Title: Words Unspoken
Series: Naruto
Rating: T
Genres: Drama, sorta-angstishness, romance
Warnings: Fluff, shounen-ai, uhh, some swearing I think... I don't remember. xD;;

DHC: Jeez, I just had to go and break my only rule. Never write a SasuNaru rofl. Oh, well. I blame my cousin, she made me. -flails- ...That said, I hope this isn't too...ick. LOL

"Dobe, you're going to kill yourself..." Sasuke whispered to the passed out blond; four years had past and still, that damn idiot continued to surprise him. Sasuke had mistakenly challenged the blond, and Naruto had once again proven to him that he could.

Naruto sat on the ground, hands clasped tightly in the meditative seal, sweat was pouring down his brow, his expression kept twisting from a concentrated one to a pained one.

"I can do it," He kept whispering to himself, getting louder and louder each mantra.

"As if you actually can. You're just a failure, brat." The Kyuubi mocked, snorting from his cage.

"Shut up, fox... I'll destroy you yet. Look at you, you're skin and bones as it is, you don't have any chakra left. How much more can you take? An hour? A day? A month? I can keep going for as long as you can, you damned thing!" Naruto replied.

He was in his mindscape; Sasuke had told him he would never amount to anything before, but... But this was different. This was more than that. To have said such a thing...

"You're worthless, idiot. Can't you see by now that you're only as good as you are because of that demon? If you didn't have it, you wouldn't be anything."

He set his mind to destroying the Kyuubi.

"I can do it..." He said again.

"Just remember, brat. Even if I die, you'll still be cursed. And besides," The beast sniffed arrogantly. "You may just die, too."

"I'll take that risk." Naruto replied solemnly. "Because I will prove to that bastard yet that I am something; I will make him recognize me!"

The intense glow of chakra that had been amassing around Naruto slowly grew brighter as he put all of his determination and concentration behind draining the Nine Tails of its lifeforce. The fox let out a pained roar, snarling and baring its fangs. It thrashed against the cage, but it was useless because of the seal binding him there.

Their inward battle continued for several more hours, becoming more and more laboured with every moment that past. Sasuke entered the sealing room of the Hokage's manse to find Naruto there in a near comatose like state, his hands were still stuck in that position, chakra was still swirling around him and he was still muttering to himself.

"I'll kill you," He whispered, his expression pained, there was a puddle of sweat around him that he was drenched in. He had noticeable scratch marks along his body as if he had truly been in a battle, he was bleeding, and Sasuke finally realized just what Naruto was doing.

"Y-you idiot!" He cursed as he tried to wake the blond up.

However at the touch, the blond only flinched away as if he were struck and when Sasuke pulled his hand back, it was drenched in blood. The chakra swirling around him had seared them both. It was only then that he realized the deep gashes and wounds were not inflicted by the Kyuubi, but by the Kyuubi's chakra. The idiot was syphoning all of its lifeforce out!

He looked at how extensive the damage was, Naruto's body was covered everywhere with lines and gashes, open wounds bleeding out with the sweat because his body could not handle taking so much chakra at once.

"I will kill you, Kyuubi..." Naruto mumbled, bringing Sasuke's attention back to him. "I will prove that I am more than just a Jinchuuriki, I don't need you, or your power... You will die!"

At that moment, Sasuke was blown back as a gale of chakra burst from Naruto, making the blond give out a scream.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out.

Inside of his mind, the Kyuubi and Naruto were pressed against the bars of the cage, staring one another down in the eyes. Neither were willing to give up their claim to existence, both were on the brink of dying, and neither were willing to give this fight up.

"Give it up, brat. You're all talk. You're at your limit, how do you think you'll survive without me? You'll be just a normal, regular mortal; I'm the one that's kept you alive all of these years! You should be groveling to me, begging me not to end your life now!" The beast roared.

Naruto grit his teeth even further. "Not a chance, bastard. So what if I'll be 'normal'? I never asked to be a Jinchuuriki in the first place. I never asked to be special. You only kept me alive because you're a coward who is scared to die! You just didn't want to accept the fact that if I died, your measly, pathetic existence within me would end, too!"

Naruto forced his hand through the cage. By now, the Fox's power had shrunk so far, that the Kyuubi was now only as big as a medium sized dog. He seized the Fox by the throat and began to squeeze, his hands immediately began to bleed and burn from the chakra bursts the demon kept giving off, but he refused to let go.

"I won't give up! You will die!" He screamed. The Kyuubi's tails thrashed before its head twisted and its sharp fangs sank into Naruto's arm, locking its jaw, snarling loudly. Once again, they began to try and syphon the life from one another.

Sasuke watched as Naruto's body convulsed and twisted grotesquely, screaming out as new tear-marks across his skin opened and some of the other wounds widened. "Naruto!" He called out.

Naruto looked the beast dead in the eye, pulling the Kyuubi flush up against the bars. One of his cheeky grins formed on his face, though it was laced with pain. "Looks like I win, fox." He whispered.

