I felt that this story had enough to stand on its own as a one-shot outside of my collection, Porcelain. This is much longer than my usual but I think it's one of my better works.
The story was inspired by the song "Drops of Jupiter" by Train.
Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong, in any way to the writer of this fanfiction. This fiction is written for non-profit reasons.
The lot was overgrown and the tall weeds nearly obscured the old house from view. The wood of the house was rotting, the white and black paint struggling to cover the weather beaten planks. The porch sagged into the tall grass, dirt and dust covering the once spotless glass doors. The immaculate gardens and grounds of the past were gone. What remained were potholes and rabbit holes and dirt and weeds choking the last of the perennial plants. The once proud Uchiha manor was in disrepair, not even a shadow of its past grandeur.
Sasuke parked his car in the driveway and stepped out, taking care not to trip against any of the wide cracks littering the front walk. He walked around the front to stand among the weeds. The once proudly emblazoned bronze Uchiha crest on the front door decorating the knocker, now tilted and ambiguous against the dark wood was the only intact remnant of his childhood past.
A wave of nostalgia suddenly engulfed him as he stared up at his old home. Memories of running in the grass, picnicking in the hills, rolling in the snow, sleeping in the autumn leaves, playing on the beach behind the estate, and memories of him flooded his senses. He nearly choked on the remnants of the past that that held him in their vice-like grip.
Most poignant were the memories of summer days spent with him. The weight of the emotions they came with nearly crippled him as he remembered.
He – Naruto Uzumaki was a ward of the Uchihas. Naruto's mother had died at childbirth, and then his father died when he was five. As his godparents, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha did what they had pledged to his parents and took him in as one of their own after the premature death of Minato Uzumaki.
At first, Sasuke had been fiercely jealous of this golden boy when his parents brought him home. They were the same age but it seemed that while Naruto was a child of the day and glowed like the very rays of the giant ball of fire in the sky, Sasuke paled in comparison with the silent dark beauty of the moon, a mere reflection of the sun. That was, until the child opened his mouth to speak.
At once, Sasuke was taken aback by his new companion's loudness and lack of fear.
"Hello!" Naruto cried as he thrust out his hand, a bright smile on his face. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm going to be the greatest superhero there ever was when I grow up! Dattebayo!"
"We'll leave you two to get to know each other and play," Mikoto Uchiha said as she smiled and left, closing the nursery door behind her as she went.
It seemed to Sasuke that this child only spoke in exclamations and in high volumes. But even he was impressed by the fact that sadness did not seem to be able to touch this boy. After all, even he, the ever stoic youngest Uchiha had cried for two days (in secret, of course) when his gerbil died last year. He could not imagine ever losing his parents and still be able to retain the will to smile, much less be happy. He shuddered inwardly as he looked quizzically at the hand before shaking it, feeling strangely grown up.
"Dobe," Sasuke replied. "I can hear you. You're only two feet away, you know. You don't have to scream. Your loud voice hurts my ears."
Immediately, the bright smile was gone and was replaced with a scowl. Sasuke almost regretted making that beautiful grin disappear and felt a strange pang of sadness at the fact that he had been the one to make Naruto frown.
"I'm not a dobe, teme," Naruto retorted.
All thoughts of regret vanished from Sasuke's mind as he glared back. The kid had just called him teme! No one called Sasuke Uchiha names.
He glared back, dark onyx eyes narrowing into slits but before he could pummel the other boy into the ground he felt a hand at his shoulder and looked up. He hadn't heard the door opening. His older brother, Itachi gripped his shoulder calmly but his dark eyes held a silent warning to the younger Uchiha.
"I see that you've met Naruto, Little Brother," Itachi stated calmly. "I think you will find that Mother and Father will be most displeased if you were to get into a fight with our new 'sibling,' if you will, so soon," he whispered harshly into Sasuke's ear. He straightened and flashed a charming Uchiha smile at Naruto.
"We are very pleased to have you here, Naruto. I'm sure Sasuke is as well and I am just as sure that you two will get along wonderfully." The hand on Sasuke's shoulder tightened as though to tell him that otherwise would not be an option.
