[Twilight has gently eased the way for night now, the stars glittering above in a dark cosmos so unlike their own. Naruto recognizes no constellation here, though he cranes his neck to look for nearly half an hour. With each passing day, it seems less and less likely that they will be returning home anytime soon. Maybe someone else would have lost steam, but he has continued relentlessly searching their new environs for clues. Beneath the baggy, wide-collared orange hoodie he wears, his body slowly heals from the latest attempt to gather information; with how unreliable his abilities have become, the Netherworld has proven exceedingly dangerous to traverse. He might have enlisted Sasuke or Sakura for backup, but—
Blinking, Naruto glances downward. The outer shell of the grablenut that he had been holding split under the pressure of his tightening grip. Well, he supposes now is as good a time as any to start picking at it. With a mental shrug, the young man banishes the bleak thoughts from his mind and begins to eat absently. Meanwhile, his gaze searches the crowds. In doing so, he catches the eye of more than one passerby. Though he offers an amicable smile each time, only a few Restless return the expression. Still, it’s a better reception than the kind he received as a boy back in Konohagakure; Naruto remains in high spirits.
A group of children begin playing nearby, drawing his attention. But even as he watches them in vague amusement, the jinchūriki’s focus homes in on the chakra signature making a beeline for his position. Sasuke. The simple fact his best friend has sought him out comes as a sharp relief, manifesting in an exhale that seems to relieve some of the invisible weight clinging to his heart. Their last conversation had not ended on a pleasant note—and it was unusual for them to leave tension hanging by a thread without culminating into a physical fight. Naruto almost messaged Sasuke a dozen times in the interim, hoping to smooth things over. Words had failed him every time. “I’m sorry” was not a phrase common to their shared vocabulary.]
Hey, [he greets his friend, and despite an anticipation for the moment to be awkward, Naruto finds himself only capable of a pleased, sincere smile as soon as his eyes land on Sasuke.] Surprised you’re here. Didn’t think you were much of a partier.
[Naruto startles. His hand, completely without conscious thought, has spanned the gap separating them to fasten securely around Sasuke’s wrist. The action, for all that he’s surprised by it, still feels natural. So the blond doesn’t resist the prickling urge demanding he tug Sasuke closer—shoulder to shoulder, warmth radiating along their seams like they were two halves of one former whole.]
no subject
ʜɪs ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ʜᴇʟʟʜᴏʟᴇ ʙʏ ɴᴏᴡ. ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇ ʜᴀʟғ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴋᴀɢᴇ ᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴏ ᴡᴀs. ʜɪs ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏᴏɴ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ. ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɢᴇ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀᴄᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴜsᴇғᴜʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴛᴏᴘs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴜᴇ...
Crack.
Blinking, Naruto glances downward. The outer shell of the grablenut that he had been holding split under the pressure of his tightening grip. Well, he supposes now is as good a time as any to start picking at it. With a mental shrug, the young man banishes the bleak thoughts from his mind and begins to eat absently. Meanwhile, his gaze searches the crowds. In doing so, he catches the eye of more than one passerby. Though he offers an amicable smile each time, only a few Restless return the expression. Still, it’s a better reception than the kind he received as a boy back in Konohagakure; Naruto remains in high spirits.
A group of children begin playing nearby, drawing his attention. But even as he watches them in vague amusement, the jinchūriki’s focus homes in on the chakra signature making a beeline for his position. Sasuke. The simple fact his best friend has sought him out comes as a sharp relief, manifesting in an exhale that seems to relieve some of the invisible weight clinging to his heart. Their last conversation had not ended on a pleasant note—and it was unusual for them to leave tension hanging by a thread without culminating into a physical fight. Naruto almost messaged Sasuke a dozen times in the interim, hoping to smooth things over. Words had failed him every time. “I’m sorry” was not a phrase common to their shared vocabulary.]
Hey, [he greets his friend, and despite an anticipation for the moment to be awkward, Naruto finds himself only capable of a pleased, sincere smile as soon as his eyes land on Sasuke.] Surprised you’re here. Didn’t think you were much of a partier.
[Naruto startles. His hand, completely without conscious thought, has spanned the gap separating them to fasten securely around Sasuke’s wrist. The action, for all that he’s surprised by it, still feels natural. So the blond doesn’t resist the prickling urge demanding he tug Sasuke closer—shoulder to shoulder, warmth radiating along their seams like they were two halves of one former whole.]