Author's Notes: I'm not sure what I intended for this story (and the ones before it), but it seems to go along a certain feeling, always focused on the past. The past, the future, and the present that one lives through, to decide one's actions and life. Nothing is really stated completely outright, but some of it is obvious enough that it's not necessary. I also found myself taking out a lot of details, like the fact that Sakura actually plays a huge role during this time, but it's not neccessary to the story, so just assume that she's there, working hard and being a good friend.

And just if you're wondering, still no pairings.

(updated March 2007) About this story's timeline: As of right now, there are two pieces that take place between the second and third chapters of this fic. Those are "Ownership," and the chapter called "Tsukiyomu Michi" of "The Collected Memoirs of an Insane Girl." Neither may or may not seem related (or make much sense, for that matter, but if you're reading this, then that's probably not much of a concern for me), but they do tell of the huge gap between. The gap could be anywhere between 5 to 12 years long, if you're wondering.

Looking Beyond The Rose

There were some days that Sasuke felt as if he should tear out his heart in sheer anger and leave it on the Hokage's desk, if only to settle his mind for those idiots that felt that he was "untrustworthy" for the position. They were worried about him, but Sakura was watching and it wasn't like he was going to go and give secrets away to Sound or anything. As if.

At least Itachi was gone, although the effects were still felt, several times a year.

On those days, he would go and find the highest mountain or tree and jump off of it. Although what he really wanted to do was bury himself underneath the tree, he settled for just scaring the hell out of Sakura each and every time. It was almost like how Tsunade's gambling scared Shizune constantly. Still, he always managed to do something in the last second to break his own fall. And once in a while, someone was there to actually try and catch him. He didn't encourage it, but sometimes it still happened.

One day, a little boy with bright blue eyes caught him.

The boy reminded him of Haku with his gentle demeanor and love of animals. So Sasuke sent him back with a flower to give to his teacher, Iruka. He told him that he would keep an eye out for the boy later, when the next genin exams came around. Iruka smiled proudly and said, "He's like my grandson. He's so nice and sweet; not like Naruto was... Hard to believe they're 'related.'"

Sasuke had smiled at that. It wasn't something he did too often, even now.

Some days, though, things were quiet and it was on those days that Sasuke would go to visit Naruto. Sometimes he would find Kakashi there already, but for the most part they were quiet and empty days, filled only with the scent of the grass and flowers that Ino had planted several years ago.

At first, Sakura had been against the idea of visiting. "You don't know what he would do to you, if he saw you there. He might take it the wrong way." But Sasuke shook his head and went anyway. Eventually, Sakura saw that Sasuke repeatedly came back without any scars, marks, or bruises on himself as a good omen, and one day, decided to go herself.

"I think I understand Ino a bit more now," was all she said when she came back.

After that, she began to refer to Naruto in the past tense. Sasuke never did and Sakura didn't comment on it.

There were also some days in which Sasuke felt despair, hopelessness, and tiredness. On those days, he would look at Naruto's portrait and hit the forehead of the image with his pen. "Not today," he said, and buried himself in his paperwork.

He could almost imagine Itachi looking out over him now; Itachi, who, when he last saw him, was drenched in the downpouring of rain that had been their last battleground; Itachi, who had been the one to use up the last of his life's chakra to give him his dying message: "Treasure him. Take care of him. He is your only family left." Itachi, who had said nothing about his family or himself before his death, spoke only of the Kyuubi vessel.

In some ways, his dying words weren't true. Sasuke thought that the present was proof that Itachi (or anyone) couldn't have predicted the future -- since he could never have predicted Naruto. Naruto wasn't the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha (and perhaps the world) for nothing, and everything he touched was like that.

Because now Konoha was Sasuke's family; as the family that Naruto had given to him. To treasure. To take care of.

"This is your new clan now -- just try not to kill them all off at once, okay?"

It was a joke, but perhaps seriously that was what the idiots around the council was so afraid of. That Sasuke would go nuts and kill them all. He snorted. As if the years he had spent in Konoha and at Naruto's side meant nothing... but the council never really did like Naruto anyway. Of course, Naruto never really had the chance to make them warm up to him... he had only gotten through half of them before he left... and Naruto worked quickly.

That left Sasuke with the other half to deal with.

Where Naruto had tried to get them to dissolve their prejudices, Sasuke didn't let them get the chance to even use them -- the things he demanded of the council didn't require their approval, affection, or trust. It wasn't that he tried or didn't try, but simply that such things didn't concern him as much. Even if they were stubborn and paranoid.

However, one day, something changed. He didn't know what had done it or who had said what, but after a few months, everything began to run smoothly enough that he didn't need Konohamaru and Shikamaru to be running liason to them anymore. Konohamaru complained about the way that they smelled.

"They smell like dust all the time and I wanna sneeze. I don't know why we have to deal with these old geezers. I mean, you're the Hokage -- Naruto-niichan didn't--ow." Sasuke had hit him on the head to shut him up.

"I don't know if you knew it, but Naruto respects those old geezers much more than anyone else ever did. Do you know why they smell like dust?" Sasuke paused only long enough to see Konohamaru shake his head. "That's because they carry a greater burden than the dobe ever had to bear. Naruto is lucky in that sense, since he was protected by the Yondaime from it from birth."

"What was that?"

Sasuke almost didn't hear the question. He had turned away to look out the window -- the window that he used to enter through into Naruto's office... which was now his. To the sky beyond the window that he felt so clearly when facing death... to the horizon where his best friend was waiting for him to come home to. To his other family, which he missed so much, now that his heart was open to bear.

"Immortality," he whispered, and grieved.

-

Notes: My thanks for reading this far.