I was talking to my buddy, Ty, and we decided this would be an amazing way for Naruto to end.
So I decided to write something for it.

The grey clouds rolled overhead, choking out the remainder of the sunlight. Everything from the raging waterfall and the trees shaking in the breeze seemed to slow down. The two boys stood about a foot from each other, breathing heavily. The same message was carved into their eyes: This is it.

Sasuke raised his face to the sky, stepping back a step. His bare chest was smeared in red, as were his hands and face. His fingers trembled slightly around his small sword. The weak wind running by blew his blood- and dirt-matted hair in his face. An additional drop of blood leaked from one of his closed eyes. He took a deep breath; it tore through his body like a knife. He winced, a small groan escaping his lips. Sasuke strained to remain standing; he just wanted to fall over and sleep. Though this sleep, he knew, would be different.

Naruto watched his friend. He was in just as bad shape as the raven-haired boy; his sunshine-yellow hair now looked more like a sunset, falling every-which way, tainted crimson. His sleeves had been torn to pieces. Now his bare arms hung weakly at his sides, beat up with the effects that came with fighting Sasuke. Naruto's hands were nearly frayed to pieces from the Rasengan. He saw the weakness spidering through Sasuke in his stance, in his breathing. He knew how Sasuke felt. He too wished for sleep.

"To think," Sasuke said, his voice cracking, "you just became Hokage… as I just destroyed Konoha."

"I guess we've accomplished everything… right?" Naruto returned, swallowing hard.

"Yeah…" Sasuke's eyes opened, and they found Naruto's. The sword fell from Sasuke's pale fingers. It hit the hard ground and rang out with a resounding clang.

They stared at the other for a long time, just as much as they could last. Everything they never wanted to say, everything they loathed the other for, everything they loved the other for, everything they ever wished to say, it was all passed between them then.

Naruto felt himself dying.

Sasuke felt himself dying.

I'm sorry… Sasuke.

I'm sorry… Naruto.

Sasuke took another tearing breath. He stumbled forward and fell into Naruto, catching his arms around his neck, his forehead resting on his shoulder. He was too weak to stand.

"I'm sorry everything had to end like this… Naruto," he whispered weakly. "So sorry."

"I am, too…" Naruto trailed off. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke, needing him to remain standing.

Sasuke could feel Naruto's laboured breathing, his shaking arms. The sapphire-eyed boy felt Sasuke's weak heartbeat under his hands. They felt the other dying. Sasuke hated it as much as Naruto did.

Sasuke's arms slipped from Naruto's neck. The blonde couldn't hold him up. The Uchiha fell to the ground, landing on his side. He whimpered feebly. Naruto fell to his knees nearby before collapsing onto his stomach, facing his friend.

Naruto watched Sasuke's eyes clouding over. "I'll miss you… Naruto."

"We're both… dying, though…"

"I'm not going to the same place you're going," he whispered, tears spilling over, mixing with the blood. "Tell nii-san I love him."

"Sasuke… you…" Naruto didn't know how to reply.

"I love you… as well…"

"Sasuke, stop…"

The black-haired boy just offered a frail smile.

"Then… I love you, too… Sasuke."

His grey eyes fought to stay open for just a minute longer, but he just couldn't summon the strength. They closed, Sasuke smiling, at the scene of Naruto staring him in the eyes.

"Sorry," he whispered before he felt his heart stop, his breathing cease. You should have killed me yourself, nii-san… look what I've done…

And suddenly Naruto's fight to keep breathing didn't seem as valuable. He knew his best friend wouldn't last through this, but everything was put out-of-perspective when his heart stopped. His eyes swept over Sasuke's body.

Naruto longed to meet the sleep Sasuke had. He also needed to prove that he was right… he knew he and Sasuke would be in the same place.

As the seventh Hokage faded away, he thought, I really didn't deserve this title. I couldn't even save one friend until he was dying… until it was too late… Naruto choked back his sadness, concentrating on the thought that he could see his family now… including his raven-haired brother…

Finality didn't seem so bad.

xxx
He would be the seventh, correct?;;
Depends on how the rest of the series goes~ perhaps he'd be the eighth.