Naruto's angry frown disappeared and he grinned again, his smile as bright as ever. "Hi! You're Itachi, right? Fugaku-san told me about you! He said you were very smart." Blue eyes widened in admiration as he looked up at the older Uchiha brother.
Itachi smiled graciously. "Father speaks too highly of me. Now I must be off to study. Play nice!" He too turned and left the playroom, shutting the door behind him.
"Itachi is so grown up already!" Naruto breathed.
Sasuke couldn't help the scowl that crossed his face. "He's only ten, dobe. He's not that grown up."
Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "More grown up than you, teme."
He giggled at Sasuke's glare and then sighed. "Hey, I think we got off on the wrong foot here, teme." He didn't notice the tic in Sasuke's left brow as he called him that hated nickname again but he rushed on before the little raven could interject. "I think we should start over! Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be the greatest superhero that ever lived when I grow up!" He thrust out his hand again with another wide smile that would outshine the sun itself.
Sasuke felt a small smile lifting the corners of his lips. "I'm Sasuke. I guess we're going to be brothers from now on, ne? Even so, I still think you're a dobe."
"Teme!"
Sasuke walked through the old house with the rotting floorboards creaking beneath him and felt like a ghost. A hundred Sasukes drifted past as he walked by the cracked mirror hanging in the front hall. He couldn't help the sadness that took over his body as he walked down the many halls and corridors of the Uchiha manor.
His boots made loud clunks as he walked past the old paintings of ancestors staring grimly down at him. He made his way to the kitchen and sat at the old rickety table, held up by four spindly legs, cobwebs, and sheer will, not unlike the Uchihas themselves.
Sasuke's gaze drifted over the dusty floor, the rusty stove, and the broken backdoor, unseeing as he lost himself in memories long past once more.
They had breakfast in the kitchen every morning. Mikoto made sure of it. Even if someone woke up late and would have to rush to school, she still made sure that they had warm food in their belly before heading off into a long day of work. She ingrained upon the boys' brains that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and made sure they had a hot, fresh breakfast every day.
One day, as Sasuke sat down before his plate piled high with bacon and eggs and pancakes, he suddenly realized that Naruto hadn't greeted him with a bright "good morning!" as he usually did. He looked across the table to see Naruto picking glumly at his food and kicked him lightly under the table.
"Hey, usuratonkachi," he hissed across breakfast. He became concerned when Naruto didn't rise up to the bait of the nickname. "Hey! Naruto! What's wrong?"
Naruto looked up and Sasuke felt his own heart clench with the sadness written across his best friend's face. He had rarely seen Naruto sad before and certainly never as sad as this. He couldn't imagine what might possibly be so wrong that it would make his Naruto so upset.
His thoughts suddenly ground to a halt. He had just called Naruto his Naruto. Sasuke shook off the thought and turned his attention back to Naruto as he started to speak.
"Nothing's wrong, teme," Naruto replied with false brightness. The smile didn't quite reach his overly bright eyes. "Why would you ask that? Everything's wonderful!"
"Okay, now I know you're lying, dobe," Sasuke replied glaring. "Come on, tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing," he stubbornly replied.
Sasuke didn't find out what exactly the problem was until much later in the day. It was a Saturday so the boys didn't have school. They spent most of their Saturdays playing outside when the weather was nice and the bright, warm October day was perfect for running in the tall corn fields and sleeping in the big piles of red, yellow, and orange leaves raked up by the servants.
After breakfast, Naruto practically dragged Sasuke out into the yard and immediately flopped down under their favorite tree – a cherry tree imported from the Fire Country to remind their parents of their homeland. The branches were almost bare and the ground before the tree was riddled with rotting pink petals but the boys didn't mind. Sasuke sat after him and turned to question Naruto once more about his peculiar mood.
"It's nothing," the blond insisted. "Really!"
"No!" Sasuke all but screamed. "There is something wrong that you're not telling me. What happened? Is it school?"
"No." Naruto paused before he sighed in resignation. "Do you know what day today is?"
"Today is the ninth… oh…." Sasuke halted in mid-sentence. So that was the cause of Naruto's strange sadness.
