Hi! Before we get into this fic I would like to mention a few things:

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Sasuke, or anybody else in this fic.

This fanfiction was meant as a companion peice to some fanart that I did, and seeing the fanart will probably help you picture the tattoos and understand the story a little better. If you want to see them they are on my DeviantArt page with the same name: Keikopanda102

There is also a second chapter to be uploaded at some point in the future with some background information on this universe that is very much glossed over because of the style of this fic, just in case you wanted a bit more info as to what happened to the Uchiha and what exactly the role of Hokage is in this world where there aren't really any shinobi.

The extra chapter will also contain a BONUS SCENE!

Hope you like the fic, lemme know in the reviews please! XD

Naruto Uzumaki's life in Tattoos

One) Konoha

They're fifteen and he and Sakura try to talk him out of it.

"It's permanent, Sasuke! And I heard it hurts a lot!"

"You know it's illegal to get a tattoo before you're 16."

He smirks at Naruto that way he does, and Naruto can already feel his heartbeat spike, knows he's gonna do something stupid because of this bastard.

"You're just scared to get your own so you're trying to stop me," Sasuke taunts.

"Like hell!"

And they go to a tattoo shop Sasuke heard doesn't care if you're underaged. It's in the next village over and it's called Land of Waves. Their tattoo artist is named Haku. He looks like a girl and Naruto swears he's flirting with him. He's nice enough, but Sasuke doesn't seem to like him very much.

He goes first. Sits on the table and stares blankly ahead as the needle pierces his skin over and over. Sakura says she can't watch and goes to look at other designs, trying to choose one and determined to keep up with Naruto and Sasuke. When Sasuke flinches halfway through the red coloring Naruto catches him and grins. Sasuke rolls his eyes and stays still until he's finished.

Naruto goes next, and as soon as the needle hits his skin he loves it—loves the feeling of the pricking needle and the way Haku tells him to breathe evenly, in and out, not squirm too much. He sort of loves the way Sasuke watches him the whole time and calls him an idiot when he smiles and says "ouch" at the same time.

He already knows he's going to love the tattoo (he was always planning on getting it anyway), and as soon as he stands and sees it in the mirror, just on his left side, right above his ribs, he does.

Sakura chickens out, but he and Sasuke spend the next few days randomly lifting their shirts to look at their new tattoos.

Two) Spiral Seal

He doesn't tell Sasuke he's going to get it—he wants it to be a surprise.

He goes back to Haku and Kakashi comes with him, tells him that Haku is the disciple of his old tattoo artist, Zabuza.

It takes longer than his first one, because its bigger, but it doesn't hurt as much because it's not on his ribs. He loves the way it looks when its finished and practically kisses Haku with excitement, pouting when Haku laugh and tells him he has to cover it for an hour and that it will probably be sore for a few days.

He avoids Sasuke for those few days, until it's not so red anymore and the peeling isn't so bad, and it doesn't hurt so much when he bends his stomach. Sasuke's pissed when he finally calls.

"Where the hell have you been? Sakura says you were hanging out with Kakashi."

"Wanna come over? I've gotta show you something!"

Naruto can hear his sigh across the line, but he replies, "Fine. On my way."

He's barely through Naruto's apartment door when Naruto kisses him, because okay, it's been a few days and Naruto's missed him, and getting the tattoo just made him horny and he's been jacking off like crazy because he didn't wanna see Sasuke when his stomach was still tender, and because it's still new between them and he can't get enough of Sasuke's mouth.

Sasuke indulges him for a moment, then breaks apart.

"You said you had something to show me."

"Yeah," Naruto agrees. "Yeah. C'mere."

He leads Sasuke into his room and pushes him onto the bed, takes a step back, suddenly nervous and fiddling with the edge of his shirt, wondering if Sasuke will like it. He takes a deep breath in, thinks fuck it, and lifts his shirt up over his head in one swift motion that he hopes looked sexier than it felt.

"What do you think?"

For a moment Sasuke just stares, then he stands without saying a word and grabs Naruto by the front of his jeans, pulling them together before they fall to the bed.

When Naruto wakes up the next morning there's a mark just beside the new tattoo and he can't help but rest a hand over it and smile.

Three) Frog

Jiraiya goes with him to get the frog, since it was his idea in the first place. They go some place in the village and the artist is an old man who looks like he's judging Naruto intensely when he says what he's getting, but Jiraiya promises he does good work, and Naruto has been wanting another tattoo.

He'd wanted to go get one with Sasuke, but since his brother came through town a few weeks ago Sasuke has been… strange.

He acts like he'd rather be alone than have anyone around, gets mad easily, and treats Naruto like more of a rival than a friend. It's almost like he was before, when they were young and Sasuke wouldn't acknowledge anyone. Naruto thought he was almost past that, that they were both going to be alright, and then Itachi showed up and ruined everything. If he could, he'd track Itachi down himself and punch him right in the face!

