk him to sleep.

It was four in the morning. It would be at least an hour until the adhan announced the rising sun. It was still pitch black as Naruto readied himself for his shift; if not for his alarm, he wouldn't have known the morning was approaching. Neji had agreed to stand guard with him.

Naruto was ready in a matter of minutes, his appearance impeccable as always. He met Neji out by the turret.

Naruto yawned, "This might be an interesting day."

"We'll see," Neji shrugged. "I doubt they'll try anything. It won't take them long to figure out that their plans were leaked."

They could see the wind-swept desert only twenty meters out, limited by the lighting of their barracks. Should Naruto have been beyond that light, he wouldn't have been able to see his hand in front of his face.

"So like… What is it with you and Tenten?" Naruto asked, walking up to the edge of the turret overlooking the desert.

Neji flinched.

"What are you talking about?"

Naruto chuckled, looking behind him.

"C'mon. Don't think I missed that look on your face when Tenten said she wasn't gonna date over here."

Neji groaned. Naruto heard a dog bark and growl, just barely outside of the lights. Then another one. Odd. Usually they didn't come this close.

"You hear that?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," Neji nodded.

"Keep your eyes open. It's probably just the dogs fighting, but it could be…"

Naruto didn't have to say anything more for Neji to understand him. A human might've disturbed them. For now, the best thing to do would be to wait and watch. It would be dangerous to descend from their perch and walk out into the dark, and soon enough the sun would be rising.

"Anyhow, don't think I forgot. What's your deal with Tenten?"

"What do you mean, my deal?" Neji replied with a cluck of his tongue.

"I'm not an idiot, Neji."

"Really?" Neji asked, arching a brow.

With every minute, the sun approached the horizon. The dogs continued to bark and growl throughout the night. Twilight was born, and Naruto squinted his eyes in the direction of the dogs. Finally!

"Look!" Naruto said to Neji, pointing over to them as he was yet again distracted. "They're just fighting over some food!"

Naruto could hardly make them out, but clearly they were biting and tugging on something. He couldn't make out any color in the darkness, but he could somewhat discern the shape. Maybe it had been a small deer or a fox. Naruto couldn't help but pout at the thought. Yes, it was just how the animal world operated, but he loved foxes!

"I see 'em," Neji answered, sounding relieved.

Naruto smiled, leaning back and adjusting.

"Man, what a wild twenty-four hours, huh?" Naruto asked. "No wonder we're so jumpy."

Neji sighed.

"I wouldn't call this action. We've been lucky that things have been so uneventful until now."

Naruto nodded. They'd seen hardly any violence up until this point, and never had Naruto felt as though his life were in danger.

"Yeah, really…"

The sun began to peak over the horizon. Naruto heard the adhan echo from the mosque's loudspeakers, even from this far away. It prompted him to give another curious look over to the dogs. They were really all there was to look at in this vacant desert, a welcome gust of wind disrupting the dunes.

Naruto reviewed the area with squinted eyes, and his heart jumped into this throat. It was still dim, but Naruto could've sworn he saw what looked like some sort of fabric on the meat the dogs tore at. Naruto stood abruptly.

"What?" Neji asked.

Naruto stared, his throat tightening as he squinted. He saw bits of green, white… Cloth. Torn cloth.

Naruto broke away and sprinted toward the turret stairs.

"Naruto!" Neji yelled out. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Naruto refused to answer, pounding down the stairs two at a time. The sound of his feet on each step echoed throughout the turret, but the only thing Naruto heard was the faint squeaking sound of his teeth clenching together.

"Naruto!" Neji shouted.

Naruto could outrun most anyone in the unit. If he had any room in his consciousness at the moment, he would have been grateful for this. But there was only room for adrenaline-fueled dread that caused each muscle to fire as if driven by electricity.

Naruto didn't care if it was a trap. So what if people were waiting out there for him? The thought in his head was so warped and twisted that he felt ashamed for even thinking it. No, they couldn't… He couldn't stand this thought for another second, with each long stride hoping to banish it from his mind.

