susanna

As in Jiraya's novels, Naruto thought. He still found them boring – in his opinion a story should be about more than two lovers being separated by averse circumstances or their own stupidity, and then overcoming all obstacles, coming together and having mind-blowing sex.

People die everywhere, don't they? Humans are no gods, they don't live forever

We need to find that place where we can all find healing...

Sasuke's eyes following him as a hungry dog's eye may follow the movements of his owner's hands when he is eating a sandwich with some meat on it.

But none of his jutsus, nor his strength would help him when it came to persuading Sasuke to return, he'd need words for this,

remembered his first real mission with Sasuke, how he had cut his own hand swearing never again to stay back behind Sasuke as he had during their first fight. Sakura had protested against it, calling him an idiot, not understanding how important this was to him. Girls never understood, he thought, just as these mothers did not understand that their sons needed to learn how to deal with weapons, or that they needed to learn risky and dangerous things as juggling with sharp kunai.

“You know, the mother of that green-haired guy”, Sasuke broke the silence while Naruto was searching for his keys. “The green-haired guy in the play, I mean”, he continued when he saw Naruto's confused look. “My mother would have been just the same. She would have seen through the illusion immediately, and then she'd have put my happiness before everything else, and persuaded my father to do the same.”

I never visited you at your place at Konoha. Is that not what friends are supposed to do?”

He had a talent for hurting him, Naruto thought. He had realized that he cared for Sasuke only when it had already been too late, when Sasuke had received the Cursed Seal, when he had to be protected against Orochimaru and spent more time at the hospital than at home.

how happy that after so many years Sasuke was with him again, if not as his friend than at least not as his enemy.

It was a pleasure, he thought, having him here with me, even if he was doing the best to put me off. Why have I been so foolish to hate him when I was a child? He tried to stay awake as long as possible, just being aware of Sasuke's presence, hearing him breathe (no, he did not snore), smelling his scent, sensing the warmth he was radiating, even activating his sennin mode just to be able to sense Sasuke's chakra. Enjoy it while it lasts, he thought, tomorrow he'll have left, searching for this place that does not exist, to do his new team a favor.