Chapter Text
Sasuke always thought the color blue was a cheap and cliche color to marvel at. Too many things were blue; the ocean, the sky, water… They were all things people used to describe things that either they couldn’t use words for or to make an easy comparison too. There was only one set of blue that didn’t fit this category. Only on thing in all the cheap and meaningless ways of this world…
Naruto’s eyes.
Those one sets of eyes contained so many different shades of blue and if Sasuke was honest, he wanted to spend the rest of his life seeing the different changes in them. He wanted to see how many different shades of blue he could pull from the depths of Naruto’s eyes. There was so much he knew he could see if he just waited enough.
It started in the seventh grade.
A 13 year old new student Naruto stood up in front of the class and declared that he wanted to be an international superspy.
There was something in the way his eyes sparkled that Sasuke felt drawn too. But as the awkward 13 year old he was, he decided the best way to express his new found attraction, would be through being an ass. So naturally he said something stupid along the lines of
“Don’t you have to be smart to be a spy?”
That’s when the switch happened. The vibrant blue eyes like the ocean, dulled to a pale blue before an almost electric blue appeared and it was in that moment Sasuke knew he was fucked.
That one moment catapulted them into a rivalry one would never expect.
Principal visits, therapy and two hospital visits all over the course of seven years later brought them to one moment.
One November of their senior year in high school, Principal Sarutobi glared at the two boys before him.
Sasuke nursed his swelling jaw with a bag of ice and Naruto adjusted the bag of ice over his bruised eye.
The altercation had almost been out of nowhere, Sasuke was walking back to his class when he caught Naruto’s eye by accident. Said boy glared at Sasuke and asked him what he was looking at. Sasuke glared back and replied with a simple “nothing but trash” and the fight was on.
It took three bodyguards and the threat of expulsion to get them to stop fighting.
Once in the office, Principal Sarutobi lectured them for over an hour over things Sasuke heard over a thousand times. Then he said the one thing that Sasuke always took with him even though he would never admit it.
“Maybe if you two would actually put your differences aside and tried to work together then maybe, just maybe you could actually be something worthwhile. I saw your files, you both want to work for ANBU, that’s great. I firmly believe you two could be great at it and even great partners if you would just take a moment to understand each other. Besides, maybe one day you could be something more. Not just to yourselves but to each other. Something more than petty rivals.”
Sasuke knew that he probably meant just friendship but honestly when have Uchiha’s ever felt anything that wasn’t in extremes? They didn’t do “just” anything. Still, that was something Sasuke realized over time.
{Break}
The day they became partners was a day that could have gone smoothly had they just fucking communicated.
It had been a year since they graduated high school, they had been accepted into the ANBU recruitment squad seven. Along with nine other recruitment squads, they were sent out on missions to test their abilities.
Sasuke, Naruto and a young medic prodigy named Sakura Haruno, were sent to detonate a bomb that was supposed to take out a small nursing home facility for the rich. Sakura was to pose as a newly recruited nurse, Sasuke, a concerned son of an aging grandad, and well Naruto was to be said grandad.
It took all of fourty-five minutes for their covers to be blown when Sasuke mentioned that his “delusional grandad was losing it” and Naruto to strangle him with his cane and a loud proclamation of “Sasuke-Teme!” before the guards came to haul them outside.
Luckily, they escaped the guards and found the bomb room. The facility was safe and even though they could have made it work better, everyone was mildly impressed that both Sauke and Naruto managed to get along for fourty-five minutes. But that’s not the moment that sealed the deal of them being partners.
It was when they came back to report their mission, and both Naruto and Sasuke bowed lower in respect and apology. They not only asked for forgiveness from their boss Tsunade but also from each other.
That was when Tsunade knew she had to keep them together as partners.
Seven years of fighting and bickering and tears, led them to this moment.
They were one.
{Break}
“Hey Sasu, blue or orange?”
Sasuke looked up from the book he was reading and eyed both shirts.
“Well, the blue one really brings out the blue in your eyes really nicely, but we both know you’re going to blatantly ignore me and go with orange so I withhold my opinion.”
Naruto nodded his head in agreement. “True. Orange it is.”
Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked back at the book. He felt the couch shift and looked over to see Naruto had plopped down after dressing himself.
“Why do you insist on doing that when you know I’m doing something.” Sasuke frowned at the man next to him.
Naruto grinned and shrugged. “I wanted your attention, duh.”
“And a simple “Hey Sasuke” doesn’t work anymore?” Nevertheless, Sasuke put his book down and turned to face his friend.
“Yeah but we both know that’s not really my style.” Naruto looked around the room briefly before his eyes landed back on Sasuke. “Are you nervous about our mission assignment?”
“No. We graduated two years ago remember? You were there? You were the one crying while we were tatted? Tsunade had to threaten to beat you in order for you to calm down?” Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
Naruto promptly kicked him in the pelvis and left his foot there. “Yes smartass I know and I didn’t cry! I teared up! It was an emotional moment for me, asshole.” Once Sasuke stopped coughing, he continued. “Why would we have to wait to be informed about it?”
Sasuke shrugged. “Hn.”
Naruto sighed. “I don’t know why I’m so anxious. I just feel like it’s going to be something so life changing and whatnot.”
“You say that every mission.”
“Well, they are all life changing!”
“You’re dramatic.”
“And you’re an asshole.”
