The Madness And The Damage Done

by JustHereForCoffee

With Sasuke gone, Naruto has set up a life for himself and tried to move on from the scars his friend left him - both physical and emotional. But a chance meeting sends Naruto head first back into the struggle to save his friend, and into an underworld he had no idea existed in his city. AU Naruto/Sasuke fic in modern setting. Warning guys, this one's a slow burner.

11. Chapter 11

NF Chapter 11

"Double kill, bitches!" Kiba whooped, throwing one arm in the air before quickly latching it back onto the controller in his hand.

"That was a lucky grenade." Shikamaru grumbled, staring at the television as he waited for his character to respawn.

Shino's eyes didn't leave the screen either as he navigated the tight corridors of the level. "No, it's because you were too close together."

"Yeah, I taught you a lesson about spacing. No need to thank me." Kiba crowed, his face falling a second later as he ate a bullet to the face. "The fucking sniper again Shikamaru? Get close and kill me like a man!"

"Since you had the shotgun AND the hammer, I'm glad I passed." Shikamaru replied coolly, smiling slightly. "Naruto, get your head in the game: I'm not usually the competitive type, but I'll be damned if we're losing to Team Edgelord."

"That's Sir Edgelord and The Edgelet to you," Kiba replied. Shino just grunted.

Naruto looked up from his phone, shoving it back in the pocket of his hoodie. "Sorry," he muttered, rubbing his right arm for a second: the injury was acting up again today, as it did every so often. The most he could hope was that it didn't prove too disruptive, and the pain wasn't too distracting. That wasn't the issue today, however.

It had been several days since Naruto had seen Sasuke at the Cathedral, and in that time he hadn't heard anything back. He was worried sick; although Jiraiya hadn't seemed bothered by his tardiness, he did seem to know something was wrong. He hadn't pushed though, for which Naruto was grateful. As soon as he'd got home he'd plugged his phone in and called, but it had gone to voicemail. Same as the next hundred times he'd called, and no reply to several lengthy apology texts.

He'd spent the next few days moping about his flat until Shikamaru had asked him over: they were having one of Kiba's famous Xbox parties, just like when they were kids. Naruto couldn't refuse. And here he was, bottom of the scoreboard in Halo, mind a million miles away.

He sat forward, trying to focus on the game. Shikamaru lounged back in the sofa beside him, completely ignoring Kiba's glares from above their television screen; he and Shino sat opposite them with a screen of their own. When they were younger, Shino used to haul a tiny CRT screen to Kiba's. Now two flatscreens sat back to back, their Student Loans well spent.

Killed again (another well-placed grenade by Kiba), Naruto checked his phone once more. It had become a sort of compulsion for him, just in case he missed a text from Sasuke, not mattering that it had only been a few minutes since he last pulled it out.

"You expecting a call Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, glancing sideways at him.

"Hmm?" Naruto asked, half paying attention.

"You've been glued to your phone the last few hours: that's usually Sakura's thing, not yours. It's like when Kiba sent his Uni application, he was running to the computer every two seconds to check his emails." Shikamaru grinned, craning his neck around the screens to finally look at Kiba. "Despite the fact that he'd only sent it in half an hour beforehand."

"Hey, shut it! I don't expect you to understand since you're a lazy bastard, but it's nerve-wracking!"

"Maybe if you're an idiot." Shino scoffed. "They give you an estimate of when you'll hear back. I applied for the same places as you. Did you see me leaning on the refresh key?"

"Alright Shikamaru, cool it with that Sherlock shit," Naruto laughed, flinching out of reflex as Kiba lobbed an empty coke can at Shino. "Yeah, I'm waiting to hear from someone."

Kiba grinned, all teeth. "Is it your boyfrien- oh shit!" He cut off abruptly as Naruto peppered him with bullets, catching against a wall with nowhere to run.

"You sure you want to go with the boyfriend jokes?" Shikamaru asked as he finished off Shino. "Cause from here it looks like the only one sucking dick is you."

Kiba said nothing as they all laughed, just mashing the respawn button. As he got back in the game, however, the noise soon died down: the game would end in a few points, and the boys' competitive nature wouldn't let them lose easily. But Naruto was distracted again.

He'd laughed at Kiba and Shikamaru's jokes, the sort of things they'd said hundreds of times. 'You're gay; is that your boyfriend; you suck dick…' it had all been a vague concept before. But now there was a face attached to that concept, an entire life. It made him feel uneasy. What was it Sasuke had said?

'Anything you could say, I've heard before. And from people that actually meant it, too. I know you're not a bigot.'

But how do you tell a bigot from a comedian?

Dodging a rocket fired by Kiba, he quickly decided to ponder that particular philosophical question another time.

Shikamaru was caught in the explosion, his health drained instantly. Catching motion on his radar, Naruto spun round to see Shino sprinting at him, glowing sword raised, before he too exploded in a searing blue light; Shikamaru must have got one good grenade off before he died.

"Next point wins: kick his ass, Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled as Shino dropped his controller on the sofa.

"No chance," Kiba laughed on the gantry above as he reloaded. "I've got the rockets, motherfucker!"

In a split second Naruto realised he'd been in exactly this scenario before, the positions reversed: when Sasuke had been over, the first time he'd ever picked up a controller. It was quite a common play, the rocket launcher able to devastate teams on the ground from that height. What wasn't so common was Sasuke's response.

And Naruto was going to try recreate it.

He fired off a few shots, goading Kiba into shooting before he had a clear angle. It wasn't difficult: Kiba, like Naruto, was still very easy to bait. The instant the rocket fired, Naruto sprinted towards the gravity lift to his left. Kiba cursed and tried again, but Naruto was already flying up towards him, propelled by the gravity-altering pad; the second rocket sailed harmlessly under him.

Naruto reached the gantry, his finger squeezing the trigger before his boots even touched the ground. Kiba absorbed a full clip of assault rifle rounds, trying desperately to reload. But it was too late. His armour crackled yellow as the shields failed, and the last thing his character saw was the butt of Naruto's gun straight to his face.

"Game over!" The announcer said calmly as Naruto cheered and Kiba nearly threw his controller out the window. The commotion brought Akamaru in from his spot next to the radiator in the kitchen, barking and wagging his tail boisterously. He bounded over, licking Kiba's face and putting all of his considerable weight into it; Kiba couldn't be mad for long under the assault of sloppy kisses, laughing with the rest of them and scratching the big dog behind the ear.