But Naruto hasn't been able to be there like he should; he's been busy with his own stuff. He's been studying with Jiraiya, all kinds of things that he knows will help him to become Hokage. He's got a long way to go but he's optimistic and Jiraiya thought this tattoo was a good idea. He says tattoos ground him; that's why he has so many.

"I think it's because you like looking at pictures of naked ladies on your arms, Pervy Sage."

"You think these are just random ladies? Oh no, Naruto! Each of these beauties is a woman I loved with all my heart. See this one?"

He shows Naruto a tattoo on his bicep of a topless woman with pigtails and huge tits, and he sighs.

"She's the one who got away. I'll get her someday, though."

"Yeah…I think I'll stick with the frog, old man."

Four) Sakura Flower

Naruto is never mad at Sakura for how she reacts to Sasuke leaving. How can he be? She never knew about them and she's the only other person in the world who understands how he feels after Sasuke leaves—like they failed him.

It was like it was their job to save him from himself, and for a while it was working. They were the three amigos, a team with a solid bond. Kakashi tried to help too, but he and Sakura were the ones who were supposed to be there for Sasuke, and they let him down.

He left them behind, and it hurt too much to bear alone.

He gets the tattoo for her, to cheer her up. And because he loves her, really, and he always will, so he wants her to have a place on his body. And he gets it for himself, too, because he wants to feel the sting of the needle again, to distract from the pain of not being strong enough to keep him here.

He thinks Sakura wants the same thing. Even though it's her first tattoo she knows that it's good, better than trying to hold back the hurt. They needed something they could do together, and Sakura wanted something to show how much she had grown, that she's not still the scared little girl who couldn't watch when they were fifteen. Like maybe if she proves how much she's grown it will bring him back.

Naruto wishes it were that easy.

They go to a new place because they don't want to face Haku, to have him ask them where Sasuke is this time. It's called Anbu Ink, and it's where Naruto first meets Sai.

It's a shock at first, for both of them, because he looks so much like Sasuke it's a joke. And then he speaks and they realize he's really nothing like him.

But there's still something about him that Naruto likes. Even as he insults him he holds Naruto's wrist like he could break it, and his smiles never seem quite real enough, and Naruto wonders what his story is. His tattoos are gorgeous and intricate; Naruto could stare at them for hours.

He slips his phone number to Naruto on the back of his receipt but Naruto doesn't bother calling it. He knows he'll be back.

Five) Uzumaki Spiral

He picks the design almost at random, because he still can't stop thinking about Sasuke, and maybe if he goes back to Anbu Ink, gets something new, it will distract again, for a little while. Ground him, like Jiraiya says.

He'd always liked the spiral anyway. Everyone in the village wears it on their sleeve and he's never really asked why, something about a treaty with another village, he never listened when Iruka was trying to teach the village's history. Anyway, there's something comforting about it so he thinks, why not, and goes to the tattoo shop one night before it gets too busy.

"Back again, small dick?"

"Eehhh, aren't there any other artists here who aren't such assholes?"

"They're on lunch," he replies with one of his fake smiles, and motions for Naruto to have a seat. Naruto can see a few other people in their own booths, laying around and not doing anything. He doesn't think they look like they're on lunch.

Sai doesn't comment when Naruto explains what he wants, just nods and gets his stuff ready.

"Where's your girlfriend tonight?" he asks as he's drawing out the design with a marker.

"Sakura's not my girlfriend!"

He pauses and looks up, and Naruto has to close his eyes and look away because the resemblance is too much, and it hurts again, and he came here to be distracted not to be reminded, to feel like he didn't do enough, like he should be out there now trying to get Sasuke to come back.

The other side of his bed is too cold in the mornings and he hates it.

"Hmm, that makes sense. I thought you looked like a fag."

"Hey!" Naruto jerks his arm out of Sai's grasp and glares. Sai just smiles his stupid fake smile and replies,

"I don't mean any harm. I gave you my number after all. Do you want this tattoo or not?"

Naruto settles back down and lets Sai finish the drawing. The artist doesn't say anything else until he's halfway through the tattoo.

"Getting a tattoo always makes you horny, don't you think?"

Naruto stares at him in surprise but Sai doesn't look away from his work. He swallows, heavy, unsure if he wants to do this, but he wants to so badly at the same time. He is attracted to Sai and it would be so easy, just for a little bit, to forget…

"Yeah," he sighs, and he thinks for the first time he maybe saw a real smile on that pale face.

Six) RIP

It's like some kind of masochistic coping-mechanism.

It's better than drinking away the pain, even though he tries that too. It's easier than listening to everyone giving him their condolences. More painless than watching Granny Tsunade break down and cry as Sakura tries to console her.

Sai understands as soon as Naruto shows him the picture, says nothing and begins setting up. For the first time Naruto barely feels the needle, just sits in the chair numb with nothing but the buzz of the needle in his ears. It isn't until the buzzing quiets and Sai gently tells him that he's finished and turns the mirror to show Naruto the finished piece that it feels real. The image hurts; like Naruto can feel all the pain all at once.

