Life has a tendency to happen and happen, doesn't it? But I finally had some time for writing, and I'm halfway done with chapter 55 too! So I'm hoping I can post it in a couple of days :3

I know I said that Charasuke and Menma would have their talk this chapter but it got pushed up to the next one.

I also want to say that it still amazes me that there are new people finding this fic and leaving kudos and comments, I'm very happy and it's hard to believe we're actually nearing 6,000 kudos... You're all so amazing!

Thank you for reading as always!

Chapter 54: Safe from sorrow

xxx

Itachi pulled him into a hug.

The shock on Itachi's face had morphed into something vulnerable, relief and gratitude mixed with anxious worry, and Charasuke sucked in a breath as he felt his brother's arms wrap around him.

This was why he could have never stayed behind. For all of Naruto's convincing words, it really was the thought of Itachi's reaction if the others returned without him that had made him swallow down his fears.

He buried his face in Itachi's shoulder, clinging to him.

It was all he could do not to cry again, but he didn't want Itachi to know just how horrible he felt. There would be questions, he knew, and he doubted he'd be able to fully hide his newfound powers. He wished he could. If he could turn them off, permanently…

"I'm so glad you're okay," Itachi mumbled, squeezing him even tighter.

He couldn't help it, then. Hot tears burned in his eyes, spilling onto Itachi's shirt. His breaths turned into hiccups, his brother running a soothing palm up and down his back.

Even with the powers of a chakra god, he still felt weak.

Itachi could have handled it, surely. So why him? Why him, when he was the weakest in the family, the last choice anyone should make?

Another hand fell on his shoulder, Shisui most likely. He hoped his parents weren't there. He hadn't seen them at least.

"Come on, let's go somewhere more comfortable," Shisui said, putting his arms around their shoulders when Itachi reluctantly let go. "This basement is pretty creepy, you know."

Charasuke dried his tears on a sleeve, though it probably just made his face dirtier. A glance showed that Naruto and Sasuke were still there, Menma hovering just behind them.

"I don't want to go home," he said, breaths turning too quick and shallow at the thought.

Itachi and Shisui shared a look, and he tried his best not to read anything into it. He just didn't want to face the rest of his family yet. He wanted at least some sense of control and normalcy before he had to act like he wasn't falling apart.

"Here," Naruto offered, holding out a hand. "I can teleport you to the orphanage, or something."

"But–" Itachi's protest died on his lips as Charasuke gratefully accepted Naruto's hand, moving out of reach for him.

"You can meet us there," he told him, forcing himself to draw in a deep breath. "I'd prefer if no one else saw me like this…"

Worry colored Itachi's tone when he replied.

"Will you be okay like this? Is there anything I can do?"

Shrugging, Charasuke then winced as he felt his third eye blink. It seemed to work at a different speed than the other two, taking in the world in hues of red, uncaring of his attempts to control it. The thought of not having control of his own body was what frightened him the most. He felt the urge to shut himself inside a room, hide from the world until he figured out a way to handle it.

"Let's go," he said to Naruto, avoiding actually replying to Itachi's question.

It's not like there was an answer to give, anyway.

Naruto squeezed his hand, then reached for Sasuke. A moment later they materialized in the orphanage, inside Naruto and Sasuke's bedroom. He closed his eyes, forcing his lungs to work at an even pace.

"I'll let Iruka know we're back," Naruto said, dropping his hand.

He listened to his footsteps as he left, pushing off the thought that he could just leave, just disappear somewhere without anyone able to find him.

"Are you ever scared of your own power?" he asked, once Naruto had closed the door behind him.

He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him, but his own opened again to stare at the bed. It had been neatly made. Perhaps Iruka had taken care of it, while they were away. What a strange thing to think about – while they'd been busy in the domain of the God Tree, mundane things had still continued to happen at home.

"No."

Charasuke drew in a shaky little breath.

"No," he echoed. "Of course not."

There was a light touch to his elbow, Sasuke coming to stand beside him.

