They faced off, determination brimming in shining blue eyes as they met the gaze of those familiar black eyes, so filled with hatred.
This is it, Sasuke, he thought, his heart heavy in his chest.
At his back stood the future of Konoha, his friends, his precious people. He grit his teeth together as he listed them in his mind; Iruka, Kakashi, Sakura, Konohamaru, Tsunade, Hinata, Lee, Shikamaru, Neji, Ino, TenTen, Chouji, Shizune, Kiba, Shino. They were all depending on him, they all trusted him. Their faith made him stronger.
Is it enough, Sasuke? Can I beat you? Or was I right when I said we would both die? I've gotten even stronger since then, but your eyes… All that is left is hatred. Not even a glimmer of my teammate remains, my friend…
My brother.
'Naruto,' Sasuke growled, his voice sending a shiver down the blonde ninja's spine, 'I have come to exact my revenge on Konoha.' The Uchiha slowly drew his katana from its sheath and those empty black eyes narrowed into a glare. 'I will kill you first and crush this village.'
Naruto didn't reply, but continued looking at him. Sasuke's impatience would force him into making the first move. He knew this like he knew his village. Like he knew that the sun belonged in the sky. Like he knew that he was Naruto, and Sasuke was Sasuke.
I won't let you do this. Even if it means my death.
Sasuke moved faster than his eyes could track him but Naruto whipped a kunai out of his pouch and brought it up in front of his chest, his arms crossed and feet planted to take the force of Sasuke's attack. With a resounding clash the two weapons met.
Behind him, Naruto heard Sakura gasp as they attacked and counter-attacked throughout the battlefield. They moved faster and faster, only rarely drawing blood from the other until with a final crash they sprung apart and resumed checking the other for weaknesses.
My only weakness has ever been you. The only family I ever had. No one ever understood me the way you do. Even now, Sasuke, we read what is in each other's hearts so easily.
Again they were moving towards each other, their attacks using more and more chakra as they used higher level jutsus. The ninja who stood outside the village gates, the last wave of defence should he fail, drew back as their range widened. The forest was decimated by Sasuke's Amaterasu, which Naruto had evaded using his wind-rasen shuriken.
The explosion forced them apart again, and Naruto wondered if he had just seen a glimmer of respect in Sasuke's eyes. He was certainly impressed with how easily the Uchiha had dodged his special attack. No foe had ever lived to tell the tale since he'd first developed it.
Naruto smiled, resisting the urge to laugh outright. It was so exhilarating to go all out like this. To see what he was truly capable of, what they were both capable of. It was a battle for the ages.
Sasuke, when did you become more important than my dream to be Hokage? Ever since I can remember I wanted the village to acknowledge me. Now that I'm their hero, all I want is for you to finally acknowledge me too. Even if we were both to die here, we die as equals.
Naruto gave his rival a grin and Sasuke snarled as he went on the offensive. Give me all you've got Sasuke. I can take it all and more.
It ended, as it always did, with Naruto cradling his Rasengan in one hand, running full pelt at Sasuke, his fist clenching the crackling lightening of his Chidori.
Everything else faded away. Only they remained, facing each other, only a hand span apart. In the back of his mind, Naruto dimly noted that he was a few centimetres taller. How strange.
It could have been a few seconds, or a few hours, he didn't know.
Blood dribbled from Naruto's mouth and he smiled sadly, his blue eyes filled with deep sorrow and regret.
'Sasuke, I'm sorry. This is the last time.' Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as Naruto crumpled at his feet. How did he know those words? How did he know what Itachi had said to him?
'Dobe?' He whispered through cracked lips. There was no reply. Sasuke reached out with his chakra but it evaded him, leaving him confused, his revenge momentarily forgotten.
He dropped down to his knees beside Naruto, rolling the body over. His eyes, which had faded back into their natural black, quickly scanned the blonde's face.
Do you understand now? A female voice whispered through his mind. Do you understand the cost of your revenge? The cost of your hatred?
Sasuke looked around at the decimated battlefield and then back down to Naruto. The other boy's eyes were devoid of life, staring unseeingly at the sky. It grew difficult to breathe.
I understand.
Does it change anything? Is Naruto's death worth it? Will you still take revenge against Konoha? The voice probed further. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, reaching for the hate that was so readily accessible, only to find that gone too.
I feel different, he mused.
Different how?