He cries, sobbing hunched over in the chair as Sai gently finishes cleaning and wrapping it. It hurts for days. Naruto thinks it's some of Sai's best work.

He can't help but think of Sasuke's tattoo, and how sure he was of it, wanting to get it at fifteen instead of waiting until he was older. Naruto finally understands why.

He wanted something to remind him of the people he lost, something permanent and with meaning.

He places a hand over his arm and hopes that perverted hermit is laughing his ass off.

Seven) Kyuubi

"I want this."

"…That's a shitty doodle, Naruto."

Naruto huffs, too used to Sai's blunt honestly now to bother feeling offended. It is a pretty shitty doodle anyway. It's not like his specialty is art.

"I know! I want you to make it better."

Sai takes the paper from Naruto and stares at it for a while. Naruto isn't sure why he's so anxious. He's been considering this design for as long as he can remember, ever since his first tattoo. He wants it to be just right.

"You want it on your back?"

"Yeah, and it's gotta come around my shoulders, to the front."

"This is a big piece, Naruto. It'll take time."

"I know. It's okay."

Sai stares at him over the paper with the design on it like he's trying to solve a puzzle.

"Why a nine-tailed fox?"

Naruto just smiles.

Eight) RAMEN

He gets it when he's drunk.

On a dare.

Kiba chooses the spot.

When he says he'll get it he swears he isn't drunk, just tipsy. Kiba calls bullshit, but Kiba's drunk too. They're all drunk together because they're friends and that's what friends do when one of their other friends is dumped.

It's not the tattoo he wanted. But that's probably for the best, because that tattoo is the reason he's suddenly single in the first place. He hadn't thought Sai would react so badly to the idea. He should have known though. He was an idiot.

A drunk idiot who wants another tattoo to numb the pain, but his tattoo artist won't talk to him so he has to go to some other shop and get some random artist to do it, and Naruto should probably not trust the guy on principle since he's clearly willing to tattoo a drunk person, but Naruto can't even remember the guy's face, so it doesn't really matter.

Kiba and Lee and Shikamaru and Choji laugh the whole time he's getting it done, laying on his stomach on the table, drunk and blabbering like an idiot.

"He said 'e wouln' do it."

"Do what, Naruto?" Choji asks, hiding his chuckling behind his hand.

"T—the tattoooooo!"

"Why not?"

"Cuzzit was da, yaknow, da fing!"

"What thing?"

He sighs in exasperation, or exhaustion, he's too drunk to tell.

"His fing! His 'tupid fan! I wann'd it on mah chest and he dump me!"

The guys exchange looks and Shikamaru sighs deeply.

"This relationship stuff is too much of a hassle, I swear."

"Okay, you're done," the tattoo artist says flatly, not amused by Naruto or his drunk friends. Naruto sits up and looks into the mirror over his shoulder.

"RAMEN! WOOOH!"

Nine) Uchiha

He realizes later that it was stupid to think he would ever really be over Sasuke.

All it takes is seeing him back and it's like he never left—Naruto wants him all over again. He'd seen him around before then, just in passing, and he hadn't said anything. It was like he never cared at all. It hurt too much to think about, but Naruto didn't give up that easily.

Eventually he came back to the village for real. He bought an apartment and got a job and started showing up where Naruto was, whether he was just hanging out with friends or out to lunch with Sakura and Kakashi. Suddenly he would be there. It didn't even seem weird for him to be back, but it drove Naruto crazy having him so close but not having the balls to talk to him or touch him again.

And his tattoos, shit, Naruto wanted to see them all, up close, to run his fingers down them and find out if getting new ink made Sasuke as horny as it always made him. He wanted to see the ones he knew he had to be hiding beneath his shirt.

He wasn't the only one, though. He caught Sasuke staring at his new pieces as much as he did, especially the tail that looped over his shoulder and across his neck. Sometimes Sasuke stared at that so intently it made color rise to Naruto's face and he just has to say something about it.

"What are you staring at, teme?"

"An idiot," Sasuke always replies.

He gets this insane itch after a while, like a little crawling something under his skin. He's felt it enough to know it's time to get another tattoo, just to feel the needle on his skin again, to have another piece of his body art done—but he just can't figure out what he wants.

He ignores the little voice reminding him of what he'd wanted before because it makes him feel guilty. He almost walks right into Anbu Ink a hundred times, just to sit down in Sai's chair and have him create some perfect work of art like he'd done before, even though he knows he couldn't do that to him. He may not have ever really been in love with Sai. He'd tried—really, really tried—but it was never going to work out. It wasn't the same for Sai, though, and Naruto knows that it would just be better if he stayed away, so he does.

Still, he has that itch, and he constantly stares at the blank spot on his chest. He stares so often that it's almost like he can see it, stark red and white against his skin, like it was always meant to be there. He was probably subconsciously saving that spot all this time, just for that.

Still, he hesitates.

