uhhh the title’s Chapter 1: 1, a 1984 fanfic

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M/M

Fandom:

Naruto (Anime & Manga)

Relationship:

Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto

Characters:

Uchiha SasukeUzumaki NarutoOriginal Female Character(s)

Additional Tags:

Alternate Universe - Canon DivergenceDivorceFeelings RealizationExplicit Sexual Content

Language: English Series: Previous Work Part 2 of Atonement Next Work Stats:Published:2024-05-04Words:7,586Chapters:1/1Comments:18Kudos:150Bookmarks:18Hits:1,244

Homecoming

Redburn

Summary:

He makes a silent promise to them all that he'll never again repeat the mistakes of the past, to cherish and to love for however long he has left on this earth.

Sasuke comes home.

Notes:

So I wrote this sooner than I'd planned to even though I should be studying haha, whoops, anyway, it definitely has some grammatical errors but I just wanted to post it before I left for work, so I'll fix it up when I'm back.

I enjoyed writing Sasuke's side of things, and especially my original character, she's amazing and I wish she was my grandmother. I listened to Taylor Swift's 'The Prophecy' on repeat while writing this and now I'm broken, it's so beautiful and reminded me of the Uchiha's curse :'(

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Sasuke always knew how long he'd been away from the village.

It was coming up to a year this time. Usually by that point he would send his hawk home, to assure Sakura and Sarada he was still well.

Something was different this time, though. He wasn't sure what the feeling was, something that's always lied dormant in the corners of his mind. And yet it remained simple as ever to send reports back to Naruto, and he told himself it's because there were no expectations there. Just a mutual trust forged across years of hurt and understanding.

But he was running low on food and supplies, so he'd decided to turn back to the nearest town he'd passed through yesterday.

There were less trees out here to hop through, the valley vast and full of wheat farms, so Sasuke had opted instead to walk.

The sun is beating down harshly today, causing some sweat to form along his neck and brow. It was a peculiar feeling, both resenting and welcoming as his body changed and aged. He finds himself needing to drink more water to combat the weariness, these days.

As he's walking along the dirt path he hears a noise off to his left and stops short.

There's a voice calling out in the distance, drawing closer until Sasuke can hear them clearer.

"Oi, you stupid animal, get back here!"

Curious, Sasuke turns his head and sees a goat appear from the tall wheat field up ahead, aimless but determined in its escape. An old woman appears moments later, clearly not happy to be running after this goat but Sasuke gives her points for trying.

"Hey you, tall, dark 'n handsome!"

Sasuke frowns, jotting his chin out slightly.

"If you can grab that troublemaker for me, I'll reward ya good!" The old woman doesn't wait for his answer and continues after the goat, and Sasuke, out of pity, decides to help her before she pulls a hip out or something.

It doesn't take much energy to capture the goat, after all the practice Team 7 had catching runaway pets around Konoha back in his genin days it feels vaguely reminiscent.

He walks back over to her, the goat struggling under his one arm, screaming enough to have Sasuke flinching away slightly.

"Ah, gotcha, you slimy worm," the old woman points a finger at the goat, as if this happens often. "Don't worry, he won't bite, probably."

She still makes no move to take the goat from him and Sasuke looks around briefly, impatient. He can see a far-off house and figures that must be where she'd come from.

"C'mon, follow me, I'll feed ya nice and good as a thank you."

The woman starts walking back to her home, leaving no room for Sasuke to object and continue back to the town, so he sighs petulantly and follows behind her in silence.

The goat eventually calms down the further they walk, its mouth snatching up some wheat to chew as they manoeuvre through a narrow path between all the crops. When they finally reach the farm, Sasuke immediately scans the surrounding area to memory, spotting several other goats and a cow over near a small barn. The old woman grabs a cane to help herself up the steps to her home, and she turns back to him once she's reached the front door.

"Just plop that one down over there, I've got some soup cookin' up inside," she says flippantly, leaving Sasuke to himself.

He does as told, placing the goat down within the fenced off area and watches it run over to its friends. The cow eyes him, chewing away on some hay.

Sasuke feels somewhat ridiculous as he makes his way inside the tiny home, scrunching his nose slightly when a strong smell wafts over him. He follows it, finding the old woman in the kitchen, back turned to him as she adds bits and pieces into the pot simmering away on the stove.

"Grab some bowls, would ya? You like bread?"

"Sure," Sasuke can't explain why his body does as she says. Nothing seems out of the ordinary here. He remembers acting out similar chores when he'd visited his grandparents as a child.

When the table is set she brings the pot over, ladles of soup reaching the rim of his bowl. She smiles at him, taking her seat.

"Thank you," Sasuke says, taking a spoonful and appreciating the nice blend of flavours.

"Are you one of those shinobi folk? You caught my cheeky pet like it was nothin'," she says conversationally.

