Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto-sensei is way awesomer than me and is the genius behind the amazing blonde Naruto; I am merely here to torture his characters. Literally, this fanfic is freaking depressing; it's bursting with original Neji-level angst!

A/N: Yeah so happy Valentine's day, I give you angst to the extreme and gay ninjas.

Yes, the title was inspired by the song from Death Cab For Cutie. I lurb it.

So this is something I could potentially see happening in the end of the series, but I think I'll need a doctor if this legitimately happens 'cause I would probably be sent into a stage of withdrawal. Is anyone else freaking terrified about how Naruto's gonna end? I'm freaking out! ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN!

Ahem, anyways I hope you all cry when you read this- I mean enjoy the story. Please be kind and review, even if you end up in a teary mess of goo HOLYJIZZ THAT RHYMED.

I Will Follow You into the Dark

"Ancient language

Speak through fingers

The awful edges where you end and I begin

Inside your mouth I cannot see

There's catastrophe in everything I'm touching

As I sweat and crush you

And I hold your beating chambers until they beat no more

You die like angels sing

The horror of our love

Never so much blood pulled through my veins

The horror of our love

Never so much blood."

-Ludo

"Why won't you just give up?" Sasuke shouted angrily through the rain pelting down from the sky. "Why would you choose to be another one of my victims? You know how this is going to end!"

Naruto stared back at Sasuke, his cerulean eyes dancing with a swirl of emotions. Frustration, pain, anger, longing, love, and determination lingered plainly in that beautiful blue that Sasuke still loved so much, despite his open display of hatred.

"You already know the answer to that, so why bother asking!" Naruto yelled back, his face starting to crumple in pain, his emotional-control slipping fast. "I'll never give up on you, Sasuke, when will you understand that? And I'm not another victim; I chose this path knowing full well that we might end up killing each other!"

The sky roared angrily in emphasis, thunder shaking the war-torn soil beneath them. The Earth was unrecognizable; a bloodbath combined with mud, bodies, and other filth rather than a smooth, flat plain of grass. Naruto and Sasuke were in a more private area, where they could battle it out without any other casualties. The other shinobi were a safe distance away, though safe was hardly the word for it as they were fighting in the real war, while Sasuke and Naruto settled their own dispute. It had been a cruel twist of fate that they had met each other again on the battlefield.

Sasuke glared openly at Naruto, his obsidian eyes hard and piercing, devoid of any visible emotions. He impatiently wiped a glob of blood oozing down his right cheek from a cut he had received from Naruto's kunai.

"You really are an idiot," Sasuke spat, a frightening laugh escaping his lips in empty humour. "You should have just let me go, at least maybe then you would've lived to fulfill your dream." His hand crackled with the forming Chidori, causing Naruto to take a step back. He clutched his shoulder where Sasuke's razor-sharp katana had sliced him; his vision blurring as his bare fingers touched the exposed, bleeding tissues between the gash. Naruto shook his head, water flying from the ends of his blonde hair as he forced himself to concentrate. He thrust out his hand and began to focus his chakra in order to make another Rasengan. His chakra level was diminishing rapidly, as he had already used Sage Mode to take out a large amount of enemy shinobi on the official battlefield before he and Sasuke had left. Not to mention the sheer amount of shadow clones he had used to help Sakura fend off two Akatsuki members.

Sasuke was running low on chakra as well. He couldn't use any of his Sharingan techniques since he had already over-used his eyes today, and his vision was no longer crystal-clear. And with the rain soaking him and Naruto to the bone, fire-style jutsu was out of the question. Luckily for him, water conducted electricity.

The eternal rivals gazed at each other for a long moment, eyes boring into the other's soul. And then they sprinted forward to deliver what could very likely be the final blow. Their footsteps echoed loudly through the filthy puddles; their sandals slapping harshly against the blood-soaked earth. No words were spoken as they clashed for what felt like the millionth time, the attacks so powerful and evenly matched that they cancelled each other out like always. Blue and black eyes flashed with brief anguish, alive with memories of love and happiness spent together during better days; days that were long gone now and were unlikely to ever return again.