It was the day before his birthday. Not just any birthday but his tenth birthday, the fifth anniversary of the death of his father and the tenth anniversary of his mother's passing. Normally, Naruto would be cheery on his birthdays. After all, the Uchihas celebrated it with big parties and big cakes and big presents. However, this year was different – two big anniversaries of his parents' deaths weighed enough sorrow on Naruto to drag even the brightest optimist down.
He leaned back against the rough bark of the tree and fell deep into thought; so deep that he almost didn't feel the arms sliding around his shoulders and the hand awkwardly stroking his hair. That was when he felt the warm chest against his cheek and the wet tracks making their crooked paths down his face.
He walked across the kitchen to peer out the lopsided backdoor. Beyond the patio and backyard was the thin line of trees hiding the wonderful oasis he and Naruto knew so well.
He followed the beaten path leading from the back garden and it led his way past the tall oaks and dark maples. He walked, still deep in thought and allowed instinct and memory alone to guide him through the small forest to the beach and sand and water that he remembered so well from his childhood.
The beach always reminded him of Naruto, of his sandy golden hair, of his eyes that were the color of the ocean.
The lake of their private beach was now a brackish, sickly shade of green and covered with algae. The dock that they used to run off of to jump into the once crystalline blue water had long collapsed under the harsh weather and old age. A little sail boat was lying on its side in the sand. The hull had cracked and the red paint had long since been chipped away by the weather and the elements. The sand felt gritty under Sasuke's feet as he walked towards the edge of the water.
He sat down next to the little boat and ran his hand carefully along the upturned side, mindful of splinters. He smiled as memories of days out on the lake assaulted him.
"Naruto! Naruto! Dobe!" Sasuke ran through the house to Naruto's room looking desperately for the blond. He found him on his bed finishing the last of the homework the teachers had piled on their students before they would be let out for the summer. Sasuke, of course, had finished his as soon as he got the packet.
He crashed into the room and all but tackled Naruto in his excitement.
Naruto barely lifted his head from the book he was reading. The assignment was due in the morning, damnit! "What, teme? What're you so excited about?"
"Come with me!"
Naruto blanched. "No! I can't. I have to finish this crap." He glared up at Sasuke but before he would even raise his head completely, he noticed the look on his friend's face.
"Jeez, Sasuke, what the hell is up with you today? Wait… why are you so… happy? I rarely see you happy."
Sasuke simply smiled back with none of the malice with which the action usually accompanied. "You'll just have to see, dobe. Come on! It'll only take a second."
Naruto sighed and dropped the book. "Fine," he grumbled but he found himself smiling. Whenever the raven was happy, the mood was contagious.
Besides, he needed some distraction from homework anyways. The very thought of Naruto Uzumaki doing homework was preposterous in itself. The fact cannot get out to the public – after all, he had a reputation to uphold. He might have to kill Sasuke then…. But when he turned back to look at the raven, he couldn't help but smile again. He had never seen Sasuke so excited. Not since the first test they took in first grade and Sasuke had, of course, gotten full marks while Naruto barely passed. Vocabulary was just not his forte, the blond had reasoned to himself.
He hadn't been paying attention as he followed Sasuke out of the house and was mildly surprised when they started down the neat little dirt path leading into the woods.
"Yo, teme! Where are we going?" Naruto asked. "You said it would only take a second! Going through the woods is hardly going to take a second!"
"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke replied gently. "Just wait and see."
Naruto pouted at Sasuke's back but continued to follow him.
They walked past the tall trees as twigs and branches crunched beneath their sneakered feet. Naruto looked up and saw the beginnings of sunset approaching. It would be dark soon and almost dinner time. Mikoto would not be happy if they were late to dinner. She had always considered meals to be sacred times to be spent with family.
Sasuke led the way out of the woods to the lake. The water was still blue with a tinge of yellow beginning to creep in as the sun sank lower and lower into the horizon. There, at the edge of the water tied to the little wooden dock was something red. Naruto squinted to get a better view before he turned excitedly to Sasuke.
"Oh my god, teme! Is that what I think it is?" he asked.
Sasuke grinned and nodded. "It's a sail boat. Father got it for us as our graduation present. We are going to high school next year so he deemed us old enough and responsible enough to finally have a boat."