He sees Sasuke, and they flirt and it hurts, and he aches and itches and tells himself it's stupid to still love the asshole who abandoned him; to still feel like he needs a piece of him permanently on his body—even if Sasuke never sees it, even if they're never together like that again, to remind him that it was real and it was everything it was supposed to be.

And before he realizes what he's doing he's headed back to Land of Waves, and Haku is still there, smiles at him with this strange glint in his eyes when he explains what he wants, and prepares the ink gun without another comment. As soon as Naruto sees it in the mirror he knows it's right.

"Did you get a new tattoo?" Sasuke asks him a day or so later, staring at the spot on Naruto's chest. He must have moved his shoulder oddly for Sasuke to notice it.

"Uh," he falters, "yeah. You could tell?"

Sasuke doesn't answer, just continues to stare at the spot like he wishes he could look straight through Naruto's clothes.

"What is it?" he asks, over enunciating every word, like it's vitally important he knows the answer.

Naruto swallows, figures he doesn't really have anything to lose, and lifts his shirt enough to show it off. He doesn't breathe, peeking over to watch as Sasuke stares at him with this confused jumble of emotions, then shake his head and lift his own shirt, pulling down the edge of his pants so that Naruto can see a small leaf symbol at the line of his hipbone.

It takes him a minute to figure it out but when he does it's like a punch in the gut.

"Where did you go?" He asks, practically breathless.

"Haku, of course. You?"

"Yeah!"

And maybe they have a lot of shit to work out, and maybe he's an idiot and Sasuke is an asshole, and they're so in love with each other it's probably unhealthy—but something has connected them for as long as Naruto can remember, like a physical bond that neither of them can break.

And maybe it's time they stopped trying.

Ten) Sun

"Are you sure about this?"

"Stop asking me, Naruto. I'm already here."

"I'm just checking! You don't want tattoo remorse later!"

"If I were going to have tattoo remorse about you it would have already happened. Lets just do this. You first."

Their artist is a new guy neither of them have been to before. He's old and weird-looking and supposed to be the best around—not that it really mattered for how simple the designs were.

He sits Naruto in the chair and takes his hand. He doesn't even draw any guide-lines—but everyone says he never needs to, he's just that good. Naruto is more anxious than he's been about a tattoo in a long time and he doesn't even know why. It's not anything new to have something connecting him to Sasuke permanently on his body, but somehow this feels different. It's a matched set.

The feel of the needle on his skin is familiar after all this time and he relaxes with the buzzing in his ears and Sasuke sitting beside him.

He's done in minutes and it's a perfect circle, amazingly. Sasuke is next and Naruto stares at his own hand until he's done, admiring the strong black lines curving across his skin.

"It looks good," Sasuke remarks as he stares at his own hand. The old tattoo artist smiles and nods and then when they go to pay him he refuses their money. He won't tell them why, just shoves them out of the tattoo shop together and reminds them to put on the unscented lotion if they don't want them to peel.

Sasuke holds his up in the light and Naruto copies him so they can see both at the same time. Right beside each other they look better than separate, like they're two parts of one whole piece.

Naruto thinks it might be his favorite tattoo.

Sasuke Uchiha's life in Tattoos

One) Uchiha

He's fifteen and he didn't ask them to come along.

Sakura asked where he was going and he didn't feel like making something up so he told them.

"To get a tattoo."

Of course they both freak out; Sakura worried about how permanent they are and Naruto trying to act so smart and above it all, like he would give a shit about breaking the law if it was to get something he really wanted.

And Sasuke does have something he wants. He's wanted it ever since he can remember, even before his family was gone he'd wanted it. He'd been saving up money and he finally had some time to go get it done—it's the two idiots who decide to tag along and then decide that if Sasuke's getting a tattoo they should get their own.

He takes them along because he knows they'll follow him anyway. Land of Waves is clean, organized, and most importantly willing to tattoo a 15 year old with no proof of ID. Haku is the first artist available so they stick with him, even though there's something off about him that pisses Sasuke off. He keeps smiling at Naruto as he's explaining what he wants.

"How big would you like it to be?"

Sasuke shows him and he nods, preparing the ink and gun as Sakura paces outside of the booth and Naruto watches Haku's hands intently.

The first prick of the needle is nothing, just a sharp jab against his smooth skin. It hurts more than Sasuke thought it would, but not more than he can handle. The initial pain fades for a while though it constantly pricks and pricks and Sasuke has to work to keep his face the same. He almost messes up once, when Haku is applying the red part of the design and Naruto catches him flinch. The blond grins at him—not like he's happy that Sasuke is hurting—but like he's encouraging Sasuke to keep going. He rolls his eyes and doesn't say anything else until he's finished, but it almost feels like the last bit hurts a little less.

Naruto goes after him and it seems like it doesn't hurt him at all. His is much smaller, though, Sasuke tells himself. It shouldn't bother him. If Naruto got color like he did he'd probably be whining the whole time.

Haku offers Sakura a chance to go next but she just shakes her head and walks out with them after they're done paying.