The explosion threw both of them back a few feet, each boy skidding across the mud but still managing to stay on their feet. Naruto had just barely caught his breath when his air supply was very suddenly and briefly cut off. His body froze, slowly turning numb and heavy from a stinging pain somewhere in his torso. He let his eyes slowly glance down at his body, but was too dazed to react to the long, crackling blade poking through his chest. Blood dropped down in globs, looking strangely chunky as it mixed with the soaked dirt beneath their feet. A harsh twist of the blade caused Naruto's vision to flicker black for a moment, and as the electrified katana was brutally ripped out of him, he could feel his insides mangling and bursting from the blow. His heartbeat sounded wet and shallow in his ears, blood pumping out of the stab-wound every time he took a laboured breath. Naruto coughed, more blood trickling down his chin as he slowly sank to his knees. Sasuke's hand shook slightly as he slid the blood-stained katana back into its sheath. He had actually done it; Naruto was going to die.

Naruto's sky blue eyes were wide and slightly glazed over already as he collapsed forward into the mud, his cheek pressing against a drenched patch of grass. I guess this is the end...

Sasuke's hands were shaking uncontrollably now, and he was staring down at them like he wanted to rip them off and throw them away. The pale fingers were stained with Naruto's blood. Sasuke's obsidian eyes were impossibly wide, brimming with hated tears as he realized what had just happened.

"What have I done?" Sasuke asked himself, voice trembling like a child's. He flinched as Naruto coughed painfully again, blood spurting grotesquely from his wounds. Sasuke fell onto his hands and knees, and retched. He was absolutely disgusted with himself, and horrified at what he had done. And the worst part was that he couldn't take it back; Naruto really was going to die. The Chidori in his blade had effectively slowed Naruto's incredible healing abilities, leaving no chance for survival.

"Sasuke," Naruto rasped, immediately catching the raven's attention again. Sasuke crawled over to Naruto, and gently turned him onto his back. His trademark orange and black jacket was torn and open, revealing an equally destroyed fishnet shirt and the gaping wound in his chest. Tsunade's necklace still hung loyally around his neck, a few flecks of blood staining the jade crystal, and Naruto's Leaf headband had fallen somewhere in the mud. Sasuke cradled him gently in his lap, biting his lower lip to keep himself from sobbing.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" Naruto began weakly. "I told you... that my dream isn't possible…without you..." Sasuke hiccupped as tears poured from his eyes, and he clutched the blonde tighter.

"You moron..." Sasuke choked out between sobs. "You stupid, foolish idiot! You should've done what everyone else did and gave up on me! Just hate me already, I can't stand it anymore!" Naruto let out a painful sigh, and nuzzled his head into Sasuke's chest, the white fabric covered in dirt and blood.

"How could I ever hate you..." Naruto murmured in a slightly defiant tone. He reached up a limp, tanned hand to brush Sasuke's black fringe away from his eyes, and peered determinedly at his rival. "You're the idiot, Sasuke. I've always loved you. I wouldn't be lying here if I didn't, bastard." Sasuke temporarily froze, but for some reason he wasn't all that surprised. Maybe he had always known the truth deep in his heart, but it had been buried along with the rest of his human emotions. He tenderly pressed his forehead to Naruto's, and closed his eyes as more tears escaped.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered in anguish, regret coating his quivering voice. A small, sad smile formed on Naruto's tired face, and he pressed his palm lightly to Sasuke's tear-stained, ivory cheek. The raven slowly opened his eyes and stared back at Naruto, their eyes making their emotions vulnerable to each other. Sasuke's mask was long gone, as watching Naruto dying seemed to wake the Uchiha up and make him realize that he had been wrong. Nothing was worth watching the person he loved most die right in front of his eyes.

"This reminds me... of that day in the Land of Waves..." Naruto said softly. "But instead, I was holding you as you died..." Sasuke held Naruto closer to himself, and let out a strangled cry of anguish as lightning briefly illuminated the area. But this time, you really are going to die... there's nothing I can do now... Sasuke thought helplessly.

"This is... all my fault!" Sasuke's shoulders shook as he broke down, agonizing sobs wracking through his body as he buried his pain-stricken face in Naruto's neck. Naruto wrapped his arms around the sobbing Uchiha, and started to pull Sasuke onto his lap. Sasuke glanced up in slight confusion, his legs now straddling Naruto to the ground, as the blonde tugged on the blue fabric wrapped about his waist. Sasuke was too surprised to react when Naruto suddenly pressed their lips together. They separated after a short moment, where they simply just stared at each other. When Sasuke finally got his bearings, he leaned down hesitantly and pressed his lips back to Naruto's, physically needing to be close to the blonde, if only for a moment. The kisses were soft and chaste, as Sasuke was afraid of injuring Naruto further. But that's not what the blonde wanted, despite the fact that he was dying. And maybe that's why; these would be their last moments together.