Kiba smiled grudgingly, looking up from Akamaru. "I hate to admit it, but that was a good play." He jumped up and ran through to the kitchen, Akamaru at his heels. After a second he came back with two cans of beer, tossing one over the televisions at Naruto. "To the victor go the spoils."

"To the victor!" Naruto proclaimed in the most pompous voice he could muster, holding the can up for a second before ripping off the tab. He hadn't planned on drinking, and it was only three in the afternoon…

Fuck it. I'm allowed to relax.

"Where's mine?" Shikamaru asked, sitting up and placing his controller gently on the coffee table.

"You haven't earned one, you camping son of a bitch."

Shikamaru grumbled slightly under his breath, but got up to grab some for himself and Shino.

"Good job" Shino raised his beer over the back-to-back screens, tapping it gently against the rim of Naruto's.

Naruto beamed, bringing the can to his lips. "Thanks, but I can't take credit: it was Sa-" he caught himself quickly, stuttering. "S-some guy on YouTube. Like a tactics video, you know?"

Shikamaru hummed an acknowledgement, but had a strange look on his face. "Is that right? Not like you at all, Naruto."

"Just fed up of losing to people like you that can think a hundred steps ahead is all." Naruto tried not to let his nerves show: although lazy, Shikamaru was just as sharp as Sasuke. He'd pick up on something like that.

"Not going to happen," Shikamaru grinned, taking a deep sip.

Think I got away with it… damn it Naruto, what's wrong with you?

"Right, so we could play…" Kiba huffed, jumping forward in his seat, holding up the boxes as he rattled off the list of games. "Call of Duty, Gears of War, Battlefield, Minecraft if you all fancy being total faggots, or…or we could stay on Halo, do online matches. We used to kick so much ass back in the day, haven't done that in ages!"

The others agreed instantly, the nostalgia winning over all options. But it felt like Naruto's guts had dropped into his shoes when he heard Kiba say that word. Faggot. Like before, it wasn't the first time he'd heard it, but it seemed so much more offensive now. And to be coming out of his friend's mouth…

It just doesn't feel right.

Still, he didn't want to say anything: he felt like a hypocrite for just noticing now.

"This is gonna get intense fast," Shikamaru sighed, pushing himself up by the legs. "I'm going out for a smoke first."

"I'll come with, get some air." Naruto said quickly, jumping up after him. Shikamaru was usually his first port of call when it came to moral dilemmas, not that they came up much. He would understand Naruto's concerns.

"So," Shikamaru trailed off as he closed the door and sat down on the front step. "What's eating you, Naruto?"

"What?" Naruto asked, surprised, looking up from his phone: still nothing.

"You seem pretty out of it today." Shikamaru shrugged, gesturing with his lighter at Naruto's phone. "And you can't stop looking at your phone. If you were just waiting for a call surely you wouldn't have to keep checking it?"

"Yeah, I guess. Something's been bothering me." Naruto paused for a second, still deciding how to start. "So I made a new friend recently, and… well, he's gay."

"Right," nodded Shikamaru. "Does that bother you?"

"No-no-no, not at all!" Naruto said quickly. "Like, just that he's my first gay friend, and… now some of the stuff that Kiba says seems…"

"Rather off-colour, huh?" Shikamaru finished, nodding some more.

"Yeah." Naruto replied weakly. "I mean, am I a hypocrite for not noticing it before? Does it make Kiba a bad person? Does it make me a bad person?"

Shikamaru was silent for several seconds, staring at the burning end of the hand-rolled cigarette he held between his index and middle finger. "You've met Kiba's sister, right?"

Naruto frowned at the seemingly off-topic question, but answered nonetheless: Shikamaru would surely have some point to make. "Hana? Yeah, she was always there whenever I was at Kiba's. His mum was always busy working, so she half raised him."

"Exactly." Shikamaru took a long draw, turning to look at Naruto leaning on the fence. "Hana's gay, Naruto."

"Hana's…"

"Gay. She likes girls."

"Huh." That wasn't what Naruto had expected at all.

"Yeah. And remember when Kiba got suspended?"

Naruto was now more confused than ever. "Because he kept smuggling Akamaru into class in his jacket?"

"No you idiot, the other time. When he tried to punch out that senior that called Hana a slut."

"Oh yeah, that time. That does make more sense. "Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his neck. "He got his ass beat a bit, didn't he?"

Shikamaru chuckled, the cigarette bouncing dangerously in his mouth. "Not badly enough that it wasn't funny. But do you really think he'd say something that would offend someone he loved?"

"Well, no, but just cause she isn't hurt by it doesn't mean that other people aren't."

"Very true," Shikamaru conceded, shifting his weight to point the cigarette at Naruto. "But have you ever heard him say that to a gay person? Or even in front of one?"

"Of course not. I would have said something."

Shikamaru nodded. "Any of us would have, that wouldn't have been cool. But I can guarantee that Kiba hasn't made jokes like that to anyone but us. That's the thing though: he trusts that we know he isn't serious. He likes edgy, ironic humour, remember? He went to Pride March last year for God's sake."

Naruto felt conflicted now. Shikamaru made sense, but it still felt wrong. "Don't you think there are some words you shouldn't ever say?"

"I think…" Shikamaru began slowly as he ground his cigarette butt into an ashtray next to the door and stood up. "That it's the intent, not words, that matter. But if you asked Kiba to stop using any word you felt uncomfortable with I have every confidence he would take it to heart."

He opened the door again, kicking off his shoes as they entered the hallway. "Think on it, Naruto. And if you still don't like it, just talk to him. But it doesn't make him a bad person. And you cared enough to talk about it in the first place: I don't reckon you're a bad person either."

Naruto followed him through the doorway, leaving his own shoes on. "You've given me a shit-ton to think about, Shikamaru."

He smiled over his shoulder as he smoothed over his bushy ponytail. "Any time, dude."

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

"Grenade, watch it!"

"Ah, fuck." Kiba muttered, draining the last of his can as his character flew into the air like a ragdoll.

Several hours, many matches and even more beers later, and everyone was a little tipsy. Kiba, however, was a bit further on than the rest of them. He threw his can at the bin, only to have it bounce off the rim to join the pile of other off-target launches.

Shino sighed. "You remember when this place used to be clean?"

"I know right?" Kiba laughed, dying again rather quickly. "It was right about the time Shikamaru took Hinata's room, wasn't it?"

"Only cause she tidied up after you for a good year before she got fed up and bought a place of her own." Shikamaru sighed, trying to concentrate on both the conversation and the game. "Why she even slummed it here for that long is beyond me. She has plenty of money."

