As naruto lay there, blood dripping down his entire upper lip, he stares up at his opponent blankly. It was Sasuke, a terrifying man whom was standing over him, with a blood-shot smile of triumph. Their long drawn out battle finally came to an end as Naruto could feel all of his crushed insides begin to bleed out. Despite this,he'd still been stubborn enough to smile, and his far off gaze would suggest he'd gone unconsious. Sasuke, ego had grown tired of waiting for a response asked once more. "Why the hell do you insist on following me?! I told you I don't care about your incompetent village anymore!" little did saskue know, Naruto was speaking, just not to him.
"You're going to die, ya know." Kyuubi stated matter-a-factly. Naruto, who lied on his back staring up to the ceiling, on the concrete floor only hummed in agreence. "Speak when spoken too!" The demon roared with frustration, "You've traveled night and day to find the damn Uchiha and for what?! Yu wouldn't even be in this condition if you would've use my chakra! So stop resisting already!" The moment Naruto felt the Foxes chakra leak into him, he viciously represted it from on the ground. The very action causing great pain. "Dammit Uzumaki!" From the ground all Naruto could do was chuckle grittily. The pain to his inner and outer body... becoming beyond excrutiating.
"Do...you 'member, what we talked 'bout the other day?" Naruto muttered taking deep sharp breathes, staring at the dark ceilings of his demon's confinement. The Giant Fox eyed him wearily. "You can't be imbisiale you'll die! Then what?!" Naruto dropped his head to the side to stare at the fox. "I told you what." He said, staring with eyes that no longer held any warmth.
"At least let me heal you first kit or you can't speak anyways." Nauto said nothing and a frown tugged at the corner of his lips. Kyuubi retained a grown as he looked at the truely pitiful state naruto had taken.
The demon fox let out a sound halfway between a a snort and growl, obviously annoyed.
While naruto had finally ended his conversation with the 9 nails, Sasuke was busy trying to break answers out of him by force. Slowly but surely, red chakra grazed over his body; over broken ribs, slashes, burn marks, and even a fractured arm. Sasuke recognized this instantly and picked up Naruto by the neck and brought him to eye level. "why haven't you been using the demon's power 'til now. Even you're not that dense." He seethed. Naruto brought a shaky gentle hand, to Sasuke's wrist, red chakra sincing it slightly. "-cause i failed." He said just above a husky whisper. sasuke's eyes peared into naruto's, interested in his words. naruuto wheezed in and out, oxygen being replaced by blood. "I...can't be ho...kage." He breathed out. Sasuke, taking light of this, grinned evilly down at naruto, "Why, did they finally realize what a worhtless pest you are?" Sasuke emphisized his point by dropping Naruto onto the bloody dirt. "...nah, heh...I just, can't-d-don't want to anymore..." Naruto stuttered. This took Sasuke aback, back to the days when Naruto boasted of his strength, and his lifelong dream of being hokage.
"What do you mean, don't want to?" Sasuke loomed over Naruto. the younger man's voice wavered for a second before answering, the blood filling up in his lungs, imparing his speech.
"Why...when i can't even...save...a friend?"
Sasuke sneered, was he the reason his old friend had given up his aspirations? Sasuke swallowed the thought, it's not as if he ever cared, right?
Naruto's body slowly rose off the ground, aided by the red chakara. By the time he was in a half way decent standing position, hisbody was just about ready to give up. He stood there, brutilly rejecting the foxes attempts to heal head thrashing around as he let out a gurgled scream.
Blood poured down his mouth, and out of every cut he'd recived. His breathe staggered, from shallow, to literally spasming for one even breathe of air. The sight would send chills down anyones spine, perhaps even orochmaru...and perhaps even sasuke.
Suddenly sasuke felt himself straining for breath, to feeling like he were taking in far to much air. He'd sustained far fewer injuries, far less severe...farless breathtaking.
Naruto staggered as a blood red tint glazed over his eyes and Demon chakara cloaking his whole body, forcing it to move around. Naruto's arm snapped out unnaturally, chakra gathering into his hand. Naruto's head lie as far back as possible until it slowly rose to form a wicked cheshire smile. Sasuke snapped into a defensive position, preparing to counter attack if needed.
Naruto's eyes drifted up and down fighting unconciousness. The red-chakra-formed rasengan condensed until it was almost black in colour. Sasuke formed his hand signs and activated his imfamous chidori. his bloody knuckles poping at the sheer intensity of the lightning emitting from his hand. He sneered and charged after the puppet of a boy and at the same time Naruto had also moved. the second their hands impacted one another, they shared a vision as they practically ripped through space.
They shared a vision, they stood no more than 2 feet away from one another without a single cut, as if they'd never engaged in battle. They were in the presence of Nirvana.
"What are you talking about Naruto, giving up your pathetic dream woth such certainty?" Sasuke began.
"Well, sorry for attacking you like that, it was kinda hard to talk, when i'm...well,you know..." Naruto confessed lightheartedly.
"Get to the point usratonkachi!" Sasuke smacked naruto on the head.
"Oh...oh! well um so i'm not gonna be hokage, heck I probably won't live this through, but i wanna let you know-"
Naruto practically fell onto Sasuke and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist. "That I missed you teme..."
Sasuke shuddered at the touch and as their vision was fading he turned his head away from the blond before a loud crashing sound grew in their ears and muttered under his breathe.
"Dobe."
When their consiousness fell into reality, Sasuke saw Naruto fly backwards, a rippling electricity visibly coursing through him. Sasuke managing to keep his balance sumersulted back before the explosion scourched him. The searing heat made the air thin and made it even more difficult to breathe.
breathe...Naruto!
Sasuke looked over to Naruto as he skid across the blood tattered dirt.
He slowly stood, and sauntered over to the boy he'd once called best friend.
He lay motionless on the ground, no longer battling for air; his struggle to survive had finally come to an end. Sasuke's eyes drooped as he took one last look at the boy. With a sigh he reached into his pocket and grabbed his head protector; the one he refused to wear at the beginning of the battle. he placed the headband over the boy's chest and took the one Naruto had wore. They didn't deserve his loyalty.
Naruto's face during the battle was distorted between frustration, rage and desperation, when now it only expressed peace, and a gentle smile was formed. He'd never seen the boy so calm, who'd image he'd only be able to under these circumstances?
He sighed. And left, with the knowledge weighing him down, that Naruto wouldn't chase him ever again.