The Nine Tails thrashed again, glaring back into the others eyes, snarling again. "You fool, you've not won!"

"But I have," Naruto said with a large smile. "Don't you see?"

When the Kyuubi moved its eyes, Naruto's other hand tore open the seal on the cage.

"NO!" The Kyuubi roared.

The bars immediately flung open, flinging Naruto back, and the Kyuubi let out a loud, shrill howl as his metaphysical body was forced out through the cage forcefully, straight out into the pure plane of Naruto's mind.

"You're in my body, Kyuubi. My mind, and you just stepped into the threshold of mortality." Before the Fox had a chance to recover, Naruto had a large Rasengan formed in his hand and slammed it into the Fox's throat again, other hand grabbing the base of the demon's tails.

"You're out of power, out of your safety net, and I'm going to finish you!"

The Nine Tails didn't even have a chance to respond as all of the lifeforce completely drained out of its body, the Demon's body growing dark, before disappearing in a smoke of ash.

Naruto crashed down to the ground, panting heavily. He began laughing hysterically, unable to contain his emotions any longer. Tears began to fall, he pounded his bleeding and broken fists against the ground, and screamed.

"Naruto..." He looked up to see his father, the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze, Minato standing there with a proud smile upon his face.

Naruto stood, slowly limping over to the man, managing to smile through his mixed emotions.

"You've done it," Minato said softly. "You did what I failed to. I'm proud of you." He pulled his son close and put his arms around him carefully.

"Thanks, tou-san..." Naruto murmured, falling against the man and allowed himself the moment to register everything that just happened, what it meant, and what would happen now.

"I can't stay long, now that the Kyuubi's chakra is completely melding into yours since his lifeforce has faded, but I just wanted to tell you that you've done something that no other mortal, or Jinchuuriki, has ever done. You've defeated your own demon. You've accomplished the near impossible."

Naruto let out a loud sigh. "It won't mean anything unless Sasuke acknowledges me. I could kill a thousand Kyuubi's and it wont mean anything to me. I won't give up, I wont stop until he acknowledges me!"

Minato was silent for a long moment, before he smiled. "Sou ne."

"Hai."

Minato pulled away slowly. "Whether it means to you or not, Sasuke would be a fool to not recognize you now," He said softly.

"Oh, you don't know him. I could probably have gone right up to Orochimaru, kicked him in the balls, and come back alive and he still wouldn't acknowledge me. He's a stubborn ass, but..." Naruto looked away, a small smile on his face and didn't speak any further.

"Sou desu." Minato replied, smiling as well. He placed his hand on his son's head and ruffled his hair. "My chakra's run out... I will disappear now, but you're never alone, Naruto."

Naruto looked up, already seeing his father's figure beginning to fade. He smiled and nodded.

"Oh, Naruto...?" Minato said, his voice becoming close to a whisper.

"Hm?"

"Tell him."

And he was gone.

Naruto's eyes slowly opened to meet the blurry light, he squinted, but the light was soon shadowed by a figure over him. "Naruto?"

The blond smiled, it was tired, and he blinked again to clear his eyes, but he already knew who it was by the voice. "I did it..." He murmured to him.

He let out a quiet laugh. "Didn't I always tell you never to underestimate me, Sasuke-teme? The damned fox is dead."

Sasuke's eyes went wide with surprise. Naruto let out a loud groan as he tried to push himself into a sitting position. Sasuke just watched, silently amazed that once again, despite all odds and how much pain he was in, that damned idiot could still manage move.

"Dobe..." Sasuke began, a little unsure of what to say.

"...So will you acknowledge me now?" Naruto asked, voice a tired whisper. Before Sasuke had a chance to reply, Naruto's eyes rolled back into his head and his body began to fall to the side.

Like lightning, Sasuke moved without thought and caught him. His body winced, but he held the blond steady. Already, the marks on his body were closing and sealing up as if he still held the Kyuubi inside of him, and the male's breathing was ragged and laboured, bringing him back to the situation he was in.

Finally, the question the blond asked sank in.

He sighed, picking the other up bridal style, shaking his head. "You idiot," He said again, but it was softer, a tone other than annoyed or angered coming out that sounded almost perplexed, if not exasperated. "I already have."

He carried the other back to his house and set him on the bed, allowing him the rest his body needed as he silently slipped away to his training study to contemplate just why Naruto would always go so far to be acknowledged. And why, especially, he cared so much about being acknowledged by him.

Naruto awoke several long hours later, having just been blissfully asleep for once, not plagued by that constant annoying whisper throughout his mind, his dreams. For once, it was completely silent. It was an odd feeling. Not unwelcome, just...odd. He looked around, just barely recognizing where he was.

He slowly got up, solemnly making his way from the Uchiha's room towards the meditation chambers, where he almost knew the other would be, to find him training lightly in the middle of the room, his kimono discarded and he was just in his training pants, his katana drawn and was slowly going through some motions with his eyes closed.