"It's because she wanted that authentic student experience. You know, living away from home, with your friends." Naruto butted in. "She didn't want to miss out on anything just cause she's rich."

"That's fair I suppose," Kiba muttered, reaching down to crack open another beer. "I mean we weren't horrible to live with, were we?"

"No, of course not." Naruto replied, casting a quick glance over at his friend. "I was here half the time, remember? You guys are fine."

Kiba grinned, looking slightly embarrassed. "That was strange, wasn't it? When you were dating Hinata."

"I'd be going in to get some lunch and Naruto would be there in her dressing gown, making himself a sandwich, quite the thing." Shino smiled slightly, just at the corner of his mouth.

"If that bothered you, you should have seen how we made sandwiches at mine."

They all laughed, Kiba almost knocking over his can. Shikamaru finished his too, leaning forward to grab another; like Kiba, he was now onto the unrefrigerated beer. "Someone really should have put this in the fridge," he complained as he sipped the tepid drink.

"If you want to run your ass up every two minutes and lose us matches, be my guest." Kiba leaned forward as said match ended, the boys losing by quite a margin. "Here, Naruto, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."

"Oh god, here we go." Shino groaned. Shikamaru similarly sighed.

Naruto laughed, setting the controller down as he picked up his own beer. "Okay, I've gotta hear this."

"Trust me, you don't." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It's creepy."

"It's not creepy, I'm just curious!" Kiba snapped, turning on Naruto again. "So when you were staying over we never usually heard anything from Hinata's room. And I was wondering if… how..."

"For Christ's sake," Shikamaru grumbled, cutting off his friend. He folded his arms, going slightly red. "He wants to know what the sex was like."

Naruto just about spat his beer all over the floor. The way Kiba was going had worried him, but he wasn't expecting that.

"Well when you say it like that it sounds like I'm some sort of pervert!" Kiba pointed a finger to his right. "I'm just trying to settle a bet with Shino."

Shino raised his hands in innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Kiba. I want nothing to do with this."

"No-no-no, you don't get out of this one that easy. Remember when Chouji brought round that bottle of absinthe and you got blackout drunk? And when Naruto and Hinata went to bed we were talking about personality types and what they were like in bed. You," he continued pointing his finger at Shino, "didn't believe shy girls could be crazy in bed. So we decided we'd ask Naruto about Hinata. Just to settle the bet."

"I don't remember that." Shino frowned.

"Unfortunately I do." Shikamaru said, shaking his head. "I was in the kitchen getting water for Chouji since he'd curled up next to Akamaru in the dog bed. Heard the whole thing."

Naruto was amazed, trying to think back to that night himself: he'd had about as much as Shino. "That was like a year ago guys. Have you been holding onto this that whole time?"

"Honestly," Kiba started, grinning, raising his hands and spilling beer on his t-shirt. "I forgot until very recently. But you guys split a bit after that. Wasn't really the right time to ask."

"Wow Kiba, you have so much tact." Naruto laughed, amused by the whole situation.

"Thank you. Now how was she in the sack?"

Naruto grinned slyly: he knew Kiba fancied himself a player, but in terms of experience... "Well, I don't kiss and tell, but… Kiba's right, Shino. Gotta look out for the quiet ones."

In truth, for the longest time Naruto hadn't known that his and Hinata's sex life was atypical. That was one of their strongest connections together: their sexual compatibility. It had only been when he'd overheard Ino talking to Sakura about one of her boyfriends that it really clicked. Not that he was eavesdropping: Ino was quite candid about her more intimate moments, as they appeared in a lot of her drunken anecdotes. It was only then that he realised how wild he and Hinata had been.

Shino grunted his acceptance. "At least you had the good grace to be quiet about it."

"That's true," Shikamaru said, raising his eyebrows. "Last party I was at was for someone's birthday. He got dragged away halfway through by his partner for his 'present' – an extremely awkward ten minutes for everyone else, the loud bastards."

"See this is why I can't wait for Uni," Kiba crowed, leaning back and resting his feet on the coffee table. "Drunk chicks with little to no standards."

"I mean, the guy got his birthday present from his boyfriend Scott, so you might actually have a chance."

Naruto snorted with the others, taking another drink. He felt much better laughing at that kind of humour again after his talk with Shikamaru, but he still had a lot to think about. He would ask Sasuke about it soon.

If you haven't completely burnt that particular bridge.

He felt something buzz against his leg, taking a second to figure out what it was: his phone. He jumped up, apologising quickly as he left the room, Kiba making rather suggestive choking noises to put him off. Excited, he checked the caller ID, heart leaping when he saw the name he'd been waiting for.

"Hey," he answered, trying not to sound too nervous.

"Hello Naruto," came the soft reply.

There was a small pause, a second or two where Naruto was unsure if he would accidentally interrupt. "Hey, it's… it's good to hear from you Sasuke. Listen, I'm so, so sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"No Naruto, I'm the one that should be apologising." Sasuke sighed. He sounded tired. "I should have told you much sooner. It wasn't fair keeping it from you, no matter how much I don't like to talk about it. Walking away was… immature. And not getting in touch was worse. So… I'm sorry."

Naruto had expected to have to do some grovelling, not even considering that he'd get an apology. "Hey, thanks man. I appreciate that. I shouldn't have pushed you though. That wasn't fair. It could have waited."

"I suppose you're right." Naruto thought he could hear a hint of a smile in Sasuke's voice. "So I guess we're both terrible people."

"I guess," Naruto laughed, pacing the corridor. "I just… I just wanna know if you're okay. I was worried, you know?"

"I'm fine. Just had a lot to do the last few days."

"That break didn't last long, huh?" Naruto tried to keep his tone light-hearted, but Sasuke still sounded ill: if he didn't ease up he'd make himself worse for sure.

"Never does," Sasuke chuckled slightly. "You get complacent, and someone attacks you… your work, I mean."

"Just remember to take a break every so often, okay? I know it's hard legitimising half a crime empire but don't kill yourself."

Sasuke seemed to think that was funny. "No danger of that, don't worry. And on that subject: are you free tonight?"

"Emm," Naruto paused, looking back towards the door to the living room. "Nothing major. Why?"

"There's a gig tonight at the Whisky Bar. I've wanted to see these guys for a while. Want to come with? We can further your education of decent music." Sasuke teased.

It didn't take long for him to make up his mind. "Yeah, sounds fun. I'm actually with Shino, Kiba and Shikamaru right now: do you want me to invite them too?"

