PURPOSE by Kiraya
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine. Bummer.
Warnings: Oodles of spoilerific fun for those who aren't up-to-date on the manga; slightly AU (hey, I can't predict what Kishimoto-sensei's going to do with 'em when they're all grown up). Some blink-and-you'll-miss-it SasuNaru here and there (take it platonically or not… it's up to you).
For this installment specifically… tooth-rotting fluff and Sasuke channeling the lurking demon they call OOC.
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Sasuke collapsed to the ground with a groan, Naruto flopping down beside him. As the young Uchiha waited for his racing heart to slow, he listened to the panting of his sparring partner and smirked to himself. The regularity of their bouts had helped the dark-eyed youth build his endurance almost to the blond's high level. Half the time, now, they passed out from exhaustion before they could really beat each other that badly.
Sasuke breathed deeply. Overlaying the sweet scent of the summer breeze were all those smells most familiar to him — the faint tang of blood and steel; the sharp odor of ozone that always lingered in the wake of chakra-fueled jutsu; the musky scent of sweat, the well-known blend of him and Naruto. Above the steadying breathing of his teammate, he could hear a few early crickets, and if he listened a little harder, he knew that distant yelling would be the sound of Sakura calling them to come to the festival that started at sundown.
Sasuke realised with some surprise that he was filled with a contented peace, something he hadn't really felt since… well, since before his brother killed the clan.
And he reflected upon it for a long moment, and it was good.
Naruto heaved a giant sigh. "Hey, Sasuke… think we should head back? It's getting late…"
His companion grunted. "Too tired to move." He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides… it's a pretty nice evening."
Silence; then the blond replied, "Yeah, it is."
Sasuke stared up at the darkening sky. Almost of its own accord, his hand moved serpent-silent through the grass, slipping hesitantly into his rival's.
Naruto looked over at him and, tightening his grip, smiled.
As insignificant as it all seemed, the other youth somehow knew, deep inside, that this was Something Big. What it meant he didn't know, but in that warm summer evening that felt like forever, it didn't really matter.
For the first time in long years, a genuine smile graced Uchiha Sasuke's lips.
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The last Uchiha sat upright with a loud gasp, eyes wide and unseeing in the darkness. His hand fumbled at the back of his neck until he found the scar, formed by his own defacing of the curse seal that had once marked his skin. He ran his fingers over it for several long moments, wondering at how real the sensations had been, how it felt like he'd never left Konoha all those years ago…
"What a strange dream," he murmured.
In his bed on the other side of the room, Naruto grumbled something in his sleep and rolled over.
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End Act VI. 9 December 2004.