Naruto shut his eyes, waiting for the final blow to strike him. Seconds passed, but nothing came. Is this death? He asked himself, frowning. No, he couldn't be dead, he could still hear, sense, smell...feel.

Something warm and wet was on his face. Raising his hand, he wiped some of it off, opening his eyes. Blood? He wondered, confused, but a feeling of dread soon filled him as he jerked his head upwards. He felt his chest tighten as his mind registered what he was seeing.

Sasuke. In front of him. Bleeding.

Dying...

His mind was blank, everything around him had seemed to stop right there, at that moment.

"W-why...?" his voice cracked as he spoke, "W-why... why did you...?"

"I... don't know..." Sasuke's voice replied in a evident strain, "My body... just moved on it's own..." Naruto's mind remained frozen, nothing processed but the sight in front of him.

"I hated you..." Naruto was brought back to the present as the raven began to speak again, "...you were... so stupid..." Sasuke found his mind wondering backwards, memories flashing before his eyes. They were training together, eating together, they were at the academy together, he had just seen Naruto walk in, smiling brightly, headband shinning proudly on his forehead... and then...finally... the kiss... the 'mistake'. Mistake... Sasuke thought dully, Was that all? A mistake...? he chuckled slightly, feeling the rest of the strength leave his legs. Staggering, he lost his balance and fell backwards, eyes screwed shut in pain, waiting for the impact upon the cold hard ground.

Naruto let out a gasp of surprise, launching himself forward, catching the Uchiha just before he could hit the ground.

"Sasuke!" he shouted. His eyes stung, and his vision blurred, but he paid no attention to it, as obsidian eyes slowly opened and met the sea of endless blue that were Naruto's.

"I..." Sasuke started, straining all his efforts into speaking. He coughed heavily, more blood running down his face from his mouth.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't-" Naruto started, but stopped as Sasuke continued.

"I didn't want to die... at least not until I killed that man..." Naruto blinked back more years, his grip on Sasuke tightening absently as he leaned closer to hear the slowly depleting voice of the raven in his arms.

"I didn't want to get distracted... to lose sight of my goals.. the clan... and him..." Sasuke coughed again, tears filling his own eyes, "I didn't want... to get close to anyone... so I wouldn't end up doing everything for them, to end up meeting someone precious to me..." he chuckled again, coughing slightly as blood caught in his throat, "It seems... I lost sight of my original goals... for new ones." Sasuke raised his head, that had slowly been falling lower and lower, to looking into the endless blue, tear filled eyes. Slowly raising his arm, he smiled. Naruto winced slightly, he'd never seen anyone, anyone smile so sadly before,

"My new goal... my new dream...my precious person... was you... Naruto..."

The blond's thoughts stopped once again. '...you Naruto...' repeating in his head over and over again.

"Naru...to..." Sasuke's voice called out again, cracking, earing the blond's attention once again, "Don't... lose sight of your dreams..." he muttered, his fingers barely brushing against Naruto's cheek, before his arm fell across his stomach, and his eyes slowly slide shut, his body going completely limp.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, his own voice shaking dangerously, as he gently shook the raven in his arms, "Sasuke!" he chocked as more tears threatened to fall. 'Do you have a precious person? Someone who you want to protect with everything?' The words from the very person who was attaching him had asked him in the forest, what now seemed to be so long ago.

Then it all hit him at once.

Tears fell freely from his eyes as he pulled Sasuke closer, silently sobbing into the dark blue fabric of the raven's shoulder. Sasuke... he thought, Me too.. me too... my precious person...'

"Don't lose sight of your dreams..." the voice floated through his mind, as he let out a small wail and he hugged Sauske closer still,

"I don't want them..." he muttered into the Uchiha's shoulder, "Hokage... respect... I don't want it without you... there is no longer any point... no one there beside me..."

Anger suddenly filled him. A lust for revenge he had never felt before, as he slowly lowered Sasuke to the ground, setting him down with the utmost care.

"You..." he growled, as red chakrah danced around him, swirling up into the air, lashing out like whips, "You killed him..." he hissed, the hate and blood lust now heard even in his voice. Wiping around, he sent a deathly glare at his masked attacker, causing the man to shudder and step back slightly in fear.

"I'll kill you..." and Naruto dived forward.

there is a line, a line a super straight and wonderful LIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

Naruto stood stalk still, watching as Sakura stared up at him with bright emeralds,

"Naruto... where's Sasuke?" she asked him for the third time. He looked down, avoiding her eyes, as his own began to water again.

He didn't know, or notice when she moved away. He didn't know when she reached Sasuke, and let out a sob of her own when she saw him, and he really didn't care. His fingers wrapped tightly around the folds of his jacket. How he remained standing, he never knew. His shoulders shook with heavy sobs and the sorrow that could only be caused by losing a loved one filled him.

"Naruto!" an excited voice yelled from behind, "Naruto!" Turning slowly, Naruto was about to yell at the joy in her voice, wanting to know why she was so happy, when her next sentence made his breath stop in his throat.

"Sasuke is okay! He's alright!" Naruto gasped slightly, his tears stopping suddenly, as his eyes fell on the raven standing just a few feet away from him. Sasuke looked up, smiling very slightly as he raised his hand in acknowledgment.

Naruto let out a cry of joy, and without thinking, ran forward, making Sakura jump at his sudden movements. Reaching Sasuke, he threw his arms around the Uchiha's neck, who had already turned towards him, opening his arms in a welcome gesture.

Sakura watched as Naruto hid his face in Sasuke's shoulder for the second time, sobbing as the raven stroked his hair gently, rubbing a hand up and down the blond's back in a soothing gesture. Tears prickled her own eyes as she saw Naruto pull back, a bright smile on his face shinning through his ears, and she felt her heart stop as Sasuke smiled back at Naruto, with equal radiance.

Thoughts raced through her head, a feeling of understanding and sorrow filling her as she realized the truth. She had lost and she never had a chance, nor did Ino, or any other girl who had fallen for him. She couldn't make Sasuke smile like that, she couldn't bring that look of warmth, love and joy to the raven's eyes like the blond had. And she most certainly, would never gain win the raven's heart, because Naruto had already had it all along.

Taking a step back, she smiled as Sasuke leaned forward, whispering something in Naruto's ear, making the blond blush, then look at him with wide eyes. Nodding, Sasuke smiled again, his eyes shutting slightly, only making him look that much happier. Letting out another cry of joy, Naruto threw his arms around the Uchiha's neck again. Turning slowly, Sakura shut her eyes and looked away, several stray tears following as the distance was closed between orange and blue, and tears of joy fell from both pairs of eyes as the simple gesture of love was made.

A hand fell on Sakura's shoulder, and she looked up, gasping slightly as Kakashi looked down at her with a single eye, a small smile seen through his mask,

"At least he's alright... and happy..." he said gently, understanding the girls pain. Smiling, Sakura nodded, wiping her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder so see Naruto's face buried in Sasuke's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around the raven who returned the gesture,

"Yeah..." she muttered, her gaze raising to the sky, "... as long as their happy... I'll be alright... and move on..."

"That's a girl." Kakashi said, a gentle tone in his voice as he turned away to go check on the bridge maker they'd been protecting during the whole facade.