“Hn.”
Naruto grinned at that and adjusted himself further in the couch so his feet were resting in Sasuke’s lap. Sasuke glanced at him once more before picking up his book and resuming his reading.
“When do you think she will call us in?”
Sasuke shrugged.
“Soon right? I mean, you have to be just as bored as I am. Right Sasuke?”
Again, Sasuke shrugged.
“You’re a hopeless conversationalist.”
“Hn.”
Naruto rolled his eyes and tilted Sasuke’s hand with his foot to see the title of the book.
“The Foxhole court?”
Sasuke nodded.
“I took you more as a boring book kind of person; more like textbooks. Not one for actual plots and whatnot.” Naruto returned his foot back down and chuckled as Sasuke wiped imaginary foot residue off his hand.
“Well we all can’t read picture books now can we?”
“Fuck you.”
Sasuke smirked when Naruto hastily got off the couch and walked to the door.
“You can come back when you’re nicer. Go bitch at your roommate.” Naruto opened the door once Sasuke was near him.
Sasuke ruffled his hair and smirked when Naruto seemed to get angrier. “Pick you up tomorrow for our mission assignments?”
Naruto slammed the door in Sasuke’s face before answering.
With a slight chuckle, Sasuke headed over to his room. He could hear the loud pulsing music of some billboard top 100 song playing and he frowned.
Dammit Hinata.
Once in the room, Sasuke slid of his shoes and frowned at the girl casually cleaning her sniper rifle on the floor.
“Do you have to play that god awful song every day?”
Hinata shrugged and glanced at him briefly before continuing her work. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“Well it bothers me.”
“I can take you out and nothing can bother you again.”
Sasuke sat down next to Hinata and started cleaning her next gun of choice.
Konoha’s ANBU owned an old insurance building (that they use as a cover) and converted it into apartment for all their ANBU recruits. This cover worked not only as a place of residence but also as the headquarters of the unit. There are many branches of ANBU for all the sectors of Japan such as the Sand ANBU, Mist and Sound but Konoha ranks supreme. Even to the extent that other ANBU come to settle and work with them.
Each recruit had their own specialty. While him and Naruto were excellent at infiltration missions and (recently) undercover missions, the others had a more… skill based approach. Hinata for example was a registered assassin with a proficiency range of 100% and kill record of 119 as of yesterday. Others, like Sakura worked behind the scenes making medicines and poisons. She’s classified for the field but chooses not to.
Then you have people like Sasuke’s brother who were fucking perfect at everything.
Hinata sighed and put the gun she was working on down and laid her head on Sasuke’s shoulder.
“Sasu, am I intimidating.”
“Yes” was the instant reply.
Hinata huffed and laid on her back before making come here motions with her hands. Sasuke set the gun down as well and pulled Hinata into his arms.
“What happened now?”
“I somehow scared Shino off and I thought that was nearly impossible with the whole ‘not emotions’ thing.” Hinata threw a hand up and a frown fell on her pretty face. “You show a guy you excellent aim on a gun range date HE took you too and suddenly your horrifying.”
Sasuke chuckled. “Did you shoot blindfolded again?” When she didn’t reply he ran his fingers through her hair and tugged on the strands before releasing. “That’s not something that everyone finds cool, Hina. Most guys would find it scary.”
Hinata rolled her eyes and pouted before she brightened. “Speaking of scary!” She climbed off of him and ran to her room. Before Sasuke could even fully sit up she was next to him grinning like a child. “Look at this!”
Hinata handed him the phone and there was a photo of Neji strangling an amused Itachi. The text attached to it said “Screw the Weasel: Literally or literally. The Saga continues.”
Sasuke chuckled at the message and saw that it was from Sai. “Why does Tsunade insist on sending those three together? They’re going to kill each other one day.”
“They work seamlessly together though. They’re all dark and extra and honestly who would go up against those three? Well besides you and Naruto that one drunken Tuesday in Bangkok…” Hinata snorted at the memory
Sasuke frowned. “We would have won too if you hadn’t decided to send us all home.”
“Well I didn’t want any of you dying or anything. And by you I mean you and Naruto.”
“Whatever. I still can’t believe my brother and your cousin thought we’d be good roommates.”
“Itachi thinks you need to socialize more and I apparently speak enough to be sufficient for you, ha. While Neji thinks that I would be way better protected by your side. After all, I’m just a simple, meek nurse aid to Sakura. Remember?” Hinata crinkled her nose. “I don’t know how he hasn’t found out yet.”
Sasuke chuckled. “Probably because he’s too busy trying to decide between killing my brother or saving himself the trouble. I can’t believe they managed to become roommates.”
“Heh, yeah, roommates.” Hinata rolled her eyes and got up before Sasuke could question the comment. “You’ve once again stayed over Naruto’s all day. It’s nearly ten, I’m going to bed. I have a long day of a double life to live.” She paused before heading to her room. “Well, so do you.”
Sasuke started to question her once again but she was already in her room. Following her lead, Sasuke also headed to his room. Stripping out of his day clothes and into his pajamas, he stared at the clock near his bed. The blue numbers blinked out at him in almost a taunting way.
Blue.
That one color that holds so much meaning to him and yet he wants nothing more than for it to stop making this hollow feeling in his chest every time he thinks about it too long.
With a sigh, Sasuke closed his eyes and fell into a deep, blue sleep.