Bruises & Bitemarks (SasuNaru)

75.

I convince Naruto to join me in researching schools for the next couple of days. I've already bookmarked the websites of some possible schools. My school of choice is in the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido, but I've also got a couple of other choices in Japan, and now that I have a more specific direction I can start searching for schools that combine psychology and law. As for Naruto, he has a scholarship opportunity in London as well as some other schools scattered around southern England.

"I've never been out of Japan," he says. "I'm... not sure I want to go."

"Studying abroad is a great experience. You really should," I tell him.

"Don't I qualify for any scholarships in Japan? Why do I have to go out there anyway?"

"Don't you want the opportunity?"

He sighs. "I don't want to leave you."

I swivel my chair around to face him and put a hand on his cheek, tracing his whisker-shaped scars. Those lines never cease to remind me of the monster hiding under the guise of his baby-blue eyes. "Look, Naruto. Chances are, even in the same country, even in the same area, we might not get into the same school. We'll definitely apply to every school that has both our interests, or schools in the same city or area. But the rest isn't up to us. We may not get accepted. Relationship or no, we've got to choose the best schools for our futures."

"Will you apply to schools in England?" he asks, as though my answer might have changed since the last time.

I glance away, then turn back to the computer. "I need to stay here. I'm looking for Itachi in Japan, so I need to study Japanese laws."

"That makes sense," he agrees, voice dull. "But that's just the problem, isn't it? It's the sensible thing to do."

I nod resignedly. As much as I want to do nothing but love Naruto for the rest of my life, society doesn't work like that. We need to be educated so we can get jobs so we can survive. And then, after all that is said and done, we can...

"Sasuke? When we're done studying, when we have jobs and a house and stuff, what are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean... What's life really about?"

I look into his eyes again, then put a hand on his shoulder and pull him in and kiss him deeply. Then I put my forehead to his, trying to make him aware of this warmth that has filled our hearts. "This," I whisper. "Life is about love and self-discovery."

"Are you sure?"

"You're asking a seventeen-year-old, Naruto. You're asking a teenager a question that all of mankind has pondered from the day he knew intelligence."

"If life is about love and self-discovery," he says, "then we've already figured it out, haven't we?" He kisses me again to emphasize his point.

"These things don't just happen and then end. They endure for life. And you know this isn't all there is. There has to be more."

"But then there's no end to it."

I nod.

"So when we go to university," he says, "it's all self-discovery. And then when that's all over, we just go to our jobs every day and earn what we need to survive and love each other and keep discovering ourselves, and that's it?"

"That's it."

"That sucks."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"What about teaching?" he asks. "If I want to be a dance teacher, and pass on my knowledge to other people, that's another meaning to life, right?"