Creator: Belladonna

Pairing: Sasu/Naru; Neg/Gaa;

Beta: EB- I need an internet BETA!!!!

Summary; "The Bridge, my only constant, my tie to all of the good and some of the worst days of my life." – Naruto

When Sasuke leaves, still seven years later Naruto dreams of something he knows didn't happen. A sudden mission to the Snow leaves both boys to sort out what they never finished in the end. Will they end up whole or so broken life isn't worth living.

Authors note-

Hey everyone this is Belle I got this idea from when the 1st arc finished and the American fillers set in. I've written so many fan fictions its gross but I think they're all crap. Thanks to some encouragement from my girls these are hitting the web! Hope you like them!

DISCLAIMER- If I owned these characters then this would have happened already now wouldn't it?

A promise as thin as a word

The bridge, the only constant, and the one thing I can count on. The only thing that could bring me the happiest memories or the hardest nightmares I'd have never dreamed myself. It's where I met my family, but it's also where my first and only love left me with his promise. As I thought this I turned and saw the shadowy outline of my best friend.

"Na…. Usur….dobe, I left Sakura unconscious on the bench just before the gate. She'll wake in a little while." I answered him curtly just as I had that day.

"Uchiha," I knew that the raven would feel the sting in me just using his family name. "I've got it, I'll pick her up once you leave m…. Once you're gone." The raven visibly flinched as my usually fiery tone turned so quickly to the bur of ice. The ice I used only when my walls where up and impenetrable.

"Don't close yourself off to me. You can't do that, I won't allow it" At this I gave a cruel sharp laugh.

"You really do believe that you're a Prince," Another joyless laugh "To think I believed a snarling, jaded, young…. Prince could care about m…. I mean, the people around him; you really don't give a fuck do you!" I knew I wasn't being fair but not many people can blame me. Hell I don't even blame myself.

"Nar…" I cut him off

"It's Uzumaki, Uchiha. I've never given you permission to use my given name after all that's for people who are close to me" I knew I was ripping him apart but I didn't much care, this bastard was going to leave me. Leave me in a village where if I wasn't being beaten, I was being raped, and if they didn't want to rape me they wanted to kill me. The only people I was even remotely safe with was the rookie nine and the teacher jounin.

"Naruto Uzumaki! I'm not leaving because I want to!" I was shocked the Uchiha runt had pinned me down and was now yelling at me within an inch of my face. The grass I felt at my back signified that as usual I tried to run from this man. I'd backed myself to the edge of the bridge were I'd given him the advantage. I was distracted as a drop of something wet hit my cheek. He... He was crying, Sasuke Uchiha never cried. So I guess that's what made me listen. He went on to tell me that Orochimaru's idiots had come and tried to take him. That after that Tsunade had called him up and given him his first S- rank mission. Go to Orochimaru's sound village and sabotage from the inside. I was quiet, by this time we were laying side by side and looking at the slowly darkening sky, it was about 1 in the morning. I turned onto my stomach and stared at my best friend, the boy I had fallen in love with.

"Is that all you came to tell me, I mean it's great ya know. You are an official jounin. If you're worried that Sakura won't know then I'll tell her for you. I mean I know you two are sorta like involved ya know…" I don't think I've ever been quiet for as long, after being interrupted, as I was when Sasuke sat up and kissed me. It wasn't some brief I'm-Just-Gonna- shut- you- up it was an I-want-you-and-you-taste-really-good. So I kissed him back which ended it. Sasuke looked at me and smiled, the tears I now noticed he'd been crying throughout his explanation made him look almost human.

"I don't like women," to think that that simple sentence could bring me such joy was a surprise in itself.

"Well I like both, but, what that has to do with what you... we just did I'd love to know." I was on cloud fuckin' nine and I was hoping I didn't have to come down yet but I had to know.

