It was a mistake.

I tried to move my hand in the last second, but it all happened so fast. I couldn't stop myself. I delivered the fatal final blow to his heart, just when I realized what I was doing was so horribly wrong. I… I realized that this idiot meant so much more to me than revenge against my brother. He was the only one who truly understood me. The only one I could call my best friend. The one who I now realized I cared for more than just my best friend, and I can't just give that up for revenge.

But now, he's laying here in my arms losing consciousness, dying, because I didn't realize that in time.

"Sas…uke…" Naruto stared up at me. Light was fading from his eyes.

I stayed silent. I couldn't say anything. I could never say anything. I always made the wrong decisions, and now I'll be paying the price my whole life by doing so. I couldn't do anything but to acknowledge his last words. I locked my eyes with his to let him know I was listening.

"I… I always cared about you, Sasuke… I… I wanted to bring you home again. I just wanted things to be like they were, because without you… Nothing's the same. I… I wouldn't be the same without you. In that moment, right before our jutsus collided, and you did this… I realized something."

He reached for my hand, and I froze. When our hands interlocked, it was as if an electric current ran through my body. It felt nothing like chidori though, it was something much different. It made my heart beat faster. Don't tell me that he…

"Sasuke… I realized that you… More than anyone else… I love you." He smiled weakly, and I could feel strong emotions stir inside me. I could only feel pain and sadness. We… We realized at the exact same time, the exact same thing.

"Oi, Sasuke… I can tell from that look in your eyes how you feel. You don't have to say anything… But I just wanted to let you know that… Because this is the last time… I could be able to tell you that… I love you…" Naruto smiled as he managed to whisper those last words, and his bright blue eyes closed for the last time.

His hand loosened on mine. All expression left his face. His head fell to the side. I could feel it as his heart stopped beating. His tan skin was starting to turn pale, as all the heat left his body.

He was gone. Naruto was gone, and took the rest of my sanity with him. I was here holding on to a cold corpse of the only person that held any meaning to me, but I felt dead as well. For all I knew, I was just a living corpse now.

I trembled as I started to become overwhelmed with emotion. I clutched Naruto's corpse tightly against my chest as I started to shake and rock back and forth. Tears started streaming down my face just as it started to rain. I couldn't take it anymore. He was gone! He dreamed of being Hokage, and I destroyed it. I destroyed what could've been the greatest shinobi this world has ever seen. It was my fault. I should've never followed Itachi's orders. There could've been another way. No pain could compare to this. Not even the pain I felt when Itachi showed me how he killed my parents could compare. I killed him. I killed my other half. Thunder cracked as I screamed my sorrow throughout the valley.

It seemed like I stayed there for hours, crying and screaming while holding what was left of Naruto. The storm just got worse as my sadness intensified. Suddenly, I felt a familiar chakra signature heading our way. I couldn't let Kakashi find me. I glanced over at my fallen headband. Naruto's jutsu left a large gash in the middle of it. I had to leave this place quickly. I looked at Naruto, and slowly pressed my lips against his. They were so cold, but they felt just like him. I would give anything to know how this would have felt if he were alive. How it would have felt if he kissed me back.

I slowly laid him on the ground. Even though he was gone, it was still painful to part with what was left. I stood up and looked toward the heavens, and finally got the courage to say what I couldn't when he was alive.

"Naruto, I… I love you too."

I knew then what I had to do. I had to go to Orochimaru like how I originally planned. I had to get stronger. I had to become strong enough to kill Itachi, not only to avenge my clan, but also to avenge the death of Naruto. Itachi was the sole reason why he was dead. This pain I felt only turned into more hatred for Itachi.

As I was leaving the valley, I took one last look at Naruto, and then I turned to the enormous statues of two men. One of them I recognized to be Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, and the other I didn't know, but he looked oddly familiar in a way. They called this place The Valley of the End, and it's ironic because Naruto's life ended here, but in a way, mine did as well. The only purpose for my life now, was revenge. All other reason was lost here.

I turned away, and started walking slowly towards Orochimaru's hideout. I could feel my chakra flow getting stronger, but I felt stronger than I ever had before. I was nearing the lake that fed into the waterfall at the valley. I walked over to it, and splashed water on my face. I looked the same; nothing was different on the outside. For some reason I felt the urge to activate my sharingan, and when I looked into the water again, I was shocked.

My eyes were completely different. They were black with three red intercepting ellipses that somewhat seemed shaped like a flower. The grief and sorrow I felt over Naruto's death caused me to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"One day, when you have the same eyes as I do, come and stand before me!"

I jumped as Itachi's words from that fateful night invaded my mind. I finally had the same eyes as him. Did he go through as much pain as I have? It didn't seem likely. However, I wasn't strong enough to face him yet. I had to become stronger. This strength gave me more ambition than I had before.

With that, I set off once more towards Orochimaru's hideout.