Sasuke ignored the voice and probed his feelings, feelings he barely remembered.
No, he eventually responded.
No?
It's not worth it.
'Naruto,' Sakura said impatiently, standing just inside the door. 'Ino's finished compiling her findings.'
The blonde stared out the window, his blue eyes serious as he looked over the village that he would one day inherit. He glanced over at Tsunade, who was watching Sakura carefully.
'The results?' He asked, his heart racing faster. Please, he whispered in his mind, please let this all have been worth it. Please let it have worked.
'Something changed in today's session,' Sakura said, her eyes glued to Naruto's back.
'What changed?' Tsunade asked, looking interested.
'Ino took Naruto's advice and incorporated his highest level techniques into the jutsu. Sasuke still won but he recognised Naruto as his equal and regretted his death,' she explained, looking excited.
Naruto's shoulders tensed and he pressed his forehead against the glass. Sakura walked forward and pressed her hand tentatively to Naruto's back. He closed his eyes.
'She asked him if it was worth it, your death for his revenge,' she said quietly, 'he said no.' Naruto considered this.
'Did Ino say how close the battle was?' Naruto asked.
'No, but why does it matter?' Sakura looked confused.
Naruto pushed away from the window, 'Don't worry, I'll ask her myself. I'll be back after I've talked to her.' He left the room, his mind moving quickly as his anxiety grew.
Is there hope after all? Was it enough? Please let it be enough.
He found Ino in interrogation, where she was standing outside Sasuke's cell with a considering look on her face.
'One session doesn't change anything yet,' Naruto said quietly as he came to sit beside her. Ino looked at him and shrugged.
'It's still a good sign,' she said. 'What did Hokage-sama say?'
'Nothing yet. I have a question,' Naruto explained. Ino indicated for him to continue, and Naruto's eyes traced over Sasuke's unconscious form.
'I want to know about the fight,' he said, his expression serious. 'Would you say it was close?'
'You boys and your stupid competitions,' Ino rolled her eyes, 'always having to be better than each other.'
'That's not why I asked,' Naruto said, though he didn't expand on this further. Ino took in his expression and frowned, seriously considering his question.
'Yes,' she said eventually, 'I would have said that it was close. The last attack was a meeting of your Rasengan and his Chidori, after which you collapsed and he'd run out of chakra. I don't see why it matters when the simulation of you was nowhere near as strong as you actually are.'
Naruto ignored her. It did matter. It mattered more than she could possibly know.
'Thanks Ino,' he muttered. With a final glance at Sasuke he left the room.
He stood staring at the door to Tsunade's office as his mind turned over. Sakura opened the door and looked at him expectantly but he didn't notice her, didn't even blink. She opened it wider and stepped aside and he walked in mechanically, returning to his previous position at the window. Kakashi sat outside it, his nose buried in the book. He didn't say anything, but his presence helped Naruto think.
I'm actually stronger than him now. I finally surpassed him. Shouldn't I be happy?
His confused gaze looked out over the village as he tried to decipher his feelings. They were bubbling in his chest, each emotion pushing for acknowledgement until he felt choked up by it. Kakashi stood in front of him, a hand on his shoulder.
'Easy, Naruto,' he said, concern lacing his tone. Naruto looked up at him through blurry eyes. When had he started crying? He gave Kakashi a watery smile and then turned back to Tsunade, rubbing half-heartedly at his eyes.
'We did it,' he whispered, and Sakura sunk to her knees, tears filling her eyes immediately. Tsuande's gaze was piercing, giving away nothing.
'Report,' she said simply, and he nodded, his body instinctively reacting to the command in her tone. He met her eyes, determination and hope shining through.
'He's not reformed, not by any means. That will take some time,' he began. She nodded, agreeing with this assessment. Encouraged by her willingness to actually listen to him and consider his words, he continued.
'I would suggest keeping his chakra carefully controlled and monitored, an S Class guard at all times, which I volunteer for of course, and restrictions placed on his movements until he can be fully rehabilitated into the village,' Naruto said, his expression grim.
'Naruto,' Kakashi said, the undertone of his voice both questioning him and warning him. It was familiar, making him smile.
'He used all of his chakra up in the simulation,' was Naruto's reply. Kakashi's eyes widened with shock.
'So you're saying you're stronger?' Sakura asked, her face pale. Even now it was sometimes hard for her to think of Naruto as strong, as a superior. In her mind she could still that loud, annoying genin he'd been all those years ago.
