Chapter Text
Heavy rain pounded mercilessly against the tin roof of the shabby shed Sasuke had taken shelter in, echoing throughout the small dilapidated space and ringing in his ears. It wasn't much, but it was a far sight better than his usual accommodations on the road, which largely consisted of a nice patch of dirt or, when he was lucky, a cave. He removed his traveling cloak with some effort, assessing the damage he had sustained in his most recent altercation. It was pathetic, getting bested by someone to the point where he had had to flee. Granted, 18 military-level rogue shinobi would pose a challenge for just about anyone, especially a man caught completely unaware in the middle of a nap.
He was thoroughly soaked, his cloak having done little to dispel the torrent of rain beating against him for the last hour or so. He suppressed his painful shivers as best he could as he peeled his shirt off, and cringed. A shuriken had sliced across his ribs during the battle, a deep, long cut gushed blood down his side, soaking the hem of his pants. He considered his options. He was freezing, starving, and had lost a lot of blood. He was dizzy, his vision blurring around the edges. He could stay here, pass out, and probably bleed to death. He could perhaps travel to the nearest town, but would likely only make it a few yards before collapsing. Die in the shed, or die in the rain... decisions, decisions. Unbidden, a memory of Naruto flitted through his head. "You don't have to be alone anymore, Sasuke," he had pleaded with big, round, earnest eyes. Sasuke had snubbed him then, leaving without another word. Guilt wracked him for a moment before he pushed the emotion down, shoving it into the box where he kept all unpleasantries.
Resigned, he gathered his soaking rags. He didn't want to die, not truly. Not yet, anyway. He had no choice but to seek help, and he had no one but Naruto to seek it from. Gathering the last of his chakra, he prepared himself for the discomfort. Would Naruto even live in the same apartment? Or would a wounded war criminal appear in some poor strangers house? Even if Naruto still lived there, would he even want to help Sasuke? After their last interaction, Sasuke wouldn't blame the man for shutting him out.
Sasuke allowed his chakra to flow freely into the pathway behind his eye, opening a slow spinning portal in the middle of the shack, and stepping through. The instant he was inside it, he felt nauseous, spinning, turning, writhing through time and space as his vision clouded further from the effort. A second later, he was stumbling through the other end, head spinning, stomach left somewhere behind him in the shed. He usually took the trip through with more grace, but with his chakra nearly depleted, and his blood still adamantly leaking from his side, he was lucky he was still conscious at all.
He fell to his knees on the hardwood floor, portal spinning closed behind him. To his right, he heard a small squeak. He turned his head and caught a glimpse of bright blonde hair, framing a rather shocked looking face. Naruto was standing in his kitchen clutching a frying pan like a shield in front of him. Sasuke almost laughed, some shinobi. The stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before Sasuke felt he should say something. "...Hey," he offered eloquently. The last thing he saw before his vision completely blacked out was Naruto's eyes bugging out of his skull, his mouth popping open into a small 'O'.
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Naruto had had a rough day. A rough couple of months, actually. His sunny disposition did nothing to quell the anxiety and restlessness that lurked just beneath the surface as of late. Although grateful for the safety of the village, things were downright boring now that the war was over. All Shikamaru had for him was paperwork, books, historical records, and somehow more paperwork. Shikamaru was a good friend, an excellent shinobi, and a ruthless hardass all rolled into one. Naruto wondered when the last time the man had taken a break was. When was the last time HE had taken a break, for that matter?
Naruto unlocked his door and shuffled inside tiredly. He had been at a desk, flipping through old files for hours that day. He was more exhausted than if he had run a a marathon, and at least that would have been fun. He changed into pajamas and set about making dinner, unimpressed with his options. He should have just gotten ramen, but if Sakura saw another to go container in his garbage can, she'd beat his head in. He was just about to turn the heating element on when he felt a strange electricity in the air, making the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He assessed the surrounding area, but sensed no unusual chakra. Weird. He looked around his apartment, perplexed. This feeling was... familiar.
Before he could make heads or tails of it, the air around him suddenly felt compressed. A discoloration appeared in the middle of his living room, growing, swirling, purple and black and blue. As soon as it had appeared, it was gone, and a dark figure was slumped on the ground where it had been. Naruto shrieked, throwing the frying pan he had been holding between himself and the new threat. The figure turned his head to meet Naruto's eyes, and he almost fainted. Sasuke. He stared at the man for a long moment, emotion slamming into him like a battering ram. He gaped like a fish out of water, at a loss for words. Sasuke finally broke the silence. "Hey," he said casually, as if he hadn't just appeared out of thin air, three years after leaving. His deep voice felt like it crashed into Naruto, reverberating through his chest.
Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but was spared from having to as Sasuke slumped fully onto the floor, head cracking against the hard wood. "Sasuke!" He threw the pan to the ground and rushed to the man's side. Until now, he hadn't noticed the other man's condition. Sasuke was bleeding profusely, dripping both blood and water onto the ground in such excess that it was forming a large puddle by now. Naruto's hands fluttered uselessly around Sasuke, not knowing what to do. He should have taken Sakura up on her offer to teach him medical ninjutsu, he cursed his laziness. Sakura! She would be able to help. He sprinted to the landline and quickly dialed her number. It rang three times before she finally picked up "This better be good, Naruto! I was just about to fall asleep!"
"Sakura, it's Sasuke, please come. He's injured, I don't know what to do!" there was silence on the other end for a long moment before he heard her sigh into the phone. "Fine. I'll be there soon."