Chapter Text
When Sasuke left Konoha after imprisonment, reasoning out that he had to atone for his sins by helping eliminate threats of peace in the shadows, Naruto was ready to leave with him. When Naruto was marrying Hinata, his mind was filled with images of Sasuke.
He was like a starved man waiting for the food to bring itself before him and make him feel alive again, but nothing came. It didn't help that he was searching for his friend from his wife whenever he looked at her for too long, he would resemble those pure pale eyes like a pair of pure black orbs looking back at him deeply.
Then time passes by and he starts becoming busier each time, responsibility honing him, people around dictating his every move. He was the greatest shinobi of all time, hailed as the hero all over the nation who saved the world from absolute destruction.
New memories piled up, and before he knew it, the whole village became his family that he swore to protect until his last breath. There was not much room for Sasuke anymore except for the distant memories that filled the spaces of nostalgia, perhaps that's what Naruto convinces and believes himself to be.
Not until they met three years after the 4th great ninja war, the day before Naruto's birthday, and all the feelings he had thought was long forgotten threatened to spill all at once.
---
It was at midnight where everyone but those working late were the ones only up.
Naruto was at the rooftop of the hospital where that one incident he had with Sasuke took place, white huge fabrics hanging and dancing along the cold air reminding him of the moment they casted their rasengan and chidori as Kakashi interrupted.
He was feeling out of the blue, and the place didn't help with the unwanted memory yet he didn't know why he chose to go here tonight.
The place improved, the sight before him gave him the view of the village, street lights and few people roaming around below.
Before he could sense it from a distance, he felt it, that chakra that connects to him, now closer than he could ever just wish, that tingling that he wanted to scratch, that familiar scent of fragrance, Naruto smiled, his stomach shivering from suppressing his excitement.
He feels the presence appear beside him, the latter is close, the long fabric grazing on his knees and he looks at it, and suddenly, a gush of wind passes by, the coat moves along the white fabrics in the darkness, it was black, as always, yet it seemed to glow in its kind of way.
He looked up, just in time to watch those pair of black orbs meet him halfway.
Sasuke. He was enigmatic, scarily beautiful, he hasn't changed a bit, that mysterious allure pulled Naruto like no one else could.
“Hey, long time no see, Sasuke.” Naruto greets his friend as if they haven't just met for some years, as if the no contact did not kill him inside and he was forced to bear all of it on his own, as if the love of his life didn't just show up in the most beautiful time of the night like some kind of fairy to save him from loneliness, or possibly, a witch to remind him of it.
Naruto had thought about it once, how Sasuke might be a witch that bound him with a spell of the undefinable.
“Yeah, how have you been, Naruto?” Naruto gulps at hearing his name uttered by the latter's relaxed, soft voice, he repeats that at the back of his head.
He stutters, cursing himself.
“F-fine, married now—uh, I received your letter from Sakura. T-thank you. Also, yeah, you been busy? Huh, Sasuke? What you up to?” he went from an awkward mess to having that shameless tone of pure curiosity for his black haired friend, he looked at Sasuke again and he felt his breath halt once more.
“Exploring what I failed to see before, as cliche as that may sound. I've been taking time, learning a lot from just exploring. Like some brand new human being.” The latter speaks while closing his eyes, head slightly bowed down as if recalling the events before looking right back up to the scenery before them, his solemn, careless face flawless is like a doll.
Naruto pinches his own cheeks and groans from the pain, earning Sasuke's attention, “What are you doing, usuratonkachi?” Naruto delights at the nickname but stopped himself from showing it before he could
“Just making sure you're real” at this time, he felt himself shiver when Sasuke laughs, it was quick that Naruto seemed to imagine it
“You usuratonkachi. Of course, I'm real. I came here specifically just to tell you. You…” he watches Sasuke avoid his gaze, seeing a flush of pink slowly decorating his glowing pale cheeks and the latter finally looks at him and he is blown away—
“I'm proud of you, no matter what, and thank you.”
Silence filled them as the night further settled in, Naruto didn't just know what to say, unable to express the fireworks inside of him. He was internally rejoicing, his mind repeating the latter's name like a mantra.
He moves his hand, reaching out to the latter's cold, slender ones, now their bodies facing each other with only a few inches apart, and Sasuke remained, his shoulders stiff.
He can see Sasuke's inner clothes with this gesture, and how slim he has gotten, their bodies complementing where Naruto has become even broader.
Naruto intertwined their fingers and lifted their hands together, looking at it with pride and fascination. This wasn't entirely new, but it feels different this time.
