Faint moonlight streams through dusty windows as a ghost creeps through Naruto Uzumaki's apartment. It's a figure shrouded in black, moving silently over the scuffed floor tiles towards the apartment's sole bedroom. There's the faintest creak from old hinges as the bedroom door slowly glides open.
The five-year-old boy within is sound asleep, body wrapped around a lumpy pillow and half-covered by a patchy blanket. Golden hair, the color of the evening sun in the summer skies, is visible even in the half-light, and the little boy's chest rises and falls as he snores gently, a few stray drops of drool on the orange bed sheets. The shadowed figure steps closer and closer until it's standing over the boy, looking down at the child for a long moment.
Naruto had once had ANBU guards when he was younger, but over time, the village had fewer and fewer resources to spare. Now, with the village on lockdown due to the recently abandoned coup and the assassination of a council member, there's no one left to guard Naruto as the shadowed figure reaches towards the boy's head with one slender, pale hand.
For a dozen seconds, there's complete stillness.
Then Sasuke turns on the lamp on the bedside table, flooding the room with bright yellow light. Naruto lets out an adorable little groan, his eyes flickering open and taking in the man standing over him.
Sasuke nearly jumps out of his skin as the boy lets out a blood-curdling scream and scoots away as fast as he can. There's a blur of motion as Sasuke lunges over the bed and grabs Naruto by the collar of his stained t-shirt before the panicked boy falls off the bed all together.
"Fuck-Naruto! It's just me!" he grumbles, pulling the boy towards the middle of the mattress. Naruto rubs his eyes with his fists, blinking blearily.
"Juugo?" he says, confused. "What're you doing here?"
Sasuke opens his mouth to answer, and then pauses as he thinks about what this looks like. It's not even four in the morning, the sky's still pitch-black, and he's breaking into a five-year-old's bedroom. Sasuke lets out a sigh.
"I-you wanted me to train you," he says, scratching the back of his head. Naruto perks up at this, a sudden smile curling over his lips as he straightens up.
"Oh yeah! Can we start now? Can we? Pleas-"
"Yes, Naruto, we can start now," Sasuke says, trying not to laugh as Naruto scrambles out of bed with newfound vigor. "But we have to start with breakfast."
"Did you bring more ramen?" Naruto asks, his eyes growing impossibly wide as he grabs the hem of Sasuke's shirt. "You're the best teacher ever-"
"What? No," Sasuke replies, frowning. "You can't eat ramen all the time, it's unhealthy. I made you something better already, it's in the kitchen."
"But I wanted ramen," the boy says, crossing his arms. "It's fine, I can make it myself."
Sasuke raises an eyebrow as Naruto pouts, wondering how to convince him to just listen.
"You know," he says seriously, letting a solemn expression cover his amusement. "I heard that when he was a boy, the Fourth Hokage would eat lots of vegetables and healthy foods. It's how he got so strong. But it's fine, I guess I can just take all the groceries I bought and throw them away if you just want ramen…"
"Wait! No!" There's a frantic patter of bare feet running over the tiled floor as Naruto pushes past him and races into the kitchen, and Sasuke doesn't try to suppress his laughter this time.
There's a reason Fire Country is renowned for its sunrises. Sasuke can see a broad stripe of color to the east, visible over the roofs of buildings and the canopies of scattered trees. Shades of orange, red, and yellow blend into a blur of color, and the scattered clouds are a dark purple against the blue-black sky.
Even this early, there's people out and about. Civilian men and women hurry to and fro, stores and restaurants and inns opening up. He can catch the occasional flash of green as Leaf Village ninja stride through the sleepy streets. Sasuke smiles as he notices a team of drowsy genin jogging down the road under the watchful eye of their jounin-sensei.
But that smile quickly fades as he notices the hostility directed at the boy walking beside him.