Naruto barely let him finish before running off to the little red boat. His eyes were wide with awe and excitement as he circled it, his hand running along the length of the hull as though he could not believe it was real. He had wanted to learn how to sail as soon as Sasuke had shown him the lake on the Uchiha estate so many years ago.
"Teme," he breathed. "Let's try it out!"
Sasuke raised a single eyebrow. "Now? It's almost dark, usuratonkachi. I don't want to be lost out in the middle of the lake when night falls. We'll never be able to find our way back."
Naruto pouted. "Fine, you stay here then! I'll go try it out on my own."
"Hell no!" Sasuke immediately replied. "I'll go with you. There's no way you're going to get to try out the boat for the first time all by yourself."
The blond grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, teme."
As they sailed into the lake, the sun set the lake afire in orange and yellow and red. By the time the reached the middle of the small body of water, they realized they had to turn back in order to make it home in time for dinner and before darkness fell. The bright oranges, pinks, reds, and purples of the reflections in the water dazzled them for a moment as they sailed across the sun.
"Hey, teme," Naruto murmured quietly as though any loud voices would break the wonderful feeling of oncoming summer and the calm water. He felt languid and completely at peace and he wished the moment would never end. He just wanted to stay there forever in the middle of the ocean of fire with Sasuke in their little red sail boat and never have to deal with the realities and grown up aspects of life.
"Hn?" Sasuke replied. He too felt the hushed, magical tableau of the lake.
"What'd you think we should name the boat?"
Sasuke didn't hesitate to answer, "Jupiter."
Naruto looked around, at the golden water and the blood red sky and how the reflections set their boat aglow in shades of the sunset as though the wood was made of drops of Jupiter. For once, he found that he could not argue with his rival, best friend, and brother. "The name's perfect."
Sasuke didn't realize he was crying until the wet tracks on his cheeks snapped him out of his memories. As he looked out across the same ocean of fire that he and Naruto had once been so happy in, he felt the tug of more memories he tried so hard to hold at bay. He relinquished that hold and allowed the old demons, the old dried out flowers in the attic of his mind to flourish and reign over his consciousness once more.
He turned back to the creeping darkness of the landscape before him, not noticing the shooting star above, and not noticing the tears that continued to course down his face.
To celebrate Sasuke's sixteenth birthday, Sasuke and Naruto had decided to invite their friends over to the beach by the lake for a bonfire. Mikoto and Fugaku had reluctantly relented to allowing them to do it without their supervision and as a sign of trust to their sons, the couple took a weekend trip to the Mist Village. Itachi was still in college taking summer courses so Sasuke and Naruto had the house completely to themselves, with the exception of the few servants who lived on the estate. They planned the bonfire with much excitement and invited all of their closest friends.
The flames of the huge fire licked at the vestiges of the horizon and lit up the dark star speckled night when their friends began to arrive. Sasuke and Naruto were seated in front of the fire on the sand, each with a stick of marshmallows held towards the flames. Naruto had fifteen stuck to his many-pronged branch and Sasuke rolled his eyes but smiled in good humor at his best friend.
"Yo!" they heard and turned to see several of their good friends, Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi, and Shino Aburame walking through the last of the trees bordering the beach. Kiba dropped several six-packs onto the sand next to them.
"Beer," Kiba said with a sly grin at Sasuke's raised brow.
Naruto gave an exclamation of excitement and dived for a can. Kiba laughed and grabbed a beer for himself before offering one to Sasuke who declined. Chouji dropped a dozen bags of chips and cookies next to Shikamaru before sitting down in front of the fire to roast marshmallows with Naruto and Sasuke.
"You forgot to get clams, didn't you?" Shikamaru asked Naruto. At his stricken, remorseful expression, Shikamaru immediately knew the answer and muttered, "How troublesome," before he smirked and pulled out a sack filled with mussels and clams and threw them at Naruto.
Kiba roared with laughter when the burlap hit Naruto, who nearly doubled over with the sheer weight of it. The blond immediately dropped the bag and tackled Kiba and they were still rolling and mock wrestling in the sand, leaving Chouji to bury the clams under the fire when more of their friends arrived.
Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka immediately attached themselves to Sasuke's side, much to his chagrin. Hinata and Neji Hyuuga settled themselves quietly in the sand next to Shikamaru before Kiba came over and dragged his girlfriend away, much to her overprotective cousin's annoyance. Neji however was soon distracted by his own girlfriend, Tenten who had just arrived with her best friend Rock Lee and the Sabaku siblings: Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari.
Each had brought their own offering for the party as well as gifts for Sasuke. Rock Lee also gave him a bone-crushing hug with a long speech proclaiming of Sasuke's many accomplishments and his "youthful vigor," as well as many other synonyms of the word "youth" and "joy" thrown in simply because he was Lee and was a youthful joyous person.
Kankuro had also brought beer, and between him and Kiba, they had enough to intoxicate the entire party but much of the alcohol was downed by the donors themselves.
The night progressed with much noise and food and play. Sasuke had long since grown tired of the party by the time rain began to fall at midnight. He was annoyed with Sakura and Ino who were both continuously professing their undying love for him and neither had detached herself from him since they had arrived. He shot Naruto a helpless look, who smiled back and finally decided to rescue him.
"Guys!" Naruto had to shout to be heard over all the noise their friends were making. "It's raining!"
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Naruto," Kiba called from the dock.
Naruto grinned and flashed him a rude sign before continuing. "It's really late too so I think we should just pack this party up. Our ickle birthday boy is tired," he added with an exaggerated pout. He ignored Sasuke's scowl and started everyone on the cleanup.
By the time everyone got into their cars and started on the way home (Shikamaru made sure Kiba did not get behind the wheel and Gaara all but shoved Kankuro from the driver's seat), it was well after midnight. Naruto and Sasuke finished picking up the garbage from the sand and headed back to the house, exhausted and drenched from the steadily falling rain.
Sasuke crawled into bed that night with a contented, happy sigh and was almost asleep when he heard the door to his room open. It was Naruto. He glanced out the window and saw the streaks of lightning through the large bay windows and knew why Naruto was there.
When they were younger, whenever it stormed, Naruto would crawl into bed with him. The blond absolutely hated thunder and lightning. Sasuke knew he was afraid of the loud noises and blinding flashes of light even though Naruto would rather die than admit that to him.
"Hey, teme," Naruto whispered.
"No, I don't mind, dobe," Sasuke replied before the blond could ask.
He smiled gratefully and crawled under the covers with the raven. "Thanks."
Sasuke almost fell back into slumber when he felt an odd sensation. His eyes flew open and the first thing he saw was a set of bright blue eyes staring with an almost dazed expression back at him. That was when Sasuke realized he felt lips on his own, feather light and soft and they were gone within the second, leaving him to wonder if he had simply dreamed them up. And that was when he realized those lips belonged to Naruto who had hurriedly snatched his head back and turned away.
"Naruto?" he murmured, still in shock.
Naruto mumbled incoherently into the blankets and would not look at Sasuke until the raven grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn. He was taken aback when he realized Naruto's eyes were filled with anger and shame.
"I just wanted to know what it felt like," Naruto mumbled without looking at him.
"What, what felt like?"
"You. Y-y-your lips. How it would've felt like to kiss you."
"Usuratonkachi."
Naruto pouted. "Te—" He was cut off when he felt lips on his own. His eyes widened for a moment before he kissed back and lifted his hands from under his blanket to fist into Sasuke's dark hair. He kissed back feverishly as though he could not believe it was real, as though he could not believe that Sasuke was actually kissing him back.
He didn't realize he was walking until he found himself back in the house and upstairs in the room he used to sleep in. The big bed was still covered with the same comforter he'd had since he was a child, albeit it was now also covered in dust.
Sasuke wandered around the room, his hand ghosting over the shelves of books he kept. He walked past the closet, which still contained some of the board games he used to play as a child. He walked past the dresser, not even bothering to glance through the contents.
He finally paused at the desk where he used to sit at for hours at a time, reading and doing homework. The desk where he used to place Naruto on before he kissed him passionately and took him there against the sharp edge of the dark mahogany, without bothering to move the few extra steps to the bed behind them.
