Only after they've traded countless blows, only after broken brones, and bruised egos, only after Naruto manages to beat the shit out of him, and he manages to beat the shit out of Naruto, does Sasuke feel like calling the stupid fucking dead last idiot a demon.
Because that's what he is, right?
A demon.
So it's not Sasuke's fault if the blonde takes it personally, because that's how he wanted him to take it.
Personally.
Just not that kind of personally. He didn't really want the idiot to take it to heart, he didn't mean for Naruto to lose it and actually show him the nine-tails.
He didn't really want the vessel to crush him against a tree and tell him every single reason why he's human twice over. He wasn't trying to prove to himself that even after all these years, even after all these traitors and misfits and siblings and nins, he can still beat Naruto.
Because he will beat him. One way or another. It's not Sasuke's fault that this dead last is particularly hard to squash out of existence.
So, when Naruto finally shuts up and lets go of Sasuke, when everything has calmed down a bit and the incessant chattering of deadly birds has silenced, when there is no more growling-hissing-snarlinghatingloving, Sasuke can get a good look into Naruto's bright almond eyes.
It's odd, Sasuke thinks, that so many emotions can get tangled in the long dusky lashes; it's some convoluted sort of comforting that he can't get any hate to glint icy in the harsh light of the sun.
The pupils contract, vertically, azure irises have darkened to a feral, violet-blue that reflects red and passionately pyretic in the right sunlight-
The Sharingan deactivates, and Sasuke's vision blurs as he is drawn back from one miniscule detail to the entirety of Naruto's face; it's... different. It's wilder, like Naruto... times a thousand, which doesn't make sense, because Sharingan enhances the sight, but...
The raven is tempted to reactivate the Sharingan, despite his dangerously waning chakra. Instead--
Instead-
Instead, he takes a step back from Naruto, from the idiot, from the dead last, from the not-demon, from the something more than just a stupid name.