In the Name of Friendship
Warnings: unbeta-ed, shounen-ai if you squint.
Naruto + mine ONE BIG FAT NOT!
Summary: Naruto lived many years in loneliness… it makes perfect sense how he can't seem to let go. SasuNaru friendship.
300 words
People often wondered why Naruto kept on chasing after that person. After all, he was now an Anbu captain and was openly pegged by the majority as the future Rokudaime. Running after a traitor, Uchiha as he may be, was something he could very well leave for others to do.
Tsunade didn't give him the mission of going after Sasuke. In fact, she quite disapproved of it.
"Missing-nin are the responsibility of Hunter-nin. You, as Anbu, have other duties to fulfill." Tsunade said, stony-faced.
"Then I'll do it apart from work." Naruto's face hardened. "Sasuke will always be my business."
And so Naruto chased after Sasuke during his free time. Whether it be a day, a week, a month… he'd leave to find that person.
Godaime Hokage had half the mind to forbid the fox from continuing the hunt; but, in the end… she simply didn't have the heart.
/We never expected you to be able to keep him here, Naruto…/
Sasuke was a traitor. He left Konoha, wore the Oto hitae-ate, and acted against Konoha's welfare for the benefit of his personal goal. Before leaving, he had fought and severely injured a Konoha-nin, and continued perpetrating tortures and assassinations through the years.
And yet, even with all this… Naruto still spoke and searched for him as a lost yet beloved friend. It was true that the robust ninja rarely uttered anything good of the Uchiha, but the fondness and wistfulness in his insults were undeniable.
Traitor or no, Sasuke had been – and apparently always will be – Naruto's best friend.
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