Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
A/N: I decided to give Sasunaru month a try in English this year, so here you have it. This is a collection of individual and mostly unrelated drabbles. Both Sasunaru and Narusasu tropes will be included and each chapter will have its own warnings, as well as a tag to specify if it's SN or NS.
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Prompt #24: At the hot springs (-)
Warnings: Blank period setting, pre-relationship.
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Sasuke let out a slow breath, enjoying how the hot water relaxed all his tensed muscles, eyelids closing so he could concentrate on feeling.
After traveling alone for so long, he had overexerted himself. Every single muscle in his body ached, and even though he liked the freedom being outside of the village granted him, it also exhausted him.
This was the first time in a long time when he was actually alone, or more like, physically alone. Before, even though Sasuke tried to push everyone away, there was always someone near him, close to him. He'd been alone mentally and emotionally to an extent, but never physically.
First his classmates and teachers at the Academy, then Team 7, then Orochimaru and Kabuto, then Team Taka, and then… Team 7 again. He could still smell the metallic scent of his and Naruto's blood mixed together, or envision Sakura's tears after she'd found them, or Kakashi's subtle smile under his mask.
After some time recovering from his injuries and, of course, waiting for a trial, he left the village again, revenge and power not being the reasons for it this time. So he was alone now, but never really felt alone anymore. He knew he had a home to come back to, and the most important part, he learnt home wasn't a place, but a person.
Opening his eyes, Sasuke looked over the hot springs. He was lucky enough to come across a natural hidden one, instead of going to a public spring, full of people. Here, camouflaged in the middle of a forest, was a perfect place to let go of the world for a moment and let himself relax a bit. He let the warm water slowly redden his skin, and sat with his back against a rock.
In moments like these, when time seemed to stop and give him a break, his mind always started wandering back to his home. To him.
He'd thought of asking Naruto to come with him, but that idea was immediately discarded when he was reminded that Naruto's life was in the village. He had to stay there, and train to become the Hokage who would actually change the world. So Sasuke couldn't be selfish about this, he wanted Naruto to accomplish all his dreams and goals, and he wanted to help him make the world a better place, so there would be no more people like them, who'd suffered because of a rotten system.
He was about to stand to get out of the waters, when he sensed a familiar chakra somewhere nearby. But it couldn't possibly be, he couldn't be that far away from the village, and even if he was, how could he find Sasuke so easily?
He didn't have to wait long, because soon a figure appeared from between the bushes, looking a bit disheveled. He probably hurried to this place once he felt Sasuke's chakra.
"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed happily, if a bit breathless too. "I thought I felt your chakra nearby!"
Sasuke examined him up and down and quickly realized something.
"It's been so long since we saw each other. Geez, look at you, not having enough time to reply to my letters but having more than enough time to enjoy yourself at the hot springs. And there I was, worrying about you," Naruto crossed his arms, pouting at him, and Sasuke just arched an eyebrow, not being bothered in the slightest at being naked in Naruto's presence. It's not like the other one could see anything under the water anyway.
"Hn," was all he offered as a response. "Where's the original?"
Naruto blinked, and showed him a sheepish smile. He should have imagined Sasuke would realize he was just a clone as soon as he saw him.
"In the village. I was just sent to deliver a message to a small town near here," the clone explained.
"You were sent out just to deliver a message?"
"Well, I might be just a clone, but I'm still the fastest out there," he spoke proudly. "Besides, it was no biggie. Aaaaand I thought a bit of extra cash wouldn't hurt."
Well, if Naruto could send out clones to fulfill some lower rank missions, that meant being the hero of the village didn't make enough to pay the bills. Figures.
"And you? What are you doing here?"
"I found this spring and thought it would be a good place to be away from prying eyes."
"Hum… yeah, I guess it's pretty well hidden. It seems kind of a hard place to find," Naruto contemplated, and then sat down on the dirt, not caring about getting dirty. He was just a clone anyway, he'd just disappear at any time now.
Naruto started talking about life in the village, asking him some questions from time to time, and Sasuke just let him. He allowed himself to have this, a bit of Naruto, after so long, even if it wasn't the original one, it was still him.
He didn't complain when Naruto joined him in the water a couple of minutes later, or that he spent hours just talking about everything and nothing. And when the clone finally disappeared in a puff of smoke, Sasuke left the spring too, an imperceptible smile on his face.
He didn't know what Naruto would do once all his clone's memories came back to him, but just in case, he thought it was better to leave.
He wondered if Naruto would send him another letter soon.
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A/N: I had no ideas for this prompt either, as usual, so this came out of nothing, really.