The parents were away on a business trip together to the Sand Country and had left the house to Sasuke and Naruto for the entire summer prior to when they would leave for college together. Itachi was still in university finishing his advanced degree over the summer and he would join the family business by fall. Fugaku was all too proud.
Sasuke and Naruto spent the summer outdoors like they used to when they were children. They would sit for hours under their favorite cherry tree and the fading pink blossoms would rain petals on them, covering their clothes with pink frost. They would steal kisses under the tree until Sasuke got impatient and would press Naruto – his Naruto against the rough bark and take him then and there with the grass and butterflies and wilderness as their witnesses.
They would go down to the beach and make love on the warm sand. Naruto often complained that his back would be red and chafed by the time Sasuke was done and that it would hurt along with his ass. Sasuke smirked and pulled him down again, their kisses just as passionate as the first time but this time around, Sasuke hoisted Naruto up to straddle him while he laid back in the sand.
Sasuke thought it was the most erotic vision in the world to see his lover riding him to orgasm with the sun setting the sky on fire behind them in the lake.
They would go back to the manor and lounge in the den that had once been their nursery. They would flip through the endless cable channels or go through the extensive collection of movies until they got bored and returned to kissing and soft caresses and passionate love making on the plush carpet.
At night, they would go back to Sasuke's room and the heated kisses would start even before the door closed. Sasuke would press Naruto against the door as they kissed. Naruto always complied with Sasuke's tongue and would open his mouth to accept it whenever Sasuke pressed it against his lips. His hands would be fisted in the raven's dark hair and Sasuke would pin him to the door with hands, chest, and hips.
They would grind against each other as though in competition to coerce the most erotic moans and sounds from the other. Sasuke's hands would wander, first down Naruto's chest, then sides and the blond would be too breathless to do much but melt under his touch.
Clothes would suddenly disappear off of bodies and onto the floor and they would find themselves naked and pressed urgently against each other. The feel of their erections against one another would elicit pleasured, heated moans even though they barely touched.
Sasuke would then lift Naruto and Naruto would wrap his legs firmly around Sasuke's slim waist. Sasuke always used the door to balance the blond's weight and his hands would travel from his hips to the inside of his thighs to caress the sensitive skin there. A finger would disappear into Naruto's entrance, and then another, and finally a third. Just before that spot could be simulated enough for Naruto to see stars, Sasuke would remove his fingers and press his pre-cum slicked erection against his entrance.
Eyes locked, he would push in through the tight ring, the erotic gasps from Naruto driving him further and further into bliss. With the door jamb for support, he would pound into his lover's body, their pants and moans in sync and inseparable from one another. When Naruto gasped and urged him to hit that spot harder, faster, Sasuke was only too happy to comply.
Naruto would come when Sasuke removed a hand from his hip to stroke his neglected erection instead and the raven would not last much longer when that delightfully hot and tight ring of muscle clenched around him.
They would stumble to the bed and Sasuke would fall into the soft covers first, with Naruto falling on top of him. They would kiss again and the heated caresses would lead to more and more. Naruto would straddle him and both would find that they were hard again.
Despite their exhaustion, passion would always take over and Naruto would lower himself onto Sasuke, head tossed back and his pink lips a perfect O when his lover's erection slid into his tight body. Sasuke would almost come right then because he loved the sight of Naruto above him, riding his cock, his face forming the most beautiful expressions of pure bliss and ecstasy.
They would come together and Sasuke would find himself drifting, falling precariously in love as they fell together into deep slumber.
Mornings always brought kisses and soft touches that would turn into a quick round of sex before a quick shower and a new day filled with summer breezes, grass, blue skies, and love.
Sasuke hadn't realized he had fallen asleep sometime during the night until he woke up on his old bed the next morning. The covers were still dusty and he felt his allergies itching in the back of his sinuses. He sat up, the large bed feeling too vividly empty and cold.
He raked a hand quickly through his dark hair to make some effort at tidying his usually immaculate style before he got up and stretched. The sun shone brightly outside the large windows and Sasuke could see the cherry tree in bloom on the familiar hill in the east. Beyond that, he also saw the family plot, not too far from his beloved pink blossoms.