There was a silent charge that connected both of them, they started breathing deeply and slower each passing time, as if the mere proximity was draining out their chakra.
Naruto now closes the distance between them as his hand closes in on Sasuke's wrist. He was leaning in when Sasuke pushed him away, his hand limply hanging down in disappointment.
“Sasuke”
He steps forward, the latter steps backward, Naruto grits his teeth, this is way too similar.
In the past, he would fall over the latter, touch him and bite him and Sasuke would just curse him like a cat, but now, it's not the same.
“I'll send letters” Sasuke’s eyes that avoided him the moment the latter broke away from his grasp looked at him once again with those deep piercing black orbs, and it physically pains him.
“Sasuke, please.” and just like before, inch by inch, Sasuke’s back is on his again, until the latter leaves his sight, he’s left all alone once again. He lets him.
Naruto thought to himself that he had moved on, but seeing the latter once again—despite all the years that had passed by—reminded him of the tie he couldn't break. Still, it was the best birthday present in his 20 years.
That night, he slept at his old apartment the third Hokage gave him and his mind was filled with the past, mainly of Sasuke—he couldn't shake off the desire that has heightened when he thinks of the latter.
His mind drifting to how Sasuke has grown and he wants to see him beneath those covers, he wants to unravel the latter's emotions and see all the life painted on that beautiful face. “
I'm proud of you, no matter what, and thank you.”.
The next day when he woke up, he went to grab ramen with Iruka and went back home to celebrate the afternoon of his birthday with Hinata.
By midnight, he was surprised by the others when they barged in their house, and dragged him outside to a pub that the others had exclusively rented for his birthday, throughout the night until the next day.
The place was noisy, even Konohamaru was there with his red lemon juice, greeting him “I will be Hokage after you, big brother Naruto!” and the kid who has grown taller now shows him the rasengan, Naruto grinned “You will have to wait very long then”
Sakura walks to him, greeting him and giving him a gift “Thanks, Sakura!” He gleamed, they exchanged a few words, primarily about Hinata and when they're gonna have kids, he was engaging without any second thoughts until the latter spoke the name.
“But anyway, I wish Sasuke could have at least met us this time” Naruto gulps, replying a distant “Yeah.” as Sakura only looked at him before bidding him a good bye and joining Ino and Hinata.
That night, he was drunk, the party was amazing and loud, almost everyone was wasted, and his mind was searching for that black hair and black gaze some time everywhere he could, then he met Hinata's eyes, and he grins.
Shikamaru and Kiba, who have higher alcohol tolerance than him, carried his limping body and brought him back to their home along with the others, Hinata doesn't look like she drank some as she thanks them with a good night, perhaps morning, as the sun has already risen. That same day, Boruto was made.
Sasuke sent him the first letter a week after. It was about the latter's discoveries and some information that might be beneficial to him as the next Hokage. Naruto smiled and sent a letter back.
Since then, they have been exchanging letters thrice a month, and especially depending on Sasuke's mood.
Unbeknownst to anyone but him, he would make sure to keep the letters to a special storage as a remembrance.
The first three years after the 4th great ninja war went by so quickly that it felt only like a year, Konoha improved a lot under Kakashi, and Naruto's life was the busiest it had ever been, it was the peak of his youth.
And meeting Sasuke again for the first time that night before his 20th birthday felt like time has gotten incredibly slow once again.
Longing for Sasuke makes him impatient, he wanted the world to run faster, become a Hokage immediately, and have Sasuke closer to him at his will.
---
Hinata told him that Sakura went after Sasuke two months after that fateful night. Naruto uttered “Why?” with surprise and confusion, the delicious lunch suddenly becoming unappetizing.
“You didn’t know? Sasuke met with Kakashi to deliver an important report. It has been years since he came back! Sakura heard the news and immediately went to the Hokage office, but Sasuke just left an hour ago and Sakura immediately went after him, I heard from the Hokage.”
Naruto was silenced, drinking his water in one gulp forcefully as Hinata looked at him.
“I didn't know” he simply stated, forcing to continue to eat his lunch before heading straight to the Hokage office, slightly snearing at Kakashi for not telling him.
The letters stopped coming after that, and days after, Hinata told him about her pregnancy. He wasn't shocked but he still felt taken aback, he knew that they'd done it two months ago but he kind of forgot of the possibility of a child.
Regardless, he felt the joy and warmth rushing over him, “Why did you tell me just now, Hinata?” Hinata looked at him “I wanted to make sure before telling you Naruto” Maybe it's really the time to move forward.