"I'm not afraid of having power. All my life I've wanted more of it." He paused, his hand lowering from Charasuke's arm. "There are other things I'm afraid of. The stronger I am, the less likely they are to happen again."

Raising his face, Charasuke forced himself to meet Sasuke's eyes. He looked as serious as ever, expression unreadable. Or, perhaps not unreadable. Perhaps he just didn't like seeing the pain etched into his features, a constant companion that he could now see clearly.

"You and I are not so alike, after all," he said quietly, closing his fists until he felt his nails dig into his palms.

"Our lives are definitely different."

He considered this for a moment. He could feel the hum of chakra in the air, see traces of the very essence of life in everything around them. The world seemed so vast, and he himself so insignificant. Still, the more he thought of it, the more he came to realize that maybe Sasuke wouldn't have been able to handle eating the fruit, either. Wanting power wasn't always a good thing, and they'd both spent their lives wanting it. If he looked too long at Sasuke he could see the blood-soaked path he'd walked in order to gain it, the damage to his mind and body. The pain and loss scarring his soul.

"But what will I do with it?" he blurted out, lifting a hand, palm up. "This power. If I use it, I might end up like Hagoromo."

As if on cue, a ball of concentrated chakra filled his palm. It shone brightly, a cold light that chased all the shadows from the room.

"I don't know why you think I have the answer to that question," Sasuke replied, though there was no malice to the words.

Shoulders slumping, Charasuke took a few quick steps towards the bed and sat down heavily, folding his hands tightly in his lap.

"And just what am I going to tell Itachi," he mumbled, mostly to himself. "He'll worry himself sick."

After a moment's hesitation, Sasuke joined him. They sat there for a while, staring at nothing in particular. Itachi was most likely on his way, but Naruto was taking his time with Iruka. He felt like a heavy weight pressed down on him, like gravity itself was working against him. Kind of rude, he thought, that breathing had to be difficult even as a god.

"Maybe you can just ignore it," Sasuke offered, shrugging when Charasuke glanced at him. "If you figure out a way to hide the third eye no one might even notice."

"That implies there is a way to hide it."

"Isn't there?"

"How should I know?" Blowing air out of his nose, he resisted the urge to poke at the eye. "I can't exactly walk around in a constant transformation jutsu, can I?"

When Sasuke merely looked at him he frowned. Could he? Would it even work?

Drawing a few deep breaths, he flexed his fingers and tentatively thought about it. He had no idea how his new powers really worked, but the portal had arrived without much more than wishful thinking, so maybe…

"Huh," Sasuke said.

"Huh what?"

Sasuke straightened up, reaching out to poke him in the forehead with a finger.

"Does it feel like I'm poking you in the eye?"

He blinked. With two eyes.

"No?"

His hands shot up to feel it for himself, only flat skin under his fingertips as he rubbed them all over his forehead.

"It's that easy? Are you kidding me?"

Sasuke hummed, tilting his head before his eyes flashed red.

"Maybe it's a convincing genjutsu? I can sort of see that there's something there with my Mangekyo…"

"This whole thing is too weird," Charasuke groaned, throwing himself backwards onto the bed. "I don't feel any different, so how do I know if it's there or not?"

"Wear a forehead protector."

He scowled at Sasuke. Before he could reply there was a knock on the door, Itachi pushing it open a second later.

"Oh," he said, looking at Charasuke for a moment before hesitantly stepping inside. Shisui hovered behind him, and then Naruto came last. "You look normal again."

"Well, not entirely normal," Shisui happily added, smile too wide to be genuine. "Just slightly off. Nothing to worry about."

Turning his scowl towards Shisui, Charasuke bit his lips to hold back his irritation.

"I'll worry as much as I like," Itachi said, tone deceptively light. "So, what really happened over there?"

Naruto had closed the door behind them, and now he stood leaning against it, as if guarding it. Both Itachi and Shisui stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, the tension palpable. He glanced at Sasuke for help, a lump lodged in his throat. He didn't know where to begin, much less how to explain.

