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Remember, in this fic Sasuke NEVER left for Orochimaru, as far as we are concerned, he was never born and the third died of disease.

Time of dying

Sasuke laid on the ground, motionless but his eyes open and his body covered in injuries. He was dying, but he wasn't scared. He was content to die at that moment. He just killed his brother Itachi, while Itachi was attacking Konoha; in fact, Itachi came to Konoha in order to take Naruto to the Akatsuki and take the demon from his body, killing Naruto. Naruto. That's right. He protected Naruto by killing Itachi. Sasuke smiled bitterly. He could have married any girl in Konoha easily, but, Sasuke didn't swing that way. He realized a few years ago he loved Naruto.

He found out when they took the chunin exams again. Since no one but Shikamaru passed the first chunin exam, team seven took the exam again. While in the forest of death they had gotten in a fight with other ninjas over the scrolls. Team seven won, at the end of the battle having both scrolls. Naruto had been the most injured, and had passed out a little after they won. Still having two days to spare, Sasuke kept an eye on Naruto while Sakura left to find herbs. Naruto started having a nightmare, shouting out things like "NO! I- I'm not a demon! I-I-I'm not!" Sasuke felt bad for Naruto, and put his hand reassuringly on Naruto's forehead. Naruto slowly relaxed after that.

Sasuke started to wonder why he did that, then he thought about all the times he had saved Naruto, and how he would love to fight Naruto, not truly caring who would win. Then it hit him. The reason he thought about Naruto so much was because… was because he was in love with Naruto. Sasuke denied it for a year and a half, but had to admit it after his first dream about Naruto. In his dream he and Naruto were watching the stars, and then Sasuke turned to Naruto in the dream and told Naruto that he loved him. Naruto freaked out and was yelling at Sasuke about how weird that was in the dream. Sasuke woke up with tears in his eyes, no longer able to deny his feelings.

His feeling for Naruto… he couldn't die now! What the hell was he doing! Naruto may have went off on a journey with his sensei a little over two and a half years ago but that meant he would be back soon! He couldn't die peacefully, knowing that if he tired hard enough he could be with Naruto. No, he couldn't ever be with Naruto the way he wanted to be with him, after all, Naruto may not pester Sakura and ask her for a date every day anymore, but it doesn't seem like his feeling have changed.

Sasuke tried to sit up. Key word tried. He fell back, unable to move, not even an inch of energy left. He could hear a female voice shouting his name, but he was just so tired! Sasuke closed his eyes and drifted off into darkness.

Sakura ran to Sasuke.

"Damn it Sasuke! Stay awake!" Sakura shouted as she started to heal the boy. Sakura had finally realized years ago she didn't truly love the Uchiha the way she used to think she did. She realized that when she talked to Naruto years before.

"Sakura, do you really love Sasuke?" Naruto asked while waiting for Sasuke and Kakashi to show up at the bridge. Sakura looked shocked to say the least.

"Of course I do! I mean, he is hot, popular, and strong! How could I not love him?" Sakura asked as Naruto's normal smile turned to a frown.

"Sure, that's great and all, but what do you love about him? Y'know, his soul? Who he is," Naruto replied. Sakura thought about it. Is that really all she liked about Sasuke? Was her love really that shallow? No. She didn't really love him, Sakura finally realized. Did she even know anything about the real Sasuke? No, she didn't, Sasuke never let her into his life far enough. If anyone knew anything about the real Sasuke, it would probably be Naruto Sakura thought.

"I... I don't love him…" Sakura said, as the words came out of her mind, it seemed as if her soul was released from something. Before Naruto could reply Sasuke arrived and Kakashi soon followed.

Sakura picked up Sasuke's body and carried him to the hospital. As soon as she got him in, and Tsunade started checking up on Sasuke, Sakura started to think of Naruto. What would Naruto do if he had found Sasuke like that? It was only normal for her to think of that though, after all, she was the only person currently in Konoha who knew how Naruto felt about Sasuke. She learned about them two days before Naruto left with Jiraiya.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted at the boy sitting in Ichiraku. Naruto turned around and looked at Sakura. "I want to talk to you!" she said before dragging him away from the ramen shop, giving Naruto barely enough time to pay for his ramen.

"What is it Sakura?" the blond boy asked.

"Well… do you remember what we talked about last year? About Sasuke?" Sakura asked, noticing a slight flinch from the blond.

"Yeah, what about it?" Naruto replied.

"Well," Sakura blushed "I think there is someone else I have a crush on…. But I wanted to talk to you… to make sure this is serious… I feel so… so happy when he smiles at me, at first I didn't really like him at all. I thought he was a total weirdo and creeper. He asked me out on dates a lot when we were genin… and recently I agreed to go on a date with him if he would stop asking so much after... I loved it. He was so sweet and like a gentleman… the reason I want to know for sure is I-I don't want to suddenly realize I'm not in love with him and break his heart," Sakura turned brighter and brighter red as she spoke. Naruto smiled at her softly.

"You love him, you love him for sure. When you talked about Sasuke, you didn't get this happy, and you did definitely not blush as much as this. I hope you and your mystery crush get married happily someday." Naruto said with a bright smile. Sakura smiled a smile that could rival Naruto's in happiness level.

"Thank you… since you helped me with my love problems; I'm helping you with yours. Who do you like?' Sakura asked and Naruto's eyes widened.