Sasuke sounded slightly awkward as he answered. "I don't think that's a good idea Naruto."

It was the same words he'd used before. Naruto was about to accept it without further pressure, but he was surprised when Sasuke elaborated. "I know you've accepted me back but… I'm not sure the others would. I don't want to cause a rift between you."

Naruto had no idea Sasuke was worried about that: it made him sad, but he was flattered that his friend was trying to look out for him. After what had happened the other day, he decided not to push it. "If you're sure, Sasuke. When do you want me?"

"Whisky bar, seven?"

Naruto quickly lifted the phone from his ear to check the time. "I'll be cutting it a bit fine, but I think I can make it: I'm at Shikamaru's flat right now, we're out in the sticks."

"See you there." And without any further ado, he hung up.

Slightly surprised at suddenly being cut off, Naruto headed back through to break the news that he was leaving. Within minutes he was out the door and on a bus back into town, still slightly buzzed. The excitement soon outweighed the nerves: it looked like the evening was on the up.

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

Sasuke was leaning against the hard brick wall outside the bar, a cigarette to his lips. Naruto, slightly late at quarter past the hour, waved as he joined his friend.

He was looking worse than ever, several new cuts and bruises added to his collection. Particularly nasty was a black eye, complete with a scabbed cut through his eyebrow, as well as some of his half-healed injuries from the last time he was at Naruto's; the dressing was finally off his arm, a deep cut running from the crook of his elbow down. He still looked pale and drawn, deep bags under his eyes. The only good news was that his eyes looked sharper than last time. He tucked the lighter into the pocket of his black shirt, tighter than the ones he usually wore, but open a fair way down the chest.

"Sorry I'm late," Naruto apologised. "I got the last of the festival traffic."

Sasuke nodded, taking a deep draw. "Thank Christ it's over in a few days. Just hope the bar isn't too crowded."

Their hopes were dashed as they entered, it being the busiest Naruto had ever seen it. "I'll buy first," Sasuke grunted as they made their way to the bar. "What do you want?"

Naruto had sobered up slightly on the bus, but thought he better not chance mixing his drinks. "Budweiser, cheers."

As they waited they could hear the music starting through the back. "Don't worry," Sasuke reassured him as they slowly gained ground on the bar. "It'll only be the support band. There's usually two for smaller gigs. Hope they're better than the last guys I saw here."

As they got their drinks and paid the necessary £5 for entry, Naruto was blasted by a wall of noise. He wandered up to the middle of the room, Sasuke behind him, examining the band.

Five members had taken the stage: a large, burly man with a ginger Mohawk sat behind the drums, absolutely battering the poor kit; there was a tan bassist with long, shaggy hair, his hands moving so fast it looked like he had more than just the two; the guitarists were next, looking nigh identical, one hanging back by the amps and the other with a foot on the monitor, showing off; finally was the only girl in the band, wearing a beanie over her long red hair.

The girl was screaming into the microphone like a woman possessed, the bassist and showboating guitarist occasionally adding backup. When she wasn't singing the woman brought a flute up to the microphone, mixing with the heavy guitars in a very pleasant way. It was a good first impression: Naruto immediately liked the music.

He turned round to say as much to Sasuke, but found him standing in the doorway, frozen. Someone crashed into the back of him, sending Sasuke flying forward a few feet. He managed to regain his footing, saving his drink and waving an apology at the man behind him. Sasuke stalked up to Naruto, his eyes not leaving the stage.

"We have to go!" He shouted in Naruto's ear above the music.

"What?" Naruto asked, confused: they'd only just got there. "Why? I like these guys!"

Without another word, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist and dragged him out of the venue, up through the bar, slamming his full glass on the counter as he passed. Naruto resisted for the first few seconds, but figured there wasn't much point: he would have followed Sasuke anyway.

"What the Hell?" Naruto yelled as they barrelled out the doors, still holding his bottle. "Sasuke, what's wrong?"

Sasuke said nothing for a second, running a hand through his hair: Naruto had rarely seen him this agitated, talking faster than normal. "I should have checked who was on support. It's the guys in that band, Sound Four. Trust me, they're bad news."

Naruto was confused. "Sound Four? Isn't there five of them?"

"That really isn't important now, Naruto." Sasuke snapped, almost growling.

"Jesus, alright. So we're just leaving?"

"They aren't gonna be too happy to see me here. I usually wouldn't care, but I don't want them seeing you, Naruto." He slowed down slightly, calming himself quickly. "We need to go somewhere else tonight. I'm sorry."

Naruto took a moment to process it all. "You know what? Fuck that, Sasuke. We came out to see a band, and we're gonna see a goddamn band. What're they gonna do, start a bar fight?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, seeming like he was trying not to lose his patience. "Naruto, you don't understand-"

"No, you promised, remember?" Naruto was having none of it. "No more lying for my own good, no more thinking you know what's best for me. We're staying."

Sasuke sighed, passing a hand up his forehead, his thumb resting heavily on his temple. "You're determined, aren't you?"

Naruto set his jaw stubbornly. "Yeah. I'm not afraid of those pricks and you shouldn't be either."

Sasuke's eyes flicked to Naruto's from under his brow, dark and dangerous. "I'm not afraid of them, Naruto."

"Then let's go."

Sasuke stood still for a second on the pavement, mouth set in a hard line. Wordlessly, he passed Naruto, heading back into the bar. He picked up his drink and examined it, taking a sip once he was sure no one had tampered with it. "We stay in the bar until they're finished, okay? Don't draw attention to ourselves. But if they do see us, let me do the talking."

They had a few more drinks, Naruto resisting the temptation to switch to whisky like his friend. He wanted to ask what the deal was with the band, but Sasuke was on edge enough as it was. As soon as one became available he pounced on a corner seat, his back to a wall and Naruto's to the room. His face had shut down into his standard stoicism again, but he was watching the room like a hawk.

A tense half hour passed, with not much conversation between the two. Naruto didn't blame Sasuke for that: he was obviously really stressed about these Sound Four guys. He took to people watching instead, slowly sipping his drink. Sasuke, on the other hand, sped through whiskies with seemingly no effect. Eventually, the music stopped.

A few minutes later, five sweaty musicians made their way from the band room to the bar. Naruto saw the bassist tie his hair up into a short, high ponytail, whilst ordering for them; he looked a lot darker without the stage lights.

"Don't look over, Naruto," Sasuke all but whispered. "We might get lucky here."

