10: Nowhere Left to Run

Sasuke sat beneath an ancient tree, his fingers lightly grazing the old, worn photo in his hand.

Team 7.

The edges were frayed from years of wear, the ink slightly smudged from rain and battle.

He had told himself he didn't care. That he had no place in that world anymore.

But still…

His thumb lingered over Naruto's face.

The idiot had probably achieved his dream by now. He could almost hear Naruto's loud, stupid laugh, see the way his eyes shone when he talked about becoming Hokage.

Sasuke clicked his tongue, shoving the photo back into his cloak.

It didn't matter.

It wasn't his world anymore.

And yet, as he stared into the fire, watching the embers flicker and die—

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was pulling him back.

Something he couldn't ignore.

Sasuke walked beside Naruto, his posture stiff, his expression unreadable. The wind howled through the trees, stirring his cloak, but he barely acknowledged it.

Naruto kept sneaking glances at him, frowning. "You know, you're even quieter than usual. If you keep brooding like that, you're gonna turn into a statue."

"Hn."

Naruto sighed. "Seriously? That's all I get?"

Sasuke didn't respond. He kept his gaze forward, acting as if Naruto wasn't even there.

It was easier that way.

If he looked at Naruto too long—if he let himself feel anything—he might lose whatever fragile control he had left.

Because the truth was, standing next to Naruto again, hearing his voice, feeling the familiar pull of their presence together—

It made Sasuke feel home in a way he hadn't in years.

And he hated it.

He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. You don't deserve this. You made your choice.

Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing up at the stars. "You know… I used to wonder if you were even still alive." His voice was light, almost casual, but Sasuke could hear the weight behind it. "After a while, I stopped trying to find you. Figured you didn't want to be found."

Sasuke's fingers twitched.

He had thought about Naruto too—far more than he should have. Every time he stopped at a river to rest, every time he passed through a village where ramen was served, every time he saw the color orange—he was reminded.

Of Naruto's voice. His stubbornness. His ridiculous optimism.

His forgiveness.

It had been easier to push it away, to pretend none of it mattered.

But now, with Naruto walking beside him, so close yet still impossibly far—

It hurt in a way he hadn't expected.

Naruto sighed again, rubbing his neck. "You're not even listening, are you?"

Sasuke finally spoke, his voice low. "It doesn't matter."

Naruto stopped walking. "What?"

Sasuke kept moving, his tone cold. "Whether I was alive or not. It wouldn't have changed anything."

Naruto's expression darkened. He grabbed Sasuke's sleeve, yanking him back. "The hell it wouldn't!"

Sasuke stiffened.

Naruto's grip was warm. Too warm.

It made something inside Sasuke ache.

He wrenched his arm free. "You're Hokage now. You have what you wanted. So why does it matter if I'm here or not?"

Naruto stared at him, eyes searching, emotions flickering across his face—anger, frustration, something deeper.

Then, finally, he laughed. But it wasn't happy. It was bitter.

"Wow," Naruto muttered. "You really are a bastard."

Sasuke turned away. "I told you before—I severed my bonds with Konoha. That hasn't changed."

Naruto's voice was quieter now, but still sharp. "Then why are you here?"

Sasuke didn't answer.

Because deep down—no matter how much he tried to deny it—

He already knew the answer.

The night air was thick with tension, the weight of unspoken words pressing between them.

Naruto was still gripping Sasuke's sleeve, his fingers tight, his body tense with frustration. His blue eyes burned into Sasuke's, demanding answers—demanding something.

But Sasuke refused to give it.

Instead, his body moved before his mind could catch up.

With one sharp motion, he shoved Naruto backward.

Naruto's back hit the rough bark of a tree with a thud, the breath knocking from his lungs. His grip on Sasuke's sleeve broke, fingers slipping away as shock flickered across his face.

Sasuke stood over him, his hand still outstretched from the push, his breath uneven. His dark eyes were cold—calculated—but beneath that mask, something inside him wasn't steady.

Naruto scowled, shoving himself up onto his elbows. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Sasuke exhaled sharply, stepping back as if trying to put distance between them—distance he desperately needed.

"You don't get it," Sasuke muttered, voice low.

Naruto pushed himself up fully, wiping dirt off his sleeve. "Then explain it to me!" His voice was rising now, cracking with the weight of everything unsaid. "Explain why you're here, why you keep running away, why you—"

"Because I can't stay!" Sasuke snapped, his fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his skin.

Naruto froze.

Sasuke's breath was uneven now, his control slipping for the first time. "Every time I see you… every time I hear your voice…" His throat tightened. "It makes me hesitate."

Naruto's eyes widened.

Sasuke turned his face away, shadows hiding the rare flicker of emotion in his expression. His voice was quieter now, but still sharp, still raw.

"And if I hesitate, then everything I've done—everything I chose—will mean nothing."

The words hung between them, heavy and bitter.

Naruto's hands slowly curled into fists at his sides. His voice, when he finally spoke, was quieter.

"…That's bullshit."

Sasuke's jaw tensed.

Naruto took a step forward. "You think pushing me away is gonna change the fact that you miss Konoha? That you miss—" He hesitated, then his voice dropped lower, almost uncertain. "—me?"

Sasuke's entire body went rigid.

Naruto wasn't sure why he said it. Maybe he just wanted to see if Sasuke would deny it. Maybe he wanted Sasuke to lash out again—because anger was easier to deal with than silence.

But Sasuke didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Didn't deny it.

And that silence told Naruto everything.

For the first time in years—

Sasuke had nowhere left to run.