Sasuke remembers his old Hitai-ate is typically covered by his cloak, so it's no wonder she's asking where he's from.

"Yes, formally," he answers, not elaborating further. She doesn't push and he likes that.

"What's got ya travellin' all the way out here alone?"

Sasuke gives her a crooked smile, countering. "You should be more careful inviting people into your home. I could be dangerous."

She laughs as if he's told a hilarious joke. "I've lived a long life, sonny, probably twice that many to you. I can pick the good from the bad."

Huh. Sasuke continues eating until his bowl is empty, appreciating a good, honest meal. It's been far too long. The sun is setting softly and casting a warm glow into the corners of the house. It's peaceful, and he wonders if the woman has lived here her whole life. He discreetly looks around, observing the many framed pictures and trinkets and hand-sewn blankets draped over the couch in the living area.

"I've got a spare room, if ya need to sleep. It's nothin' more than a cot, but it might just fit ya," she says, and Sasuke shakes his head.

"I should probably go," he stands, collecting his bowl, feeling like he should help clean up first.

The woman scoffs. "Nonsense, I insist. Don't need ya lurkin' around in the dark out there. You look like you could use another meal or two, anyway."

Sasuke bristles, words ready on his tongue but she's waving a hand at him as she bumps him away from the sink. She boils some water ready to begin cleaning the dishes.

"Put the goats in the barn for me first, then I'll grab ya some sheets."

Once again she leaves no room to argue, so he dutifully makes his way back outside, surprised at the drop in temperature once the sun has nearly disappeared behind the small mountains that surround the farm. He hops the fence and tries circling back and forth to usher the goats inside, like a farm dog, but when that proves to be taking too long he huffs and picks them up one by one until they're all inside the barn. The cow is still staring at him curiously.

"What?" he asks her.

He remembers when he'd first encountered a cow, out on a mission with Team 7 long ago. Naruto had lit up excitedly, asking Kakashi if it was ridable. The old farmer which they'd been helping had sputtered immediately, ranting about how cows deserved our respect in exchange for the milk they provided. Naruto had cocked his head, not quite understanding, and the memory brings a small smile to Sasuke's lips.

Back inside he can hear the old lady shuffling about, so he waits patiently in the lounge, telling himself it won't hurt to stay the night. He'll leave before the sun rises.

"Here ya go," the woman appears, handing him some extra blankets and a pillow. She guides him out the back and into a room that Sasuke can only guess was once a nursery, based on its size. There is a cot and she strips off the blankets to replace them with the ones in Sasuke's hand. "This should do, if ya find yourself freezin' in the night, there's more sheets in the cupboard out there."

"I'll be fine, thank you," Sasuke says.

She nods, leaving him be, and Sasuke sits down on the small cot, watching the house lights go out one by one until the woman shuffles off to her own bed.

He sighs before laying down, not expecting to get much sleep tonight, but he won't complain.

He sleeps in a touch longer than he'd planned to.

He can hear a rooster calling not too far away and he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He stretches out his limbs slowly, muscles aching slightly, but after all the nights during his travels he's spent sleeping on the ground, the cot hadn't ended up being too bad.

He arranges the sheets as neatly as he can, slowly creeping through the house and toward the door.

"Oh, good, you're up!"

Sasuke freezes, inwardly cursing. He turns to her, and she's got a grin on her face, much too cheeky like a certain blond he knows.

"Would you be a darl and go check the eggs for me?"

Sasuke has no protest in him, not this early in the morning. So he goes, thinking repeatedly that this will be the last chore he does for her and then he's leaving.

The chickens are slightly startled when he goes into the barn, lifting the roof of their laying nests and quickly shoving his hand under their warm bellies to retrieve four eggs in total. The woman is boiling up some miso when he comes back inside, and she accepts the eggs from his outstretched hand.

"Wonderful, we can have two each for breakfast!"

Sasuke wonders once more if he's stuck in some kind of genjutsu, forever trapped now on this farm. He's not, and he contemplates sending Naruto a scroll requesting a SAR.

They prepare breakfast in silence, the early morning breeze coming in through a cracked window. It's nice out here, he admits, but perhaps the old woman is a bit lonely, if her guise to get him to stay longer is any indication.

When they've finished eating the woman sighs and leans back in her chair, hands folded across her stomach. Sasuke prepares himself for whatever she might say next.

"My legs are a bit stiff today," she says, playing up her claim with a wince. "Would ya mind stickin' around for a bit, darl? My witherin' heart would be forever grateful."

Sasuke can't stop his eyes from narrowing. Just what is this old lady's deal? But he thinks on it, with no real place he has to be right now it can't hurt, plus it's nice to continue getting these home cooked meals that remind him of his own mother. He agrees, and she appears delighted.

