Summary: For one last time the two come face to face and Naruto makes his final decision. Mild shonen-ai.
Set in the canon world, though this is not something I envision (nor hope) will actually happen, particularly since recent manga events have taken the story in a different direction.
Naruto stood with a kunai in one hand, the other hand held awkwardly to his chest, which was rising and falling heavily. Lines of perspiration as well as a single line of blood ran from his forehead down his face. He stared at the ninja on the ground before him.
The ninja stared back with eyes like black stones in his pale porcelain face, framed by dark bangs. His mouth was open, breathing heavily in time with his also rising and falling bare chest. One arm was pressed across his stomach, his hand grasping red-stained fabric.
A breeze blew through the rocky gully, ruffling blonde and black hair. Several birds burst from a tree above, but when they were gone there was silence.
"Congratulations, you finally won," Sasuke's hoarse voice broke the stillness. His eyes remained lifeless.
Naruto's eyebrows wrinkled together but he said nothing and the tendrils of quiet seemed to grow back and twine together tighter than before.
"You finally beat me, dobe," Sasuke's voice, stronger now, shattered it. "Are you going to drag my mangled body back to Konoha? Die with me? Or just kill me –"
"Shut up," Naruto's voice cut in sharply. "I can't kill you, you bastard."
It was probably true. He couldn't do much against Sasuke with just a kunai and a broken wrist. Sasuke didn't respond, and after a minute Naruto's voice returned, but quieter.
"You know, Sakura is going to live. Tsunade said her condition is stable. But we don't know yet how well she'll recover. If she'll even be able to continue on missions… Not that you'd care."
Another pause.
"If I took you back to Konoha, they'd kill you."
Pause. At that point Naruto's voice broke. "H-how could you do that to Sakura? She really cared about you! And Kakashi–"
Naruto stopped to quickly swipe at his eyes with the back of his uninjured hand.
"Kakashi who was there to guide you. He had faith in you. He cared about you. THEY BOTH FUCKING CARED ABOUT YOU!"
Sasuke's porcelain face didn't even crack.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Your heart must be fucking broken! You– you can't even feel how much they cared, how much they l-loved you!"
How much I loved you, Naruto didn't – or maybe couldn't – say. He was gasping in air now, his face streaked with sweat and blood and tears.
"I don't have a heart," Sasuke finally spoke, in a cold monotone. "I lost my heart the day my parents were killed. The day Konoha showed that it didn't care."
Blue eyes stared down into cool black ones for several minutes. Naruto was searching – he wanted to find something, though he didn't know what, but something. No. He was still breathing heavily when he spoke again, but his voice was soft and low, matching Sasuke's level.
"Then I guess all along I've been wasting my time. It was just… fake, I guess, an illusion of something. My care for you was completely one-sided and you… never cared at all."
"Sasuke?" a distant call interrupted Naruto's monologue, which was practically a whisper now. It was one of Sasuke's team trying to locate him by his faint trace of chakra. Naruto's eyes fractionally widened but he didn't break contact with Sasuke's stone glare.
"I give up." Naruto continued. If such an uncharacteristic declaration from Naruto surprised Sasuke, the porcelain face didn't show it. "I'm… I'm going to leave now. Don't come near Konoha and I won't bother you anymore – never again. I won't chase after you ever again."
Sasuke's expression didn't change.
Naruto turned around and took a few steps, then stopped and looked back.
"And I didn't win, you bastard."
With that, he launched himself onto a rock, then out of the gully and disappeared into the trees.
When Juugo found Sasuke he was still staring at the space between two trees where he had had his last glimpse of Naruto. Suigetsu appeared by Juugo, and then Karin was at Sasuke's side, questioning him, removing his hand to examine and then begin healing his wound. Sasuke didn't hear her, another voice repeating in his head.
I give up… I didn't win… my care for you… how much they cared… you never cared… I give up… never again…
Never again.
Sasuke had lied to Naruto, about not having a heart. Otherwise, what was it inside him that felt like it was breaking, crumbling into a million pieces?
So, kind of angsty? Too short? Too OOC? Let me know – Please review! This is my first upload and I am open to – no, eager for – criticism.