The animosity isn't overt, but even Sasuke can pick up on it instantly, and he's spent the last five years in the wilderness. It's present in the clenching of jaws and the narrowing of eyes as they follow Naruto's steps. It's present in the way people cross the street when they spot the duo coming down the sidewalk. It's present in the hushed whispers between civilians who don't realize Sasuke can hear every single word.
But Naruto doesn't seem to mind. There's a skip to his step and a grin on his face, and he keeps curling a tiny hand in the hem of Sasuke's shirt. And he's just rambling, blissfully happy.
"—and it was tasty. Not as good as ramen, but it's okay, because you said it'll make me strong. I hope I'll be strong enough to use a fire jutsu. Do you know any? Can you teach me those? Where are we going?"
"We're going to start with the basics, Naruto," Sasuke says. "And I'm taking you to a field. A big, open space where you can train for now."
And then Naruto's off again, his endearing babbling washing over Sasuke like a cool breeze on a scorching summer day. Sasuke's lips twitch slightly into a gentle smile as he remembers another enthusiastic little boy walking these same streets.
It's the height of summer, and the wicked July sun beats down on Sasuke's back. He's walking fast, sandals crushing the dry grass under his feet and raising little clouds of fine dirt as he struggles to keep up with his brother.
Itachi glances over his shoulder, dark eyes warm with amusement as he extends a hand out to his little brother.
"Come along, Sasuke," he says. "The faster we get there, the more time I'll have to teach you."
Sasuke wastes no time in grabbing the offered hand, snatching it up like some trophy. Secretly, he'd prefer to let Itachi carry him on his back, like he used to do when Sasuke was little. But he's five years old now. He's all grown up, and grown-ups don't let their brothers carry them on their backs. He settles for holding Itachi's hand real tight.
They arrive at a tree-studded park eventually, one of many scattered throughout the village. This one's deserted, all uninterrupted sun-bleached grass and rustling foliage.
Sasuke looks up at his brother with wide, adoring eyes.
"Thanks Itachi," he says, his hand tightening around Itachi's. "Mother said you're busy so—so thanks for coming with me."
"You don't have to thank me for that, Sasuke," Itachi says, a crooked smile spreading over his face. "No matter how busy I am, I'll always have time for you. Always."
And Sasuke's so excited, he's over the moon, because his older brother looks at him like Sasuke is the most important thing in the world. He can't contain a giddy giggle, leaning into Itachi's side.
"What are you gonna teach me today?" he asks, his voice muffled by Itachi's thin shirt. "Can you show me the shurikenjutsu Shisui was talking about? Wait, what about the fireball—"
"Sasuke," Itachi says gently, his hand pushing Sasuke's sweaty hair off his forehead. "I'll show you those in time. But first, I have to show you how to tap into your chakra and how to mold it. That's the first step to everything else."
"Ok," Sasuke says, a little reluctantly. "But you have to promise to teach me the Great Fireball jutsu too. I want Father to be proud of me."
They're the words of a child, delivered without resentment and with utmost sincerity, and Itachi frowns.
"Father loves you very much, Sasuke. Sometimes it's hard to see, but he does," Itachi says, his hand landing on Sasuke's shoulder and giving a comforting squeeze.
"I know!" Sasuke says impatiently. "But he's not proud of me yet. I want him to look at me the way he looks at you!"
Itachi stares at him for a minute, and Sasuke can't tell what he's thinking. Then Sasuke lets out a squawk as arms wrap around him, pulling him into a tight embrace that makes him gasp.
"I'm proud of you. I'm so proud of you and I love you and you don't ever have to prove yourself—" Itachi murmurs into his little brother's messy hair.
But Sasuke can barely hear these words, because Itachi's hugging him. His amazing, cool, perfect older brother is hugging him like he's the most important thing in the world, and Sasuke's too dazed to comprehend the words being mumbled into his ear—
"Juuuugo," Naruto says in a sing-song voice.
