Title: noise
Prompt: Day 2—unfiltered
A/N: I liked the idea for this one, but ahh, it doesn't work properly at the end. This takes place after Sakura moves out. I need to get back into the right frame of mind for this series too. D:
Summary: It was too noisy, too bright—for some reason he couldn't concentrate tonight.
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"So, I was thinking I could go from the front, and you can attack from the back." Naruto explained, laying out his plan. "There are only two exits, so we don't have to worry about anyone escaping."
On another night, Sasuke would be happy to hear Naruto actually strategizing for once.
"There are only five people too and—" Naruto's voice droned on, almost blending in with the sounds around him. With the cars honking in the distance and the people milling the streets.
Sasuke never realized just how noisy the night can be.
How bright.
The streetlights brighten the roads, small candles lighting the way.
(And she loved candles, didn't she? Loved having the small flame in the middle of a darkened room, loved the quiet atmosphere that came with it.)
The night was more alive than he realized. Fighting in darkened alleyways and abandoned warehouses, it was easy to forget that. Easy to just picture it all as a dead, empty hour.
Even now, he could hear the dull roar of chatter, the soft rush of cars. The steady pulse of the city.
"Sasuke?" Naruto asked, his voice too loud and too close. "You listening?"
Sasuke closed his eyes, trying to focus on his partners words.
Trying, but failing—it was all too much. All too much and no way to filter anything out.
(And despite all that noise, he couldn't hear the one voice he was straining for.)
"Just lead the way," he replied, letting Naruto take the lead for once. There was no way he could lead the raid tonight, no way he could do anything but just follow.
For some reason, he just couldn't concentrate.