Naruto was only occasionally present throughout their pregnancy, he got more missions and became busier with other stuff as the year fell into an end.
Hinata was more understanding, she truly is, and it helped a lot that she was the Hyuuga princess, the maids and his father were more than enough to take care of her pregnancy, enabling her to deliver Boruto with utmost care.
The following year, Hinata bore their first child, looking exactly like Naruto but softer around the edges, and not so long after days passed, he heard from Kakashi that Sakura went back to the village with a new born child.
There is no denying who the father is as he sees Sarada every time, he sees to it that both of their kids will grow together. Life was good, he was getting over it, he told himself.
Five years later, Himawari was born.
The letters stacked inside the box lay long untouched, but every time his mind drifts to those pair of pure black orbs and raven hair, his desire towards the latter who seemed to completely forget about him grew stronger, how cruel he thought to himself.
Sasuke’s presence was simply the steady chakra that simply proves to him the latter is still alive, it's like hanging on to the crumbs.
---
Three years had gone by so quickly and he became Hokage. That night, he drank his heart out.
He wasn't expecting that not being greeted on a special day by the latter would affect him this much. Enough that his occasional drink out with Shikamaru and the others somehow became frequent.
He would take that time to drown out his misery from the that single thing that confirmed his unbreakable connection he had with Sasuke.
The others would bring him home helpless and wasted, not knowing that he wasn't really able to sever the ties with the notorious rogue ninja. Not knowing that they met once before all this, and that single moment kept haunting him. Not knowing that the letters that they occasionally exchanged for some time in the past was the thing that kept the fire inside of him.
They act like that person he obsessively pursued half of his life was long gone, like he didn't exist. Boruto and Himawari most likely didn't ever even hear about his closest friend's name. Not once did he ever hear anyone from outside speak about Sasuke’s name longer than a sentence.
Naruto never really started any conversation bringing Sasuke's name up, scared that the feelings he has been suppressing would uncontrollably spill out, revealing himself the truth that consumes his whole being by laying out a vulnerability that could be unbefitting of a Hokage, anything about Sasuke holds an unknown trigger to him every time.
Kakashi has trained him not just with politics, but also of handling matters of the mind and heart, times changed and everyone became different, he now receives the attention and praise from being the hero and hokage he dreamt of since he was a kid.
But Sasuke, he doesn't know what to do with the black haired man. Even though the latter wasn't physically present and it pains him—each passing month killing him, he holds on to the fact that no matter what, the latter is bound to him.
He holds onto the fact as he battles with his mind that he is at least finally now the Hokage, and Sasuke finally is bound to him for as long as they live, whether the latter likes it or not.
All he had to do was to wait patiently as the latter surely would come. He holds on to the memory of their last fight when the latter finally acknowledges him, and of the latter thanking him that night.
---
In his busy afternoon at the Hokage office, five months after the ceremony, a hawk taps on his window, recognizing it, he rushes over to open it. Was this how his friend was reporting to Kakashi?
Naruto unrolls the as he tries his best to remain composed, but his excitement seems to have a life of its own as he reads it with a trembling hand, eyes hastily tracing over the words. It was the first letter he received from Sasuke ever since he was proclaimed.
It was more of a report of his friend’s journey and information about organizations and enemies, but Naruto ignored those bits, he rereads it again and savours the parts that any other person would not dwell on. The few slips of familiarity in those sentences.
The latter wrote to him as if Sasuke didn't just leave him with no contact for almost six years, no congratulations, no apologies, no excuses and reasons nor explanations.
Sasuke writes about a hidden village filled with glowing trees in the night at the far east, followed by information about a certain unique power lurking in one of the clans that reside, of the prosperity of the land in the west but a lack of knowledge from the few people that governs it.
The long paper was almost full of words, and mostly updates about the unknown world and its power. In his head, he was reading poetry. He could taste the sweetness on his dry tongue
This is what it feels like to finally be offered water after a long journey in the desert. He wanted to read more about just Sasuke in general.
He picked up a blank page, swiftly writing the words without second thoughts, securing it to the pouch of the hawk, Garuda, afterwards.
The letter reached Sasuke by midnight when he was resting, leaning on a huge tree in the middle of a forest, eating his dinner with a random cat as his only company. He opens it, and stares at the sentence written in the middle of the space, ‘Sasuke, I haven't seen you for so long. Please physically report to me in Konoha’. He laid the piece of paper down on the ground, continuing to eat his bread as the cat flushed closer on his other thigh that wasn't folded.
