fanfiction, for entertainment only

"i still believe in love at first sight

nothings impossible

even the stars don't come until night

nothings impossible

and if you believe in love at first sight"

naruto

"just give me a reason, some kind of sign

i'll need a miracle to help me this time

i heard what you said and i feel the same

i know in my heart i'll have to change."

sasuke

"how did we get to be this far apart?

i want to be with you

with something to share

i want to be near"

both

(lyrics by depeche mode no copyright intended, inspiration)

sasuke leaned into naruto's chest. his hands were bound with his old head band so he couldnt get away. naruto couldnt let him slip away again, not after he finally had him in his arms. sasuke didnt say a thing as naruto carried him through the forest. this was both relieveing and nerve racking to the blonde. on one hand sasuke didnt seem to have any thing to fight back with, no protests...on the other hand he seemed broken. broken and beautiful, and pitiful all at once, like a little girl's pale, dead eyed porcelain doll, with cracks through out her cold dead skin. sasuke took in a wavering breath and naruto tightened his grip on his long lost friend. naruto swallowed. "so...you finally did it then?"

"did what?" was sasuke's dead reply

"...killed your brother" naruto said.

sasuke tensed and hid his face some more. after a moment he replied.

"what makes you say that?"

naruto paused. "well, your not trying to get away...all the other times i tried to bring you back you would try to escape because,... you hadn't met your ...goal...yet."

sasuke reviled a bit more of his face, but gave no response. naruto sighed, guessing that he wasnt going to get an answer. then sasuke spoke up.

"...yes i did."

his voice was broken and sounded unused, like it belonged to a small child who hadn't talked to anyone in a long time...like some one who was about to cry but refused to let the tears come. it broke naruto's heart. smashed it to peices more like, it was as if sasuke was some grand beautiful creature reduced to nothing. you know, like when a wondrous and strong dog like a mastiff is frozen in pain and cant move, past his time. then it hit naruto. it was past sasuke's time. he had always said that his only reason to live was to kill itachi...his deed was done. when itachi died so did sasuke. sasuke was dieing. and now naruto noticed it was more that just his reason to live that was suffering, sasuke was pale. too pale, and too thin. he looked into sasuke's face...yup, he hasnt slept in a long time. his eyes were shrouded in insomnia.

naruto stopped walking and set sasuked down against a tree. they were still a few days away from konoha, but it was late and naruto didnt want to push it. he felt like he had to do everything possible to keep sasuke alive in his fragile state.

but...how can you keep something alive when its hurting so much?