Chapter 4
–Naruto, this is disgusting... Seriously, how can you live like this?– Sasuke complained for what felt like the tenth time in five minutes as he kicked an empty ramen package into a trash bag.
–Oh, come on, Sasuke, it's not that bad...
–Not that bad? If it were any worse, you'd be poisoned by the environment...
—Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now shut up and hurry up so that finally, Mr. Perfect will let me go to bed.
—Hey, my only condition for coming here was that this place wouldn't be a junkyard. You should be thanking me for not running in the opposite direction the moment we walked in.
—Ugh, this is what I get for being too talkative... If I had known you were like this, I would've thought twice.
—Hmpf, well, it's not like you're exactly Host of the Year either.
—Who are you calling a ghost, dobe? I'm not some
—Are you an idiot? Host, teme. The person who receives guests. Not ghost. But really, what can I expect from someone like you?— Sasuke muttered, rubbing his face in exasperation.
—Yeah, yeah...— Naruto replied, scratching his head in embarrassment.
It took them almost two more hours of cleaning before Sasuke finally looked around critically, bit his thumb contemplatively, and let out a —Hmm—moderately satisfied, as he nodded to himself.
—Alright, now we can sleep, dobe. We have to get up early for training tomorrow.
—B-but, Sasuke... You don't seriously expect us to wake up at the usual time, right? It's already so late... And besides, it's just the two of us. Who's going to scold us if we're late?
—That's not the point, teme. You need to have self-discipline. It wouldn't matter if you had the best sensei in the world if you can't control yourself... if you disappoint yourself.
Wow... Naruto had forgotten how emo Sasuke could get sometimes. In the end, that was the reason he had invited him in the first place—he didn't want to let him go home alone and depressed.
But he thought there was truth in Sasuke's words. Having confidence in himself... keeping the promises he made to himself...
—Yeah, yeah. Alright, look—you can sleep there, and I'll sleep over here.
Both boys went to bed separately, in the now fresh and tidy apartment.
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The next morning, Naruto groaned as an annoying noise kept him from enjoying his nap. Finally, he sat up, irritated, only to find the amusing sight of Sasuke—dressed in his spare pajamas—shaking out the blankets he had slept on before proceeding to fold them neatly.
Grumbling, Naruto followed his example. He wasn't about to let the black-haired boy outshine him, especially when Sasuke kept calling him lazy and had wounded his pride by pointing out how messy his apartment was.
It was strange, but this rivalry seemed to be bringing out the best in both of them. Naruto was becoming more self-aware and responsible, while Sasuke, in turn, was starting to loosen up and act more like a kid—one who could even play around every now and then.
—Alright, time for breakfast!—Naruto declared enthusiastically once he was done.
He ran to the fridge, pulled out a carton of milk and some cereal, and served two bowls.
—Thanks for the food— Sasuke said, but the moment he took his first bite, he immediately spat it out—just like Naruto.
—Ugh! Gross... They sold me spoiled milk again.— The blond grimaced, swallowing his frustration. — I am so sorry, Sasuke...
He had really wanted to offer the other boy the best he could. He really had. But the truth was, he didn't have much to offer in the first place.
Sasuke froze at Naruto's words. Yesterday, he had decided not to make a big deal when Naruto mentioned that the vendors often sold him expired goods... but now, experiencing it firsthand, he realized what a huge mistake that had been.
How stupid. How had Sasuke not considered the full implications of such sabotage?
—Whatever, it's still early. Let's stop by the supermarket before training," Sasuke said, trying to downplay the situation, not wanting to make Naruto feel worse.
—O-okay... I'll be right back.
Before Sasuke could say anything, Naruto shut himself in the bathroom. Sasuke made no move to follow, understanding that the other boy needed space to calm down.
As he waited, Sasuke started getting dressed, putting on the same clothes as the day before. He hung up the pajamas Naruto had lent him and, as he did, his thoughts returned to Naruto's situation.
How the hell was he going to fix this?
If they went to the store together, Sasuke hoped that would be enough to deter the vendors from trying to scam him again. But what if, instead of stopping, they caused a scene that only made Naruto feel even worse?
Still, he couldn't just let things continue as they were. Something had to be done.
Sasuke sighed, glancing at the bathroom door with a growing sense of guilt. He wasn't sure what he needed to do, but he knew he had to do it fast. Things had to change. He couldn't just stand by.
Inside the bathroom, Naruto got dressed quickly, feeling guilty about making Sasuke wait. But he felt awful. And whenever he felt like this, the only thing that helped was a good shower.
But... the whole point of this was to help Sasuke out of his dark place. How could Naruto expect to do that if he couldn't even fight off his own darkness?
He shook his head at his reflection in the mirror. No. That kind of thinking was exactly what he needed to avoid.
With renewed determination, he threw the door open, forcing his usual enthusiasm.
—Ahhh, nothing like a good shower to wake you up!
Sasuke was already waiting for him, fully dressed. Damn. Naruto hadn't even thought about offering him a turn in the shower before all the breakfast drama.
Grabbing his frog-shaped wallet, Naruto followed Sasuke toward the door, trying not to dwell on the lingering embarrassment from the spoiled milk incident.
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Hours later, Sasuke and Naruto were at the training grounds, resting after an intense session.
The sun was beginning to set, and a light breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby trees. But neither of them seemed to notice. They were too focused on devouring their makeshift sandwiches, their stomachs growling after the day's effort.
Sasuke felt quite satisfied with himself. Not just because of their training, but because of what had happened at the supermarket. A single furious glare at the store clerk had been enough to stop him from tampering with their purchases or changing the prices.
Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't entirely sure why the clerk had suddenly changed his attitude. But he couldn't help feeling a mix of relief and gratitude. The fact that he hadn't been humiliated in front of Sasuke was a huge relief.
It was almost as if—without saying a word—Sasuke had protected him.
As they ate, Naruto realized that, little by little, the embarrassment he had been carrying all day was starting to fade. The warmth of the sun on his skin, the feeling of a full stomach, and the simple comfort of Sasuke's company made him feel, somehow, lighter.
And maybe... a little warmer inside.