She has him doing a lot more than just rounding up the goats or scattering about feed for the chickens. She asks him to harvest wheat for her so she can prepare flour for a bread loaf. She has him pick the ripest oranges from the very top of her trees. There's even a leaky hole in the gutter on the left side of the house, and she doesn't hold back from yelling at him from the ground on how to do it properly, cane waving about.

Sasuke can't remember a time in the past ten years where he's done this much average-joe labour. After the first day, he finds he quite likes it.

A routine starts, and he won't admit it but he begins enjoying the early starts, tending to the animals, sharing meals together in companionable silence – even his cot is becoming cozier after the end of a hard day's work.

He realizes, on the fourth day, that he doesn't know the woman's name.

After retrieving a pail of water from her well, he decides to ask her.

"Call me Granny Eiko," she smiles, peeling an orange as she rocks back in her chair. "And what about ya, handsome?"

Sasuke decides quickly if he wants to use a fake name. He chooses against it. "Sasuke."

"Sasuke," she nods. "Do ya have any family waitin' on you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke isn't sure why he hesitates. The guilt leaves a sour taste in his mouth. "I do."

She nods again, as if deciding on something. "I won't keep ya, then. Family should be a man's first priority."

Sasuke shakes his head softly, placing the pail down before taking a seat on her porch steps. "I don't mind." He can feel her eyeing him.

"Perhaps they do. Don't cha miss them?"

Sasuke says nothing more, and after a while he stands to bring the water inside.

"I'll put the kettle on."

Granny Eiko doesn't bring it up again that night, and Sasuke has his first fitful sleep in a long time.

The following morning, he knows, realistically, that this will be his last day here. He's shocked to feel that he's a little out of sorts at the knowledge, having come to enjoy his daily chores, even when he has to wrangle up those less-than-cooperative goats of hers. Granny Eiko seems to pick up on his change of mood and calls him over before lunch to sit down with her for some tea.

"You're startin' to stink, a bit," she starts, and Sasuke gives her a look. "Have a bath tonight, before you leave. Wouldn't want to scare yer family away, smellin' like one of my goats."

He rolls his eyes, but silently agrees.

In the evening, while Granny Eiko is preparing dinner, chopping up some vegetables from her garden, Sasuke takes the time to really look around. It's not snooping if she invited him to stay, after all.

He stops in front of the framed photographs, seeing Granny Eiko in some of them; some where she's younger and the most recent one looking to be from a few years back. There are children, too, and in others a man around her age.

"That's Tomohiro," she says, appearing by his side. She reaches out to pick it up, wiping away some dust. "My late husband."

Sasuke watches her, sees the adoration in her eyes still, even now.

"And now you live here alone?"

She nods, putting the photo back. She points to another one with two people in it, a man and woman, maybe only a few years older than Sasuke. "These are my kids. They live in the nearby town but visit me when they can."

"You never thought to go with them? It's hard work, living out here on your own."

She looks thoughtful before turning and walking back to the kitchen. Sasuke follows. "I did, but in the end I couldn't dare bring myself to leave. Tomo and I built this home together. Sometimes, I swear I can still feel him here with me."

Sasuke takes a seat, absently playing with the cutlery she'd set out.

"Why did you keep giving me chores, so I'd stay?" he asks finally.

She turns her head to him, an expression so soft gracing her features that Sasuke is hit so hard with a memory of his mother.

"I got the feelin' you were lookin' for something, but you were havin' trouble findin' it."

Sasuke sucks in a breath quickly.

She's still eyeing him occasionally as she sets out their dinner. Sasuke passes the roast veggies to her after he's plated his own. Granny Eiko tilts her head, as if reading his thoughts.

"One cannot live a truly happy life unless they are honest," she says, cutting up a carrot. Sasuke stares at her. She meets his gaze. "I can see a pain within you, my boy. I only hope you can one day find the peace you're searchin' for in this world."

Sasuke stares down at his plate, stomach suddenly filled with lead.

Afterward, as Granny Eiko boils the water for his bath, Sasuke sits on his cot, his mind racing back and forth until he finally pulls some ink and a blank scroll from his pack. He writes a message, short but to the point, the words appearing as if they had always been there waiting under the surface of the paper. He summons his hawk and sends it off without a moment to reconsider.

"It's ready for ya, Sasuke!"

It feels amazing to scrub himself clean again, akin to rebirth.

Then he feels a type of sadness as he says goodbye to Granny Eiko the next morning, leaning into the warm hug she gives him before waving him off with every possibility they might see each other again.

His hawk will reach Konoha days before he does, but that's okay, and he briefly recalls his message with a feeling of acceptance.

Naruto,

Coming home.

Sasuke.

He stares up at the Uchiha household, a feeling of such dissonance hitting him he feels compelled to look away, sitting atop the steps in wait.

Naruto hadn't been in his office, which was a rare occurrence, so Sasuke had swung by their family home instead. Sakura wasn't home either and he wondered if he should worry.