Naruto smiled, just a little as he admired Sasuke's stoic form as he moved with such grace to his movements. He let out the smallest bit of chakra to announce his presence to the Uchiha. Sasuke slowed his movements and stopped, opening his eyes. He turned his head and saw Naruto smiling a little. For a moment, he lost himself and felt his own smile rising in response to the other. He sheathed his katana and looked away quickly once he realized he was smiling as well, but he already knew it was too late.

Naruto did a double take when he saw Sasuke smile back at him. It made the pace of his heart rate quicken as he stared, before the Uchiha realized he was smiling and looked away. He wanted to stop him, or do something to make him smile again, but he sighed inwardly. His father's words echoed at him, but he shook his head. Easier said than done.

"The fox is dead...ne?" Sasuke asked quietly, glancing back towards the blond seriously.

Naruto looked back at him just as serious and gave a nod, "Yes."

"...Why do you always go so far to prove something?"

"Because that's my nindo. I will always push my limits, get better, I will be acknowledged. If I have to push myself to the edge of death over and over again, I will, until you acknowledge me."

"...Why?"

"Because I..." Naruto hesitated, chewing on his lip as he looked away.

"...What is it, dobe?" Sasuke asked, voice softening from a serious tone to a slightly concerned one.

"...Nevermind. It's nothing."

"Nothing, you call destroying the Kyuubi, nearly killing yourself in the process 'nothing'?" Sasuke raged angrily.

Naruto shrank back a little, his eyes going downcast. "Just...leave it alone, Sasuke. I said it's nothing."

Sasuke scowled darkly as he stalked over, grabbed the blond by the shoulders, his sharingan flaring to life without his knowing as he stared at him. "Say that again. Look me in the eyes and tell me again that it's 'nothing'!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he stared into Sasuke's sharingan. He was hypnotized, not by its effects, but just by the sheer beauty and power he saw in them. He was drowning, falling, and he knew he was losing the battle. "I..."

There was silence between them. Time had seemed to stop for the two, neither were moving, and neither noticed the small distance between them was closing.

"It's..." Naruto tried, mouth moving, but no sound coming out. He was so entranced by Sasuke's eyes that his own eyes fell half-mast, glittered and glossed over.

Sasuke's hand slipped up behind Naruto's neck, the other one slowly wound around the blond's waist and moments later, they were inches apart. "Yes?" He breathed.

Oh, god... Naruto thought, and it was over. His lips touched Sasuke's and any thoughts of attempting to walk away flew out the window. His eyes slid closed and he gave in, kissing the Uchiha deeply with all of his feelings for him pouring out through it.

Sasuke's body tensed for a long moment, and Naruto knew then and there he'd gone too far. Fear and panic began to rise inside of him. He tried to jerk away, to put as much distance between the two of them as possible, hopefully escape the whole thing entirely with his life intact. Before he could, the grip the Uchiha had on him tightened and suddenly, Sasuke was kissing him back, matching him with an equal force.

Sasuke's grip loosened on Naruto after another moment, letting the blond know he could pull away if he wished. Naruto debated for a moment on whether to do so, but the way Sasuke's lips were continuously moving against his and the way his fingers seemed to be twitching against his hip as if they wanted to move, he hesitantly, pulled back a little, to check to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"S-Sasuke, I... G-gomen..." He mumbled, looking away ashamedly, trying to hide his embarrassment. However, he found himself looking back into Sasuke's eyes again as the other male guided his chin up with his hand. The other gazed at him calmly, head tilted the slightest. Finally, the slightest tilt of the Uchiha's lips surprised him.

"Usuratonkachi...why didn't you say anything?"

Naruto's face burned brightly. "Wh-what?"

"All of this time... These years you said nothing to me... Why?" Sasuke pushed further.

Naruto bit on his lip. "Because I...," He stammered, looking away again, trying his best to avoid the Uchiha's gaze. "I knew you'd only laugh at me in the beginning, if I said anything. And the more I thought about it, the stupider it seemed to speak about it. The harder you pushed away, the more I tried to pull you in... When that didn't work, I realized that I...could never have you. You were too far from my reach. I never thought I couldn't get anything I didn't set my mind to, but you were the one thing I could never grasp." He whispered.

"..." Sasuke's eyes softened greatly at the blond's confession. Slowly, so he wouldn't startle the other, he drew the other to him and wrapped his arms completely around him. "Idiot," He chided quietly as he rest his cheek against the other's head.

"H-huh?" Naruto replied, eyes wide with shock.

"I only pulled away because I was trying to draw you in."

The sudden confession from the Uchiha left them in complete silence for a long while.

"...Sasuke...?"

"What is it, dobe?"

"...I-" Naruto began, only for the Uchiha to tilt his chin up and plant his lips firmly ontop of his, kissing him as if to draw the words directly from him.

"I know," Sasuke assured against his lips. He could feel the blond's smile, which made his own heart flutter in happiness.

Their heart's spoke the words for them and nothing else needed to be said:

"I love you."

Owari.