Naruto turned round to concentrate on his beer, trying to monitor Sasuke's face. His eyes twitched quickly from the bar to Naruto and back, a quick curse escaping his lips.

Guess I'm gonna find out what sucks so much about these guys…

"Sasuke, it is you!" A rich, smooth voice called out over the bar's clamour. "Jirōbō, you owe me a drink!"

Naruto turned to see the five of them crowding around their table, essentially blocking them in. To their far left was the one that had spoken, the guitarist, his light grey-blue hair covering one eye. Next to him was an identical man, but his demeanour was again different: he hung back slightly, watching. The bassist stood in the middle, followed by the girl and the mountain of a drummer nearest Naruto. His mind automatically forming exit strategies, Naruto tried to calm down. He didn't want this ending in a fight.

"Hello Sakon," Sasuke replied, his face inscrutable once more, his tone bored. "Ukon, Kidōmaru, Tayuya. And of course, Jirōbō. Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah, fancy that." The bassist, Kidōmaru, laughed. It set Naruto's teeth on edge. "You celebrating, hmm? Living up that victory of yours?"

"Ooh, whisky!" The flautist Tayuya sneered, her face screwed up. "Enjoying the nice fuckin' drinks, huh? Only the finest top-shelf for you, right?"

Jirōbō sighed, his tone surprisingly soft compared to the others. "Language, Tayuya."

"Bite me, fatass."

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked, leaning back in his seat with one foot over his knee, looking for all the world like he was just relaxing. "I'm trying to enjoy my 'nice fuckin' drinks' in peace."

"You see, I wish we were." Sakon continued, sitting on the edge of the table. "But you've made that rather difficult for us. We're not very happy, Sasuke."

"And what would be the source of your displeasure?" Sasuke interjected, raising an eyebrow. "Other than you having to drag your retarded brother around, I mean."

Naruto jumped as the other brother, Ukon, snapped his head up, pushing past Sakon and slamming a hand on the table, getting right in Sasuke's face. "Wanna say that again, cunt?"

Sasuke didn't flinch, didn't even acknowledge him. He looked past Naruto, towards the bar, subtly shaking his head. Glancing back, Naruto saw one of the barmen looking on, concerned, as some asshole snapped their fingers in front of his face to get another drink.

Sasuke just continued looking Sakon dead in the eye, slowly bringing the whisky to his lips. "Sorry, that wasn't very correct of me. Not trying to disparage him, of course. Does he prefer 'differently abled'?"

Sakon, however, just smiled. "No need to get upset, Ukon." His eyes flickered to Naruto, who for once was taking Sasuke's advice and not saying a word. "Who's the twink, Sasuke? Picking up some fresh meat?"

"None of your business."

"But he's pretty, isn't he?" Tayuya spat, anger emanating from her very core. "Far too pretty to meet with an unfortunate accident, hmm?"

Sasuke laughed coldly, a humourless smirk playing about his lips. "You wouldn't get that far. Trust me."

"Aww, looking out for your little whore?" Tayuya mocked, flipping one of her bangs out her face.

"I wouldn't need to." Sasuke's eyes finally broke from Sakon's to stare unwaveringly at Tayuya. "You wouldn't lay a finger on Naruto unless he let you. But unlike you, he actually has some standards."

The reaction was instant, Tayuya jumping on the provocation "Like you can talk, fuckstick-"

"Enough." Sakon interrupted. He wasn't especially loud but Tayuya instantly stopped, still glowering at Sasuke.

There was a brief silence, the tension thick and cloying, before Sakon burst out laughing. Ukon took his hand slowly off the table, dragging his nails along the wood, backing up once more.

"That's priceless, Sasuke. Really." Sakon smiled sardonically, flicking an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye. "Now we've got all that comedy gold out of the way, let's get down to business: we currently find ourselves rather unemployed. If the talk of the town is true, you're to blame Sasuke Uchiha."

"He was posing a problem. I took care of it."

"Oh, you took care of it!" Kidōmaru laughed, snapping his long, dextrous fingers. "You took care of it a little too well, we think. I mean, personally I was hoping for a severance package, maybe get my p45 in the mail…"

Sakon leaned in, smirking. "How about it, Sasuke? Can you write us a character reference? After all, we did help you… acclimatise to the role. Even provided some encouragement to sign up. And now baby's all grown up!"

He reached in to pinch Sasuke's cheek, but in the blink of an eye his hand was slapped away. "Let me make this clear," Sasuke started slowly, his voice low and measured. "You fuck with me, my associates, my business again… I will not rest until you've experienced more pain than you have ever imagined in your life."

Sasuke stood up, Sakon following suit, the two face to face as he continued. "This time there's no running to Daddy for help. The rumours are true. He's not coming back."

"Kimimaro wouldn't have liked that." Sakon breathed, his tongue briefly flicking at his lips. "If he was still around, it would have been your head."

"I don't give a fuck about Kimimaro." Sasuke spat, his dark eyes pure, unblinking ferocity. Kidōmaru had to put one arm in front of Ukon to stop him jumping at Sasuke again.

Tayuya gritted her teeth and actually snarled. "How dare you-"

"It's no wonder you were all benched. You're pathetic." Sasuke continued, cutting her off with the sheer edge to his voice. "Get the fuck out of here before I do something we all regret."

The moment seemed to drag into eternity, Sasuke staring down Sakon, the rest watching nervously. Eventually, Sakon took a step back. "Now, now, Sasuke. No need to throw your toys out the pram." He looked down at Naruto, tensed and ready to leap up if Sasuke did indeed follow through on his threat. "Naruto, was it? Now that name seems very familiar…"

Jirōbō, who had been mostly silent until this point, spoke up. "Ah, yes. Naruto. Your name and Sasuke's have become rather… intertwined. See that you remedy that. We wouldn't want you getting hurt, would we?"

"Yeah, people close to Sasuke have a tendency to kick the bucket." Tayuya sneered, grinning maliciously. "Just ask his mentor. Or maybe Mummy and Daddy."

Naruto was sure that would push Sasuke over the edge. But he remained there, still and silent, not saying anything. He reached down for his drink, finishing the dregs and placing it down neatly on a coaster, staring at the table.

Sasuke's voice was barely above a whisper, calm and low. "You have ten seconds. Ten seconds, or I show you why I was his favourite. I don't care about collateral. And what I did to Orochimaru will seem trivial in comparison." He finally looked up. Naruto had only once seen his eyes look this sharp. "Five. Four…"

"Woah there, tiger." Sakon grinned, but he looked worried. "We're leaving. I don't know about you, but I'm not about getting barred from another venue. Come on guys, let's go."