"I'm not done. I don't like women or men…." My face fell I knew it did because that sadist smiled and pulled me closer to him by the waist. "Aishiteru" he whispered in my ear as he kissed me again but all I could do was return the favor as he pulled us back, down onto the grass and nipped at my bottom lip. I admit, I didn't know what he wanted until I was bitten harder and opened my mouth to protest. He slid his moist velvet tongue into my mouth and began to ravage every surface. It was only till he started to let his hand travel up my shirt that I panicked and shot back up, pulling him up with me.

"Sorry, I should have stopped while I was ahead." Sasuke smiled as he began to get up. He stopped as I went to leave. "Naruto wait okay, I promise if you wait I'll come back. I swear."

BUZZ, BUZZ. BUZZ, BUZZ.

Naruto woke with a start. He hadn't had that dream since the day Sasuke had left. It had been seven years and he still hadn't come back. Naruto could only remember saying goodnight to him at the hospital and walking back home. The dream had nothing to do with what really happened. He had woken up in his own bed and Sakura was found by Kakashi on the park bench. Although Sasuke was gone and considered a traitor, he had been a thorn in Konoha's side for a good 3 years. That is until he came back and asked Naruto himself to help him kill Orochimaru. They killed him later that week saving Konoha from a potentially fatal war. Two years later a note and an Akatsuki cloak was left on Naruto's door step. The note read;

"No one's going to harm you, not while I'm around."

Pein's body was found outside the gate by ANBU who were patrolling the area. He was pronounced dead five minutes later by Tsunade who promptly called Naruto into her office. She had seen the note and had a few questions none of which Naruto could answer. And now in the seventh year Naruto wondered as he dressed if Sasuke would ever show his angelic face again. He dressed quickly, making sure that all the hidden ties to his clothes were tied securely and out of sight. Naruto turned and looked into the mirror, whose gilded frame left highlights in his eyes, letting his hand muss his already messy hair. If it were up to him he'd have done without the elaborate thing but Sakura said his room needed personality after all he was a hero in Konoha now.

"Yeah," He whispered it but in his head it sounded like a long scream. "Some Hero I'll turn out to be"

"Really you're not that bad, Naruto" Naruto turned around quickly pulling out a kunai that he pinned the unseen enemy to the door with. The pinned brunette smiled as he showed his palms in a submissive gesture.

"Easy boss, I know you felt me three miles back at my house so if you could let me go that'd be great." Konahamaru had grown in seven years. At Naruto's 19 to Konahamaru 15 there was still a lot of growing up for the younger male to do, if he could ever get his head out of his ass.

"Just because I know your chakra signature doesn't mean that I still won't kick your ass for sneaking into my house." Naruto retaliated looking the young boy up and down he'd changed his scarf and goggle look for a more mature and subtle attire. The shirt came just over his belly button in a dark olive green but beneath that was a skin tight peace of liquid armor from the Land of Waves its light tan color made it perfect for camouflage. He still wore his camel colored pants with the classic sandals but the forest green helped him hide which was now his forte as a shinobi. He did learn from the best.

"I just wanted to tell you that Tsunade said not to be late that as the ANBU captain you have a visitor from the Snow." Konahamaru by this time had freed himself and was nearly at the window waiting for the conformation he needed to leave. Naruto smirked a new assignment might help him forget the dream, to forget that taste. Naruto nodded, it took no more than two seconds for the young male to disappear with a wave of his hand and a "see ya boss"

He turned and looked at the clock only to realize that he was late. Naruto grabbed his weapon case and jumped from the window, he believed there was no time for the convenience of locking up. He sprinted from each roof top as quickly as he could using his chakra to propel him over the various banners pronouncing the upcoming summer festival. He took a minute to stop and scout the streets and to generally gawk at the far away fair grounds which already held some of the up coming attractions. He'd been to several festivals in different villages but he'd never seen the Konoha annual summer festival, which was considered to be the best on this continent. He was about to take a closer look when he heard the baying of a dog and felt a huge pressure push him from the roof he'd landed on not moments before. He began to fall but with a jolt of chakra and some simple maneuvering he was on the roof top once more, glancing at a smiling brunette.