He now reached the outside of the base, running off into the desert as the sun peeked over the sand. As he ran up to the fighting dogs, tears streamed down his cheeks.

No. It couldn't be.

He stood just several meters before them. There was no mistaking those green pants and head full of spiky brown hair. One arm had been picked clean, the bare radius and ulna jutting out through the flesh in the sunlight. But one hand still remained. Tied tightly to it with barbed wire was none other than a Captain America figurine.

Naruto could've sworn that he heard something break within himself. It came on heavy, as if his body had been thrown into ice water. Naruto could do nothing but stare as the dogs picked at Konohamaru's body.

He felt tears fall without remembering having cried them, only hearing the ringing in his ears. He dropped to his knees, his hands connecting with the sand as he fought not to vomit. Without seeing that figurine, Naruto wouldn't have been able to identify Konohamaru. The dogs, and who knew what or who else, had done too much damage.

Naruto shouted out into the desert with all the force his lungs could muster, wailing as he pounded his fists into the sand. He felt so utterly powerless.

"No!" Naruto shouted. "Why?!"

If only it had been him instead.

Naruto flinched as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, turning around to find Neji. Neji stared at the ground, looking up just slightly to catch Naruto's unfocused gaze.

"Why?" Naruto asked again, his eyes too filled with tears to see Neji's face. "Why him? He's…"

Naruto sniffed, trying to stifle his sobbing so that he could speak.

"He was just a child! Why?"

Naruto had heard war stories of cruelty before. But to see the gruesome aftermath so clearly in front of him felt unbelievable. How could an evil like this exist in the hearts of mankind? What kind of god would allow this? He had been naive.

Treason meant death, even if the perpetrator was a child. They had planted him in front of the base as if to convey a message: "This is your fault." If Naruto hadn't said anything… Then would Konohamaru still be alive?

"Who…" Naruto clutched his chest. "What kind of monster could do something like this?!"

Naruto's voice broke as he yelled. He didn't bother to stop sobbing. There would be no point. It was as if the pain fell from him in waves, always with more than enough left to replace it. His breathing was shallow and fast.

"I…" Neji began, his voice quivering. "I don't know."

Naruto's breath came and went quickly, and he felt himself wheeze and hyperventilate. He grabbed at the sand so hard that the grains were forced between his fingers. He felt dizzy, bright spots working their way into his vision. And his eyes moved over to Konohamaru yet again.

Naruto rested his face in his hands and wept like a child until the sun rose on that godforsaken desert.

Miraculously, Sasuke had already snagged an hour of sleep by the very normal hour of eleven at night. His cell phone woke him instantly, the ringer at full blast.

"Hello?" Sasuke answered, his voice a little bleary with sleep.

"Hi," Naruto said in a stilted tone.

Shit! How had Tsunade's text not woken him up? He must've been sleeping like a brick.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, his smile drenching his voice. "I guess River City's over now."

"Heh, yeah…" Naruto said with a cheer that didn't fool Sasuke for an instant. "It sure is."

Sasuke sucked at his lip piercing, waiting for a few seconds before continuing.

"Naruto, what happened?"

He turned and flicked the light on his bedstand as he spoke with Naruto. The warm yellowish glow staved off his grogginess.

"Oh, it was just…" Naruto started. "It was just a move. We didn't move in the end though, so… Guess it was for nothing."

Something in Naruto's voice sounded so hollow to him. He knew Naruto. He'd never heard him speak with this voice before. It gave him goosebumps.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sasuke asked, allowing his concern to make its way into his tone.

Something was clearly wrong, and he felt a bubbling anxiety in his gut.

"Oh… Why would I not be?" Naruto answered, adding an awkward "heh" at the end.

"You're a shitty liar."

Silence.

"Do you have privacy right now?"

Was that was the reason for Naruto's forced composure? He knew that Naruto wouldn't want to express vulnerability in front of his piers.

"Yeah…" Naruto said.

"Hey, Naruto…" Sasuke said in his most soothing tone of voice. "It's been a tough day, hasn't it?"