"Wh-what makes you think I'm in love with someone?" Naruto asked trying, but failing, to recover from his shock.

"Naruto, to have talked to me about love like you did that long ago, and just now, you have to be in love with someone! Who is it? I won't tell I promise!" Sakura said eagerly, she did want to repay Naruto, but she was also very curious.

"I- I'm not telling!" Naruto shouted stubbornly.

"Come on! Tell me! I won't be mad, even if it's Ino-pig." Sakura replied.

"I don't really care for Ino Sakura, you know that." Naruto told the pink haired girl.

"Is it a girl? Like Hinata? Ohh! Is it a boy?" Sakura asked. She had recently seen a certain jutsu done by Konohamaru (1), and found out she liked yaoi. "Is it Sasuke?" Sakura asked, hoping she guessed right. She noticed Naruto turn slightly red and gasped. "Awww! You and Sasuke together is so predictable! After all, you are one of the few people who get him to stop acting so emo."

"Shhh! Sakura-Chan! Be quiet! Someone might hear!" Naruto said putting his finger to his lips.

"Oh calm down! He probably likes you too." Sakura said as if she knew all.

"No he doesn't, he wants to revive his clan, and unless being male isn't a hint, Sakura, I don't have a vagina, therefore I cannot bear children. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me if the bastard was asexual." Sakura sighed at her stubborn and unusually negative friend.

"Don't worry, if you are meant to be together, you will somehow, if you aren't you will fall in love with someone else eventually and Sasuke will use his asexual abilities like a plant and have his own Uchiha-man-babies, ok?" Sakura offered. Naruto laughed at the Sasuke comment.

"Ok Sakura, I guess I will have to believe you on the true love conquers all crap for now, night' "Naruto said.

"Just remember what I said~" Sakura said in a sing-song voice. "Goodnight Naruto" the two departed for the night to their houses to sleep.

Tsunade came out of Sasuke's hospital room and walked up to Sakura.

"He is stable right now, but he… he's in a coma." Tsunade said looking down. "He said one thing before he went completely into the coma,"

"What did he say?" Sakura asked, whatever Sasuke said just had to be important considering how much energy it would take out of him to even speak in his state.

"He said that he couldn't die because he had something to tell Naruto," Tsunade replied, "if you see Naruto, send him to Sasuke's room immediately, he may be the only one who can help now," Tsunade said solemnly then walked away.

A week later…

Sakura walked around the village, once again, not even a hint of Naruto around. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her.

"Sakura-Chan!" the voice shouted. Wait, Sakura knew that voice, Sakura quickly turned around and hugged Naruto.

"Wow Sakura, I didn't know you missed me that much," Naruto said jokingly. Sakura let go and looked at Naruto.

"Sasuke is in a coma. He killed Itachi but… well anyways, before he went into the coma he said he had something to tell you. Hospital room 735." Sakura barely had time to finish that before Naruto was gone. She saw Jiraiya walking towards her.

"Where did he disappear to already to so fast?" Jiraiya asked.

"Sasuke is in a coma-"

"Ah, so he's gone to see his crush" Jiraiya interrupted.

"He told you too?" Sakura asked.

"He didn't have to; I'm basically his grandfather after all."

SCENE CHANGE: Sasuke's hospital room

Naruto sat next to Sasuke who was in a hospital bed. Naruto held onto Sasuke's hand tightly. Naruto sighed; Tsunade said talking to Sasuke might help him wake up faster. Might as well try.

"Hey bastard, it's me, Naruto, or the dobe I guess haha. Amazing I haven't seen you in almost three years and the first time I get to see my rival is in a hospital bed, in a coma." Naruto sighed again.

"…"

"Geeze bastard, I wish you would wake up. I will kick your ass in the afterlife place if you don't make it through this,"

"…"

"Sakura said that you wanted to tell me something, well I want to tell you something too bastard so listen well. I've wanted to say this for a while to you; I wanted to say it way before I left on that journey with pervy-sage. Sasuke I- I love you," Naruto turned slightly pink.

"Y'know dobe, you are very hostile towards a person in a coma, specifically, me." Sasuke said with a smirk and one eye open. Naruto gasped.

"You bastard! You scared the shit out of me!" Naruto said than wacked Sasuke upside his bandaged head.

"Ow. See what I said? Hostile." Sasuke told Naruto, slowly sitting up.

"When the hell did you wake up?" Naruto asked panicked, very worried Sasuke heard his confession and will reject him.

"When you grabbed my hand." Sasuke replied calmly.

"So… did you hear what I said? Everything?" Naruto asked slowly. Sasuke nodded slowly.

"So you love me?" Sasuke asked. Naruto turned slightly pink again, and nodded.

"Good, I love you too Naruto." A very small smile came across Sasuke's face. Sasuke leaned in and kissed Naruto softly and lovingly on the forehead and pulled Naruto into the bed with him. Sasuke laid back down and fell asleep with his Naruto asleep on his chest.

Who knows? Maybe the 'true love conquers all' isn't as much of a load of bull as it seemed?

(1) If you are curious about this jutsu, go to Naruto manga chapter 347 page 10.

Nanami: I understand if you are one of my regular readers, you are probably like "You worked on THIS while you could have been writing us a new chapter? Really Nanami? REALLY?" well I know this isn't my best work, in fact I haven't read this one nearly as much as I have read the other ones before I posted, but I figure I did my best. Please review.

Inspired by the song time of dying by three days grace