He and Naruto spend the next week lifting their shirts to stare at their new tattoos, and Sasuke has to admit something just looks really good about the leaf symbol in black ink against Naruto's tanned skin. He tries not to let the image distract him too much.

Two) Sharingan

Naruto is pissed at him when he opens his apartment door. He's got that look on his face, the one with his eyes all dark and narrowed, mouth pulled down at the corners like he might snap any moment. It sends a jolt straight to his dick but he ignores it, per usual. He's not here for that, no matter what the lower half of his body seems to think.

Because he's just not sure why he is here, at Naruto's apartment. His legs kind of just took him without his say so and he's a little pissed himself, if he's honest.

So he just blurts out the first thing he can think of that isn't about how much he wants to taste Naruto's mouth.

"Want to come with me to get a tattoo?"

It's clearly not what the other boy was expecting. He rocks back on his feet, leaning against the doorway. He doesn't say anything for a minute, just glares at Sasuke.

Sasuke isn't even sure why he's so mad, it's not like it was his fault! Nothing bad even happened. Everyone was okay. He's pretty sure Naruto blames himself for the whole thing, and that's why he's so mad at what Sasuke did, but Sasuke sure as hell isn't going to apologize for saving the blond's stupid life!

Finally Naruto deflates, sighs deeply and shakes his head.

"Fine. Lets go get a tattoo, asshole."

They go to a place in town that Kakashi told them about because driving all the way to Land of Waves seemed like too much work. It's near the Yamanaka Flower Shop and it's called Needles and Kunai. They have to wait for a bit before one of the artists is free.

"What are you getting?" Naruto asks as they're waiting.

He takes the drawing he'd made out of his pocket and shows Naruto, who frowns at it and goes,

"What is it?"

"It's a sharingan. My family was known for them."

"Are all your tattoos going to be from your family?"

"I don't know," he answers. Probably, he thinks.

"Well, either way, I hope you don't get that guy," he points to one of the artists, a bald man with scars across his face and a mean look. Unfortunately the guy hears him and glares, making Naruto gulp loudly. Sasuke smirks so he can't see it.

They don't end up with him though, but a noisy girl in a see-through top who clearly recognizes his design but doesn't say anything about it. He sits through his second tattoo as stoically as his first, but it still hurts right in the beginning, so much that he closes his eyes and tries to block it out.

It's almost unbearable until Naruto starts talking, blabbing on at him about how cool it's going to look and how he can't wait until he gets another tattoo and he's going to come back to Needles and Kunai because Land of Waves is so far, except maybe he won't because he's loyal to Haku now and he'd feel bad if he didn't go back at least once. Sasuke doesn't really pay total attention to what Naruto's saying, but the sound of his voice helps. It distracts him from the grind of the metal through his flesh. He likes the tones of Naruto's voice, the steady sound in his ear.

Sometimes he feels like he wants to hear more of it.

When he's finished Naruto decides he's going to take him out for ramen. Sasuke knows it's just an excuse for Naruto to eat ramen but he goes along anyway. Afterwards he walks with Naruto back to his apartment, all the way up to his door.

The whole thing feels too much like a date, and the desire he's been trying to ignore all day is so strong it's threatening to consume him. Naruto stares at him with this vague look on his face, like he can't tell what emotion he should be showing, smiles with the same look and says goodbye before opening his door.

Sasuke's arm throbs and the bandage pulls at his skin. He reaches out for Naruto like it's instinct, like he's still high on adrenaline from his tattoo and it's moving his body for him, pulls at his sleeve until he's turned around, then pulls him until their mouth's are against one another's. Naruto's voice catches somewhere low in his throat and turns into something hungry and needy. He tastes like ramen and he's careful not to grab Sasuke's new tattoo when he's pulling him by the arms through his apartment door and slamming it closed behind them.

Three) Chidori

He can't always control himself when they're like this. When Naruto's teeth are at the edge of his neck and his thigh between his legs he loses the part of himself that he's tried to hold on to the most.

"H—hhn, Naruto—"

"Sasuke, shit!"

Naruto has him pressed back against the wall, knees buckling as the blond's hands move all over him. And it's stupid, because Naruto isn't calm either, fingers shaking a little as they try to undo Sasuke's belt, breathing coming a little too fast, a little too desperate as he grinds his erection against Sasuke's waist. But that's just Naruto, he's always that way—more so when it's Sasuke pressing him against walls and to the bed, impatiently undressing him and running his tongue over tanned skin.

But that's because that's who Naruto is—he's never controlled and calm like Sasuke is supposed to be, like he tries to be even now, with his own breathing coming faster and faster. He bites at his lip to stop another pathetic sound from escaping and it's almost like Naruto can tell, because the next minute he's kissing into Sasuke mouth, moaning to rattle his teeth.

And then just like that he's gone, sunk to his knees with his hands wrapping around the back of Sasuke's thighs.