Not long passes before he can hear the two walking and chatting up the path to the house, and Sasuke can't help himself from landing his gaze solely on Naruto, his heart loud and heavy when Naruto spots him, eyes lighting up.

"You weren't in your office."

It hadn't been what he'd meant to say first, but it's all he could get out. He can't bring himself to look at Sakura yet.

"Ah, sorry," Naruto says, and his voice is exactly as Sasuke had remembered it. "Sakura and I met for lunch. We weren't sure what time you'd get in."

It's now Sasuke knows he should acknowledge his wife. He finds her eyes, and already he can see a similar hurt reflected in them. He composes himself as best he can, having had years of practice sometimes acting as another while on his travels.

He feels his shoulders unclench slightly when he steps closer to Naruto. The scroll he holds isn't at a calibre of urgency worthy of the Hokage's time, but he acts as such. "Will you be free in ten minutes?"

"For you, always," and isn't that the truth.

Sakura welcomes him home once Naruto has left and Sasuke thanks her, unable to do anything more than go inside, body acting on autopilot. He sheds his cloak and sits on the edge of their bed. He can hear Sakura in the kitchen putting the groceries away and he shuts his eyes, bones suddenly aching.

"Naruto."

He doesn't knock but Naruto has grown used to it.

Naruto sits behind his massive desk, piles of paper stacked up on each side. As Sasuke rounds it he sees a framed photograph of Team 7 amongst the chaos and he inwardly smiles.

"Eh, Sasuke, it's good to have you back." Naruto grins, moving to stand next to Sasuke at the window overlooking the village. The contrast of being around Sakura and then being around Naruto only confirms what he's feeling. "Shit, what's it been, a year?" Naruto asks wistfully.

"Just about."

Naruto elbows his side.

"You and Sakura have a nice reunion?" he jokes lewdly.

Sasuke doesn't bother to answer, his thoughts far too occupied.

"So, was there something else you needed to talk about?"

Sasuke takes a breath before turning. "Yes. Not here though." He doesn't wait for Naruto to question him, knowing the blond will follow.

They hop through the village skilfully and the calm weather helps Sasuke some with his nerves. He heads toward the edge of town, scaling up one of the tallest trees before perching gracefully. Naruto huffs once before plopping down next to him. Sasuke can feel his curious gaze on him. It's funny, how time has aged them both in ways that has Naruto not bothering to fill the silence anymore, how Sasuke doesn't let his hatred for Konoha's history prevent him from feeling content right now. He remembers his final evening with Granny Eiko and lays it out plainly.

"Naruto…" he looks at him, hair blowing softly in the high breeze. "I'm going to ask Sakura for a divorce."

Naruto blinks. He's speechless, Sasuke can see, turning the information over in his head diplomatically.

"I don't understand," he finally says, almost protests. The old Naruto starts to appear as his emotions bubble back to the surface. "What do you mean? Did something happen? Sasuke, did you… I mean, something big must have happened, right? This isn't like you–"

"But it is."

Naruto swallows his words, eyes wide and imploring.

He's beautiful, his hair gleaming in the sun, eyes as crystal blue as a lake Sasuke had once come across in a faraway oasis, his devotion and worry served up on a silver platter for Sasuke, as it always has been.

Sasuke reaches out and cups Naruto's face, his thumb instinctively caressing the scars along his best friend's cheek. Naruto goes stock still, breath catching.

"I can't hind behind a lie anymore," Sasuke says into the wind. "I'll only just continue hurting those that I love."

Naruto's eyes are glassy. "Sasuke, what…"

Sasuke sighs, removing his hand. He stares out ahead, beyond the village and past the mountains. "I denied it for a very long time, figuring it was an impossible feat. A hope that was always out of reach."

Naruto doesn't ask what and Sasuke knows that he understands now.

"If you feel the same as I do, or if you do not, I'll accept any outcome," he bends his knees to stand, feeling like a weight has finally lifted from his chest. He gazes down at Naruto, communicating all he can in a look.

"You waited years for me, so it's only fair that I wait for you."

Sasuke leaves him there and prepares himself to stay.

Days pass and Sasuke busies himself with finding another place to live, in preparation.

He accepts the second one he's shown, not much caring for location drawbacks and money not posing as a problem. It's decently sized, two bedrooms, an open floor kitchen and lounge. He plans for Sarada to have the second bedroom, if she decides she wants to keep a relationship with him after everything, that is.

The apartment comes partially furnished and he's thankful for that, at least, a queen size bed standing on it's own in the bedroom.

He's unsure if Sakura has caught on to what he's doing. He only returns to the Uchiha household to maintain appearances, and with each passing second he's there the guilt only eats away at him faster. He knows his excuses can only last so long.

Naruto hasn't spoken to him yet since their talk atop the tree, but Sasuke doesn't worry himself with that right now.

He signs the lease, and he waits for the feeling of being trapped to hit him. It doesn't come, instead all he can find is tentative hope, and it's enough for now.

