Saints and Suffering: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 4- Travel

Sasuke and Naruto lived at the foot of the God Tree for a while.

They would speak with each other seldom.

Sasuke continued to channel the life energy of the God Tree into Naruto, and over the span of 10 years, Naruto finally became healthy enough to stand up and walk under his own power.

Sasuke still looked the same he did the day they fought Kaguya, but Naruto had changed enough for the both of them.

He grew in height and stature, but his wider and taller frame still looked slightly malnourished. His hair remained white, and his eyes never seemed to regain their luster. His eyes, which once sparkled like water in the sun, now seemed flat and dead like the eyes of a fish. The creases in his face were deep and dark, but he didnt yet seem old. He seemed to be about as old as someone can get before they start to decline.

Naruto took a walk every day. He would choose a random direction, walk until noon, and then walk back.

He had been through a lot, and the walking seemed to help.

Sasuke on the other hand, didnt seem to mind anything. The days were not boring, the days were not interesting. If Naruto spoke with him, it was okay, and if he didnt it was okay.

When it rained, Sasuke was fine, and when the sun shone, he was content as fine.

Its just, that when he looked at Naruto, that tight feeling returned to his chest, and he was perturbed. He just couldnt figure out why.

Naruto continued his daily habit. He would amble around aimlessly, always returning to the God Tree at night.

Sasuke felt no reason to change what he was doing. He just sat around the Tree. He channeled life force into himself and Naruto to stave off hunger, and that was it.

For 100 years, they did not speak.

Naruto would wander, and Sasuke would wait.

Eventually Sasuke broke the silence.

One morning, before Naruto set off on his daily walk. Sasuke addressed him.

  Naruto.

Naruto paused mid-step and turned to face him as Sasuke continued to speak.

  Ive been doing a lot of thinking.

  I get this feeling whenever I look at you. I dont know how to describe it, it seems foreign, but at the same time it isnt.

  Im starting to think my time in Kaguyas dimension has

   broken me in a way I dont quite understand just yet.

  But when I look at my memories, I look at the times Ive felt something similar, I remember the night my clan died, the day I killed Itachi, and the day we fought in the Valley of the End.

  I think Im hurting when I look at you.

Naruto didnt react, and turned to walk away. Sasuke watched him go for a little while, but spoke again.

  Im sorry.

  Im sorry I didnt save you. Im sorry I let you down. Im sorry we didnt defeat Kaguya. Im sorry it took me so long to find you. Im sorry

  Im sorry this is how it ended.

Naruto had stopped while Sasuke was speaking, but he didnt turn back around. Once Sasuke was finished, Naruto continued walking, and didnt look back.

Sasuke was used to waiting, so when Naruto, for the first time ever, hadnt returned to the God Tree by sunset, Sasuke continued to wait.

For forty days and forty nights, Sasuke waited at the foot of the God Tree.