He would have to visit the cemetery today to pay respect to his ancestors. He hadn't done that in a while. He had always dreaded the visits. They broke his heart every time and when he reached that particular plot, he would always crumple to the ground, defeated and exhausted with life.
Sasuke smoothed the wrinkles on his shirt and pants before heading out the backdoor. The sun felt too bright and too warm against his face. The tall overgrown grass felt too green and tickled the side of his legs despite the thick denim of his jeans. The birds that flew overhead seemed to call mockingly at him. The butterflies circling the dandelions were too brightly colored, too cheerful, and they reminded him too much of death.
As he walked past the pink sakura tree, Sasuke had to stop for a moment to catch his breath and to keep his emotions under control. It would not do for him to break down. When he finally felt as though the mask he placed over his sentiments to hold them at bay was strong enough not to crack under the strain of his memories, Sasuke snapped off a branch heavy with blossoms and held it close to his heart as he continued his dreaded walk to the cemetery just beyond.
"NO!" Sasuke screamed, his eyes burning with rage and fear and helplessness. "You can't! You're going to die if you go!"
Naruto couldn't help flinching at the harsh tone of his lover's voice.
They were sitting beneath the cherry tree as they had always done. It was still in full bloom, despite the lateness of the season and the heat of summer. Pink petals rained upon the lovers continuously as they sat in the plush grass spread across the roots of the tree.
They should have been enjoying the summer before going back to university to finish their last year of school before they would graduate. It was supposed to be a happy time and Sasuke was happy until Naruto told him the news of what he was about to do.
Naruto shook his head sadly and took his lover's face in his hands. He placed a soft kiss on Sasuke's lips and the raven quieted but the wild, jaded look in his eyes was still there and no number of kisses would be able to siphon it away. Naruto buried his head against his chest and sighed, feeling close to tears as he tried to get his lover to understand.
"Sasuke, love," he began, his blue eyes wide and pleading. "I really want to do this. I have to do this. Please, please, please understand. Even Itachi and Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san understand."
"No!" Sasuke shouted again. "How can I possibly understand that you wanted to join the army and go off to war and die?! How can you possibly ask me to understand something like that! Why the fuck would you even contemplate something like that?!"
"Baby," Naruto sighed, "I won't die. I'll come home. I promise. And I always keep my promises. I won't die – because I have you to come back to. But I have to do this. How can I not fight for my country when it's in need? I had aspired to be the world's greatest superhero, remember?" He smiled softly, remembering the first time he met Sasuke and when he told him of his dreams. He had been a child then but Naruto had meant every word he said.
"So please don't be like this. Please understand. I'll make all of us proud." He pouted and tightened his hold around Sasuke's tense middle.
Sasuke was silent for a long minute before he sighed in defeat and wrapped his arms around Naruto. "No, I still can't understand and don't ask me to. I would never understand, dobe, but I can't and I won't stop you from doing something you want so much. But you have to promise to come home to me."
"I already have, teme."
Naruto came home two long years later but not in the state Sasuke would've preferred. They had written to each other continuously while Naruto was fighting for the Fire Country in Sound until a few weeks prior when Naruto's replies were halted abruptly. No matter how many letters Sasuke sent, he received no reply which caused the raven to panic to no end.
When Shikamaru Nara, Naruto's comrade who had gone off to war with him called upon the Uchiha manor, Sasuke opened the door, feeling as though he was drenched in a bucket of ice cold water at the sight of the visitor.
In Shikamaru's hands were Naruto's Fire Country headband, his dog tags, a Fire Country flag, and the silver necklace adorned with a fire-red pearl Sasuke had given him before his leave. Naruto had exclaimed that it looked like a drop of Jupiter.
Sasuke stared unseeing at the items in Shikamaru's arms and felt his knees buckle. He slammed a fist against the porch railing which cracked under the blow but Shikamaru did not flinch. Instead, he placed a bracing arm on Sasuke's shoulder and led him back into the house, calm and silent as he had always been even though his face was rendered in the same sorrow was Sasuke's.
