They fought their battle through forests, valleys and plains. Neither of them wanted to pull back; neither of them could give up. The time had lost its meaning, and the world had ceased existing. Only two pairs of the eyes still remained: a bright one, radiating light, and a dark one, reflecting that light.
Finally, they were only left strength for one last attack. They jumped up to meet in the mid-air - like that time during their previous battle, that neither of them had forgotten. That time was supposed to end everything, but the end was only approaching now.
"Chidori!"
Rasengan?
He thought he could hear it - only he hadn't. The moment a blade of his hand pierced Naruto's chest, he felt arms closing around him.
Then they fell.
They kept falling. The world no longer existed, so they couldn't really fall down. But even this not-world seemed deprived of any sense. Why...?
"Why...? Why haven't you blocked it? Why haven't you protected yourself?"
"I couldn't embrace you then."
He tried to break free, wanted to scream, but the arms were holding him tight. They were falling, and with every second something was dying within him. He had thought he'd been prepared... He had believed it was what he'd wanted... And now the only thing he was aware of was that he had once again bereaved himself of a dear person.
"Shh... I won't die."
He froze. They finally fell down - but they... wouldn't die? The world had ceased existing, but now his whole world was those arms around him and the strong heart-beat he could hear in the chest below.
Someone had defined his world. Someone was stronger than anything.
Someone.
Naruto.
And suddenly he realized he was giving up fight and anger, giving up revenge and destruction. Everything disappeared. His sword lay far, beyond his grasp - and beyond his will. He pressed closer, wishing to fuse with Naruto and never leave. He felt like home.
"Welcome back, Sasuke."
The sweetness of that happy voice created the world anew. He closed his eyes. The arms held him tighter, as it they were going to never let him out.
Any resistance had no point. He didn't really want to resist.
"... I'm back."