The Eternal Thread

Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto ~ as penned by Boo-mun ~ Please review rp info before interacting.

Sakura feels the feeling of guilt and shame somewhat easing as she hears Naruto’s acceptance of her apologies. After all, there is nothing else she can do except to own up to her mistakes and do things better moving forward.

“ Thank you, Naruto, “ she smiles weakly, finding it hard to meet her teammate’s gaze albeit knowing his sincerity he holds no grudges towards her. It is such a shame to be one of the reasons why the Jinchuuriki suffered in silence this long. He could’ve chosen the path of hatred and vengeance – something he has all rights to after living a life of misery caused by the discrimination of this village, of her. But he didn’t. Instead, choosing to save lives at the expense of his safety, “ I’ll try. Ne, I want you to count on me, alright? I promise. I will work as hard, if not harder than you…if that’s even possible… “

I will heal all your injuries, I will train harder under Tsunade-sama, I will be the best medic nin, I won’t let you die…. – she wants to tell him. But chooses to remain silent and keep the vow planted deep inside her heart.

“ Heh..I did not know you have this side to you, “ she giggles;  teasing Naruto some more after hearing him speaking such words of maturity. But then again, maybe this is the real Naruto; and it is only her ( prior ) bias towards him causing her not to see such things.

“ M-mou, what’s that smile for? “ averting her eyes to the side, seeing his all-familiar smirk going her direction, “ W-well, I don’t really have a concrete plan how to do it.. “

…except fulfilling all the vows ( in my heart ) in the best way I know how.

“ Well, I can grant you three wishes, “ arms crossed in front of her chest, Sakura closes her eyes but the blush on her face a brighter shade of red. It is childish doing it this way. But she knows she has to find a way to ease the heavy air around them, “ ..like a genie. But! Don’t dare think of silly things, mou! “

Naruto grinned when he was offered three wishes. “Hmmm,” he hums pensively. “Three wishes, ne? Like a genie?” Playfully, he adds, “I think I deserve more, but I’ll take what I can get!” He taps his chin in mock thought, although he already knows what he wants to ask for first.

If he’s being honest, he craves the simple things. He wants quality time with his friends, to be closer to them, to be able to rely on them in times of great need and also in times when he’s feeling silly. He wants to fortify his bonds so that even when he’s not the bright, cheerful guy he’s worked so hard to be, they’ll still want him around. For now...

Happiness Meme ~Sharing a Shower~

Dark eyes slid to their corners to regard Sasuke’s shower-mate covertly. The pair had decided they’d shower together. Well, it was more like Sasuke had made a statement about being so exhausted by the little things in life that even something as simple as showering was simply too much, and Tsukiya took that as an invitation to provide unsolicited support. While one rinsed, the other would lather. Then, they’d switch by shuffling around each other back-to-back.

When Tsukiya looked like he might be glancing in Sasuke’s direction, Sasuke quickly averted his gaze and pretended to be deeply interested in the wall as he lathered his body with soap. “Don’t look at me,” Sasuke growled. The way Tsukiya’s head moved in Sasuke’s peripheral vision told Sasuke that Tsukiya wasn’t looking at him, but he certainly was now. The situation made Sasuke scowl.

Could Tsukiya sense how hollow the expression was? After all, Sasuke couldn’t be alone right now. He knew it. Tsukiya must have known it too. How else would they end up bathing together? It was one thing to cook with Sasuke, to lounge with him, to train together, to sleep in his house, all for the sake of not leaving him alone with his pain. It was a whole other thing to shower together, but... as much as he’d pretend, Sasuke wasn’t mad about it. It was... nice... to have that kind of company.

It solidified his sanity. Where he thought he might break before was now fortified by the efforts of someone who deeply cared... maybe too much, even. It was the care he’d needed throughout most of his life though. If he’d had it as child, then maybe he wouldn’t need it now as an adult. Maybe he’d be able to shower alone, but alas... he needs a buddy just to be able to go through the motions of cleaning himself.

Well, it’s not so bad anyway.