"Wha?" Sasuke says, still half lost in reminiscence. Naruto points excitedly in front of them, and Sasuke realizes they've reached the park. He hadn't remembered it being nearby, and he wonders how long he'd been daydreaming for.
"Is this the place?" Naruto says, nearly vibrating with enthusiasm. "You gotta show me all the strongest jutsu you can! Like, the most-"
"Naruto," Sasuke says, reaching over and ruffling the boy's hair, ignoring the brief scowl he receives in return. "I'll teach you those later, I promise. But right now, I'm going to teach you how to access your chakra and mold it into jutsu."
"Later? You want to do this again sometime?" Naruto asks, staring at him with bewildered disbelief. When Sasuke meets his gaze, he can see every thought in the boy's head plastered over his face, and a pang shoots through his chest.
Some things never change.
"Of course I do," he says, and Naruto shakes his head.
"But why?" the boy asks in a small voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Why me? No one wants me around," Naruto says. It's not said with any self-pity. There's just resignation and sadness in that voice, and bright blue eyes look down at the ground. Sasuke doesn't have anything to say to that, can't think of anything to say at all, because it feels like someone just kicked him in the chest.
This is how Naruto had grown up.
Sasuke knew this in the abstract. He has vague recollections of this, and Naruto had told him about it. But it's one thing to hear about it from someone else, and it's another to see the evidence firsthand.
It's another thing to watch the normally-sunny and happy kid in front of him fold in on himself, his eyes shining and his lips quivering. And looking at Naruto, noticing how the boy glances up at him for some reassurance or comfort, Sasuke feels like shit.
Because he'd been awful to Naruto. For so long, he'd been so horrible—
He remembers Naruto at age twelve, grabbing Sasuke by the collar and glaring into his eyes, silently pleading to be acknowledged. He remembers Naruto crumpled on the ground in the aftermath of their fight, begging him not to leave the Leaf Village. He remembers Naruto's easy smile, welcoming him back to his side as they prepared to fight Madara.
That had been his Naruto.
Always so quick to smile, always so quick to love, always so quick to forgive. He'd forgiven Sasuke for everything, as if it didn't matter how much pain Sasuke had caused. As if Naruto's own pain didn't matter.
And now, staring at this version of the man he loved, Sasuke's heart breaks as he thinks about all the time he wasted, and how long he spent hurting Naruto.
Fuck, Naruto deserved so much more. He deserved the best, someone who would love him as vigorously and easily as he loved them. But all he'd ever gotten was Sasuke. All he'd ever gotten was the fucked-up second-best son who ruined everything he ever touched, who hurt everyone around him.
Sasuke's eyes sting as he reaches out and grabs Naruto's hand, crouching so he's at eye-level with the boy.
"I'm always going to be here for you," he says softly. "Because I love you."
There's a part of him that screams in discomfort as the words leave his lips. The kid has no idea who Sasuke is. This is absurd, ridiculous. But Sasuke waited eighteen years to say these words the first time, and he has no intention of wasting time like that ever again.
Naruto's eyes grow wide.
"You do?" he says, suddenly growing very, very still. Sasuke tries to answer, but words can't move past the lump in his throat. He just nods instead.
"No one's ever said that to me before," the boy says, a small hand tightening around Sasuke's fingers.
"I'll tell you that every day if you want me to," Sasuke says, finally finding his voice. Naruto's hand is in his, sweaty and shaking, Naruto's breath tickling his nose. And Sasuke never wants to let go, never wants to leave, never wants to lose this again.
He doesn't think he could survive it.
The last shirt goes into the top-most box, and that's that.
Years of his life, years of memories, and they're all condensed into a pair of cardboard boxes sitting on his bare bunk. Itachi looks around, taking in Team Ro's room for the last time. It's unlikely he'll set foot in the ANBU barracks ever again, after all. He's been discharged from ANBU, and his new job will be training under the Third Hokage directly.