It doesn't take long until Naruto has tracked him down at his new place.

He climbs in through the large window leading off from the balcony, and Sasuke senses it's him without turning around from his place in front of the stove.

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Sasuke knows that Naruto knows he hasn't been hiding, so he doesn't take the bait.

"Didn't you have a meeting with the Hidden Cloud today?"

Naruto thinks better than to ask Sasuke how he knows this and walks over to join him in his vastly empty kitchen. Sasuke stops stirring his miso and turns to face Naruto. The Hokage looks rougher than when they'd last spoken, and Sasuke frowns in concern.

"You bastard," Naruto huffs, rubbing a hand over his face. His eyes are dark, sleep deprived, but he sets them hard and determined on Sasuke's own. "Typical of you to just drop that information on me then bail."

Sasuke leans back, arm resting behind him on the counter.

"How should I have gone about it, then?"

"Just–" Naruto starts, clearly frustrated. Then he laughs, a touch hysterical but genuine. Sasuke will take it over Naruto punching him. "I can't believe you… all this time?"

Sasuke tilts his head, kind of playful. "It came as a shock to me, too."

Naruto continues laughing, looking a bit more human, the sound filling up the apartment in a way that makes something deep and warm bloom in Sasuke's chest. The laughter simmers to a low hum and then Naruto eyes him sadly, looking so young it's hard to believe how many years have passed - have been wasted.

"I can't stop worrying about Sakura," Naruto almost whispers, plagued with guilt. "And Hinata, my kids… Sasuke, we're going to hurt so many people."

It takes a moment for Sasuke to realise what's he's admitted.

"Naruto," he warns, standing upright as hope trickles across his body. His hand cups Naruto's cheek again, as it had days ago. Naruto exhales shakily, closing the last few feet between them and comes to rest his forehead against Sasuke's gently. They breathe each other in, Naruto's hands fisted into Sasuke's sides, and Sasuke waits.

"It's always been you, bastard," Naruto says wetly, and Sasuke notices the tears spilling from his eyes. He wipes one away, and Naruto chases the touch by nosing into Sasuke's palm. He laughs again, almost a sob. "Goddamn it, it will always be you."

Sasuke smiles, not wanting to ever let go.

"You're right, a lot of people will be hurt," Sasuke says eventually, and Naruto makes a pained noise. "But you and I… we'll continue to hurt if we don't say anything."

"Yeah," Naruto sniffs. "I know you're right. I just… hate this. Not you, of course, just… this."

"I know," Sasuke says quietly, his hand circling around to card his fingers through Naruto's soft locks. Naruto doesn't hide his shiver, swallowing.

"Sasuke," he whispers. "We should, um… probably stay apart until it's all done, right?"

"Yeah," Sasuke says, removing himself from Naruto's space and by God, it was harder than he'd thought it would be. Naruto inhales shakily, mirroring Sasuke's inner conflict. "I'm going to do it tomorrow."

Naruto nods as he crosses his arms. "Are you going to tell her about…" he trails off and the us goes unsaid.

Sasuke honestly isn't sure. "I don't think so, not all at once, anyway."

Naruto nods again and Sasuke can see all the thoughts and possible outcomes racing through his mind already.

"We'll find each other when it's done," Sasuke says.

"Yeah," Naruto finally cracks a smile before he disappears out the window.

Telling Sakura had been a quick affair, but it wasn't painless.

He could see her stature breaking in front of him, unable to fully grasp the words he was telling her. Sasuke has always been blunt, indifferent for the sake of honesty, but he makes sure to use words that won't hurt her more than this ordeal will inflict. It's true when he tells her he'll always love her, and he wishes he could take back all the harm he's caused her, the pain and loneliness she didn't deserve to go through as he worked through his own personal retribution.

She had become a pillar in his absence, holding up his pain and his family crest without him even having to ask, and Sasuke knows without a shadow of a doubt that he's doing the right thing.

War and grief has been shown to inflict those affected with a sense of urgency, trying to rebuild what was lost without much thought to how the future was going to welcome them. Sasuke remembers speaking of restoring his clan back when Team 7 had formed, and he wonders how long that declaration had remained in Sakura's thoughts.

He doesn't speak of Naruto before he leaves, not wanting to add salt to the wound.

("Sasuke," Naruto's clone had said to him earlier, head shaking in a panic. "If Sakura comes to see me, I won't… I won't be able to hide it. I can't lie to her."

"I know," he'd said, accepting this knowledge. "Things will get messy, but I'm ready to face them. Are you?"

Naruto's attention was distracted briefly. Sakura was coming closer.

"Be gentle," Naruto said before popping.)

No amount of gentleness could have softened the blow of this devastating conversation, and Sasuke will hear the memory of Sakura sobbing for a long, long time.

Sasuke spends the rest of the day not within the village.