'I can beat him,' he replied confidently.
'How much of your power was in that jutsu?' Tsunade raised an eyebrow questioningly.
'None of it,' he said, looking sheepish. Everyone looked confused.
'Explain,' Tsunade said.
'I powered it using my Sage mode, so it's all just natural energy. I analysed his chakra level and matched it fairly evenly to his,' Naruto offered. 'With Madara still at large I figured I couldn't afford to have my chakra drained so badly.'
Tsunade was impressed with his foresight and her eyes slipped to where she knew the necklace she had given him rested against his collarbone. She had put her faith in him all those years ago. It seemed to be paying off and her heart swelled with pride.
'Very well, I'm signing Sasuke over to your custody effective immediately. He is to be confined to the Uchiha compound under the guard of ANBU Team 1 whenever he isn't with you. He is not to leave the village ever, nor is he permitted to have weapons, or use taijutsu without your express permission,' she said firmly. Naruto's eyes widened.
'Baa-chan,' he said hoarsely.
'We will review Sasuke's case monthly, unless there is an incident,' she continued, ignoring him. She met Naruto's eyes and gave him an encouraging smile.
'You can do this Naruto, I have complete faith in you.'
He nodded weakly as Sakura tackled him from the side, crushing him into a hug as she cried and laughed at the same time. Kakashi merely smiled sadly behind his mask, looking at his two students. They were in for a tough time, no doubt.
As the three ninja left her office, Tsunade sat back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling, feeling heavy.
'He did it, Jiraiya. That foolhardy boy managed to do what we never could,' she whispered, feeling awed and also sad. 'It makes me wonder what could have happened if we'd had the same unwavering faith as he does.' She shook her head, laughing bitterly. No, Naruto was one of a kind. There was no one in the world quite like him.
The ANBU guards transported Sasuke to the Uchiha compound, leaving him in his room as they kept guard out of sight. Naruto sat on the front step, looking at the sky as he waited for the Uchiha to wake. Two months of constant chakra exhaustion and the drugs that had kept him subdued had taken its toll on his body.
Naruto used the time to think about how things would really go now that Sasuke was back. How permanent would it be, really? It would be foolish to presume that everything would work out fine, and even he was not that optimistic. Not anymore at least.
He knew that Sasuke would not take well to being confined in the village he hated so much, and just because he would regret Naruto's death doesn't mean that he had completely forgotten his revenge. It was something that had to be resolved as quickly as possible, and Naruto had taken every pain to ensure it could be. Tsunade had cooperated with him in this as she had in everything else. It was this, more than anything, which made him realise how much faith she truly had in him.
Eventually his ninja hearing picked up the sounds of Sasuke stirring in his room and Naruto moved back into the house. He positioned himself in the kitchen, leaning casually against the wall facing the hallway where Sasuke's room was located. He blinked and Sasuke stood there, his blank eyes assessing the situation.
'Naruto,' he growled, his voice hoarse with misuse and anger.
'Sasuke,' he nodded, meeting his gaze calmly. 'I need to explain a few things to you.' The Uchiha's eyes narrowed and his body coiled as if ready to spring. Sensing the danger, an ANBU guard materialised between them, holding a katana to Sasuke's throat. He didn't even flinch, though his gaze grew angrier.
'I could kill him,' Sasuke said coldly.
'You're not going to though,' Naruto responded. 'Sit down, Sasuke.' He gestured towards the table, and sat down at it himself.
'What makes you think I'll do as you say?' He sneered. Naruto chuckled and then ignored him, merely nudging the documents that lay on the table a little closer to the Uchiha. Sasuke looked at them blankly.
The ANBU sent Naruto a discreet signal and Naruto inclined his head slightly, giving him permission to return to his post. He could handle Sasuke.
'Hiding behind guards now?' Sasuke prodded. 'What happened to your promise? I thought you wanted just the two of us to fight.'
'I don't need the guards here,' Naruto said matter-of-factly. It was Sasuke's turn to laugh.
'I have killed you every night in my dreams for the past two months,' he said scornfully.
'Indeed,' Naruto smirked. 'I watched some of the fights. You've grown incredibly strong.'
'Stronger than you,' Sasuke reiterated.
'I think you'll find that you're mistaken. Now sit down, Sasuke,' Naruto said blandly.
'No,' Sasuke responded, his eyes burning with a challenge.
