chapter 5
Sasuke stepped out of the house, the cold evening air biting at his skin. His expression was unreadable, but his grip on Naruto’s crumpled note was tight. He knew Naruto was gone—but not for long. He would find him.
He started with the neighborhood. If Naruto left today, someone must have seen him.
His first stop was the old man who owned the small shop at the corner of the street. Sasuke walked up to him, his usual cold expression in place.
“Did you see a blond guy leave today? Blue eyes. Loud.”
The old man scratched his head. “Hmm… Blond, you say? Ah, I did see a blond kid the other day buying snacks, but today? No, can’t say I did.”
Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance and moved on.
Next, he approached a group of teenagers sitting outside an apartment building. They seemed like the type to notice everything that happened around here.
“Did any of you see a guy with spiky blond hair leave this area today?”
The teens exchanged glances before one of them shrugged. “Nah, man. Haven’t seen anyone like that.”
Sasuke’s frustration grew. Naruto must have left quietly, without drawing attention. That alone told Sasuke that Naruto really didn’t want to be found.
Still, he wasn’t giving up.
He went door to door, asking neighbors, shopkeepers, even the woman who walked her dog every morning. But the answer was always the same—No, we didn’t see anyone like that.
It didn’t make sense. Naruto wasn’t the type to go unnoticed.
Unless…
Sasuke’s eyes darkened as a thought crossed his mind.
Naruto hadn’t just left. He had made sure Sasuke wouldn’t be able to track him easily.
That realization sent a slow, burning anger through Sasuke’s veins.
So, Naruto wanted to hide from him?
Fine then .
One Week Apart
Naruto pov
Naruto sat on the rooftop of a tall building, staring at the city below. The neon lights reflected in his tired blue eyes, but he wasn’t really looking at them. His mind was elsewhere—on a certain dark-haired idiot he had left behind.
It had been a week.
A long, miserable week.
At first, he thought leaving would be easier. That if he distanced himself, things would go back to how they were before he met Sasuke. But instead, his chest ached in a way he wasn’t used to.
He missed the quiet moments.
The way Sasuke would scoff at his stupid jokes but secretly listen. The way he would make ramen even though he always acted like it was a hassle. The way they could sit in silence, and it wouldn’t feel awkward.
Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Damn it…” He hated this feeling. He wasn’t supposed to get attached.
But he had.
And now he couldn’t shake the emptiness that came with leaving Sasuke behind.
He wondered if Sasuke was mad at him.
No—he knew Sasuke was mad. That bastard was probably furious.
Still… a small part of him hoped Sasuke missed him too.
Sasuke pov
Sasuke sat on the couch, one arm resting on the backrest, his gaze fixed on the empty space where Naruto usually sat. The house was too quiet. Too still.
It had been a week.
A whole damn week, and Naruto was still gone.
Sasuke didn’t like to admit it, but it was getting to him.
At first, he thought he could ignore it. That the absence wouldn’t bother him. But now, the silence was suffocating. There were no loud complaints about being hungry. No dumb jokes. No annoying presence that somehow made the house feel less cold.
He had searched for Naruto for days, but every lead led to a dead end. Naruto had been careful. Too careful. And that only made Sasuke more irritated.
He ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear in his expression.
He hated this.
He hated that Naruto had just disappeared without a proper goodbye.
But more than that—he hated that he actually missed him.
Tch. That idiot.