A/N: -yawn- no i'm not dead. To the people reading my multi-chapter fics, i'm sorry for how long the updates are taking, ill be back on track asap ok?

So this is my version of what was going through Sasuke's head at the valley of the end fight, I know there are a lot of these, so hopefully, mine is different and you like it :o)

Sasuke stared down at the unconscious blonde on the floor and regret flooded his body.

"Naruto...I-...Naruto I-" Suddenly a searing pain shot through his shoulder and he grabbed it tightly trying to numb the pain. He dropped to the ground on his knees and leaned over Naruto.

His face was just inches away. In fact, it was a very similar distance to what it had been right before they kissed.

Everything changed that day. Before then the Kyuubi vessel was nothing more than a troublemaker that was in no way fit to be a shinobi in Sasuke's opinion. When they joined the same team, there was something that drew him to Naruto and he couldn't work out what it was. Suddenly, the blonde had declared himself Sasuke's rival and was determined to be better than him. Yet to Sasuke, it always seemed like he was saving Naruto from his own stupidity.

Then at the battle with Haku, Sasuke felt compelled to protect him. He wasn't sure what made him do it, maybe it was because Naruto was the first person he cared about at all since Itachi had killed his clan, but he went as far as risking his own life to save naruto. Any regret he maybe felt melted away (not that he would ever admit it) when he fell into Naruto's arms, and it was worth it, if only to be held with such love and care.

Thats when Naruto started to get stronger and during his fight with Gaara after the Chuunin exams Sasuke realised just him much better his friend had gotten.

He started to resent him. He became jealous that the boy who was supposedly his rival was improving rapidly whilst he had hardly gotten anywhere.

Mission by mission, training session by training session, he watched as the gap between them was closing until Sasuke woke up in hospital and realised they needed to settle things once and for all. Even with Kakashi and Sakura getting in the way, he realised that naruto would have won that battle. At long last, he had over taken him.

But with this new power, Sasuke was firm in his belief he was more powerful than Naruto, if only marginally.

He gently shifted his weight onto his elbow and ran his finger down Naruto's cheek. He couldn't believe he had hurt him. Of everything in Konoha, everything, he was going to miss the boy in front of him more than anything.

He bent over and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. "I'm sorry Naruto, please forgive me, ill come back to you soon." he brushed his hair out of his eyes and lent his forehead against the boy below him's. "I love you."

A/N: eh, what can I say, school holidays do strange things to my brain. Review and let me know what you think