'Very well, I guess I'll just have to read these out to you if you won't read them yourself,' Naruto sighed. He picked up the first document.
'This one tells you about the current restrictions you've been placed under. The general gist of it is no chakra, no weapons, constant ANBU surveillance, putting up with me and staying put in the village,' Naruto elaborated.
'Like anyone could keep me here,' Sasuke said derisively.
Naruto was getting pretty fed up with his attitude.
'Try and leave then,' Naruto challenged him. With a blur, Sasuke was gone, only to be harshly deposited on the kitchen floor three seconds later. Again and again he tried, with no success. ANBU Team 1 was the most highly skilled team in the village; the fastest, the most alert. With his chakra and weapons he might stand a chance, and with his Sharingan he would probably even succeed, but without them Sasuke was no match.
He finally gave up, a little bruised, and sat down and across from Naruto, his scowl prevalent. Naruto somehow resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead softened his gaze.
You're as stubborn as ever, Sasuke. I can only hope that not everything in you has changed, that you can still be saved. I've brought you back to the village, now I have to fight to keep you here.
'These other documents lay it all out, the entire truth about the massacre of your clan, no bells and whistles. They include the transcripts of all meetings regarding it, classified or otherwise, as well as the steps taken against the main instigators,' Naruto said, carefully monitoring Sasuke's face.
Sasuke glanced at them, though he didn't move to pick them up.
'Homura Mitokado & Koharu Utatane?' He questioned.
'They were dealt with,' Naruto nodded, 'exiled from the village.'
They were treated far better than they should have been, Naruto thought angrily, his eyes narrowing. Tsunade's hands had been tied, however. They'd done a lot for the village and in the end that had mattered more than their crimes against the Uchiha clan.
'Is it enough?' Naruto asked eventually. Sasuke seemed to consider this as Naruto continued to watch him. He then picked up the papers in front of him and finally started to read them. The blonde allowed him to do so in silence. When the Uchiha had finished his shoulders slumped, weariness taking over his body.
'Aniki… what was the point of it all?' He muttered bitterly. Why did his clan have to die? Tou-san and Kaa-san, Shisui, all of them dead, only he had been spared.
Naruto's eyes saddened as he heard this. Sasuke and Itachi, they had loved each other so much, and in the end they had sacrificed everything for each other.
Sasuke shut his eyes as if he had heard Naruto's thoughts, his fists clenched on the table between them.
'I never accepted you as my brother all those years ago because I already had one. I thought I hated him, but I had hated what he had done, I'd hated that I didn't understand, and even when he was gone I never forgave him. Even now,' Sasuke paused.
'I can't forgive him, yet how do I go on living without him?'
'You're more than Itachi's little brother, Sasuke,' Naruto said quietly. 'It doesn't define who you are, that fan on your back.'
'The Uchiha is all I've ever known, Naruto,' Sasuke returned bitterly.
'No it isn't. You made a new family, right here in Konoha. Sakura, Kakashi and I, Team 7. We've always been your family, always stuck by you, even when you didn't want us to,' Naruto explained. Sasuke stared at him, incredulous.
'How can you say that?' He demanded. 'You've never had a family, they died when you were born. How could you possibly pretend that having a few teammates to watch your back is the same thing?'
'You're right,' Naruto allowed, inclining his head, 'but I did meet them, my parents.' His eyes became distant, thinking of those times he'd seen his father, and then his mother. 'They love me and they're proud of me, and I know now that they're watching over me.'
'That's not possible,' Sasuke frowned. 'They're dead.'
'It's complicated,' Naruto said, brushing that aside. 'The point is that I do know what family is. Team 7 taught me that, Iruka taught me that, this whole village taught me that. What do you think family is, anyway? People you don't choose, who care about you, who want to protect you, who would do anything for you.'
He caught Sasuke's gaze and held it, determination and love shining through.
'Your family is here. You don't have to forget your old family. They're a part of who you are, but you don't have to push us away anymore either. Just be Sasuke, that's all I've ever wanted from you,' Naruto said softly.
'I don't know if I can,' Sasuke said, dropping his gaze to stare at his hands. 'I don't remember who Sasuke is anymore.'
'I'll remind you, teme,' Naruto smirked. A ghost of a smile flitted over Sasuke's face, and Naruto grinned in return.
'Dobe.'
Enough.
Finally enough.