He travels as far out until the Hokage faces carved into the mountain become nothing more than a small blip in history, and he can feel his body relax minutely.

There's no one out here ready to judge him based on the mistakes he committed in the past. There's no whispers and upturned looks from the older generation, no one whispering missing-nin in disgust despite all he's done for Konaha, for the Hokage.

There's nothing but silence out here, and he's torn.

In one direction leads a life without the reminders of his family's blood-stained history with the village, the freedom to live and build a life one would be proud of.

And in the other, the man he irrevocably loves.

He sits down, leaning against a tree that looks to be over a hundred years old. He wonders idly what this tree has seen in its life, if it wishes it could leave and not be rooted to one place only. Or is it content in its stillness, offering up shade and homes to those who seek refuge within its strong, stable branches.

Sasuke's not sure when he fell asleep, but later as he follows the bright glow of the moon back to the village his steps become surer, and by the time he reaches his apartment there's not a drop of doubt plaguing him.

"What would the other Kage's think to hear that you're lurking around in civilian windowsills?"

Naruto doesn't answer and slips all the way in. Sasuke turns over in bed, curious, and finds Naruto staring down at the floor, expression twisted in shame. Sasuke flicks back the sheet as an invitation and Naruto removes his shoes before climbing into bed with him. There's an awkward moment where Sasuke tries to get comfortable with his arm stump as they shuffle around a bit, this development between them still holding a touch of fragility. Eventually they settle, with Sasuke wrapping his one arm around Naruto's shoulders, his chin resting atop Naruto's head. They simply breathe together for a while, enjoying the quiet while they can.

"It was brutal," Naruto finally says. "Hinata didn't hold back. I think Boruto and Himawari were listening in as well but I couldn't stop it. It all happened so quick."

Sasuke holds him tighter, homing in on the rapid beating of his heart. He releases some chakra in a way that he hopes Naruto will find calming, and it seems to work, based on the accelerated way in which his body relaxes into an almost sleep.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke murmurs.

"Just don't let go, okay…" Naruto mumbles, sleep corroding him.

Who is Sasuke to deny his Hokage of anything?

Sasuke remains half in and half out of sleep, simply content to lay here with Naruto in his arms, watching the slow rise and fall of his shoulders as the sun rises in the sky.

It's almost lunch time by the time Naruto jostles awake again and there's a panicked edge to his movements.

"Oh, oh shit," Naruto's pushing himself into a sitting position, eyes drawn outside. "I'm supposed to be at the tower, why hasn't anyone come looking for me, I–"

"Relax," Sasuke cuts in. "I sent a message to Shikamaru. Everyone has been instructed to leave you alone today. You're taking a personal day."

Naruto visibly deflates, but there's still a line of worry along his brow. The burdens of being Hokage, Sasuke thinks, always shouldering the troubles of others. But maybe that was just a Naruto thing. Sasuke sits up slowly and doesn't even have to think as he angles his head down to kiss Naruto's shoulder. Naruto is watching him when their eyes meet, and the moment is cut by the low rumble of Naruto's stomach. He chuckles, sheepish.

"Come on," Sasuke gestures, swinging his legs out. "I'll make us some food."

"Wait, you cook now?"

Sasuke gives him a look. "We're not teenagers anymore. We can't just boil some ramen and call it a day."

"Uchiha's and their prissiness," Naruto mutters, following him.

Sasuke grabs some loose vegetables and a pork belly from the fridge and starts preparing a meal he'd watched Granny Eiko make one night. His sharingan doesn't just have to be used to memorise other shinobi. Naruto pulls a stool over, watching him curiously.

"Would you like a coffee?" he asks.

"Sure, thanks," Naruto says through a yawn. Sasuke remembers how he likes it, of course, and hands it over once it's ready. He's still frowning, and Sasuke sighs.

"Stop worrying, it's not helping anyone. They'll be fine without you for one day," he says almost threateningly.

"So bossy," Naruto mumbles into his coffee. Sasuke glares.

They fall into a companiable silence and Sasuke puts his skills with a katana to use and quickly slices up the vegetables. It's rough, but it doesn't matter. He begins scoring the fat of the pork, rubbing salt into the cuts before placing it on a rack above the tray of vegetables.

"Do you, ah, need any help?"

Sasuke quirks a brow. "The oven will do the rest. It'll be about an hour."

"Right," Naruto says, and there's a palpable pause, a question hanging between them.

Sasuke faces him, and it's like everything else just vanishes.

Naruto is the first to move, his half full coffee cup spilling on the counter in a flurry as he comes face to face with Sasuke, eyes dark and wanting. Sasuke's body reacts on its own and not another second is wasted before hands are reaching out, desperate and hungry as their mouths meet in a bone-crushing kiss.