Happiness Memes ~Holding Hands~

Naruto paused his animated rambling when Tsukiya took his hand. Blue eyes looked down at where they were now connected, and he physically paused in his gait. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do as his cheeks grew warm. Then, Tsukiya gave a gentle tug, paired with a nod of the head that urged, “C’mon,” or “Let’s keep going,” or something to that effect.

So Naruto started walking again, admitting, “I dunno what I was saying now,” with a chuckle.

Tsukiya smiled warmly, said, “Say anything. I’m glad to listen.”

That comment made Naruto blush even more, and he leaned over and bumped Tsukiya with his shoulder. After a pause, Naruto murmured, “All I can think is that this is really nice.”

Happiness Memes ~Sharing a Milkshake~

Something has, clearly, been lost in translation. Two milkshakes were ordered. One was delivered with two straws. At least they’d wanted the same flavor anyway... Sakura lifted her finger as if to hail the waitress, who seemed to be scurrying away quite quickly, but Sasuke reached out and grabbed that hand to help it set itself back down on the table instead. He could see her cheeks get warm from the touch, and it made him smirk.

“One is fine,” he said decisively. “It’s unhealthy anyway, so this way we’ll better limit our intake,” he said sensibly. “Plus—” He removed his hand from hers to, instead, unwrap the straws. “—we’ll save money.”

It would be too cumbersome to both lean over the table to reach their straws, so he got up and moved to her side of the table instead. She looked stunned, but she accommodated easily as he started to slide in beside her. He poked both straws into the milkshake, and they leaned in at once. He felt his cheek brush against hers, and they both recoiled. Sasuke began to chuckle with a warmth tinging his own cheeks. Then, sheepishly, they both went in again, not minding the way their cheeks brushed this time as they tried their shared treat.

It was fine, indeed. Sharing something like a milkshake was perfect, actually. Being someone who was unlikely to grab her hand or wrap an arm around her for the sake of touching, brushing cheeks this way was actually quite nice for Sasuke. It was just the little touch he needs. It was the intimacy he craved but never knew how to ask for or initiate.

‘From now on,’ he thinks, ‘I’ll only order one shake.’

Mifune couldn’t help but chuckle at his bravado. He sounded like a normal boy alright. “I’m so grateful for your bravery. Hopefully the bear ran all the way back to its den and decided to take a nap for the winter.”

Though turning his head, he considered the possibility. The way the prints were spread out seemed too broad for a bear’s big, stubby paws and individual claws. “Mm. Must have been a southern species that wandered in when the snow melted. If it’s been stuck here since summer…”

He shook his head of the thoughts, and tucked the boy in. “Well. They call me Mifune. You may hear the men call me General, but seeing as you’re not a samurai yet, I don’t think you’ll need to call me by my title. Just Mifune will do.” It was still very late, and the child still needed to rest and warm back up from his stint in the snow. “Now, what may I call you?”

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. “I bet it did!” he said surely, clinging to his lie.

Brows crinkled when Mifune mentioned samurai. What about shinobi? He must have run to another planet entirely! He smoothed the confused crinkle in his brow line though, tried to look like he understood as he nodded his head.

“Okay, Mifune,” he says, repeating the name to nail it in. “I’m...”

It won’t hurt to tell the truth about his name, right? If he was so far that there weren’t even shinobi, then there’s little chance they’ll know where to take him back by his name alone... right?

“Naruto,” he decided to say honestly. “Call me Naruto.”

He knows his name doesn’t sound like a real name anyway, so maybe Mifune will just think it’s an alias and Naruto can largely remain a mystery. Naruto isn’t sure he’s going to want to stay here, but he knows he certainly doesn’t want to go back to Konoha... not with those bullies waiting to chase him out again. He’d be happier in the den with his imaginary bear. For now, it’s best that Mifune think of him as an orphan with nowhere to belong. After all, that’s what he is...

Blue eyes become somber at that thought as they peer up at Mifune before Naruto asks, “Why are you so nice? Were you born that way?”

“Romania.” He hummed as they walked. He was rather proud of his heritage and culture. Even more so who he shared a bloodline with. It was always fun telling people he was related to Dracula.