"Naruto don't—" he starts, but forgets what he's trying to say as soon as Naruto drags his tongue along the length of his shaft, sucking at the head of his dick and swallowing him down whole. His legs shake and he holds onto the back of Naruto's head as he blows him, fighting tooth and nail to stay in control. Naruto just sucks him deeper and he bucks forward involuntarily, hating how he just can't keep himself together, how Naruto breaks apart the strongest part of him, shakes him up until he crumbles.

Naruto's hands slip down to his calves, fingers digging into the skin and he gasps.

"O—ow, Naruto, wait," he says, straightening up and turning his right leg a bit to look down at the ink there. Naruto breaks off as soon as he speaks, frowning a little and then noticing the tattoo.

"W—woah! When did you get that?"

"Today, dobe."

"Were you gonna tell me?"

"I was, and then you attacked me as soon as I walked in the door!"

"S—sorry. It's really pretty, Sasuke. Does it hurt?" As he asks he runs a finger gently over the design—a single bird, drawn like it's made of lightning—and the sensation makes Sasuke shiver through his whole body.

He pulls Naruto up and kisses him, hard and messy, slipping a hand into the front of Naruto's pants and pulling him out as Naruto grasps his dick and starts stroking. He throws his head back and shuts his eyes tight, like that might hold back the feeling. He can feel Naruto's head leaning against his shoulder as they thrust their hips together and try not to slide down the side of the wall.

Awful noises keep escaping him as he get's closer, not that they're anything compared to Naruto, who just keeps repeating Sasuke's name over and over again until it barely sounds like his name anymore. Then he sort of gasps hard and bites Sasuke's shoulder when he comes, hand tightening around Sasuke as he shudders through. Sasuke's close and he just needs Naruto to keep moving, and he's almost there, can almost hold back a little longer, can keep from humiliating himself like Naruto keeps making him do.

Naruto's breath is hot in his ear and his hand moves again, slow and wet, tugging on Sasuke's cock.

"H—hey. Look at me," Naruto pants. Sasuke bites his lip and ignores him, ignores how close he is, just on the edge, how the sound of Naruto's voice almost sets him off, just like always.

"S'suke, look at me," he repeats, and Sasuke just opens his eyes the smallest bit to see blue, and whiskers, and his smile, and he comes hard all over Naruto's hand, gasping for breath as Naruto strokes him through it then finally letting himself fall carefully to the floor, Naruto following easily.

"I like your new tattoo," he says, then kisses Sasuke lightly. Sasuke has a hard time controlling his smile.

Four) Curse Seal

He's angry all the time now. Angry with Sakura for still being so annoyingly persistent after all these years. Angry with Kakashi because he doesn't do anything, just looks at Sasuke like he's afraid he's going to lose it at any moment. Angry with Naruto because he does try to help even though he can't do anything, he's just in Sasuke's way, just a distraction that's been wasting his time all along. Angry with Naruto because he's still happy and smiling even though the world is unfair and cruel and lonely and the only way to survive it is to shut it out and focus on what's important.

They don't understand.

"You haven't changed much, little brother," he'd said. It wasn't a fond compliment, but a disdainful sneer. Sasuke should have known it was too good to last.

But Itachi was right—he hadn't changed much. He'd been stuck in the same town with the same friends, reliving the same hell and pretending he could move past it for as long as he could remember. How could he have thought a tattoo would be enough to keep their memories alive? He was a fool, and Itachi was right, he's always right.

Sasuke needed to be stronger. He needed to leave.

"So you've made a decision have you, Sasuke? What will it be?"

"You already know, or I wouldn't be here," Sasuke growls back. He hates that Orochimaru is his best option, his only real choice. The creep smiles, nods towards the open door. Sasuke knew all along going with him meant another tattoo, and he's ready for it.

It hurts more than the others, like someone biting into his flesh. The artist is Orochimaru's assistant, and he's worse than the snake-man himself in Sasuke's opinion. He laughs and asks if he always flinches so much getting a tattoo.

He tries not to think of Naruto's voice, and his laugh, and his sighs and moans, because he can't think about it anymore. He's giving it up. He's leaving all of it behind and this tattoo is the first step.

He doesn't even look at it when it's finished, just nods at Orochimaru and tells him he has to go back and collect a few more things, then he'll meet him at the entrance of the village and they'll go. No looking back.

He hopes Naruto is out when he goes to his apartment, and the rooms are empty when he gets there. He blocks out the memories of the rooms, swimming in his head, filled with Naruto and happiness, because he's giving them both up.

He's just about to leave, bag already over his shoulder, when he walks through the door.

"Sasuke…? Where are you going?"

Five) Snake

It's the last thing Orochimaru gives him. Kabuto winds it all the way up his arm and he hates it, hates the way it glows green against his skin and looks like it could slither right off his hand.

And it hurts, worse than the last. It's the most painful tattoo he's ever gotten. When Kabuto inked the green skin on the inside of his wrist he bit his lip til he bled. There was nothing to distract him anymore, no voices or smiles or good memories, just the buzz of the gun in the silent room.