"Oh, nothing too exciting," Naruto broke the tension with, everyone turning to look at him. "The Sage of the Six Paths wanted to eat the chakra fruit for eternal life and power, he'd put Kaguya in chains, Sasuke and I woke up in some weird bubble prisons… And then Charasuke went and spoiled all his plans."

"…I think that raises more questions than it provides answers," Shisui said, grimacing. "You were gone for a long time."

"Yep, there was a lot of waiting time." Naruto shoved his hands down his pockets, too tense to appear casual. "I don't know, it's not like Charasuke told us anything either. Menma just said that he ate the chakra fruit, so."

"You what now?!" Shisui exclaimed, stalking over to Charasuke, lifting his chin to turn his face this way and that. "That explains the third eye but what the hell? You're telling me the chakra fruit is actually real?"

Heart beating a mile a minute, Charasuke swallowed before opening his mouth.

"It tasted weird," was all he managed to say.

Shisui stared down at him in shock. He didn't dare glance over towards his brother.

"The chakra fruit," Shisui repeated dumbly. "The chakra fruit."

Charasuke pushed his hand off his face. His gaze then caught Itachi's, his brother's expression thoughtful. It was difficult to breathe, just waiting for him to say something. Reality was less frayed at the edges now, as if his body was getting used to being back in his own world, but he still felt unmoored. He was afraid that if he looked at Itachi for too long, he'd see things he didn't want.

"Say something," he whispered, when the silence had stretched out too long.

At first he didn't, standing motionless with that same thoughtful look. Then he moved, slow steps until he kneeled before Charasuke, searching his eyes.

"When you were born," he started, voice thicker with emotion than Charasuke was used to hear. "When you were born, I swore I'd always protect you. That I'd keep you out of harm, and take all your burdens for you. I know that's impossible, but…"

Tears burned behind his eyes again, Itachi reaching out to touch his clenched fists.

"Stop," he begged, curling in on himself until his face was hidden from view. "Just stop."

It was too much. He'd never been able to live up to that, had kept him at arm's length when necessary, had viewed him like a child too much for the words to mean what he wanted them to mean.

Itachi had never been able to protect him from the inside of his own mind, and he hated seeing the guilt in his eyes.

"It's not your fault," he forced out, voice hoarse. "Don't act like it is."

His brother stayed silent, brushing his thumb gently over his knuckles. It hurt so much to think about it, how much he'd wanted to become strong enough to be acknowledged by his family, but not like this.

Not like this.

"We'll go wait outside," Naruto mumbled, opening the door and holding it open until Sasuke reluctantly followed.

Shisui left with them, too, and Charasuke tried to blink away the blurriness in his eyes to no success. Tears spilled onto his and Itachi's hands, and he was so tired of it. Tired of crying, tired of feeling weak, tired of always needing others to look after him.

"Sasuke," Itachi whispered, his other hand gently combing through his hair. "It's okay. It'll be okay."

"But how can it be okay?" he cried, leaning into Itachi's shoulder, forehead pressing into it.

Any semblance of control he'd had over his emotions was gone, because his brother had always managed to break through his barriers. No matter how much he tried, Itachi only had to look at him a certain way, or use that gentle voice he reserved for special occasions, when it was too late to undo the damage.

"I don't know," his brother admitted, pressing his cheek against Charasuke's temple. "But you're still here. And the world didn't end, so that's something, isn't it?"

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to explain. The fear eating away at his heart made it feel like his insides were crumbling into dust, like rubble falling and falling and falling…

Itachi held him, steady like a mountain, forgiving without being asked.

"I've got you," his brother said. "I've got you."

xxx

They gathered in the kitchen. Iruka was nowhere to be seen, but Naruto immediately got busy digging through the fridge. Shisui sat down at the table, and Sasuke mirrored him after glancing at Naruto.

