Hoorah! A SasuNaru fic!
Title: “Aniron”
Author: Shaitanah
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sasuke just wants to have a piece of home with him. Sasuke/Naruto. Please R&R!
Disclaimer: belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and whoever else that is not me…
A/N: ‘Aniron’ comes from a song by Enya (Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring OST) and means “I Desire”.
ANIRON
Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet?
We sit here stranded, though we're all doin' our best to deny it.
Bob Dylan. ‘Visions Of Johanna’
Sasuke entered the village at dusk to avoid unnecessary fluster. The watchmen were drowsy and paid no attention to the tall figure clad in dark traveling cloak. A cracked forehead protector with the Leaf symbol was tied around the man’s forearm; perhaps for them that was enough proof.
Sasuke snorted noncommittally. The sky above him gleamed faintly with the light of newborn stars. Who knew the sky was so beautiful in this part of the country, so beautiful, so sweetly familiar?
Sasuke’s cloak rustled softly as he walked. Silvery starlight poured down on the great Hokage mountain. The youth smiled as he counted five heads instead of four protruding from the rock. He walked past deserted training grounds, half-expecting to find Lee practicing his taijutsu, past quiet houses where Shikamaru could be lying on the rooftop stargazing. He could see the light in the Hokage’s windows and a single torch swinging over the entrance of the Yamanaka flower-shop. Sasuke brushed his fingers against the cool forehead protector on his forearm. Was that what peace should taste like?
Grunting, panting and swearing, someone was training at one of the grounds. Sasuke halted, amused, and had to bite his lip to contain a small gasp of surprise. Him. It was him. His sunshine yellow hair, black sweat-drenched t-shirt and orange sleeveless garment. He was good now, very good at everything he attempted to perform. He fell back with a sigh of exhaustion and breathed heavily. He must have been out here for hours. Sasuke chuckled.
“Hey, moron.”
Slowly, very slowly Naruto crawled back on his feet and turned round. His eyes just a little wider, he staggered towards Sasuke, his lips forming words but making no sound. Sasuke tensed. Naruto seemed to about to punch him hard in the face. Instead, he ran his hands over Sasuke’s shoulders, and gripped the fabric of his cloak firmly, and sank on his knees, and pulled Sasuke along with him. They lost their balance and Naruto ended up trapped beneath Sasuke and whispered hoarsely:
“You…” And then: “It’s you…”
Sasuke pressed his forehead against Naruto’s and looked into his huge blue eyes.
“Me.”
Naruto’s hand shot upwards. He swept it over Sasuke’s back, traced his fingers along his cheek, tangled them in Sasuke’s hair, pulled and nuzzled Sasuke’s face, and gasped out the name probably a thousand times in a row, “Sasuke… Sasuke… Sasuke…”
And Sasuke closed his eyes and kissed him. Kissed him. Smeared the kiss over his lips. Breathed his scent in: hot, pungent, irritatingly familiar. He could feel his mind imploding with the feel of him in his arms, after all these years, still so willing, so enthusiastic.
Somewhere in the middle of it Naruto became aware of what was happening. He tried to pull away which was fairly impossible with his head pressed against the ground. He gave up and gave in with a small moan.
They broke apart to get some air; Sasuke lay panting on top of Naruto and never wanted to move. He didn’t want to explain anything or to change anything.
“You came back!”
Sasuke buried his face at the bend of Naruto’s neck. How many years passed? Three? Almost four? With a deep, almost painful inhale Sasuke pulled away and sat on the ground next to Naruto.
“No.”
He looked away because he didn’t want to see Naruto’s eyes as he put out the small fire of restored hope.
“What? Why!?”
“I only came to visit the grave of my clanmates. I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“But… w-what…” Naruto sat up and clutched at his shoulder. Obviously he wanted to say something but as his gaze flicked over the headband with the crossed symbol of the Hidden Leaf he changed his mind. “But then this means… that he is-.”
“Dead,” Sasuke cut him off. “Not by my hand, though.” Naruto’s grip tightened if only a little. “It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
“I’m-,” Naruto murmured and drowned the rest of the sentence down by pressing his mouth to Sasuke’s shoulder.
What? Sorry? Sorry about what? That Sasuke had no brother - no one - anymore? Or that he’d failed to do it himself. Or that he would leave again…
Sasuke rose. Naruto fell on the ground clumsily.
“Idiot,” Sasuke said softly. He felt like smiling. The blond grinned and stood beside him. They walked through the sleeping village towards the abandoned Uchiha Compound.
“Eh, Sakura-chan will be so happy to see you,” Naruto ventured quietly. “Kakashi’s recently got back from the mission, lucky strike that is. And the others-.”
“Naruto… Don’t tell them, okay?”
Naruto stumbled for words and breathed out a small indignant, “Why?”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone again.” Sasuke raised his head, and his eyes flashed dark crimson. Naruto frowned. Before he did anything stupid Sasuke stepped away from him and said coolly: “Don’t start. We both know you’re tired of playing tag. I’m leaving at dawn. Naruto,” he squinted resolutely, “the only way you can stop me is to join me.”
He left the gaping youth in the street and rushed away into the dark haunted place by the Nakano river. He caught his breath stopping in front of an obsidian pillar that bore the names of his forefathers. His forearm felt suddenly light as he removed the headband and placed it on top of the pillar. His name would never be next to the rest of the Uchiha. And neither would Sasuke’s.
He wanted to stay. To lose himself in half-familiar tastes and scents and sounds. To bury his face in the rough folds of Naruto’s clothes once more.
Sasuke clenched his fists.
“You never knew how you really broke me,” he whispered gently.
He hated Naruto. Before Naruto drummed it into his clueless head that he was his friend, his brother, Sasuke was all fierce determination, and anger, and pain. He had cut off all the bonds, but one thread had turned into a thick rope and wrapped tight around his neck, pulling him back. Sasuke smiled sadly and headed to his old room. He trusted Naruto to be wiser this time and leave him be.
* * *
At the break of dawn when the sky was baby blue tinged with pink - a stark contrast to the heavy dark evening of six years ago - Sasuke left Konoha. No one had come to see him off - or to stop him. He hadn’t been wrong to trust Naruto, and suddenly it made him sad. Things changed, after all. Even the most predictable ones.
He lingered at the gate, not really knowing what for. Everything was quiet. The guard drowsed in his cabin and failed to notice Uchiha. Sasuke’s lips curved into a melancholic smile.
“So you’ve finally grown up,” he whispered and walked on into the soft rustling forest.
Fifteen minutes later someone landed gracefully beside him. Sasuke never expected him to come. They kept quiet for some time and the he said:
“What about your dream of becoming Hokage?”
“It’s nothing really,” Naruto grinned. “Granny Tsunade will do fine for some five years more. And then we’ll come back together, right? I’ll be Hokage and you’ll be my slave.”
He jumped at Sasuke and locked his arm around Sasuke’s shoulder. It felt odd, a smile from before, so innocent and cheerful and very Naruto-like. Sasuke gritted his teeth and muttered in a low voice, “Don’t touch me,” and went on as Naruto laughed joyfully behind him.
Later on, during the halt he asked timidly, “Why?”
“Because I want a piece of home with me this time,” Sasuke said and added quietly pretty sure Naruto didn’t hear: “Because I want you.”
Naruto did hear.
September - December 22, 2007