The only thing that got him through was the idea that he was leaving soon. His time with Orochimaru was done. He was ready to move on.

He stares at the snake on his arm, his last test, and knows he's ready now.

Ready to face his brother.

Six: Mangekyo

The tattoo artist is blond, with blue eyes and a loud mouth. Sasuke immediately asks for another.

"Deidara is the best artist we have," Itachi tells him, raising one eyebrow questioningly. "We had another who taught him, but he's—"

"Sasori-danna is gone, Uchiha! Don't mention him! Do you want a tattoo or not, un?"

The way Deidara looks at his brother is obvious even to Sasuke's eyes. The blond wants him, but knows he can't have him. Sasuke sits in the chair and glares in front of him. His brother nods and walks back to his partner who's chatting with another artist outside. Deidara starts setting up and Sasuke remains still in the chair.

"So you're getting almost the same thing your brother has? You Uchiha's don't think about anything but your dumbass sharingan."

"How long have you been in love with my brother?"

The blond drops what he's holding and Sasuke smirks. The next moment Deidara grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him up close, face contorted in rage.

"Don't say shit when you don't know shit! Do you want this tattoo, or not?"

Sasuke nods, face blank. Deidara drops him and he sits back in the chair, quiet. The blond carefully draws out the design on his arm, sets the needled against his skin and Sasuke sucks in a deep breath. He's had too many tattoo's now to not expect the pain, and he clenches his teeth, ready to fight his way through it.

But when the needled first digs in it like it's barely moving. Deidara goes slow, bending over his arm, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He watches for a moment, patiently waiting for it to hurt like usual, like his skin is being set on fire. It doesn't happen.

"It doesn't hurt," he mumbles softly, about halfway through. Deidara doesn't break his concentration, but replies flatly,

"You Uchiha's have sensitive skin, un. I've been tattooing your brother for years. He always acts like it doesn't hurt but I can tell. I try to be more gentle."

Sasuke doesn't say anything else, even when the tattoo is finished.

He barely says anything when he's paying, either, but his eyes catch Deidara's blue ones and when he comes back to the shop for a check up a week later (Deidara insists on always seeing his work after a week) they somehow end up in bed together.

He knows it's only because he looks like his brother, and maybe he only does it because Deidara reminds him of someone, too. But they don't talk about it; just fuck until they're both too exhausted to speak.

And for a while, it works.

Seven: Hawk and Raven

Deidara has been visiting him almost every day since Itachi died. Sasuke wonders if Itachi asked the blond to watch out for his little brother after he was gone. He wouldn't put it past him.

They don't do anything.

Sasuke doesn't much feel like doing anything anymore.

Still, Deidara comes by, moving around the apartment loudly, talking more to himself than Sasuke, because he knows Sasuke doesn't have anything to say. Sometimes he sits with Sasuke and turns on the tv. Most times he makes Sasuke eat something. He usually brings his sketchbook with him and talks and talks about nothing while his pen scrapes across the paper. He complains about customers coming to the shop to get terrible tattoos, stupid gang symbols and names of people they definitely aren't going to love forever. He talks about gossip and who's fucking who, and he talks about Itachi plenty. He doesn't care if Sasuke doesn't want to hear it—he's not the kind of person to be bothered about Sasuke's feelings.

Sasuke doesn't mind, though. It's kind of nice to have someone to treat him normally. His other friends, Karin and Suigetsu and Juugo, they stop by a lot too, but they don't know what to say, don't know what to do when Sasuke won't reply to anything they ask. They're worried about him, but he doesn't really care.

With Deidara it's better. He's a distraction, too loud to be completely ignored. Sometimes he takes Sasuke's attention away for just a little while, brings him back to the world.

Deidara is at his apartment again, on some rant about Kisame, Itachi's old partner.

"He's on some kind of suicide mission, un! But fuck him, it's his life. If he wants to get himself killed because that damn Uchiha is dead then that's his own problem, and—"

"What are you drawing?" Sasuke asks. It's not the first thing he's said to Deidara after all this time, but it's probably the first question he's asked, and Deidara takes half a second to be surprised before he grins and turns the sketchbook Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke had already known what it was, just from the corner of his eye as Deidara was drawing it, but seeing it full on made his breath heavy in his chest. He takes the sketchbook from the artist and runs his fingers over the unfinished design.

"I want this," he says, and his voice breaks halfway through. Deidara pretends not to notice, grinning widely.

"I was hoping you'd say that, un. I was designing it for you."

"Can you start now?"

"Mhmm."

The sensation of pain as the needle pierces his skin feels like the first breath of fresh air in a new life.

Eight: Rinnegan

He'd like to say it's Itachi's letter that makes him decide to get another tattoo, but if he's being honest with himself it's Naruto.

He'd like to say that he left and never thought about Naruto or Konoha again but it's a lie. He thought about Naruto every day with Orochimaru and sometimes he almost caught himself thinking Naruto's name when Deidara was around, or when Deidara was kissing him and pushing him towards the bed.