Klarion continued to lead the way through the field, the motion sensor lights on the outside of the stables cutting on as the approached the doors. Klarion paused to type in a code on a touch pad by the door. Once the locks clicked he moved to push the large door open. “Have either of you rode a horse before?”

Sasuke hummed faintly in response to Klarion. Then, “A fucking horse?” he blurted out when the doors were opened. He looked at Naruto, cocking a brow as if to ask, ‘And did you know about this?’ Then grin on the blond’s lips insinuated that he did, in fact, know that horses would be involved.

“Sasuke’s been on plenty,” Naruto answered. “Myself, no.”

“Naruto will not excel at this,” Sasuke assured. “Guarantee he won’t be able to control it. Better pick an extremely well-behaved horse for him.”

“Give Sasuke the most unruly,” Naruto chimed in.

Klarion cast a smile over his shoulder as he lead them through a gate onto the land surrounding the house. The lights from the house soon fading into the dark behind them as a single light began to appear on another building in front of them.

“So, are you two from New York?” He asked as he continued to walk through the field. Taking the same route he’d walked hundreds of times before towards the stables that were starting to take shape in the night.

Sasuke didn’t bother shrugging Naruto off, allowing the blond to lean on him as they followed Klarion. “Born and raised,” Naruto answered for both of them.

[ PUSH ]:     Kimiko gently pushes Sasuke back to lie down so she can check him properly for injuries.

Settling Dust Prompts

Sasuke groaned softly, eyes closing as his aching body protested movement of any kind. He released a pained sound when he was fully reclined. He held his breath for a moment, eyes clenched shut, before he released a great sigh of relief and began to slowly relax each cluster of tense muscles in his body one by one. His hand fell away from his ribs, which he’d been clutching suspiciously. On the tail end of a clipped sigh, he muttered in response, “You like it when I’m difficult.” Eyes cracked open to look at her gazing down at him with a small smirk on her lips. “Else I wouldn’t be me.”

“Mhm,” she hummed softly as she slowly started to peel his clothes away from what was now an obvious injury that he could no longer shield. “Sure,” comes out, but it doesn’t sound playful as she scrunches her face into a concerned expression while assessing the wound.

He hisses when she prods at it, however gently, and he grabs her wrist. The severe look in his eyes softens when she meets his gaze, and he tries a smile again. “You... ad-dore me... this... way,” he chokes out between heavy breaths.

She shakes her head, wondering if he’s been taking his cues from Naruto all the sudden, what with the way he’s trying to turn a serious injury into a joke, even as he clearly tries not to black out. She can sense that it’s important, though, so she smiles softly, sweetly, and nods. She hums as she begins to soothe the wound with her chakra. It’s something she’s not one to do for anyone but herself in private. The use of the technique urges raw emotion to crawl up her throat, for reasons she’s not ready to talk about, but she swallows it down. Still, her eyes become vacant as the technique dredges up memories she’d rather forget.

It’s vacant when she says, “I love you this way,” as she plays along with his little game. She roots back into the present moment by anchoring herself to the smile that spreads across his lips from her words. It’ll be easier to treat him if he’s unconscious anyway, so she let’s him nod off with that smile on his lips as she adds, “Don’t ever change.” Once he’s fully out cold, she’ll use the traditional methods of manually cleaning and closing his wound. For this moment, though, she wants to ease his pain, even if only just a little.

So she continues to soothe him with her chakra and focuses on that smile as it ever-so-slowly fades while he falls asleep, hoping his peaceful visage will be enough to chase away her own inner pain. And it is, for a while... but she finds herself feeling extremely lonely when he’s fully lulled to sleep. It’s a profound loneliness that only rears its head when she goes back to those times of her youth, the times she shared with her mother learning these little techniques. It becomes ever-pressing how empty her life truly is.

How silly that a technique as simple as easing one’s pain could cause her so much emotional turmoil. How silly that tears are forming in her eyes while she preps a needle to sew him closed. Still, even so, she’s glad she was able to give him a little peace, not just because it’ll be easier to work on him this way, but... but because she does love him, pain in the ass or not. He might be difficult, but she wouldn’t have him any other way.

