I do not own Naruto

This might have multiple chapters or this might be a one-shot but I still say Enjoy!

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Sasuke had just witnessed the death of his Clan. The weight of it settled over him like a fog. Was he accepting this fate so easily? God his brother was right, he was weak. The thought gnawed at him, and his legs gave out. He didn't even try to stop himself from falling.

He woke up in a hospital, the white sterile room made his stomach twist. He tore off the wires and knocked over the fluid bag beside him. He muttered that he hated hospitals like that mattered right now. He got up gracefully, fatigue still weighing down on him, and left the room. He was in a rush and didn't see that someone was in the hallway outside his room and ran into them. He collided with a small boy, a shock of blond hair flashing before their limbs tangled on the ground.

He groaned and looked down at the boy he fell on top of, yes the boy was smaller, much smaller. The blond boy opened his eyes and seemed to panic. Many mumbling apologies and movements to try to get free were made by the blond boy. The boy looked close to tears as he got up and offered a shaky hand to him. He took it since the boy looked like he could break any second and Sasuke didn't want to take that chance. Once Sasuke was on his feet, the boy shrank back, almost like he was bracing himself to get hit. He muttered something too softly to hear, then cleared his throat, body trembling as if holding himself together took every bit of his strength.

The boy flinched and cleared his throat. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I'm so sorry to have bumped into you." The blond boy, Naruto, bowed quickly, his shoulders still shaking. His foot slid backward like he was poised to bolt at any second. Before Sasuke could say anything, another voice was heard. "Naruto, what are you doing out of your room?" Sasuke turned to see the Hokage, the leader of the village, standing before him and Naruto with a worried look on his face. "Sorry Gigi, I got restless and left but then accidentally ran into another boy." His voice was quiet and his gaze had dropped to the ground.

Sasuke saw the Hokage look at him. A look of surprise was on his face as he spoke. "You are Uchiha Sasuke, correct?" Sasuke could only nod as the Hokage continued. "I see you have awoken from your coma, you were about to be checked on by a medic before you awoke. You were out for about a week. You can stay in your room and wait for them though your injuries have already been healed." The Hokage then turned to Naruto and held out his hand. Naruto gave a shy smile as he took the Hokage's hand, then glanced back at Sasuke, nervously twisting his fingers. "Again. Sorry for running into you." His voice was small and meek but sincere. Sasuke looked at this boy again, really taking in his appearance. Nothing seemed wrong with him, he looked to be about five or six with a blue gown that all patients had. His oversized hoodie swallowed Naruto's small frame, making him seem even smaller.

Sasuke didn't know what came over him but he spoke, his voice more confident than he thought he could manage. "I bumped into you, so I am sorry. You do not need to apologize." Sasuke didn't know if he did it because he didn't want to be pitied but then again, Naruto had no idea who he was so maybe this boy was just genuinely kind. He followed the Hokage's advice and went to lay down in his bed again.

A nurse came 5 minutes later and updated his chart, telling him that he would be released in 2 days. He found himself in the garden the next day, not being able to take the hospital room any longer. He found the blond boy again. He saw something he hadn't seen previously, his eyes were a brilliant sky blue. This boy was starting to remind him of the endless sky with his sun-kissed blond hair and his sky-blue eyes. He started to walk over to him without even noticing. The pond reflected the pale sky and a soft breeze stirred the leaves above them. Sasuke sat next to Naruto, the former flinching at the others' presence.

They both sat there for a while, not moving or saying anything but just staring at the pond. "So…Why are you here?" The sky blue eyes shot up to look at him, surprise but also hope gleaming in the iris. "I-I was in a building fire, knocked out for a couple of days before waking up. I missed my first day of school and have been here for about a week and a half, and woke up around the halfway mark. Mostly waiting for Gigi to find me another place to live." Naruto's voice was still meek but got a bit more relaxed as he continued. Naruto looked at him, his gaze falling on Sasuke. "Why are you here?" The tone was curious with a hint of worry. Sasuke was taken aback by the question, he didn't know if he could talk about it. Tension filled the air as Sasuke's gaze moved to the lake, his gaze turning into a glare as he thought of his brother, Itachi. A squeak was heard from Naruto as he moved a bit back to give Sasuke space as his mouth started to rapidly give multiple apologies. One arm is in the air, moving around as he explains quickly while the other is wrapped around his abdomen.

He knew he could brush the question off, but something in him—something desperate and tired—told him to trust the boy in front of him. For a moment, the words clung to the back of his throat. He shouldn't say anything. But something about this strange, nervous boy felt... safe. Against his better judgment, the story slipped out. "My brother massacred my clan about a week ago." He took in a deep breath, realizing that he was trembling as he continued to speak. "I wasn't there when it happened but got home to see him right before he finished with my parents. I was upset but he was stronger and gave me a speech about how I am weak and that I could never have enough hate to stop him. This was a power trip for him, to test his strength." He had been strong with his explanation, only one voice crack with his parents but he couldn't stop the way his fists tightened, leaving red marks. "I screamed at him, telling him I would soon be strong enough until he put me in a genjutsu, one so powerful that I was put in a coma for a week." He felt a small hand on his arm, there was a hint of trembling but the hand was firm. "I-I want to say I am sorry but that w-won't make it b-better. I-I think it i-is a good thing to not have s-so much hate. H-hate hurts p-people easily and c-can make you d-do things t-that aren't nice o-or wrong. I-It also p-proves that y-your better than h-him." Naruto finished, stuttering throughout the whole thing. Sasuke stared, wide-eyed at what Naruto said to him, his eyes starting to water.