Sasuke replies back three days after, the familiar hawk tapping on his window in a quiet evening. He immediately rose to his feet, ignoring Shikamaru who was sorting files and gave him a confused look.
Naruto reads the letter; Only when I have gathered enough information about the otsutsuki tree. Is the hokage-sama not busy enough, that he's requiring my physical presence as seemingly urgent? Naruto bites his lower lip, hokage-sama, his heart pounding, is this how the latter finally acknowledges him?
He rushes to take his own paper and starts to write back; Never busy enough for you, Sasuke. But I will go wherever you are the very moment I sense the slightest shift in your chakra, you don't have to do it all alone.
When the letter reached Sasuke, tapping from the wooden window outside the Inn he was staying at, he immediately reached for the letter, reading it with blank eyes, he could hear the latter's voice while doing so.
He was not surprised with the message, but he couldn't help but wonder for a moment since when had the relationship between them become unchanging without return, naturally intimate and normalized this way as if years didn't pass. He remembers what Naruto told him when they were fighting at the valley of the end;
“I’m not letting Orochimaru take you away, do you understand me? I’ll break every single bone in your body if that’s what it takes to stop you. You’re not going anywhere.”, it was ages ago, but at that time, he felt an unknown profound feeling that he struggled to name, that feeling translated into wanting to kill the latter, to eradicate the bond that hurts him more than anything.
Now, he knows what that simply meant, it was the same, closest feeling he was having now; arousal, and he has learned to welcome it without much thought or any shame, as he got older.
He writes back to Naruto, smiling to himself. He was a bit enjoying using ‘hokage-sama’, teasing the latter so he kept it.
The way he writes is formal and different from the way he speaks, he realizes, attributing it to the fact that he would occasionally write poetry especially most often now on his journey, though he did not bother toning it down, seeing that what matters is that he was never untrue, not to Naruto.
He just can't help but wonder if the way he reads the letter Naruto sent, hearing the blonde's voice, remains the same for the latter.
The large candle flickers in the darkness; With all due respect, hokage-sama. The ‘slighest shift’ in my chakra doesn't guarantee enough danger for you to waste your time and energy assisting me, you seem to have forgotten who you have fought in the valley of the end, do I need to relive the memories to you one-by-one?
Anyways, I am getting at the depth of it, it seems like fragments from the source are taking shape, for the meantime, it is safe to assume that the enemy is entirely not gone, yet not as powerful as we expect them to be. We are in the era of peace. Konoha is lucky to have you, Naruto.” and I am extremely lucky to have you too, he spared his last thought from the letter, giving it right back to Garuda.
Naruto received the letter and wrote his immediate response to Sasuke as always; Hahaha, Sasuke, is that a challenge? I can probably recite to you every moment I was chasing after you, only for you to continue denying me ;), remember? But alright, I believe you, my friend. Just keep writing to me, alright? I love reading your thoughts and everything.
Sasuke did indeed follow through, but the following letters became more seemingly transactional and less about engaging, Naruto wanted to write back, but he respects Sasuke's thoughts and boundaries so he just waits for the letter every three days, sometimes taking two weeks, and tries to see from what part he can write back. But the latter was intent on making it seem a one way communication.
Sasuke kept sending him letters of report that he never failed to keep inside the box near his desk, along with the old ones from years ago.
Sometimes he would open the cabinet, touch the papers, and look over it lovingly like a piece of an invaluable collection. He probably had memorized every letter at the back of his head by now, especially his favourites, as he waits for the next one
A month has passed and he never received a reply from Sasuke, he was kind of having a severe withdrawal from it that Naruto coming back home has gotten even rarer, he would be sleeping at the Hokage office longer this time, filling his nose with paperworks, and his mind away from ruminating about Sasuke and how he will act when he finally meets the latter.
Staying home was almost never a concept for him so Hinata would visit everyday and bring him his lunch box, and Boruto would make a mess of everything involving him as possibly as the kid could. But he wasn't as affected with it as much as how Sasuke is keeping him waiting.
He felt guilty as a father but he has been policing his mind for a long time already and he can't escape the truth by now, he wants Sasuke so bad it hurts. Each passing day, he feels like he’s closer to the brink of insanity, he hates waiting without certainty. He is now the Hokage yet the latter still holds the power to make him restless.
Sasuke and him are connected, their ability to sense each other’s chakra kept Naruto relieved about the latter’s safety, as always, but it’s not enough, his need for physical proximity with Sasuke is slowly consuming him.
