Wow, here's arather short chapterette… ah, sorry about that, but Akatsuki jumped in and cut off the end of this chapter. -sweatdrop-
I would have updated sooner, but I was away for most of the summer so far, and didn't get to spend much time on the computer, so keeping up with fics and Rping was… difficult. /crappy excuse
Warnings for this chapter: Vegetables?… Gah, this is pathetic. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of love and angst in chapters to come.
Just to let anyone know, no matter how many times I click the glittery red heels together, I'm not going to own Naruto.
As well, thanks for all the reviews. It makes me smile like an idiot to see them in my inbox. I'm going to hold back from replying unless there's a question involved, though.
Shifting impatiently from one foot to the other, Sasuke knocked on the door for a second time.
'This is stupid!' he thought, 'Why couldn't someone else have done this?'
He cast a scowl towards the ground. Now that he was here, he realized that Kakashi had not actually given any explanation as to why the jounin could not go to Naruto himself.
Lost in the dark whirl of mental complaints, he almost missed the sound of the door being opened. Suddenly he was greeted with the sight of Naruto, standing there with an unselfconscious look of surprise, holding the door halfway open. Sasuke almost laughed at the idiotic face he saw, but he realized that he must look almost as foolish, standing there wide-eyed and wordless. So, brushing aside his childish trepidation, Sasuke swallowed lightly and took hold of the door.
"Were you planning on letting me in, anytime?" he asked, while wrenching it open even further.
A touch of pink appeared on Naruto's cheeks, but he stubbornly held his stance. "What are you doing here?" he waspishly demanded, shooting a glare that rivaled Sasuke's best. "And how'd you find me, anyway! Everyone else thinks I'm still in the hospital."
"It wasn't MY idea. Kakashi said that I needed to check that you hadn't yet neglected yourself to the point of death." Sasuke rolled his eyes, "And anyone should be able to figure out that you never stay at the hospital for more than a couple days. If not that, stuffing your sheets with pillows doesn't really make all that realistic of a double."
"Hmph." The blonde muttered, turning his head in embarrassment, "Still doesn't mean you had to barge in here like that… well, I'm ok, then. Your duty's over. I'm fine, you can go home."
Not being able to resist a quick peek back to Sasuke, he realized he was being watched with disbelief.
"I'm sorry if you want me out of here that badly. I don't really think you're 'fine', though. You're all pale, and I don't think you've probably eaten or slept for a day."
Sasuke understood that he shouldn't really be one to accuse the boy of 'paleness', but it just wasn't right for Naruto. It seemed so sickly and unnatural. The rich tan that made Naruto seem to glow from within with that wonderful energy that only ever had was only a pale shade of what he remembered.
Another reason for his trip came back to his memory, and Sasuke lifted the bag that he had carried there with a touch of uncertainty. Most likely it went unnoticed, but he avoided eye contact with the blonde. "I was guessing that you'd be an idiot like this… and not feed yourself, so I brought some food, fresh vegetables." He muttered, holding them out. From what he could see out of the corner of his eye, Naruto appeared to be wrinkling his nose at the taller boy's offering.
"Uh… veggies?"
"Oh God, still so picky. You're going to die of malnutrition." Sasuke sighed.
The growing lightness of their argument was making him feel better before he realized it. The whole discussion smacked of one they might have had 3 years ago. The comfortable familiarity seemed to seep into his muscles, relieving a tenseness that had been present longer than he could remember. He stuffed the vegetables back into the bag.
Oozing casualness, Sasuke shook back his hair, before suggesting, "Since you're not going to eat these, I guess I can buy some ramen so you don't end up starving yourself…"
As it was, that comment qualified for one of the closest attempts he'd ever made towards a peace offering, and the bait was snatched up. Although he did eye Sasuke slightly suspiciously at first, Naruto soon eagerly made the reply, "I guess I have time for a few bowls!"
Sasuke carefully shut the door behind them, as Naruto had sped out with his usual carefree childish charm. He felt slightly shaky at the thought of things that could go wrong, but the fact that the two of them were going to spend time together by conscious choice seemed an unimaginable improvement over the way things had seemed the last time together. He mustn't let himself think that everything would return to normal, though. He had gone through too much… experienced too much in life to think that it could possibly be that easy. The sight of that stupid orange flash racing through the streets seemed so innocently familiar, but underneath, he knew the fragility that existed all around him. He couldn't let himself relax too much. If he did, it would be too easy to make some small, negligable mistake that would ruin everything once more.
Deep red eyes ran over the sprawling forest areas and the organized central architecture that formed Konoha. From his place on the outer wall, the wind made the single figure's cape move elegantly around his still form, its reds and blacks twisting and billowing around his legs. He had broken off from his team, and moved ahead to this place, so all alone, he muttered his question into the breeze, "How strong have you become, Sasuke?"