Slowly, the band filed out, Tayuya hesitating for a second. Sasuke turned his gaze on her, eyes piercing.

"Sakon made the right call," Sasuke smiled, unblinking. "You would have begged me to kill you."

Tayuya visibly flinched, shuddering as she turned to follow the others.

Naruto understood how she felt: moments prior, he had been ready to all but leap out of his seat to defend his friend. Now he was just… frozen. He could feel his mouth slightly agape, but didn't seem to be able to close it. Sasuke was still standing there, face deceptively calm, but eyes able to cut glass. It was terrifying.

This is him. This is the man that frightens criminals. The man that topples kingpins.

The one that put me in hospital.

He didn't want to, but all he could think of was the instant it had happened. He could see the moment vividly, sharp needles coursing up his right arm: Sasuke, hair matted and slick from the rain, arm striking Naruto's own; the second between the crunch, the blood, and the pain; but most importantly, his eyes.

They looked exactly the same as he stared after the Sound Four. His face was neutral, a far cry from that night, when his anger bled through to the surface. But he couldn't yet control his eyes.

This is a different person. This can't be my Sasuke.

But try to deny it all he wanted, the truth echoed throughout his mind. This was Sasuke. This was the person he'd become.

He slowly sat down, eyes flickering from the stone arch. He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, Sasuke's eyes were back to normal.

"I'm sorry about that, Naruto. That's exactly what I was trying to avoid." He frowned at his empty drink for a second before continuing. "Your name's becoming all too familiar in their mouths. We need to be careful. You don't want to become any more famous."

Naruto wanted to say something, but couldn't. He could feel his heart rate rising, his breathing shallow and rapid. All of a sudden the bar felt too loud, too crowded, too unsafe. He tried to take a drink, steady himself, but when he reached out with his right hand he couldn't unclench his fist. It shook slightly, the pain reaching deep into his muscles as they cramped.

Not now, not now!

He quickly moved his arm under the table, trying to slow his breathing, hoping that Sasuke hadn't seen. He looked on in concern, seeming like he was going to say something.

Suddenly Sasuke jumped out his seat, mouth set in grim determination. "Outside. Now."

Naruto felt overwhelmed as he was dragged up and out of the bar. A few people gave him questioning looks, Sasuke grabbing his hand firmly and leading him out the door. There, he leaned Naruto against the wall, his deep voice slow and surprisingly soothing.

"Close your eyes." He started softly, still holding his hand tight. "Yes, that's good. Lean against the wall, concentrate on my voice. You're okay. Breath. You're gonna be just fine, okay?"

Naruto complied, swallowing hard and saying nothing. He leaned his head against the cool brick, the muted sounds of the city centre on a week night floating in the background. Only Sasuke's voice mattered.

"Breath with me. In… and out. In… and out." Sasuke took several slow, deep breaths, Naruto matching his pace.

He continued in this fashion for at least a minute until Naruto felt he was able to open his eyes again. Sasuke's worried face was the first thing he saw, close but not invading his personal space. Slowly, he began to feel more like himself, the tension in his scar unknotting, his hand slowly uncurling.

"I'm sorry, I… what was that?" Naruto asked, disoriented. The hand spasms he'd dealt with before several times, but never the blind panic.

Sasuke frowned. "That's never happened before?"

"No, I… I've never had that happen."

"Naruto…" Sasuke started slowly, looking as confused as Naruto felt. "You just had a panic attack."

Naruto, still breathing heavily, processed this for several seconds. A panic attack. He just had a panic attack. The confusion was soon replaced by shame. "God, that's… that's pathetic. I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"What the fuck are you apologising for?" Sasuke demanded, his frown deepening.

"I knew the injury had fucked me up, but…" He took a deep breath, looking down. "Uh, Sasuke? Can I have my hand back?"

Sasuke's head snapped downwards, to where his hand clasped Naruto's. Quickly he let go as if shocked by electricity, his eyes avoiding Naruto's. "Sorry. I forgot about that."

Is he blushing? Holy shit, he's blushing.

Suddenly that was all Naruto could think about. He had to restrain himself not to burst out laughing: the red was so unfamiliar on Sasuke's face.

This is more emotion than he showed inside, threatening those assholes.

The thought cheered Naruto instantly, but he wasn't sure why. "Thanks for the help, by the way. I don't know how well I'd have done on my own."

Sasuke hummed non-committedly, and was quiet for a while. "It's not pathetic." he said suddenly, with surprising intensity. The remnant of the blush still coloured his face slightly, and his expression seemed more soft than usual. "I work… worked with this guy. You could even call him a friend. He seemed to have his shit together, until suddenly he didn't. The first time this happened to him, I had no idea what to do. I read up about it. It got easier the next time. And the time after that. He's one of the strongest people I know. And if you call yourself pathetic, you call him pathetic too."

"No, that's not what I-"

"It doesn't matter what you mean." Sasuke cut him off, but not unkindly. "These things are sometimes unavoidable. But this one's my fault."

Naruto was unsure what to say to that. How had Sasuke known what had caused him to freak out?

"You wouldn't have run into those dickheads if it wasn't for me." Sasuke continued. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure they don't bother you again. Trust me."

Naruto paused, nodding silently after a second. He didn't have the heart to tell Sasuke what had really caused him to panic. He rubbed his forearm, holding it tightly through his hoodie.

"Come on, let's go back inside." Naruto said, pushing off the wall.

Sasuke caught his shoulder. "Are you sure? We can call it a night if you want. Don't have to go back."

"Yeah, I'll… I'll be okay. We're seeing a gig, aren't we?"

"Don't push yourself on my account Naruto. Seriously." He let his hand fall, seeming unsure what to do with it. "It's just a band."

"I'm sure." Naruto confirmed, tilting his chin up and setting his jaw. "I'm not letting… whatever this was ruin the night."

"I think between us we've made a pretty good go of ruining it. If this doesn't stop us, I don't know what will." Sasuke smiled slightly.

After Sasuke had got drinks – and insisted on paying for both, a double Bruichladdich, ice for Naruto – they sat back down at the surprisingly unoccupied table. The music had started again, but it was only the second support act. They had time, Sasuke said.

"So," Sasuke started, pausing to take a long drink. "You said you didn't want me to keep stuff anymore. Do… do you want to know more about those guys? The Sound Four?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered immediately. He wanted to know everything he could, some things having been gleaned already. "Who are they? They worked for Orochimaru, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "Unfortunately."