A few seconds of silence. A stutter…

Then the sound of Naruto's sobbing exploded from the receiver, its sudden loudness causing Sasuke to flinch. Sasuke's jaw hung agape as he listened to Naruto weep, having no idea what to say. His chest tightened, and subconsciously Sasuke put his hand on his hammering heart.

"Naruto…" Sasuke muttered. "Naruto, I'm here with you now."

What the hell had happened to make Naruto cry like this? Was he hurt?

Naruto continued to cry, and the sound hit Sasuke like an ice pick through his chest. He'd never once heard Naruto cry since he'd left, but now he seemed to wail with almost everything in him. Sasuke had never considered himself the empathetic sort, but he felt this pain as if it were his own. He restrained the urge to press Naruto for more details.

"Ssshh," Sasuke murmured.

The feeling of his own heart beating was almost painful. Naruto was beginning to breathe more deeply, the crying from his side of the line dying down.

"Naru, what's wrong?"

"It's…" Naruto began, his voice quivering. A few seconds lapsed as Naruto composed himself. "First of all, I'm not hurt, nor is anyone else in the unit."

Physically, perhaps not. But Sasuke knew that there was much more to it than that.

"Good," Sasuke replied, feeling his heart calm. The pain did not abate.

"We were going to move this morning, our plans slipped out to the enemy. They'd laid down bombs along the road."

Sasuke's mouth hung open slightly as he sat dead still. He assumed that they had avoided this, given the fact that none of them were injured. But how close had Naruto come to walking out into an active minefield? How close had he come to losing Naruto? Words forsook him.

"But Konohamaru told me about it, so I was able to warn my unit in time. He…" Naruto's voice broke for a second. "He saved our lives."

Naruto had been reminded of his mortality, of the chance that he might never come home. Was this what had caused him to be so upset? Naruto usually sounded so carefree when they spoke. Maybe the severity of his situation hadn't hit home yet.

"Thank god," Sasuke finally spoke. "I wish I could thank the kid myself."

He'd heard so much about Konohamaru from Naruto. His voice always sounded so bright as he discussed the villagers, especially the children. Yet Naruto emitted a quiet and bitter laugh. It didn't sound like Naruto.

"There is no thanking him, Sasuke. He's…"

Naruto's composure failed him at that last word.

"He's dead."

Dead?

The injustice took the air out of Sasuke's lungs. Yes, war was cruel. But he was just a child!

"How…"

"They killed him and left his body out by the barracks. By the time I found him, the dogs… The dogs had picked most of the meat from his bones."

Naruto had something special in him. Something light and pure, and he believed that this was one of the reasons why he was so good with kids and animals. He'd expressed such genuine compassion for Konohamaru and all of the other children in the village.

"Oh my god…"

For the time being, it was all Sasuke could think to say. He heard Naruto emit a painful, defeated sigh.

"Naruto…" Sasuke searched for words. What could he possibly say to this? That everything would be okay? "Fuck, I'm sorry."

"Sorry…" Naruto replied, that bitter laugh in his voice again. "I don't deserve sympathy. You know, if I'd kept my mouth shut…"

Naruto's voice choked, and Sasuke patiently waited for him to find his voice again.

"It's because of me that a child was killed, Sasuke."

"No…" Sasuke answered. "No, you can't blame yourself for this, Naru. This was not your fault."

"Wasn't it?" Naruto asked, his voice breaking. "That certainly wasn't the message I heard when they left a dead kid at my doorstep. He's dead because I talked."

"Your unit is alive because you talked," Sasuke replied, finding more confidence in his voice. "What else were you supposed to do? Let all of your friends walk to their deaths? That would've been madness!"

"We should've been less obvious" Naruto answered, his voice aggravated. "I should've made sure he was safe!"

"How were you to know?" Sasuke answered quickly. "No one in your situation would've seen that coming."

"But…"

Sasuke understood this, so well. He also knew that sometimes it didn't matter how many times you were reassured that it wasn't your fault. The heart is stubborn.