"Well," Shisui said, eyes wide like he was still reeling from what Charasuke had told him. "This is–"

He paused, leaning an elbow on the table. Sasuke didn't offer him any further explanations. He felt drained, to be honest, and he wasn't sure where Naruto found the energy to put plates on the table. The scene between Itachi and Charasuke had been difficult to watch, and all he wanted now was to grab Naruto and go to bed.

"Iruka said we could heat up some leftovers," Naruto informed them, creating a clone to put rice in the cooker. "We'll have to wait for the rice I guess."

"So what happens now?" Shisui asked, ignoring Naruto, though he accepted a glass of water gratefully. "You two going back home?"

Naruto froze for a second, his back turned to them. He didn't reply, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes, following his movements around the kitchen.

"Come on," Shisui sighed. "Give me something at least."

"Charasuke can probably get us home, if nothing else," Sasuke finally said, still eyeing Naruto. Something was a little off about the way he busied himself with preparing food for them. "It's not as if we've had time to discuss anything."

"Right. Sorry."

Shisui leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out underneath the table. Sasuke avoided his gaze and Naruto avoided his, and something nagged at the back of his mind.

"It's just–" Shisui started, then groaned loudly as he scrubbed at his face. "I mean, I assumed the two of you might get up to something, but he's just so, he's just–"

Guilt squirmed in the depths of Sasuke's stomach. He'd made a promise to himself that nothing would happen to Charasuke, and while he was still alive, it couldn't exactly be called a happy ending… Not that he believed in those, anyway. Happy endings were for stories, where all the pieces could be neatly slotted together and you'd close the book feeling satisfied. In real life you had to keep going, day after day. You couldn't just finish reading and start something new.

"It sucks," Naruto summarized for them, unexpectedly. He still had his back towards them, hands braced on the kitchen counter. "Doesn't it? Knowing there was nothing we could do."

Sasuke stared at him. His shoulders were tense, the clone watching him in concern. When he turned towards them, there was an unreadable look on his face.

"And now he's afraid of himself, and what's inside him."

The words rang inside Sasuke's head, and he breathed in, sharply. Trust Naruto to always see to the point of things. Then again, Naruto probably knew better than most what it was like to be afraid of yourself, to fear losing control. Sasuke hadn't been there for Naruto's struggle with the kyuubi, but he knew enough.

"We're not going home yet," Sasuke said, meeting Naruto's eyes for a long moment.

"No," Naruto agreed. "Not yet."

He sounded like he wanted to say more, but he went back to preparing the food instead. Questions burned on Sasuke's tongue, but he didn't know how to phrase them. He allowed the silence to settle around them, felt the bone-deep exhaustion take over. His eyes drooped as Naruto put food on the plate before him, nudging his shoulder.

"Eat," he urged, then filled another plate and shoved it towards Shisui. "If you want to be useful you can give this to Charasuke."

Shisui looked like he might argue, then thought better of it. He took the plate and left, eyebrows knitted in a deep frown. Sasuke picked up the pair of chopsticks that sat by his plate, putting food in his mouth without thinking too much about what he was eating.

The clone had disappeared, and Naruto sank down in the chair next to him with a heavy sigh. His ankle hooked around Sasuke's, the touch comforting.

"Thank you," Sasuke murmured, then practically inhaled the glass of water once he noticed it was in front of him.

"You're exhausted," Naruto noted, just a hint of amusement to his tone. He lifted a hand to push a few of Sasuke's bangs behind an ear, smiling when they wouldn't stay. "You should go sleep after you finish eating."

"What about you?" Sasuke asked immediately, food forgotten as he twisted on the chair to face Naruto. "Why did you say that like there's still things to do?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows at him.

"Obviously they're going to have questions. And I think one of us should be awake to keep an eye on Charasuke."

Even though Sasuke glared at him, he felt too tired to argue.

"Don't worry about me," Naruto added, smiling again. "Kurama has no problem keeping me awake."

Before he could think about what he was doing, Sasuke leaned in to kiss that smile. Naruto let out a small noise of surprise before threading his fingers through Sasuke's hair, deepening the kiss. His stomach growled, reminding him how hungry he was. He ignored it.