Naruto moans almost instantly, his hands fisting harshly in Sasuke's hair, lips parting even wider as Sasuke licks at the roof of his mouth. He breaths deeply through his nose, keeping their lips locked, and Naruto practically whines as they press their bodies flush against each other, hot and heavy and already half-hard.

Naruto pants wetly into his mouth when they separate, their deep breaths almost bouncing off the walls of the kitchen as their arousal grows by the second.

"Bedroom, now."

"Yeah."

For some of the greatest shinobi alive right now they move rather ungracefully toward Sasuke's bedroom, feet scuffing the carpet and arms banging into walls as they refuse to let go of the other, kisses clumsy as neither of them can control their giddy smiles.

When they pass the threshold Naruto wastes no time shedding off his clothes, eyes flashing wildly in wait as his gaze drifts up and down Sasuke's body. Sasuke doesn't rush, almost putting on a show as he removes his own clothes, admiring Naruto's sun-kissed skin and toned muscles, savouring the impatient look on Naruto's face until finally his underwear drops to the floor.

Naruto visibly swallows and he steps closer, hands pawing at Sasuke's back as his mouth latches onto Sasuke's throat, sucking lewdly, hard enough to leave a bruise. Sasuke feels heat coil heavy in his cock at the sheer notion of the two of them claiming the other, like a brand.

Naruto's hands are wondering everywhere, like he can't decide where to touch Sasuke first, overwhelmed and needy. Sasuke feels every bit the same, and the weight of Naruto against him eventually has the back of his legs hitting the bedframe and they fall onto it, Naruto in his lap and licking a stripe all the way up to Sasuke's jaw.

"Sasuke, Sasuke…" he whispers, like he's caught in a trance.

Sasuke turns to find his lips again and their tongues slide together, time losing all meaning as they rut against each other, skin aflame and hands shaking.

"Sit up for me," Sasuke says when they part and Naruto does, knees on either side of Sasuke's hips.

His sharingan flashes to life and it's well worth it to watch the flush that runs all the way down from Naruto's cheeks. Sasuke traces his fingers over Naruto's collarbone deftly, taking his time as he moves lower, featherlight as he brushes over Naruto's nipple and committing the gasp he emits to memory.

Naruto's cock is beading precum, pulsing hot and red under Sasuke's hand, and he practically curls in on himself when Sasuke starts stroking him.

"Ah, fuck, Sasuke, you bastard–" his voice is ragged already, and Sasuke feels a thrill spread throughout his body at the knowledge of crumbling Naruto's resolve so quick. His cock is just as hard, though, and he wants nothing more than to feel Naruto around it.

Sasuke shoves two fingers in his own mouth, coating them in an ample of spit before bending his arm underneath Naruto, the tips grazing Naruto's hole. Naruto's thighs jerk slightly, bracing, and they lock eyes.

Naruto nods, and Sasuke pushes in slowly, working Naruto open as he hunches forward, his hands gripping at Sasuke's back desperately as he pants into Sasuke's ear.

"God, Naruto," Sasuke can't hold the words back. His heart is beating so loudly he wonders if Naruto can hear it.

Once on his travels, Sasuke had come across an old bookstore offering every possible genre of literature one can imagine. Somehow he'd found an explicit book containing sex between two men and he'd felt shame when he'd read it, unable to put it down, sick with curiosity. He had eventually closed the book when he couldn't stop picturing his best friend, but now - God, now it was happening, it was actually happening.

And he must be doing it right, if Naruto's ass sinking down to the hilt of his fingers was any indication.

"Sasuke, please, shit, c'mon," he's blabbering, body absolutely aching for it, and Sasuke has to calm himself briefly before he pulls his fingers out, ignoring Naruto's whine as he coats more spit onto his cock.

He lines himself up and Naruto takes the initiative, tight warmth inching down until Sasuke has bottomed out and neither of them can hold back their moans.

Sasuke thinks Naruto is trying to prematurely give him a heart attack as he starts bouncing in his lap, no hesitation, and Sasuke is knocked back slightly, overwhelmed.

He clenches his hand around Naruto's waist, grunts of pleasure slipping past his lips as he cants up to meet Naruto's ass, and after a while he finds himself needing more, wanting to give Naruto everything.

Lightning fast he flips them, Naruto on his back and Sasuke above him, hair draping around his face. Naruto reaches up and tucks some behind his ear and it feels like he's been sucker punched from the amount of love he can see in Naruto's eyes.

He pushes back in and Naruto's entire back arches up.

It's fast and hard and sloppy and Naruto's mouth won't stop running, I love you, Sasuke, God, I love you, please, don't stop spilling from his lips like a prayer.

It's so much, all at once, and Sasuke almost blacks out from the force of it, wishing he could hold Naruto with the strength of two arms, wanting to consume him body and soul, soak up every last drop selfishly so there's no question as to who Naruto belongs to.

They both finish with a shout, bodies spent, and Sasuke answers his prayer with a gentle kiss to his temple, I love you passing between them in the quiet of the room.

