Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned, they all belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The only thing I own is the plot so please don't sue me.

100 Theme Challenge

#1 - Love

Pairing: One-sided NaruSasu

'This is it. I'm going to die here.' Sasuke though as he watched the scene before him as it seemed to happen in slow motion. The silence seemed deafening, the only sound that he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears.

'I'm stuck here in this spot with a severely fractured leg, there is no way I can avoid this blow.' He watched as one of the rogue ninjas that had attacked him and Naruto came at him for the killing blow.

The ninja raised his sword, ready to drive the sword through Sasuke's blood covered chest, as he ran toward him. Sasuke closed his eyes in anticipation of the pain from the blow, but after a few moments passed it never came.

Sasuke then opened his eyes to see a horrifying site before him. There Naruto stood in front of him, with the crimson coated blade pierced in his chest where his heart was located.

The enemy ninja was in shock at seeing the golden haired man take a killing blow for his raven haired companion. Naruto took the chance and used it to rip the man's throat out with a kunai, which caused him to fall to the ground, pouring out his vital fluids.

Naruto grasped the sword by the handle, pulling it out of his chest cavity and dropping it on the ground with a dull thud. He then collapsed as his legs were unable to hold him up due to blood loss.

Sasuke crawled over as quickly as he could to Naruto. He had to know why he saved his life at the cost of his own. Even Sasuke could tell that Kyuubi would be unable to heal this wound and that he would lose his cerulean eyed dobe.

"Why? Why would you give your life up for me? What about your dream of becoming Hokage?" Sasuke asked while gently holding him, trying to offer some comfort in Naruto's final moments.

"Teme...Sasuke...I d-did it for you. You s-still have....to go rebuild....your c-clan," Naruto quietly stammered.

"But still, why would you die on my behalf?"

"Because your m-my best f-friend. B-because I love you....and I h-have for a....l-long t-time now."

Sasuke felt horrible when he heard that, he felt regret for everything he had done to his blond dobe over the years. Most of all, he felt regret that he couldn't return the feelings of love to him.

"S-sasuke....I kn-know you....don't f-feel the s-same way....t-t-towards me, b-but c-can I make....a l-last request?"

Sasuke saw both hope and worry filling his dying friends eyes. Eyes that were quickly starting to lose the bright color and spark of life. He knew in his heart that he would do anything Naruto asked of him here, anything he could to make his last moments the best he could. His heart was breaking at the sight of losing his most precious person.

"Of course dobe, you know I will," Sasuke told him, trying to keep his voice from cracking from the strain of trying to hide his sorrow. He didn't want Naruto to die worrying about him or miserable. He would bury his pain inside until he was alone and then mourn the loss of his best friend.

"Then p-please k-kiss me once?"

Sasuke was a little surprised by the request, but nevertheless did as he was asked. He bent down and gently kissed him on the lips, tasting a mixture of blood and the ramen that he had eaten for lunch earlier in the day. It was during this simple kiss, that Sasuke felt Naruto take his last breath.

He sat there, cradling the bronze skinned body close to him, as the rain started to pour. It was like the heavens were crying at the loss of such a pure, innocent soul.