Mifune chuckled and gave him a soothing smile. “You’re in Shinshu Village. Don’t worry, we’re not going to put you out in this weather with your health like this.” He put the bowl away. “Besides, I’m sure you’re not far from home. Your parents are likely very worried right now.”

He couldn’t tell where the boy had come from. He didn’t seem to be dressed for the weather, in shorts and a thin shirt rather than the long robes and coats the children of the Land of Iron wore. Perhaps he’d simply been relaxing at home when this all happened….

“If you’re ready, I’d like to know what the creature was that was chasing you. You ran very far and very strong for someone your age.” He praised. “Was it a big bear? Or a wolf?”

Naruto’s brows crinkle confusedly. Shinshu Village? He’s never heard of it. He must have gone far... Then again, the Land of Fire alone seems like it could be a whole world of its own to a child. He could be just outside of it and still feel like he’s travelled the planet. Nevertheless, he feels like he’s gone to the other side of the universe to be in this place, this Shinshu Village that he’s never even heard of.

Truthfully, he has no idea how far from home he is, but he does know that no one is worried about him or waiting for him to come home. In fact, the kids that chased him away are probably happy that he hasn’t showed back up again. They’re probably all better off this way. Blue eyes become distant as he thinks through this emotional pain, but he hangs onto the words being uttered in the background by this kind man who saved him.

He vacantly mulls the thought over in his head. Was he being chased? No, he supposed the only thing chasing him was his own suffering, his own pain. Those kids could serve as an excuse to have been running from all he wants, but he knows the truth is that he was running from himself. Still, he thinks it’s better to shield the full truth, so...

Mifune almost jumped back to see the boy’s eyes open as he adjusted the hot water bottle. Only his old warrior’s restraint kept him steady.

Rather than speak (the boy looked rather dazed), he instead touched the child’s face on either side with the back of his hand, as he did with his own child to check for a fever. Sensing none, he stood up, and briefly left the room.

When he returned, it was with a steaming hot bowl of broth. It wasn’t much, but Mifune needed to warm the child up to waking condition before he pushed him to eat anything solid. The general patted his cheek. “I need you to drink this. Alright?” He spoke calmly, clearly. “It’s to help you warm up on the inside. So drink it all, slowly. Do you understand?”

Waiting for a nod or sound of approval, Mifune blew on the soup to cool it enough to raise to blonde’s lips. Gentle, pulling it back to give him a chance to swallow and take breaths, but gradually he fed him the entire bowl.

“There.” He set it aside. “A bit of warmth on the inside makes it feel less cold on the outside hmm?”

.

Quietly, Naruto studied the man beside him, watching him react with hooded eyes. His lids still felt like they were a gazillion pounds heavy, but he was determined to keep them open, and so slivers of blue stared up at Mifune. He weakly flinched when the hand came toward him, but he was pleased by the softness of the touch that followed to his forehead. He sighed softly and tried to smile, to show gratitude, but the corners of his mouth barely twitched.

Naruto wasn’t sure if he was relieved or scared to be left alone, but Mifune returned so quickly that the child didn’t have to figure out anyway. Naruto’s head nodded slowly when he was instructed to drink. The movement was stiff, jerky, subtle, but with all the conviction that he could muster. He even managed to croak out a tiny, breathy, “M’kay,” too.

It didn’t take long for the broth to liven him up from the inside out. He started to feel better quite rapidly. He felt some type of roiling within his gut, but it was not a sickness nor nerves. It was more like pure energy churning inside, almost as if his chakra reserves were coming back to life. Slowly, eyes opened wider. He began to slurp as he took down the brother more and more readily. His hand lifted at some point and rested on Mifune’s, as if to help serve himself the liquid.

When the bowl was empty, Naruto was able to manage a little smile as he hummed in agreement. He was thankful for this strange man’s kindness, but there remained an uncertainty deeply settled within. Could he trust this man, for one? In the presence of strangers in a strange land—he had to assume he was not at home by the weather alone—was he truly safe?