After, when they sit down to eat, Naruto consumes enough food for three and Sasuke feels oddly touched that Naruto enjoys his cooking that much.

They joke, they bicker, legs brushing together under the table like teenagers and Sasuke's heart clenches in the best way possible.

"Sarada."

His daughter turns to face him, surprise evident across her features, and Sasuke can't get another word in before she comes at him with full force, her tiny fists pounding against his chest.

"You – how could you, dad? Why are you doing this?"

"Sarada…" he maintains a gentle tone, not wanting to upset her further.

"Why would you do that to mum!? I hate you, I hate you!"

Sasuke decides the village doesn't need to hear this conversation so he scoops her under his arm, ignoring her protests as he leaves to find a secluded area. There's an empty training field and he lands there, putting Sarada down and grimacing at the hateful glare Sarada is giving him.

"Honey, please, would you let me explain?"

"No!" she shakes her head and pulls a kunai from her pack. "I'm used to you not being around, but hurting mum? That's not you."

Sasuke sighs, and he can't do anything but sit down, hoping Sarada gets the message that he's not here to fight. She has other ideas, however.

He blocks her attack easy enough, and he can see her frustration, eyes already welling with tears.

"I'm sorry, Sarada," he murmurs, and she drops the kunai, shaking her head. Sasuke knows how incredibly bright Sarada is for her age, but now, as he looks at her, all he can see is the little girl he wasn't around enough to watch grow up. He's missed so much by moving around all those years, never finding a place to really call home.

But he knows now that home isn't a place, and it never was.

"I never intended to be gone so much, and it wasn't fair to you, or your mother," he says, heart stinging as Sarada hiccups wetly, moving her glasses to wipe the tears.

"Did you not love us enough?"

And that's… "Sarada, I love you both very much, and I always will."

"But you're leaving us…" she says, voice small.

Sasuke moves closer, testing the waters, and he's relieved when Sarada welcomes the arm he wraps around her, leaning into his side. "I'll still be here, in the village. But I just won't be living at home, that's all."

She sniffs, clearly still trying to make sense of it all.

"It's not your fault, Sarada, or your mothers. I wasn't being honest about how I felt, but now… I hope one day you'll be able to understand my reasons."

She looks up at him, dark eyes full of questions. He tucks some of her hair behind her ear before softly kissing her forehead. She sobs, clutching at his shirt.

"We'll always be a family. I promise."

The Uchiha Clan has always been burdened with great desire, whether that be in war or in peace or in love or in hate.

Each one can be as devastatingly brutal as the last, plaguing one's mind until it is finally put to rest, either through retribution or simply, death.

Sasuke sits on his windowsill, looking out to the sky, his severed arm aching like a phantom limb for the first time in years. Time heals all, they say.

He thinks of his family, of Madara and Obito… of Itachi.

And he makes a silent promise to them all that he'll never again repeat the mistakes of the past, to cherish and to love for however long he has left on this earth.

The wind howls back, and he shuts his eyes.

Tsunade doesn't have many follow up questions after he approaches her, and he appreciates the no-nonsense aspect of her personality all the more.

She does seem surprised when he asks her to perform the surgery, clearly expecting him to request Sakura to oversee it. But she doesn't push and gives him a date for when they can do it after preparing the cells they'll need.

He mentions it casually the next day when Naruto is at his apartment, the two of them sitting side by side on the couch, Naruto dozing while Sasuke reads.

Naruto is shocked, but after a moment it settles, like something within him is healing, much like Sasuke is.

When they make love that night it's slow and intense, and Sasuke can't imagine a life where he doesn't get to have this.

"Don't you have papers to fill out and treaties to approve, Hokage-boy?"

The two men look over at Tsunade as she walks into the hospital room with an air of authority, and Naruto puffs out his chest petulantly.

"Hey, is that any way to treat your Nanadaime, Granny?"

"It is when he's been glued to his boyfriend's side for the past week."

"His obsession with me since we were children hasn't changed," Sasuke teases, and Tsunade snorts.

"Hey! Whose side are you on, bastard? See if I ever visit you in hospital again, you dick."

Tsunade shakes her head before listing off Sasuke's progress, saying the cells are showing promising signs of attachment to the host body and Sasuke can be released from care tomorrow. They thank her again and Naruto makes a promise to treat her to a bowl of Ichiraku ramen. She nods, and once she's gone Sasuke gently pushes himself up in bed before asking Naruto for a blank scroll and pen.

"Sure," he hands it over, curious. "Who're you writing to?"

Sasuke finishes the note, rolling it up and summoning his hawk again. He watches it fly away, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

"An old friend."

Granny Eiko,

I found it.

Sasuke

Notes:

thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this side of the story, I couldn't help making it lighter and full of hope, I'm a sap for that, big shock lol

And there might be one more alternate pov story to come!

Series this work belongs to:

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