Chapter Text
HAIRBRUSH/ "Closer" cover by PelleK feat. AmaLee
It was nights like these that made it easier to fall asleep.
Crickets chirped in the greenery surrounding the group, cast in the warm glow of a crackling campfire. Wind rustling leaves and swaying the firelight, as three genin ninja surrounded the glowing pit. Their unit leader and teacher was god knows where, probably nose deep in an erotica novel as they readied for bed. The rest of the team were too tired to argue as sleeping bags and pallets were rolled out, and a light dinner of fish and rice was passed around.
Twelve year old Uchiha Sasuke would normally be asleep in the comfort of his apartment right now. Instead, he leaned against the base of a tree at the edge of their camping spot, a stick digging in the dirt to carve out caricatures of cats doing various cat things and waiting for his favorite part of the night. The only reason he ever took the first shift of night watch when they went out on team missions.
A thin shadow slowly crossed his crude cat pictures as one of his teammates, Haruno Sakura, reached for her backpack and his hand paused. He looked up, just as she pulled her hairbrush out. He tucked his nose into the collar of his shirt. Fire raced across his cheeks as his black hair shadowed his eyes, and he watched her begin to pull the tool through her hair, counting. The sleeping bag of his other teammate shuffled as the blonde dork rolled over to watch as their pink haired teammate began to hum, blue eyes watching the girl with sleepy interest. As if his teammate had a chance in hell.
“You sound so happy, when you do that.” their blonde teammate commented after a moment. “Just by brushing your hair.”
Sakura’s hand paused for a brief second, and she smiled bashfully. “That’s because I am. Every girl likes brushing her hair.” She replied softly, sleepiness weaving in her words, immediately back to humming the tune. Sasuke was quickly learning that he liked sleepy Uzumaki Naruto better, as any other time Sakura would have sucker punched him for small comments like that. Sleepy Naruto could always voice the words that Sasuke always thought when he watched her participate in her nightly ritual. Things that would come out wrong if Sasuke ever asked them, and like hell would he ever let that happen in front of her or the idiot. He had bigger and better things to worry about.
After a few moments of Sasuke counting the strokes, Naruto spoke again. “What is the song you are humming, Sakura-chan?” She paused again, hand and humming, at her fourteenth stroke. “You always seem to hum that same one every time.”
Sakura’s vivid green eyes (who the fuck had eyes that pretty, even in the firelight?) flicked to Sasuke for a brief moment as if seeing if he wanted to know (he already knew), before shifting to Naruto again with a slightly sheepish smile. “It's something my mother sang to me when I was little. She used to sing it with her best friends when she was younger.” She replied softly, obviously trying to keep her voice down. “Of course, she always has the better voice when it comes down to it.” She began brushing again, picking her humming up where she left it. The orange light gave her pink tresses a beautiful coral glow as she ran fingers behind the bristles.
“Oh.” That was probably the most sensible response the blonde idiot could give in his tired state.
Sasuke was briefly reminded of his own mother, humming that same song as she ran her fingers through his hair to lull him to sleep at night. He remembered that his mother’s nails would just barely graze against his scalp, his own eyes becoming tired from the mier memory of it. He blinked, refocusing back to the brush and taking up his counting again.
At stroke 47, Sleepy Naruto spoke again. “What is the song about?” Sasuke twisted his drawing tool between two hands as he waited for her response. His head subconsciously dipped further into his high collared shirt.
Sakura sighed softly, dropping her brush onto her lap at stroke 50, as she tilted her head to the right to brush her fingers through the other side. “The song is mostly about not taking life for granted, because all of the little things that you hold dear could be taken away without warning one day. To be courageous and not have fear, even in those dark times. To not forget how unconditional love can be.” Even the firelight could not hide the burning glow on her cheeks, as she picked up her brush again, starting her ritual on that right side.
Her synopsis was on point and hit very close to home. Sasuke gripped his stick tightly as he fought away the images that fluttered through his mind from the night of his family’s massacre.
His beautiful mother lay on her back, while his ever stoic father lay over her-- as if he was trying to protect her. Their blood pooling together under the glint of his brother’s sword blade. A bold reminder of one of his life’s goals.
Sasuke blinked, clearing his throat and popping the stiff joints in his neck before resuming his turtle-like position. Maybe Sleepy Naruto wasn’t as forgiving as Sasuke had hoped. He was at count 82 when stupid spoke again.
“What’s the song called?”
“It's called Closer, dumbass. Now shut up and go to sleep!” Sasuke barked, tossing his stick towards Naruto but not actually hitting the idiot. Dammit, he was trying to count!
Sleepy Naruto grumbled under his breath, shifting around in his sleeping bag with a sourpussed face aimed at Sasuke. Sakura didn’t seem to jolt from Sasuke’s temper as she tossed her brush back into her open bag at stroke 100. She split her hair into three sections and began to weave the strands into a simple braid tied off with a thin hair tie.
Once both were settled into their sleeping bags, Sleepy Naruto reared his ugly head again. “Why do you do that to your hair every night, if the whole thing is gonna come apart when you sleep?”
Sasuke had a kunai in his hand and ready to plant it in Naruto’s forehead when the missing member of their unit appeared out of thin air and ripped the weapon out of his hand. Sakura, seemingly sensing the near death of their blonde teammate, answered before Sasuke could snarl out his less forgiving response.
“Go to sleep, Naruto. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
Silence followed her response and Naruto rolled over in his mat to quickly fall asleep. Sakura, with another bashful glance at Sasuke, rolled over in her own pallet to fall asleep. Once her breathing was regulated, Kakashi finally spoke. “Kunai are not toys, Sasuke. You’re smarter than that.”
“He was asking stupid questions, instead of sleeping. He has the second watch and it won’t be my fault if the idiot falls asleep halfway through.”
Kakashi’s one visible eye watched Sasuke carefully and the boy chewed on the inside of his cheek, waiting. The man sighed, shaking his head before giving the weapon back. “Right.” It was a statement, not a question. Silence enveloped them again before Kakashi spoke, pulling that stupid book of his out. “Go to sleep, I”ll finish off your watch.”
Sasuke blinked from behind his collar for a few moments, watching his teacher read from his porn. When the man didn’t move from his position in front of the fire, Sasuke finally moved to his sleeping bag.
Tonight, he dreamed of Sakura’s humming and fingers brushing through his hair.