Kiba had grown into pack leader, awkwardly, making many mistakes and asking for help often. But here he was and still he was giving Naruto a hard time especially now that Kiba knew his best friend had moved up in ranks. Since then he'd made it a point to pop up out of nowhere and push Naruto's buttons.

"Heya, Naruto. You shouldn't let peop…" He was interrupted as Naruto smiled at him said a quick "Hey Kiba" and disappeared into thin air. As Kiba stared at the spot were his friend used to be he could only think of one thing, suicide mission.

Naruto realized that he'd arrived at the large, stone Hokage tower in record time as he tore down the Hallway, stopping just short of the double doors into the foreboding room. He guided his hands to the door and tapped lightly knowing that unlike usual there was two very powerful signatures inside, Tsunade and …

"No it couldn't be" Naruto thought as he felt the lesser signature that was opposite both very powerful signatures, Shisune, come to open the door. Naruto smiled as the kind young woman now mother of two stood in the doorway.

"Naruto-kun you have to listen to me, this is an explicit order from the Gondaime so you do understand that those under these instructions are under your protection?" Shisune wasn't usually this serious so he knew it was important. Naruto's face melted into the serene ANBU inhumanity, his face blank and his eyes turned into twin fires. Shisune smiled lightly as she reapeated her question.

"Yes; so I take it, there is someone in there that I don't like at the moment." He made it a statement. Shisune laughed nodding as these pleasantries were exchanged. Tsunade called for both the young people with the usual commanding air that always rang when she wasn't drunk. Naruto knew this tone well and walked in as Shisune stepped aside.

Naruto noticed the room first; it had changed since the Sondaime. It was once a subtle room, but now it was rich and warm as well. There was no insecurity in this room, it induced calm and a type of peace so perfect it had to be artificial. Then he noticed the picture of the Yondaime over the mantel along with several other important men including the Sondaime, Sarutobi. Naruto knew that Tsunade would change the room, but to instill a room that had seen so many hard and disastrous decisions, and so much blood and woe into a place that breathed peace was something that not even Naruto's own father the Yondaime could've done.

As the astonishing décor began to lose its luster Naruto glanced at the desk and saw his Baa-chan and an obsidian eyed brunette. The male wore the opposite of the ANBU mask that Naruto had strapped around his neck now. The Fox and the Wolf were co- captains of the ANBU black, the top ranks other than that of Kage. The Wolfs mask had been retired the year before Naruto became an operative therefore he had never met his partner. He knew that the tactical portion of all his battles where looked over by the Wolf what he didn't know was how.

This from the look on Tsunade's face was not the problem. It had to be something bigger, so to keep his inhumane mask on his face he fell to one knee in a graceful and well practiced motion as he came back to reality.

"The Fox, captain of the ANBU black, what is it you need of me Gondaime-sama?" Naruto knew his face was showing but he had told Tsunade that if he was to meet anyone of importance his face would be uncovered; decorum was one thing he believed in.

"Naruto, you may stand. This is a completely personal matter. The young gentleman here is someone you know very well, but …" Tsunade grew quiet as the masked youth shock his head, bowed to her and walked over to Naruto, he kneeled.

"The Wolf, tactical captain and informant," He stood and with his back turned to the now standing blonde he removed his mask. ", also, by very old acquaintances, known as Uchiha Sasuke last living member of the Uchiha clan." Sasuke turned as he said this and let his dark eyes focus completely on the cerulean ones across from him.

A second of awkward silence and Tsunade stood; both young men looked at her as she glided to the door. She nodded to Shisune who opened it. Tsunade began to cross to the main hallway when she thought better of it and turned around.

"Shisune and I will be back in thirty minutes you both will stay here and work out your problems as best as you can or you will make some sort of agreement that will keep your still raging personalities out of this mission. Do not try to escape, your very well trained black operatives are outside and have been ordered to keep the barriers up once I leave." She began to leave and then she once again turned around.

"Naruto this mission has more to do with your happiness and the life of someone precious to you, so please try." Tsunade left the room leaving the two confused young men to sort out their problems.