"But Orochimaru's gone. Right?"

"Yeah, but they weren't just on a payroll: for whatever fucked up reason they were always loyal." Sasuke's eyes were far off. "I was coming home from a club, maybe half a year after I left. Out of nowhere, these five psychopaths beat the absolute shit out of me. I was drunk and… honestly, I didn't want to fight back. Part of me hoped they'd kill me."

Naruto didn't know what to say. "Jesus, I… that's heavy shit, Sasuke."

He snorted, taking a drink and shaking his head. "If you think I'm fucked now, you should have seen me during those six months. Compared to that, I'm a model for good mental health. They tell me my new boss is waiting. And that with his help, I'd… I'd be unstoppable. I healed. I mulled it over. And I decided that I didn't want to be powerless, to anyone."

He continued, not waiting to hear Naruto's reaction. "I accepted. I started training under… him... and soon, I was the favourite. After that, the Sound Four was just so much shit on my shoe."

"And they've got beef with you cause you got rid of their boss?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"More than that. I replaced them, made them obsolete. It's an old grudge, just worse now."

"Damn," Naruto muttered. There really wasn't much else he could say.

"Yeah. Damn" Sasuke agreed. "Don't worry though, I meant what I said: I'll deal with them."

"What exactly do you mean, 'deal with them'?" Naruto asked cautiously. He wanted to ask the same of Orochimaru, just so he knew. But Sasuke didn't even want to say his name, let alone talk about him. He didn't want a repeat of the cathedral.

"Check the news in the next few days," Sasuke smirked, suddenly confident. "If I play my cards right, it's two birds with one stone."

Cryptic as always. At least I'll eventually get an answer to this one.

"So who was that Kimimaro guy?" Naruto asked, suddenly remembering the intense reaction his name got.

Sasuke seemed surprised. "Kimimaro? He held my position before I joined. He was in charge of those assholes for a while. Another one of the favourites."

"What happened to him? They seemed really pissed off when you told them you, what was it?" Naruto grinned. "'Didn't give a fuck' about him?"

Sasuke didn't return the smile. "He died, Naruto. Bone cancer."

The grin was quickly wiped from Naruto's face. "Oh."

"It's no big loss: one less criminal to darken our doorsteps. But he was the reason I was even recruited in the first place." Sasuke sounded bitter. "If Kimimaro hadn't fallen ill, he wouldn't have needed a replacement. Someone young. Malleable. And if Itachi hadn't told him about me…"

Naruto was silent once more, just letting him get it out: Sasuke clearly hadn't had someone to vent to in a while.

Fucking hell. Selling out your kid brother to that goddamn snake… just when you think Itachi can't get any worse.

Sasuke appeared to have run out of steam, staring down into his drink. Naruto gave it a second or two before he piped up. "Do you wanna go catch the end of the second act? These guys sound pretty good. As long as, you know, they don't also try to bar-fight you."

Sasuke smiled a little, looking up. "I'd like that." The fire in his eyes was extinguished once more.

But for how long?

(╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

Naruto stumbled out the bar onto the pavement, grinning ear to ear. Speaking of his ears, they were absolutely ringing: Sasuke wanted to get to the front to 'properly enjoy it' or something, and they were pretty drunk by the time the main act came on. They were a strange blend of punk and metal that somehow worked: Naruto had liked it so much he'd bought a CD from the merch table afterwards, chatting up a storm with the band.

After waiting a second for Sasuke, he poked his head back inside to see what was taking him. Holding one finger up at the impatient barman, Sasuke, the only person left in the bar, downed his final double of whisky.

"Last call was fifteen minutes ago Sasuke." He growled, grudging taking the glass Sasuke offered him. "I wanna go home, you prick."

"Sorry," Sasuke grinned drunkenly, pointing a finger at him. "But you're a good dude. Thanks, and… and stuff." He popped a crinkled fiver in the empty glass, winking. "Buy yourself something- something nice."

"Fuck off," the barman sighed, smiling nonetheless. "And remind me not to book those Sound cunts again: one of those creepy twins tried to stage-dive and fucked up a mic stand and two cables. Didn't even stay to the end."

Naruto laughed as Sasuke wandered leisurely over to join him. "That one might be on us."

He followed them over to the doors, getting out a big old-fashioned key. "Seriously though, even one fight inside and the owner's gonna bar you. I mean it."

Sasuke didn't turn around, just put two fingers to his temple and away in a kind of informal salute as he joined Naruto in the street.

"Oh yeah, I meant to say earlier," the barman said, holding the door open after them. "You guys are a cute couple."

"Oh, we're not a-" But Naruto was cut off as the door was slammed in their face. "…couple."

Sasuke smirked for a couple of seconds, all one side of his mouth, before laughing when Naruto turned to face him. "Aww, we're a cute couple Naruto!"

"Fuck off Sasuke."

"Come Naruto, serenade me up the street!" Sasuke laughed, grabbing Naruto very suddenly by the hip and twirling him onto the quiet road. Naruto tried to be annoyed, but couldn't help but laugh seeing Sasuke be this silly. They passed up through the tunnel where the two were reunited, having to quickly jump onto the pavement as a taxi swung round the corner.

"Indicate, asshole!" Naruto shouted after it, trying to regain his balance.

"I think he did indicate," Sasuke frowning after the departing break lights for a second.

"I'm sorry, I was too busy being pirouetted up the goddamn road, you fucking weapon."

Sasuke snorted as he pulled a cigarette out his shirt pocket, popping it in his mouth and going to light it. It was only after a second that both he and Naruto realised it was the wrong way round. They both just about collapsed with laughter, Naruto leaning against the tunnel wall while Sasuke squatted down, head in his hands, giggling. They'd gotten to the stage of drunk where everything was funny.

"Oh my God, dude," Sasuke sighed, still squatting. "I'm fucking wrecked." He was having a hard time not relapsing back into laughter as he tried to hold it straight in his mouth. Eventually he got it lit, inhaling deeply.

They were both silent for a while, Sasuke just enjoying his cigarette. Naruto slid down the wall to join him, watching the comings and goings of a drunken Tuesday night. The city was buzzing, as always, plenty happening even now.

Naruto thought back to the night they met once more, right at this spot. He still didn't know why Sasuke was letting those guys lay into him. He didn't know if he wanted to any more: Sasuke had clearly had some dark thoughts in his past.

…honestly, I didn't want to fight back. Part of me hoped they'd kill me.

