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chapter nineteen

"Go to sleep, Sak, I'll keep watch tonight." He whispered into her hair, trying to ignore how she was still shaking. Obviously this one had been a bad one. Naruto understood how she felt.

She nodded her head, and turned to face him. Her green eyes were open, now, and on his face. Naruto gave her a supportive smile, before leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead. Sakura smiled back at him, a little, and closed her eyes.

"I love you, aniki." She whispered, yawning a bit.

Naruto's heart swelled. Of course, Sakura was older than him, but somehow this was the way it worked out all the time. "I love you too, aneki."

Sakura never told anyone, but those were the nights she got the most sleep. With Naruto there, no nightmares or memories touched her. His presence was soothing. When Naruto fell asleep, it was the same way. He usually never had many dreams, but he always woke up refreshed. They comforted each other where they couldn't in their past life. Naruto was always away with Jiraiya, or practically untouchable, because he was out saving the village and whatnot. Sakura was always at the hospital (she even slept there, sometimes), or running errands for Tsunade, so the most they saw each other was during the rare times Sakura was on his team in missions. And she had been ill tempered back then.

Sasuke usually packed up and left the house whenever his father was being annoying. Itachi, apparently, fully supported it, because right after a fight with his dad, Itachi handed him a backpack and ruffled his hair. "You're so lucky you can just leave." He smiled at Sasuke, which in turn made Sasuke smile. It was more of a pity filled one. His brother was not as happy with his father as he seemed, but Itachi always stuck around to gather information. He never said it, but Sasuke knew it was for him. Whatever his father said about Sasuke, Itachi heard. He was the designated mediator, calming their father down, while Sasuke made a tactical retreat to his friend's house. Itachi really did everything for him.

"You could come with me, Aunt Kushina adores you."

Itachi shook his head, but his eyes twinkled at the idea. "I've got an image to keep up... sorry."

"That's okay. Love you, bye." Sasuke vaulted himself through the window. "Tell Mother I'm not running away for good yet."

Itachi grinned at him and nodded. "Love you, otouto."

Sasuke had noticed Naruto's slipping away before, at sleepovers, but never once asked him where he was going. It wasn't that he didn't care, it was just that Naruto came back a few hours before morning more relaxed and peaceful, and the two of them usually had a good day after that. Sasuke always figured interrogating his friend would ruin his good temperament.

But when Kakashi knocked desperately on Naruto's window when Sasuke was trying to sleep, he wondered if maybe he shouldn't have asked.

Sasuke slid it open, letting Kakashi come in. He looked around the room, eyes finding Sasuke. "Naruto's missing. Come with me."

"He just slipped out of here a few hours ago, Kakashi," Sasuke said, sitting and laying back down on his pillow. He was exhausted, and Kakashi was back to bother him.

"Where did he go?!" Kakashi asked, panicked.

Sasuke shrugged. "Dunno. Didn't ask. Didn't care." He ignored his sensei's anxiety, dropping his face into his pillow and mumbling.

"Sasuke, this is important!" Kakashi sat him upright and shook his shoulders. "He could've been kidnapped!"

"Kakashi, chill the fuck out. He always comes back a few hours before morning." Sasuke sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Who'd want to kidnap that dobe, anyway? He's hard enough to be around unwillingly- much less actually attempting to spend time with him." Sasuke comes over for Kushina's food, and feels no shame for using his friend to get to his mom's cooking. Not that his own mother wasn't an amazing cook, but whenever his mother was out of town on clan business, Sasuke and Itachi went over to the Uzumaki's for dinner. Anyone would do the same. Sakura and Kakashi have both done the same.