His Last Sonnet

AndirooSAYS (Formerly Rikkii-seme)

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art! -
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night,
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature's patient sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors -
No -yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever -or else swoon to death.

"His Last Sonnet" – John Keats

The numbers tumbled around Uzumaki Naruto, melding with his thoughts as the magnitude of his final battle drew in about his ears. Three years he had tracked Sasuke, and successfully brought the Uchiha home to Konoha; away from the malignant clutches of sannin Orochimaru.

Two years the peace lasted, before the Uchiha had snapped, fleeing tail-tucked to the Great Snake.

Five to the day Sasuke had relented and become the shell for the Snake Sannin, relinquishing his body for pure power.

And on this Day of all Days, it would be a long and tedious six years he chased the vessel of Orochimaru.

And nine to the day Naruto learned teamwork with his teammates that fateful day under Kakashi-sensei's tutelage.

The blood and chakra of the Kyuubi no Youko rose to the demands of this last match, surging palpably beneath the surface of his well-tanned flesh as the newly-made jounin darted through the dense forest of Konoha. Eyes that were an easy-going cerulean blue had bled to enraged and vengeful crimson, black pupils slit catlike.

That disgusting chakra began to unfurl to left, almost reaching out to the village dead-last with a surreal white fist. He darted accordingly from tree branch to tree branch, his whole world an angry blur. At last, after what seemed to be an eternity, the Kyuubi no Youko encroached upon the not-so-hidden sanctuary of the Great Snake, Orochimaru.

And Sasuke, Naruto reminded the fox, who grumbled in agreement; albeit reluctantly.

"I knew you'd come, Naruto-kun. Such a gullible, foolish little boy. Out playing ninja in a futile attempt to save his bestest friend from the big, bad snake." Orochimaru's words dripped with venom, and the boy didn't doubt for a second that the Sannin could indeed leak poison from his fangs.

The blonde swallowed a snarl before replying, "You promised, Snake-bastard. You swore you'd let Sasuke go this time." His hands curled tightly into fists, the elongated claws easily drawing blood from his palms.

Orochimaru laughed inside Sasuke's body, a high, malevolent sound; the effect akin to nails across a chalkboard.

"Silly fox. I promised last year…and the year before that…and the year before that. Do you not see? I do not wish to hand over this body. Credulous fool, trusting a snake," Sasuke's voice was colder than it had ever been when Sasuke himself had been in control. Shivers itched to tap-dance up and down Naruto's back, but the Kyuubi squandered them with his massive chakra.

He ground his fangs in agitation. "Don't think for an instant that I wasn't aware that you aren't to be trusted, Orochimaru. I've known all along."

"Then why persist? Why even try, Naruto-kun? I defeat you easily every time you attempt to separate my soul from this body…" Sasuke's thin lips curled into a sneer.

"Have you figured it out yet, Naruto-kun?" the snake queried, slithering closer with boneless grace, his black eyes glittering like those of a viper's.

The blonde remained silent, seething silently as the snake ventured nearer to Naruto. Dangerously close, the fox growled, the threat of Orochimaru seeming to sink into the demon's mind.

"I'll take that as a no," Sasuke simpered, curling a thin hand around Naruto's shoulder, the opposite cupping his neck with splayed fingers that were shockingly cool to the touch.

"I'll tell you then, my dear Naruto-kun." Orochimaru began, leaning to whisper in Naruto's right ear, his breath surprisingly hot on his exposed flesh.

"The reason I've allowed you to come and play every anniversary of my taking of Sasuke-kun's body…is because…" he paused, leisurely lapping just below the jounin's ear, smirking at Naruto's reactive tremor. "It's because I want him to destroy you."

Scarlet eyes widened in astonishment. "No…"

"Oh yes, my dear boy. I want this body to kill you, Sasuke-kun's best friend…and lover…" Naruto's infuriated glare locked with Orochimaru's glee-filled orbs.

"Don't look so surprised, Naruto-kun. When Sasuke-kun permitted me to take his body, I was presented with so many memories. So imagine my own surprise when I discovered that sexy little Sasuke, the high-and-mighty heir of the Uchiha clan, was in love with you. The village dead-last. A nobody from nowhere, with no family and no friends." Orochimaru stroked his index finger along Naruto's jaw. "And once we kill you, I can achieve the Mangekyou Sharingan…Imagine the power, Naruto-kun…"

"Bastard!" The Kyuubi finally melded with Naruto's chakra in a blinding burst of power that sent even the Snake stumbling backwards.

"I'll kill you!" Naruto bellowed; his voice guttural and filled with pure and single-minded hatred for the monster that had taken away his best friend.

"Will you now? Let's just see you try…" Orochimaru purred in Sasuke's voice.

And just as swiftly as the battle began, it had ended.

Naruto was hunched in a bestial stance, his right arm gloved in thick red blood and bits of flesh.

Sasuke's body lay prone several feet away, the arterial spray sending a fine mist of blood into the air.

"…Naruto…" Sasuke's lips moved sluggishly, the muscles in his left cheek jerking spasmodically as he mumbled.

The blonde let out a dry sob, and crawled to Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" His tears dotted the Uchiha's pale flesh, mixing with the blood already present; slow streaks of pink down his high cheekbone.

"It's…okay…" Sasuke let out a sputtering cough as the blood continued to flow. "I'm…free now…" he continued, his words slurring with the blood loss.

Naruto gently cupped the raven-haired jounin's chin in one bloody hand, pressing his cheek to Sasuke's. "I know. I know," the blonde said softly, his tears flowing as freely as the blood.

"Tell Sakura…not to cry…anymore…"

Naruto choked on a sob. "I…I will."

"Tell everyone…that he can't hurt…them ever again…"

The jinchuuriki nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"And you…usuratonkachi, I'll see you…on the other side…" Sasuke gave a final, shuddering breath, and expired.

"It's a promise…Sasuke-bastard…" Naruto mumbled against the slack cheek of his former teammate. "A promise…" he repeated, before he allowed himself to break down properly.

At Sasuke's funeral, nearly the whole of Konoha had turned out to see the Uchiha heir off to the next world; though Naruto secretly felt only a handful of those attending were really there for Sasuke, and that the majority of Konoha still hated him for joining with Orochimaru.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Afterwards, Konoha had begun to lapse back into a guise of normalcy when the actually half-expected occurred.

Naruto had been killed on an S-Class mission, where he had faced down the Akatsuki a final time.

Of course, the accident-prone jounin had managed to take out the final Uchiha with him in a violent blaze of glory.

Most villagers said that Naruto had allowed himself to die then, having completed Sasuke's mission. And others still agree that the blonde prankster merely executed the Uchiha, and then taken his own life in atonement for finishing Sasuke's dream for him.

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Author's Note- -waves- Hi, I'm AndirooSAYS! Also known as Rikkii-seme, I've changed my name out of boredom. . And this is my first Naruto fanfiction here with and despite the death-ness, I hope you enjoyed my work…And I do love feedback, like any author would. So click the little 'review' button and give your seme some luff. –wink- Til next time,

AndirooSAYS