Unlike their kiss at the base of the God Tree, this one was unhurried, softer. Sasuke wanted to fall asleep in the middle of it, the touch of Naruto's lips the last thing he remembered.

A polite cough made them break apart, Iruka standing in the doorway pretending he wasn't watching them.

"Ah, sorry to interrupt," he said, clearing his throat. "I just wanted to check in on you quickly, the kids are all playing outside."

"I'll come say hi in a bit," Naruto replied, while Sasuke surreptitiously wiped at his mouth.

Iruka nodded, indulgent smile softening his face.

"It's good to have you back," he said, directing it at the both of them.

He sent a pointed look towards their still full plates, easily reprimanding them for not eating properly without a single word. This world's Iruka might have less of a temper, but he was still just as good at keeping them in check.

Once he'd left again, Naruto scooted his chair closer, picking up Sasuke's chopsticks that he'd let drop sometime during the kiss.

"If you're too tired, I could feed you," he teased, laughing brightly when Sasuke snatched the chopsticks out of his hand with a scandalized look. "I never paid you back for that time you gave me your food, you know."

"Don't remind me of that," Sasuke muttered darkly, shoving food into his mouth so he wouldn't have to talk.

He should be used to it by now, but Naruto really was skilled at being embarrassing. At least he didn't push it, eating his food quickly and putting their dishes in the sink before Sasuke could even contemplate helping him.

Shisui met them in the corridor outside their bedroom, holding Charasuke's empty plate.

"He's asleep," he said, ushering them away from the door. "Itachi's watching over him."

Sasuke sighed. He supposed he could sleep on a couch. Despite the exhaustion, he wasn't sure he'd actually be able to sleep.

"I'd offer you to sleep in Charasuke's room, but you look ready to drop down right here on the floor," Shisui added, giving him a lopsided smile.

"I'll sleep in the living room," he replied, only managing to turn halfway around before Naruto grabbed his arm.

"I've got enough chakra left to teleport. I can leave a clone here."

Sasuke gave him a look. It seemed successful in getting the point across, because Naruto let go of his arm, pursing his lips as he allowed Sasuke to walk past him towards the living room. The couch was big enough for him, and softer than a lot of places he'd slept throughout the course of his life. He sank down on it gratefully, thinking he'd close his eyes for just a moment…

Light voices woke him from his slumber. Disoriented, Sasuke turned on his side, trying to make sense of what he heard. There was a weight on his legs, squawking in protest at his movement. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he grimaced as what was clearly a child climbed over his legs, knees digging into his poor thigh.

"Wake up!" It was the red-haired little girl, Natsuko, and she patted his arm insistently.

He barely held back a curse. Closing his eyes he buried his face in the couch cushions, wheezing as she jumped onto his back. What had he done to deserve this? He couldn't have slept for long, judging by the ache in his muscles.

"I'm awake," he mumbled, hoping she would leave him alone if he showed signs of being alive.

"They're talking about you!" she whispered, leaning in towards his ear as if sharing a secret.

He frowned. The light voices he'd heard were just barely recognizable. Obito, he thought, which probably meant the others were there, too.

"Stop sleeping!" Natsuko added, patting him again for good measure.

Shushing her, he gingerly sat up, head feeling cotton-filled and mind sluggish. Whoever let her inside and in the vicinity of him would receive his most vicious glare, that was for sure.

"How long will you stay?" someone asked – his father, it sounded like.

Silence followed the question, and he strained his ears, thinking they'd moved out of reach. When Naruto replied, he sounded reluctant.

"I'm not sure."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, of course–"

"Will you be able to move through dimensions on your own? Or will you need…"

"I really don't know," Naruto sighed.

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing his headache would disappear. His father sounded concerned, and his mother much too tense. Regretting his decision even as he stood up, he made his way towards the sound of their voices, lifting Natsuko up like an afterthought. She immediately wrapped her arms too tight around his neck, and he wondered if she was mistaking him for Charasuke.

Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of him, flickering down to Natsuko before settling on his face again.