"Listen, Naruto. It's human nature to find regret and guilt in death, especially one so unnatural. But I'm sure that Konohamaru knew the risks. He took this risk because he wanted you to act on the information he gave you! He made his decision, and he left this world a hero."

Naruto sighed, and it sounded like he was beginning to calm down. God, how he wished that he could've been there to hold him.

"You know, when I saw him…" Naruto began in a very tired tone of voice. "It felt like something inside of me broke in a way that will never mend. I could almost hear it."

Sasuke's throat felt tight as he swallowed. He had felt this way before. With the sound of a bullet, something in Sasuke broke that day; he felt it down to the marrow of his bones, leaving no room for doubt. And god, there had been so much blood.

He wished that he could tell Naruto that he was wrong, that he would eventually heal and return to the person he once was. But Sasuke was not one to disregard the truth for comforting lies. What Sasuke heard in Naruto's voice was the loss of innocence.

"You were right."

"Hm?"

"God really is cruel," Naruto said grimly.

Sasuke believed this after seeing the things he'd seen. No, he knew this. God was unjust, and God was cruel.

This was what Sasuke had feared. He didn't want Naruto to become like him. He didn't want him to feel the pain that Sasuke knew so well. He didn't want his light to be tainted.

"Yeah…" Sasuke replied. "It's a fucked up world. But you'll always have me, Naru. I swear it."

He wished he could've been there in person. He'd kiss him, pet him, hold him as he cried every last tear.

"What if…" Naruto began. "What if you don't like the person I've become by the time this is over?"

Sasuke had felt this brimming anxiety himself, so heavily. He knew this fear. In his case, it was the fear that Naruto would find him heartless once he knew Sasuke's true character. He feared that once Naruto truly knew him, he could never love him. But Naruto reassured him each passing day that his love knew no bounds.

"There's no going back to who you were before," Sasuke began. "But no matter how you change, it won't change the way I feel about you."

Now there was a pure silence over the line.

"Naruto, I love you."

He heard Naruto sniffling over the line. Had he just made Naruto cry?

"I didn't mean to upset-"

"I love you too, Sasu," Naruto interrupted. "God, I love you so much. I miss you every single day. I just… Fuck, I just want to go home."

The weight of Naruto's sorrow and desperation broke his heart. He wished that he could just hold him, love him…

"I miss you too, love. When you come home, I'll meet you at the airport. I'll hold you nice and tight. I'll cook you steak for dinner."

"Mn…" Naruto purred.

Sasuke was so glad to hear that comfort in Naruto's voice.

"Bet you're missing that right now."

A weak laugh came from Naruto, but this time it wasn't bitter.

"I sure am. They don't cook for shit here."

Sasuke sighed, "I knew it was all a ploy."

"What can I say?" Naruto said, humor working its way into his unsteady voice. "I like to eat."

"Trust me. I know."

Naruto gave the slightest chuckle before pausing.

"Sasuke…"

"Hm?"

"What would you think about becoming my first of kin?"

Sasuke skipped a beat, his brow twitching at the surprise. This would mean that he would be the first to receive any news regarding Naruto, coming directly from the FRO.

"I'd like that," Sasuke responded reflexively.

Sasuke was pretty sure he'd annoyed Tsunade a couple times with how much he liked to check in on Naruto. Not that he cared.

"Okay," Naruto answered, and Sasuke could hear a hint of joy in his voice. "I'll let them know."

Sasuke found a smile on his face. Hearing even the slightest happiness from Naruto warmed him. The man had gone through so much today.

"Remember to eat and drink, even if you don't feel like it now. I don't want you fainting on the battlefield."

He knew what something like this could do to one's appetite, but Naruto needed all the strength he could get. War was unsympathetic to one's struggles.

"You'll never let me live that down, will you?"

"Not likely."

Again, the line went silent.

"You're strong. You'll prevail over this. I know it."

Sasuke meant it. Naruto was strong.

"Yeah…" Naruto replied. "I know I will. Nemini cedimus, huh?"

Yield to none.

"Exactly, love."