It was more candid than Sasuke usually was. Was it the booze again? He'd been knocking them back pretty hard even at that point, and Sasuke was good at hiding how drunk he was.

He looked to his right to see Sasuke still smiling at nothing.

Well, usually good at hiding how drunk he is.

Naruto reached his arm over Sasuke's shoulders, pulling him close. It just felt… right. Sasuke leaned his head against it, eyes closed, occasionally taking a draw, but mostly enjoying the moment.

"You know…" Naruto started. "If you ever need to talk about any of this crazy shit, I'm here."

"Yeah, I know. Same to you." Sasuke mumbled. He brushed Naruto's arm off gently and stood up again, stretching. "Right, I'd better head off. Gonna take me a while to get home."

"A while?" Naruto asked, convincing his legs to push him up.

"Yeah, about an hour." He replied casually, stomping the cigarette out.

"An hour?" Naruto snorted. "Fuck that noise, just stay at mine again."

"It's fine, honestly. It's not too long."

"Shut your fuck." Naruto insisted, trying not to stagger. "We'll be there in five minutes. Come on."

Sasuke followed without complaint as Naruto turned to totter off. Within no time they arrived at Naruto's flat once more, Naruto throwing the keys on the kitchen counter. "Make yourself at home. Oh! Don't sit on the couch."

"The couch?" Sasuke asked, navigating to the armchair.

"Yeah, it isn't quite dry. It's been a while, and it smells, and…" Naruto shrugged. "Probably gonna have to get rid of it."

"Oh man," Sasuke scratched his jaw. "Sorry about that."

"Is fine, acci- accidents happen," Naruto waved it off, stumbling slightly over the word as he fished around in his booze cupboard. "Besides, that one came with the flat: I get to choose my own sofa now."

Sasuke awkwardly sniffed the couch, making a face. "Yeah, that's pretty fucked."

"Tell me about it," Naruto grimaced, handing Sasuke a whisky. "Wee nightcap?"

"Don't mind if I do," Sasuke grinned. "I have sobered up an unacceptable amount on the walk over."

"It was five minutes!" Naruto exclaimed, laughing. "And you're still very much drunk."

"Not drunk enough," Sasuke chortled, taking a gulp. "Mmm, this is good."

"Yeah, it's-"

"No, no, don't tell me." Sasuke frowned, sipping it delicately, running it around his mouth. "Bourbon cask, definitely. Makes it sweeter. Mellow too. Notes of… vanilla, maybe honey? Is this Auchentoshan?"

"Holy shit dude," Naruto laughed, jumping up to grab the bottle and check the tasting notes. "You fucking nailed it."

"Not really, you had this the last time I was round," he smirked, throwing his arm up in a toast.

Naruto shook his head as he tapped his glass against his friends. "Shikamaru's into whisky too: his dad taught him all about it, takes him to distilleries and stuff. They both do all that tasting nonsense. He said next time they go they'll take me along." He paused for a second. "Is there a reason you didn't want them here tonight?"

Sasuke sighed. "Look Naruto, you accepted me back with open arms. And I really appreciate that. But not everyone's like you. The others, they… I don't think they'd forgive me like you do. And they'd be right not to. I don't deserve it, not after what happened."

Naruto placed his glass on the table. "They miss you. You know that right?"

"Do they miss me or the idea of me?"

Naruto was stunned for a second. "That's ridiculous, of course they miss you."

"You don't get it," Sasuke knocked back another mouthful, frustrated. "I'm an asshole. I'm worse now than I was then. And… and I hurt you. And because you're you, I'm forgiven. But imagine I'd hurt Sakura. How would you feel then?"

Naruto tried to imagine Sakura, her smooth skin marred by the same scar. He imagined her coping with the rehabilitation, the pain…

It must have showed on his face. "Yeah," Sasuke said coolly, not looking at Naruto. "That's what I thought."

It was silent for a second before Naruto spoke. "I don't think you're an asshole."

Sasuke chuckled slightly. "Thanks, Naruto. But I've made my peace with it."

"An asshole wouldn't have calmed me down when… when I had a panic attack."

"It isn't difficult when you know how," Sasuke scoffed. "Step one, remove all stimulus. Step two, control breathing. Done."

"An asshole wouldn't have looked up how to do it in the first place." Naruto insisted.

"Well fuck, it's a Christmas miracle! Guess I'm Jesus reincarnated after all."

They both laughed, Naruto picking up his whisky again and taking a healthy sip. "That's what I thought. Come on, we should probably get some sleep."

"Sure," Sasuke sighed, getting up from the armchair and finishing his own drink. "Although I'm not looking forward to sleeping on that couch."

"Don't be a twat Sasuke," Naruto groaned, rolling his eyes again. "We can share my bed again. I don't mind, honestly."

Sasuke made some ineffectual grumbling as he followed Naruto through to the bedroom. "Do you have any spare pyjamas?"

Naruto threw him a pair as hard as he could, grinning. Sasuke, of course, caught them fine, despite how drunk he was. Naruto was going to suggest leaving the room while he changed, but Sasuke didn't wait for that: he started unbuttoning his shirt, peeling it off and throwing it over the back of a chair.

Sasuke looked back over his shoulder as he unbuttoned his jeans. "Sorry, this doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, does it?"

After pausing for a second to consider whether it did, Naruto decided it was fine. "Nah, you're good. I had to undress you when you passed out that first time, remember?"

"True," Sasuke repied, throwing his trousers over the same chair. He definitely seemed thinner than the last time Naruto had seen him in his underwear. The graze on his side appeared to have mostly healed too, but he still had a lot of bruises. As always, the tattoo stood out on his pale skin, but even more so now he was so ashen.

"Hey Sasuke, I meant to ask: what's with the tattoo?"

"Oh, yeah. It's more Shinto," Sasuke said, struggling into his pyjama bottoms. "It's called 'The Cursed Seal of Heaven.' Basically means to achieve my… goals, I guess, I'll sacrifice anything."

"Your goals?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"I don't kiss and tell," Sasuke winked as he turned around, still shirtless. "Do you mind? I don't usually wear a shirt."

"Go nuts."

Sasuke collapsed onto the bed, grinning like an idiot as he buried his face in the pillow. "This is a comfy fucking bed." He sighed, his voice muffled by the fabric.

By the time Naruto turned out the light and changed into his own PJs, Sasuke was quietly snoring into the pillow. Naruto chuckled as he tucked the covers over his friend, and whispered, "Good night, idiot."