He thinks the latter is very cruel to him, but he can't do anything about it, he knew Sasuke also have his baggage, he knew it more than anyone, the latter's tendencies and habit of running away.
Naruto? He survived losing Sasuke once, this is just another one of those, and he felt that their meeting wouldn't be far too long, it's inevitable now that he's hokage.
---
Two months after his last letter, it was on a random afternoon when Shikamaru tells him Sasuke is back.
Naruto stood up from his chair with vigor, several different thoughts entered his mind at once “Where is he?” He walked towards the door readily to greet his friend.
“Uh—at Sakura's place, but I heard from Ino that he was just there for a while and left Konoha again” Naruto froze back on his tracks
“What?” Shikamaru simply looks at him in silence, not knowing what to say “He didn't tell you?”
He shakes head, “No” he stopped himself from saying more.
He went back to his desk, continuing his work, it's like the world somehow suddenly turned upside down. Shikamaru didn't say anything about the black haired man again throughout the day.
He was dozing off on his desk past midnight, the meeting between diplomats sent by the Mizukage and Raikage had been too long that he wasn't able to finish assigning missions to the chunin teams, but all throughout, his mind was just filled with questions about Sasuke and answering those very questions by himself.
He was thinking about Sasuke, and their final fight, as the diplomat speaks to him, Shikamaru was eyeing him when he would just nod and throw in some few words as a reply. After the meeting, Shikamaru didn't bother asking him, he just told him they could re-assess the mapping once again tomorrow and left.
He had his three cups of ramen as dinner, eating it in front of the monitor. After being full, he closed his eyes, he was about to fall asleep in exhaustion but a knock from the door interrupted him.
“I’d be staying again tonight, Shikamaru” he groggily said but silence only followed, a few seconds passed before the handle clicked. He lifted his head up in curiosity as the door was carefully opened.
He felt the hair all over his body rise all at once as he caught a glimpse of familiar black hair, sleepiness and tiredness leaving his body. His breath started to quicken, and in a snap, the door further revealed that beautiful face, his all-consuming figure, the source of his suffering.
Finally.
The name rolled off his tongue like a dream, but a hint of doom in his voice didn't go unnoticed,
“Sasuke”
He is now wide-awake as he watches the latter, that hypnotizing black gaze meeting his own for a quick moment before the latter breaks eye contact, looking at the floor sideways. He hears the sound of the door behind closed with a lock.
Naruto stood up, a mixture of anticipation and seriousness openly plastered on his face.
He wanted to be angry, but words didn't leave his mouth as all he was able to do was to quickly stride towards his friend a few steps before stopping with an inch of distance between them.
He carefully touches Sasuke’s hair, as if confirming that he wasn’t hallucinating.
“Usuratonkachi.” Sasuke says with a low voice, Naruto replied by tracing Sasuke's cheeks with the back of his bandaged fingers, his other hand slowly encircling to his friend's waist like they belong there, pulling the latter closer briefly before he stepped back, as if he was surprised at himself with those actions.
Sasuke remained throughout the gesture, letting the physical intimacy that wasn't entirely new to them happen, despite not meeting each other for years, the touch felt like home.
Naruto can't usually keep his hands to himself whenever it's just the two of them, it's a known fact between them. But Sasuke didn't expect that he would still feel it as good, and he lets it happen briefly, it felt ambiguous.
“You left me waiting, and you just show up like this. You kept on running away” The blonde whispered, "I've had it in me, everything you were, and now you are.” anger slipping out of his tone, he observed Sasuke for a minute as if the latter was a ghost, then steps backward to give them more space, unclasping his hokage cape before throwing it on the couch, sitting on it as he patted the space beside him, eyes never leaving Sasuke with now an expectant gaze—who in turn simply looked at the seat waiting to be filled.
Sasuke ignored the gesture and instead pulled a scroll under his cape, tossing it to Naruto who caught it, avoiding those blue scrutinizing eyes at all cost, Naruto looks insanely good and he hates it.
“You told me to physically come so I did, everything's written in that report.” he simply stated as he turned his back to leave, he walked a few steps, heels clacking on the floor before he felt a tight grip on his arm from his cape, his eyes widened.
“Stop avoiding me.” This time, the anger was fully evident in the latter's voice.
“You’re not leaving me, Sasuke. I've waited enough—” Naruto growled, pulling him back, “—You can't.” Sasuke was about to protest but it was sudden and he was yanked back, capturing him in a searing kiss.