Sasuke collapsed into Naruto's arms, his shoulders heaving with silent sobs. He tried to hold it in, to shove the ache down where no one could reach it. But Naruto's warmth—so unexpected—made it impossible. The walls he'd tried to build around himself crumbled, and the next thing Sasuke knew, he was clutching Naruto as if letting go would shatter him. "Let everything out, it's better to do it in one sitting." Naruto whispered and Naruto whispered, his soft voice grounding Sasuke in the moment. His clan had always warned him never to show weakness to outsiders, but Naruto was so warm, and Sasuke was too broken to care. As the tears slowed, exhaustion wrapped around Sasuke like a blanket. With Naruto's small frame resting against him, sleep took them both. For a moment, the shadows of their past were forgotten beneath the quiet canopy of the garden.

Sasuke awoke to the dark night sky with the moon's glistening reflection in the pond. Once he became more aware of the area around him he noticed Naruto's presence right next to him. Naruto was leaning on him still asleep, his body slumped against Sasuke's. Sasuke watched as the boy slept, he even breathed relaxing Sasuke. Maybe, Sasuke thought, maybe he's right. He hugged Naruto, the warmth of the other boy was something. Maybe not having so much hate was a good thing. No matter what Itachi did, some part of Sasuke couldn't hate him, not fully. But every memory of Itachi was tangled with love, and no amount of rage could cut that thread. It was easier to cling to Naruto, to protect someone new than to live in that impossible space between love and hate.

Sasuke buried his head into the blond locks as he made a promise to himself. It was too soon—he knew it was too soon. But Naruto's kindness was like a lifeline, and Sasuke clung to it with everything he had. If he couldn't protect his family, he could at least protect Naruto. He had to. Only time would tell and Sasuke knew that but this would be his new drive. A new goal joy to his dark life but also a simple reason to keep on living. This boy had stumbled into his life with clumsy apologies and a kindness Sasuke didn't deserve. But Naruto saw him—not as the last Uchiha, not as a broken mess, just as Sasuke. And maybe, that was enough. If Sasuke couldn't change the past, he could at least make sure Naruto never felt the kind of loss that haunted him. Sasuke would be his new protector, he could only hope the boy would continue to like him. Sasuke would do anything to prove his worth and prayed that Naruto would see it.

A nurse had come out to find them, she kept a smile on her face, though Sasuke could see when she glared at the small boy beside him. The nurse tried to push him inside while leaving Naruto out there. He wouldn't stand for that, he picked up the small boy, the boy being so light that Sasuke had no problem carrying him. He could see the nurse continue to glare as they walked through the hallways. Sasuke glared back, he didn't like this nurse before but he now wanted to punch this nurse. "I can take it to its room while you can rest." The nurse almost spat out as she glared at Naruto. Sasuke clutched the boy to his chest as the nurse's glare intensified. "You can just tell me his room number and I will take him." The nurse looked taken back as she muttered a curse under her breath and tried to smooth the features of her face. "His room is a private room that the Hokage only had a selective few know of. I'm sorry but you need to give the boy to me." Her voice was not fake, she opened her arms as Sasuke backed away a bit, turning his body so she couldn't see Naruto. He shook the boy in his arms gently, sky blue eyes met his own onyx eyes. "Where is your room?" Naruto seemed confused, not fully awake as Sasuke asked his question. The nurse looked furious if the glare and balled-up fists were anything to go by. "Oh? 360." Sasuke was a bit shocked that Naruto was on the top floor but brushed that aside as he made his way towards the room. The nurse didn't follow and Sasuke was so thankful for that.

Naruto squirmed in his arms, he looked confused and half asleep. The blond rubbed his eyes as he looked at Sasuke. "What's going on?" The blond's voice was raspy as he looked around, noticing how almost all the halls in the hospital looked the same. "You fell asleep, taking you back to your room." Sasuke's voice was soft, and the raven-haired boy smiled down softly at the blond. Naruto nodded, the answer was sufficient enough for his curiosity. "You can put me down, I can walk," Naruto said, realizing the onyx eyes boy was still carrying him. Sasuke shrugged. "I don't mind" They kept walking, a comfortable silence between them. If someone were to walk in then they would see the last Uchiha carrying a tired Uzumaki Naruto who had let his head hang on Sasuke's shoulder.

When they arrived at the room, Sasuke placed Naruto on the bed. Before he could leave the room, however, Sasuke was stopped by Naruto gripping his shirt. Naruto's sky eyes met his own onyx with a pleading look that no one could resist. "Could you please stay? Just for a bit?" Naruto's voice was meek and shy with a hope that made Sasuke's heart break a bit. This small blond boy in front of him thought he would leave? He smiled softly, wrapping his hands around Naruto's own. Sasuke sat down on the bed next to the blond, both figures sharing warmth that could lull them to sleep. Naruto's head lay on Sasuke's shoulder with Sasuke's head on top of the blond locks. Their breathing matched each other as its steady beat caused a rhythmic pattern that the boys fell asleep to.

Two boys fell asleep under the moonlight in a room that was void and sterile while they slept peacefully. A warmth and hope against the stark white. The boys would make it through it together and this would be the start of a journey that no one could guess. Twin smiles showed on their sleeping faces as the star looked down at the boys, the boys who grow so strong together.

They became each's other comfort, with a hope of never having to let go.