Sasuke collapsed on the couch in the parlor and covered his face with his hands. He felt a vice in his chest and found that he was struggling for breath. Shikamaru immediately pushed Sasuke's head between his knees when he saw the raven hyperventilating.
"Breathe, Sasuke, just breathe," he said gently.
When Sasuke raised his head again, he was gasping and felt a warm wetness on his cheeks. He hurriedly swiped at the tears and was grateful when Shikamaru chose not comment.
"He had promised," Sasuke whispered, his voice broken and filled with unfathomable sorrow. He slammed his fist against his thighs, much like a child in tantrum and his blunt nails dug bloody half moons into his tightly clenched palm. "Naruto had promised to come home. He had promised goddamnit. He never breaks his promises. Why the fuck did he break the one most important to me?"
Even Shikamaru Nara's ever-calculating genius could not formulate a reply.
He knelt by the two newest graves sitting side by side to pay his respect to his parents. Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha had died two years ago in a car accident. He prayed for them and spoke softly to the twin headstones, telling them of his life now. Eventually, when he could no longer delay the inevitable, Sasuke stood and dusted the dirt from his jeans and walked to the far end of the family plot.
His hand shook as he reached out to touch the tombstone before him. Tears blurred his vision but he blinked them away. Every time he saw the grave, he felt the grief again, as fresh as it had been that day when Shikamaru paid the fateful visit to Uchiha manor, as fresh as the day of the gloomy grey memorial service, as fresh as the day Sasuke could stand it no longer and moved away from his childhood home. Ten years and an eternity had still not been enough to cure his sorrow.
Sasuke quickly blinked away the tears and forced a shaky smile. He gently placed the cherry branch against the headstone and sat back in the grass. He traced his fingers lightly over the engravings in the stone as he started to speak.
"Hey, dobe," he began, his smile quavering. "It's been ten years, hasn't it? How's heaven? Look, baby, I'm sorry I haven't visited in so long…. It's just so goddamn painful to visit you like this… to visit you but not to be able to hold you, kiss you, touch you." His voice broke and he could no longer hold back the flood of tears.
"God, dobe," Sasuke continued in a shaky whisper. "God, I still love you so much. I promise I'll see you again. Maybe not as soon as we would both like but I think you would forgive me for that. I've made a life of my own now, as I know you would've wanted me to. I married Sakura a few years ago… she had always been there for me in the toughest of times and I'm sure you would've approved.
"Did you know that she's actually a natural blonde?" he asked, smiling slightly. "Yeah, that pink hair? It's all hair dye. I knew no one could've had hair that shade but you kept insisting, usuratonkachi." He realized the words were flowing easier and the sorrow no longer left him quite as breathless as before.
"She's a great person, you know. Sakura had grown up. She's not the silly girl back in high school anymore. She supported me when I went to war a year after… a-after… you know, when Shikamaru came. After you d-died…. I went; I had to, for you. I had to finish what you had wanted so much. I had to do it for you, dobe," he murmured affectionately, his voice still full of love, full of sadness. He paused to gather his thoughts.
"Hey, dobe, we won. I met General Hatake there. Kakashi was a pervert but he was amazing at what he did and he told me about all the things you did for Fire Country. I'm so proud of you, love… so proud." Sasuke's voice almost cracked and he needed a moment before he was strong enough to continue.
"Itachi took over the business after Mother and Father passed away. They died two years ago in an accident and I still miss them but I'm sure they're up there in heaven with you, keeping you company till I come and meet you again.
"But dobe, for once in years, I finally have something to live for. Sakura gave me a daughter. She's beautiful… you would've loved her. She has the same golden hair as you and hell if I know how, but she's also got your eyes. It's as though she's our child… yours, Sakura's, and mine. She's five now and she grows more and more beautiful every day.
"Do you know what her name is, usuratonkachi? When Sakura and I first saw her, we knew what the perfect name would be. We named her Naruko, for you.
"Dobe, we – I miss you. I miss you so much. I still love you, more than anything, more than the world, more than life, more than ever. And I always will.
"But I have to go now…. I have to get back to my family. I'll see you again in the future and we'll spend eternity together. I promise."
Review please!
Japanese words and terms are in Italics because that's how the English language and its grammar work, kids.