Disclaimer: If I'd own Naruto I would be a very happy man, but that's never going to happen.

Sasuke was broken both in the inside and the outside. He witnessed horrible things that no child should, experienced hatred at such a young age, and betrayed Konoha by leaving to get power from the traitor Orochimaru. He tried to break all his connections to this past in an attempt to make people forget about him. But, why did that 'dead last' went to stop him? Why would he care about Sasuke when he tried to cut him off, when he tried to pour hatred into his heart?

They'd fought a tough battle, Naruto laid in the ground, unconscious from the fight, Sasuke was standing, victorious and with complete control over what would happen to Naruto next.

He just stood there for a few long seconds before collapsing and grunting in pain. Stopping his fall with his right arm, his head was now right above Naruto's. His headband, already loose from the battle, collapsed to the ground beside the Kyubi's Jinchuuriki and the Uchiha. He remained there and evaluated his options. If he went to Orochimaru, he'd get the power he needed to kill Itachi and fulfill his goal. But Sasuke knew this'd mark him as a missing-nin and he'd now be targeted by the leaf, leaving out the option to go back to his home and living with everybody he cared about. He was willing to make this sacrifice, to achieve his goal and spill his brother's blood, avenging his clan. His sheer determination to complete that goal was what made him get stronger, and when Itachi blocked his most powerful jutsu with just one hand during their previous encounter, Sasuke knew he'd need to go with people considered evil, unholy, just like Orochimaru to be able to get as powerful as Itachi. He knew this would lead to a life filled with hatred from others and from yourself, excluding all emotions but anger and hatred. This was the path Sasuke would take.

But, even though that was his destiny, he also knew he'd enjoy life if he stayed with the hyperactive and unpredictable blonde shinobi, the pink-haired kunoichi and the silver-haired jounin. Those three were his home even if he didn't want that, they were the first ones to support him and help him, so those were the bonds Sasuke considered hardest breaking. But, he had to yet break them, they didn't allow him to and even Naruto went to stop him, making it all harder on Sasuke.

So he kneeled there, hesitating. Would he kill Naruto to strengthen his hatred and break his bond with Naruto by killing him, or would he let the one that meant most to him and was at the same time his rival survive? He allowed himself to spare his life, and himself, by not ending Naruto's life. So he gathered all the strength he could muster and stood up, walking towards the forest, leaving everything behind, he left to be filled with hatred and a tear fell from someone's eye, but Sasuke didn't notice it, or refused to believe he did.

Naruto! Thought Kakashi, concerned about the shinobi that laid in front of him, unconscious. He placed Naruto's arms around his neck and held his legs with his hands, enabling Kakashi to carry Naruto to the hospital. He'd already passed through the others battlefields, but, excluding Gara's and Lee's fight with Kimimaro, this battlefield was the one that shocked him the most when he found it.

He went through the forest in a flash and arrived at the hospital with the injured Naruto on his back. His student was taken from him by the hospital's personnel. When Kakashi tried to go with Naruto, the doctors stopped him.

"You can't do this! I have the right to be with him, he's my student and I refuse to leave his side when he needs me!" demanded Kakashi, voiced filled with anger and concern as they took Naruto further away from him.

"I'm sorry sir, you can't do that. You'd only be in the way and slow us down, meaning that if he has a severe wound, you would make it much harder for us to heal him." replied the medical-nin that was already familiar with these type of arguments.

Kakashi, realizing that what the medical-nin, gave an intense stare to the medical-non and accidentally released a bit of killing intent, making several shinobi turned their eyes to him, willing to stop him. Unfazed by the several shinobis that were looking at him and the medical-nin's scared expression, Kakashi continued to pour killing intent out of him and only stopped and his anger faded away almost immediately when he heard that voice.

"Kakashi-sensei..." said Sakura with a few sobs and a voice that was somewhat quiet. "Is Naruto alr-"

"He's okay Sakura, in fact, he's being taken care of right now. But he was injured from his fight" Kakashi said, interrupting and turning to her, kneeling down in front of her and putting his hand on the sad girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry I couldn't arrive to him in time. Sasuke... he left." he said, his gaze absently staring to the ground, feeling too guilty and useless to look her in the eye.

Sakura immediately hugged her sensei after he said this. Kakashi, taken aback by this for a moment, returned the hug and the two held in a tight embrace, comforting each other. "You don't have anything to apologize for sensei, if I hadn't encouraged Naruto and intend stopped him none of this would've happened and he'd be alright!" exclaimed Sakura, saying what she'd been thinking about since Naruto left to find Sasuke. "He would have still gone you know, and no matter what you did, you wouldn't have had been able to stop him. Sasuke is precious to him and Naruto isn't someone that ignores when someone dear to him need help." answered Kakashi, trying to make her not feel guilty.

Sakura's response was only a tighter grip around Kakashi. She must be feeling horrible. Sakura thinks all of this is her fault because she failed when she tried to stop Sasuke. Kakashi thought.

"Thank you sensei..." said Sakura. "You don't have anything to thank me for. You guys are family to me and I'll never leave you when you need me." answered Kakashi. I wonder if the same goes for Sasuke. Sakura thought, avoiding herself from saying this out loud. Almost as if Kakashi could hear her thoughts, he said "I'll even personally find Sasuke and beat some sense into him or drag him to Konoha. I was once like him, filled with anger, but now I've got you, and you all helped me to erase the remaining anger, I know what he's going through and I happen to know what he needs to get rid of his hatred."

Both shinobi found a bench and stayed up as much time as they could, feeling a sense of commitment towards Naruto, if he went through all of that, why shouldn't we do everything we can, even if it isn't helpful. Both of them thought. But they ended up falling asleep, Sakura using Kakashi's shoulder to support her head and Kakashi's head supported against the wall and a very suspicious, unopened book on his lap.

AU: Hello guys! I want to thank you all for reading, if you reached this point that is. This is my first fanfic and I'd like to know if I made a good job. If the reviews are good, I may even write my first multi-chapter fanfic. Please review this story.

Btw, some cannon events in Naruto might be considered, ignored or changed.