"Hi," Sasuke said, too tired to stand and keeping himself up with force of will alone.

"You should be asleep," Naruto scolded him, leaving the five Uchihas behind as he hurried towards him.

It seemed they'd chosen the corridor to gather, much to Sasuke's confusion.

"Who's with Charasuke?" he asked, wincing as Natsuko tightened her grip.

She refused to let go, despite Naruto holding his arms out for her.

"Sasuke is way too tired to carry you," Naruto tried to argue with her, but she wouldn't budge.

"Just leave it," Sasuke sighed. "Answer my question, will you?"

Huffing, Naruto lowered his arms again.

"Orochimaru is giving him a check-up. He's still asleep, most likely."

The just like you should be was left implied. He looked past Naruto at the other five, meeting their worried gazes evenly.

"Any news about the jinchuuriki?"

Mikoto nodded.

"They'll be making a full recovery, from what I heard."

"You've barely slept a couple of hours," Naruto said.

"Blame her."

Natsuko beamed at them. He would have thought she'd miss Naruto more than him. A moment later Iruka showed up, looking much more harried than when he'd checked in on them in the kitchen earlier.

"Natsuko!" he scolded the girl. "You're supposed to be in bed, not up and bothering Sasuke."

"Bleh!" she said, sticking her tongue out before jumping down and running away, giggling loudly.

Iruka sighed, shaking his head fondly.

"She never listens," he muttered to himself, following behind her with a few apologetic looks towards them.

They all stared after the two of them, distracted by the interruption. Sasuke was the first to turn back, thinning his lips as Naruto sidled up to him, as if worried he'd fall asleep while standing.

"I'm fine," he said, irritated. He didn't stop Naruto from putting a hand on the small of his back, though. "What's going on?"

"We're just catching up," Itachi said, the bags underneath his eyes making him look more exhausted than Sasuke felt.

"Everything is a bit of a mess with the elections," Mikoto sighed. She smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. "The Kazekage wants to push things forwards, so that he can return home as soon as possible."

Fugaku stood with his arms crossed, frowning deeply. It almost gave him a sense of déjà vu – his own father had often taken a similar pose.

"There are some divided opinions… Some people would like you to leave as soon as possible, some would prefer if you stayed until everything's been sorted though."

"Tsunade will have the final word," Obito reminded them, running a hand through his short hair. "Or, I suppose, whoever gets elected as the new hokage."

"Well, considering two of three candidates are in this room…"

Itachi sent Shisui a sour look. It seemed he was still upset about his own nomination – Sasuke had sort of pushed it to the back of his mind, what with everything else happening.

"You're forgetting something," Naruto said, gaining their attention. "Even if we leave, Charasuke can–"

Sasuke stomped on his foot, silencing him. Rather than argue with him, Naruto clamped his mouth shut, which most likely meant no one had told his parents about Charasuke's newfound powers yet.

"Sasuke can what?" Mikoto asked, searching their faces for clues.

"I'm not leaving until Charasuke is fine with it," Sasuke answered, though it wasn't precisely an answer.

"I think we can discuss this later," Itachi added, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

It was clear that Mikoto didn't like it, judging by the tension in her jaw. Still, she must have decided to go along with it, because she merely nodded. She gave Fugaku a look, then forced a smile.

"I'll wait outside, I think," she said, her left hand clenching into a fist for a second. "I've barely been outside the past few days."

Fugaku went with her, an awkward pause remaining as Obito scrutinized them.

"Why do I get the feeling the reason we weren't allowed to go in and see Sasuke is something I won't enjoy hearing?"

Both Naruto and Shisui grimaced, while Itachi settled for a frown. Of course, Orochimaru chose that moment to exit the bedroom further down the corridor, a strange expression on his face as he neared them. He looked at Itachi, as if for permission, and when Itachi nodded he ran a hand over his mouth, lost in thought for a moment.

"Well?" Shisui asked, leaning against the wall and bouncing his knee, voice tinged with worry.

