Experience Tumblr Like Never Before
Does anyone ever think about what could have happened if Naruto and Sasuke had been actively friends before the Uchiha Massacre? Like, if they had just sucked it up and actually been nice to each other from the beginning then became inseparable.
Sasuke being the smart one and helping Naruto learn while Naruto helps loosen him up so he can have fun and play games with his friend instead of just training to beat his brother (because I find it really weird that despite the Uchiha being a whole clan Sasuke doesn't have a single friend in or outside the clan as a child).
I can totally see Mikoto encouraging it so Sasuke has a distraction from his father and their clan BS going on while Fugaku doesn't approve because of the rumors about the Uchiha controlling the Nine Tails. Itachi is torn between being glad his little brother has a friend and terrified that Sasuke might get roped into their clan's Curse of Hatred with Naruto as the cause of it then taking it out on the village (people are just so indifferent to Naruto's existence and Sasuke isn't dumb enough not to notice people giving his best friend side eyes in the street).
Then when the clan massacre happens Sasuke would push Naruto away because he's afraid he'd lose him too while Naruto would just roll in with his never-give-up mantra and keep pushing himself closer. Dragging Sasuke to Ichiraku's to make sure he eats and bothering him when he starts trauma spiraling as a distraction from his pain. Maybe dragging Sasuke to his apartment so he isn't alone and helping him deal with nightmares, etc. Not sure if Naruto would know what therapy is (with the amount of neglect he suffers from idk at this point) but he would probably drag him over there too.
Then there would be dumb rumors about Naruto being the cause of the massacre which is why Sasuke is pushing him away despite them being best friends before the incident. I can see Sasuke getting upset about that and jumping to Naruto's defense and maybe fighting some people for their stupidity while Naruto has to (for once) drag him away from the fight to calm him down.
There could have been a lot more depth to their friendship if they were official friends in the beginning and things just started spiraling after the massacre happens.