But Deidara had left, gone off with his old teacher. He left Sasuke a note and a drawing Itachi had helped him make years ago and part of Sasuke didn't care while another part was almost glad Deidara found someone.

He'd like to say he decided to go back to Konoha on a whim, that it had nothing to do with Naruto and everything to do with Itachi's requests and his own desires—but he can't think about his old village without thinking about Naruto. The two are entwined together in his mind, like Naruto is the living, breathing embodiment of the place he once called home. He thinks about Naruto's first tattoo and how he should have known he was never going to stay away forever.

A lot has changed since he's been away, but not too much that he's surprised when he goes back for a visit. The thing that surprises him the most is Naruto's reaction when he runs into him in town.

He's not sure what he expected from his ex. Surely Naruto is still angry with him, after all, their last fight left a mark on both of them. Sasuke had never seen Naruto so angry and so determined. He knew that there was a good chance he would never see Naruto again if he left, but after that he was sure Naruto would never forgive him.

And yet when he saw Sasuke (and Sasuke saw him, and he looked so different and so good it was like a punch in the gut and he couldn't speak) his expression wasn't mad or pained at all: he looked relieved.

They didn't say anything to one another that time. Sasuke wasn't sure he could say anything, but Naruto's expression stuck with him, overtook his mind and distracted him so much he knew he had to do something about it. He had Deidara's design and he knew what to do with it.

He went to the tattoo shop one more time even though Deidara wasn't there and as soon as he was done he packed up and left for Konoha. For home.

Nine: Konoha

The worst part about being back in Konoha is seeing Naruto all the time and not being able to do anything.

He doesn't know where to start, doesn't know if Naruto would even want him the same way, the way they were before.

Sakura and Kakashi are easy. Kakashi shakes his head and says "welcome back, Sasuke," like it could be an everyday occurrence. Sakura tears up a little when she sees him but then looks to Naruto for some kind of reaction and Sasuke thinks she knows, now. Naruto must have told her.

The blond doesn't give a reaction, at least not one that's at all telling about his feelings.

"So you finally decided to come back, asshole?"

"Hn."

He laughs and throws his head back and that's when Sasuke sees it. The dark orange tattoo that curls along the bottom of his neck and disappears into his shirt.

He's wrong; the worst thing about being back in Konoha is Naruto's new tattoos.

They're infuriating, from the small pink flower on his wrist to the mysterious design on his neck. They're new and taunting and Sasuke can barely stand to look at Naruto and wonder what's hidden beneath his shirt. It's been so long since he's seen Naruto's skin, since he's felt it shudder beneath his fingers. He didn't realize until he saw him again how much he'd missed it and how badly he wanted it again.

But he doesn't know what to do, because Naruto doesn't act like he wants to get back together. Sure, they flirt. They hang out. They go eat and fight and all the things they did before and have always done. But Naruto never crosses that line, never lets Sasuke get in close enough to make his intentions clear.

And as much as Sasuke wants to see the ink beneath Naruto's shirt, he wants to know the sadness in Naruto's eyes, too. He wants to bridge the gap he made between them, to pass the years they were apart and learn about the girl on Naruto's arm and about the guy named Sai that Sakura mentions sometimes and then looks regretful she ever said anything. He wants to know if Naruto still makes the same sounds when you bite his ears and suck marks into his tanned skin.

He wants to know if Naruto forgives him.

There's a bare patch of skin near his pelvic bone and it strikes him suddenly on a day he sees Naruto. He wants another tattoo. He wants something that represents Naruto. The design isn't even a question.

He has so many tattoos that were obligatory, chosen for him, gotten out of duty and for other's sakes more than his own. For once he wants a tattoo just because he wants it, because he has the freedom to get something inked on his skin that makes him remember the good things instead of the bad.

He goes back to Land of Waves because he knows it and because it seems like the thing to do for this tattoo. Haku is surprised to see him, it's clear on his face. It has been years, Sasuke will admit. And yet the feminine artist remembers him and, based on the glint in his eyes when Sasuke tells him the design, he remembers Naruto too.

The tattoo hurts the same as the others, but it's small and quick and Sasuke has this energy under his skin like he's never had with a tattoo before. An excitement at the idea of Naruto having a place on him, at the idea of possibly showing Naruto someday. Someday when he finally lets go of his pride enough to admit how much he really loves the blond—how much he probably always will.

He traces a finger over the healed leaf and hopes Naruto will like it.

Ten: Moon

"God, I don't understand how you guys stay together," Sakura exclaims, tired of listening to Sasuke and Naruto bicker like an old married couple every time they went out together. "You're so different! You're like the sun and the moon!"

They lock eyes and Naruto grins, raising his hand to stare at the back of it thoughtfully.

"I always liked the idea of a hand tattoo."

Sasuke raises his hand and takes Naruto's, entwining their fingers and smirking to match Naruto's toothy smile.

"That could work."

End.