While Naruto continued staring, Sasuke turned his head around to face him. Naruto quickly turned his head away, semi-blushing.
"Hey, you want to head back now?"Sasuke asked.
'What? Where?" said Naruto, not thinking straight.
"It's getting dark…we should be getting home", Sasuke answered.
"Heh…yeah, sure…" said Naruto, not looking Sasuke in the eye.
Sasuke then gave Naruto a look. A weird one. He noticed that ever since he returned to the village, his best friend had started acting differently, mostly towards him. He noticed Naruto was a little less talkative and hyper like he used to be. Obviously, it made some sense though. Naruto was maturing. They were both maturing. They were no longer twelve and clueless like they used to be. But still…, he thought. Naruto used to bother me all the time…asking for challenges…just being the usuratonkachi he's always been. What happened?
Naruto noticed the look Sasuke was giving him. "Uh, why are you looking me like that?" Naruto asked, with confused look, while blushing.
Sasuke sighed. "Hm…" he began.
"I feel like you've changed Naruto. I mean, I know we're both older and sort of…um, mature-er, but honestly, I feel like you're different in another way. An unnatural way…."
Naruto stared at Sasuke in the eye this time.
"H-Huh? What're you talking about, Sasuke? I'm still the same…"
Sasuke shrugged. "I guess so…"
An awkward silence rested between them. Naruto broke it.
"So, shouldn't we be getting home now?" he asked.
Sasuke grinned. "Yeah, lets go…"
As they walked down the hill of the woods of Konoha back to the main village, Naruto made sure to keep a certain distance between him and Sasuke. Mostly because he didn't wan't Sasuke to catch him blushing. Lately, whenever he was around the raven-haired boy, he'd always turn pink. No matter how hard he tried to control it.
Looking at his feet as he walked, Naruto's mind began to wander.
He began to think about what Sasuke had said earlier…how Sasuke feels as if he's changed.
"H-Huh? What're you talking about, Sasuke? I'm still the same…" was what Naruto answered. But he knew exactly what Sasuke was talking about. He knew exactly what Sasuke meant by "I feel like you've changed Naruto."
Naruto grinned to himself. "Oh, Sasuke", he thought to himself. "The only reason why I'm acting the way I am is because I'm fucking in love with you."