His cape dropped to the ground as he tried to push Naruto but the latter was stronger. Those huge hands forcefully held his face and nape in place, locking him up in their position as he was made to look only at the latter’s face that was looming over him.
Sasuke immediately lost his composure, his voice breaking, “N-Naruto—” he whispers dejectedly when the latter licks on his lips, to the tip of his nose, then kissing his jaw, and back to tasting his mouth with an intruding tongue.
Sasuke was overwhelmed, but instead of disgust, he felt that weird thing bloom in his stomach, his heart beating faster than ever before, temperature increased tenfold, and he can't help but to give way to the latter.
“You can't fucking leave me” the latter sucks on his tongue, making sure he wouldn't be able to do anything, he didn't know what to do but to surrender.
The room was filled with wet noises in a minute, along with the sounds of resistance, of leather and clothes entangling.
It was getting hard to breathe as Naruto devoured his face, his bangs uncomfortably pushed to the side, he mustered up his hand and gripped on the latter's collar before pushing him with all his might. Naruto lets him.
He inhales heavily as his brows furrowed, catching his breath as he flushes below those blown blue eyes tracing all over his face, briefly over his body.
Sasuke gulps, he wanted to touch the latter's blonde hair, but he instead can't help but look anywhere but those gaze, his lashes fluttering in avoidance as the lingering truth starts to creep to his mind.
“You're married” he looks at Naruto again “and I'm married to Sakura”, he added as a matter-of-factly, expecting the latter already knew, yet it leaves bitter taste on his mouth.
Naruto simply looked at him, then bursted out a chuckle that came out of nowhere, as if what he said was a funny corny joke. “That was a long time ago. And you've never liked Sakura”
Naruto was being petty, he knew damn well Sasuke wouldn't at least marry someone he doesn't like.
“And you've never liked that girl” Sasuke can't help but respond, unintentionally revealing that apparently, he cares, too much, Naruto started it.
The latter looked at him with big doe eyes, “No. It's different” he glared at the blonde this time, eye brows furrowed as his other eye peeks from the messy hair he did not bother fixing.
“Sasuke, it has always been just you, you should know that more than anyone else.” His voice came out as a whisper “You have no fucking idea. I tried many times to get over you but it's like you fucking got me under the spell. Until now, I want you so bad it hurts.” Naruto reaches out to him as he avoids his touch, those hands clenching into fist.
“But she was there. Same for you, you have everything now.” Sasuke says like a reasoning child, this time, it was his turn to clench his fist. Naruto knows that, he didn't need to explain himself.
“You’re my everything, Sasuke.” he heard the latter whisper, voice pitiful, it was not a statement of convincing him nor placating him, it was just the hard-repeated reality, and deep down, he knows that too.
Decisions have been made, but not like it matters anymore now. He thought back then that Sakura had been there for him, that Kakashi was right, that Sakura was the closest to him, Sakura was the first one to witness him be taken by Orochimaru as he gradually descends to darkness.
It was truly only him since then for her, and that mattered alot to Sasuke. It's the only right and rational decision to be with her at that time, and it was made.
Maybe Naruto felt the same with Hinata, maybe Naruto pursued him more intently than Sakura did. But it was too late, Naruto has someone now, he didn't know what happened but it just did, majority of Konoha would not be accepting of them after all. And Sasuke would just ruin him again, the dreams Naruto built.
Just as he thought that everything has already fallen into place. He felt like he needed to atone with this, what he made of Naruto.
The silence that followed was an indication of closure, he was gonna leave Naruto again, this time it wasn't just physical, Sasuke was resigning him again and it hurt Naruto's soul.
It was too much to handle for Naruto so he suddenly kneels down on his knees, clutching on Sasuke's shirt teary-eyed, looking up at the black haired boy. Sasuke’s heart throbs with pain, remembering the Naruto of his past “Please don't do this to me.”
It was a voice he never thought he would ever hear from the latter.
“And to yourself, Sasuke. You know it.” Sasuke reached out, gently caressing the latter's blonde locks, he wanted to be with Naruto in an even closer way that no one can part them anymore.
“When it comes to you, I don't know what to do” the blonde says, defeated. The room hangs silently, heavy air permeating as the aircon steadily blows coldness from above,
Me too, Naruto, me too, Sasuke told himself, and maybe, he can't just express it, maybe he even feels it more than Naruto.
He waits a few minutes, and before the mood changes, he deems it was time to leave. He tests the waters, stepping back twice before turning his head, he walks to the door, and disappears behind with a bang. Naruto lets him.