Shisui's sitting on his own bunk, the one directly above Itachi's bed, looking down over the edge and giving Itachi a tight smile.
"I'm kind of jealous you get to move out," he says with a forced grin. "The water pressure's shit and it's always cold in here. Not to mention the fact that these mattresses haven't been replaced since the Third War."
And Itachi is a little glad. Life in ANBU is brutal and hard, and there are things he's done that'll stay with him forever. Leaving that behind is… is a good thing. But Itachi's eyes flick over to where Kakashi and Tenzo are sitting together on Kakashi's bunk, and he realizes there are things he's going to miss, too.
The walk back from the Hokage's office after their official debriefing had been quiet, punctuated by Shisui's attempts to lighten the mood and Kakashi's concerned glances. Now, in the windowless gloom of the ANBU barracks, the atmosphere is stifling. Itachi looks up at the ceiling, blinking against the harsh yellow glare from the bare lightbulbs.
"I'll miss all of you," he says slowly. "Except for Shisui. I feel like I'm never going to be rid of him."
"Was that a joke?" Kakashi said, chuckling over Shisui's outraged gasp. "You're a good man, Itachi. You'll make a great Hokage one day."
"I agree," Tenzo says, a kind smile on his face. "You've saved our asses more times than I can count, Itachi. Thank you for everything."
Itachi feels his cheeks grow a little warm, and he looks down at the porcelain mask in his hands.
"You've all saved me plenty of times too," he mumbles, squeezing the edges of the mask until his knuckles turn white. "You don't have to thank me."
The bedframe groans and Shisui lands behind Itachi with a soft rustle, throwing one arm over him.
"You're awful at accepting compliments," he says jokingly, his arm heavy around Itachi's shoulders. Shisui's voice is a merry laugh in his ear, and his breath ghosts over the back of Itachi's neck. "You'll have to get used to them if you're going to be Hokage."
"Leave him alone, Shisui," Tenzo says, balling up a blanket and tossing it across the room. It smacks Itachi in the forehead instead, and he sighs wearily. There are some things he won't miss.
There's a pregnant pause, the idle chatter dying out. Itachi looks down at his bare arms, unwilling to meet his former teammates' eyes as his fingers gently probe a bruise that hadn't been there a couple days ago.
Tension still coils and swirls through the air.
It has nothing to do with Itachi's imminent departure, and everything to do with the aftermath of their mission. It's been years since they've failed a mission, and no one seems to want to mention it. Shisui's arm leaves his shoulders as the boy steps away. When Itachi sends him a sidelong glance, there's an anxious expression tugging at Shisui's features that's quickly masked by another forced smile.
"I just don't get it," Shisui says, flopping belly-down on Itachi's bare bed next to the boxes and propping his chin on his hand. "Itachi falls asleep on the job and fails a mission, and he gets promoted. The fuck's up with that?"
"I wasn't sleeping," Itachi says, setting down his mask and crossing his arms. "It was a genjutsu. The same one you were put under, and you have the Mangekyou."
"Exactly! I have the Mangekyou, and you don't," Shisui says, sitting up suddenly and gesturing with passion. "I should be Hokage."
"Gods, no," Tenzo says.
"The village wouldn't last a week," Kakashi says, at the exact same time.
"You're all dicks," Shisui grumbles, grabbing one of the boxes and standing up. "Alright, 'Tachi. Let's go, Mom made lunch and I'm starving."
"You're always starving," Itachi says under his breath, picking up the other box. He glances one more time at Tenzo and Kakashi, a little nervously. "You two should come and visit me sometime."
"Team Ro is on indefinite leave until they investigate Lord Danzo's death, so we'll be around the village-" Kakashi's voice cuts off with a yelp as Tenzo elbows him.
"Why did you tell him that?" Tenzo demands with a grimace. "Now we're going to have to visit Shisui you dumbass-"
"Assholes, all of you!" Shisui shouts, stomping out the door melodramatically.