"Heh, so the inevitable finally arrived." Black Zetsu grinned as he watched the white-clad boy approach through the sand.
"..." Naruto's eyes trembled, his fists clenched tight. His throat worked, but those two hoarse syllables stuck there, refusing to come out.
Sasuke studied Naruto's face, a tangle of emotions stirring beneath his calm gaze.
Their past, this life, longing, worry, hope, guilt... Countless thoughts and a thousand words, held back and suppressed, became a single teasing greeting.
"Yo, Dead Last. Long time no see. What's with that face? All that rough living out there give you an upset stomach?"
One sentence sent their thoughts hurtling back to Team 7.
"Ha, hahahaha..." Naruto broke into helpless laughter. "Sasuke! Seeing you acting as cocky as ever puts my mind at ease. But you're worrying over nothing! My stomach's fine! Black Uncle carefully prepares my meals every day! I haven't had a taste of diarrhea in over half a year, believe it!"
"Ah, is that so?" Sasuke answered lightly, the faintest hint of a smile seemingly touching his lips.
The smile on Naruto's face soon faded. "Sasuke, Black Uncle told me a lot about you."
Sasuke asked, "And?"
Naruto clenched his fists hard. "And you're not even going to ask who Black Uncle is?!"
Sasuke glanced at Black Zetsu behind him. The smile on the latter's face seemed to say, Everyone gets by on their own skills. Naruto hangs on my every word. What can you do about it?
Sasuke withdrew his gaze. "I've never had any interest in people who don't matter."
In truth, Naruto was the same kind of person as he was. Once either of them committed to something, he would stake everything on it to the bitter end, never swayed by words... Only after being beaten into the ground,