Naruto yanked Sasuke down so that the full length of their bodies were touching and kissed him fiercely, a guttural growl escaping from his throat. He didn't hesitate as he slipped his tongue into Sasuke's mouth, marveling at the taste that quickly became an addiction. Sasuke kissed back, opening his mouth wider to allow Naruto's tongue to explore while he slipped his own tongue into Naruto's warm mouth. He twisted his hands into Naruto's wet, blonde hair, as their tongues tangled and molded together almost as if they wanted to become one. Naruto wrapped his arms tightly around Sasuke's slender waist; their body heat making them almost oblivious to the rain still crashing around them. Hands found their way under soaked fabric, sliding gently over smooth, wet skin, caressing each other intimately. They kissed every inch of skin exposed to the biting wind in a strange act of worship and reverence, clinging to each other like blood on snow. Tears continued to fall from Sasuke's eyes, Naruto wiping each one away with a sweet kiss which only succeeded in making Sasuke even more emotionally distraught, resulting in more tears.

They kissed passionately for what seemed like an eternity, blood squirting up from Naruto's chest wound as Sasuke held him. Sasuke flinched back as the rusty taste of blood suddenly invaded his mouth through their kiss, and he gazed down at Naruto painfully.

The blonde suddenly turned his head and coughed violently, blood splattering over his torn sleeve. His beautiful blue eyes were looking more and more glazed, getting duller every minute as Naruto's heart struggled to keep him alive.

Sasuke let one final, single tear fall before making his decision. He calmly reached into Naruto's pack of ninja tools and pulled out one of the blonde's kunai. He slowly lifted the small, black blade so that it was pointed directly towards his own heart. Naruto's eyes widened slightly in horror, and weakly grabbed Sasuke's wrist.

"Sasuke, what're you doing?" he asked wearily even though he already knew the answer, his face panic-stricken. Sasuke just stared at him, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in horror. "You can't! No! I won't let you!" Sasuke gently pushed Naruto's hand away and tried to smile, but it turned out as more of a grimace.

"You can't stop me, Naruto," Sasuke murmured, a note of finality in his tone. There was no changing the Uchiha's mind. "I can't live without you; you were all I had left." Time seemed to stop as Sasuke plunged the razor-sharp weapon deep into his chest, the only sound that could be heard over the pounding rain Naruto's voice as he shrieked out Sasuke's name. Blood exploded from Sasuke's chest, as he ripped the kunai harshly out of the wound, tossing it aside. He intertwined a hand with Naruto's, squeezing painfully hard so that blood ran through their fingers.

"Why the hell would you do that!" Naruto shouted angrily, tears falling from his anguished blue eyes. Sasuke took a deep, laboured breath, and coughed slightly, blood trickling down his chin.

"You followed me into the dark... and now, I'm going to follow you," Sasuke whispered, his eyes liquid black with emotion. "We can't be apart... not anymore." He coughed again and collapsed onto Naruto's chest. Naruto wrapped his free hand around the Uchiha's slender waist, and gazed down at the spiky back of Sasuke's blue-black hair.

"Even now you don't listen to me... you're such a bastard," Naruto spoke gently, his voice filled with a mix of affection and sorrow.

Sasuke chuckled, and raised himself up a bit to rest his forehead against his best friend's. He tangled his spare hand in Naruto's soft, drenched blonde tresses, the other still intertwined with Naruto's. They gazed at each other, their eyes filled with love, relief, and freedom. The fighting was finally over, and they could be together in peace.

Naruto leaned up and pressed their lips together in a warm, chaste kiss. When they separated, Sasuke snuggled into the crook of Naruto's neck; and they laid their like that, waiting for death to steal them away in their embrace.

"Naruto..." Sasuke murmured reverently.

"Sasuke..." Naruto replied softly. The words 'I love you' were not exchanged, because they both already knew. They always knew. He hugged the Uchiha tighter, disentangling their hands so that he could pull him closer. Sasuke sighed quietly, feeling at peace with Naruto holding him so tenderly, like he was the most precious thing in the world.

Their final breaths were not heard through the sound of heavy rain and thunder, and war raging in the distance. And as their spirits left their bodies, they journeyed into the unknown hand-in-hand, together. Never to be separated again.

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The End.