"Well," Orochimaru echoed. "He's perfectly fine, physically."

"You don't look happy about it."

Orochimaru glanced at Obito, then threw his hands out with a shake of his head.

"What can I say? There's nothing to compare with."

After leveling Orochimaru, then Itachi, with a long, chilly look, Obito turned towards the bedroom and walked briskly down the corridor. Neither of them stopped him. After a moment's hesitation, Sasuke decided to follow.

Charasuke was asleep, curled up with the blanket loosely draped over his hips. The stars underneath his skin were back, swirling lazily, just like fish in a pond. His third eye was still hidden, but now and then something seemed to flutter over his forehead, the blink of eyelashes hidden from view. They stood watching him for a minute or two, and it was clear that Obito was too shocked to speak.

At least his sleep looked peaceful, his expression relaxed and the visible hand open against the mattress, though tear tracks could still be seen on his cheeks. Sasuke wondered if he was dreaming. When the others joined them, spreading quietly through the room, he ran tired hands over his face.

"I'm going to take a shower," he announced, to no one in particular.

As dead on his feet as he felt, a shower would at least give him a moment alone. Thoughts were starting to spiral in his head, and he was too tired to deal with them. They were all looking at Charasuke like his fate was the biggest tragedy of their lives, and now that the silence made room for thought he felt like he might explode if he couldn't get a second away from it all.

Waking up had been a terrible idea.

Without waiting for any replies, he turned on his heel and marched into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself with a resolute click. Charasuke would have his godlike powers no matter how much time they spent wishing he didn't, and the guilt would overwhelm him if he didn't do something about it.

Hence, the shower.

The water heated up quickly, and he gracelessly stripped, throwing his clothes in a heap on the floor. Maybe falling asleep in the shower wouldn't be so bad. He allowed the water to beat over his shoulders, bracing his hands on the shower wall. If he thought too much about how he felt, he might lose his grip entirely. Kaguya's whole open-your-heart thing was definitely inconvenient right now.

It hurt, that was the thing. It hurt to see himself go through all these things. This world was such a joke, if everything was supposed to be the opposite of their own world and he still couldn't live in peace.

Naruto may be the one with the hero complex, but Sasuke had counted on being able to keep Charasuke out of harm's way. His head was a mess, and he couldn't decide what was worse. The way Charasuke had reacted to Itachi trying to comfort him, or how strained his relationship with Mikoto was, or how difficult his life would be from now on.

He wished he could stay and help him, but he knew he couldn't. Even if Naruto agreed to not go home just yet, even if they stayed for a while, a few weeks…

His thoughts were interrupted as the bathroom door opened, Naruto joining him. He didn't bother to acknowledge him. Naruto stayed silent as his clothes joined Sasuke's on the floor, the shower curtain making a soft noise as Naruto pulled it aside to enter the shower.

"It's too cramped," Sasuke told him, but he straightened up, giving him room.

"It'll feel better in the morning," Naruto said, eyes too knowing as they met Sasuke's.

"If you say so."

Sasuke averted his gaze, but Naruto reached out to take his hand. He squeezed back, swallowing down the lump in his throat.

"Itachi insisted on staying with Charasuke. I'll leave a clone, and we can go stay in his room instead."

There was no strength left in him to argue. Naruto reached around him for the shampoo, movements careful as if afraid Sasuke would spook. And maybe normally he would, when Naruto's hands slid through his hair, gently massaging the shampoo into his scalp. As it was he merely closed his eyes and sighed. What was there to argue against, anyway? Naruto could do whatever he wanted to him. He didn't speak as Naruto took the shower head and rinsed his hair, taking care not to get anything in his eyes. When Naruto kissed him, a soft peck on the lips, he simply let out the breath he'd held too long.

"We'll be okay," Naruto said, voice barely above a whisper.

They probably would.

"Kiss me again," he mumbled, and leaned into Naruto for support.

Hopefully this chapter was more comfort than hurt heh, next chapter we'll see a bit more of Charasuke's new powers~