Authors Note: (My beta tester hasn't replied to me at all! I gave her a story, but I've got nothing back from her so…I'm freaking out of course. You guys are tough to bare through the mistakes for now... I have faith in you!)

Warning: (I do not own the Naruto Franchise. Tis a fanficiton story I created. I've always wanted to do one of these. I'm not one for sad stories either, but with this type of setup I couldn't resist. It's not that sad I think…This is a very long one-shot thing heh. Hope you enjoy)

oO~ Naruto's POV ~Oo

Today is my 25th birthday. I've had many birthdays before that, but this one felt special, and to be honest for some reason I was afraid...

"Naruto did you call everyone?"

That's my husband Uchiha Sasuke. A young handsome onyx eyed 29 year old genius. He'd furthered his father's business 5 years into the future and made himself a legend amongst men.

"I did!" shouting back to him I looked in our bathroom mirror at my garden attire. I wasn't properly dressed for this occasion just yet. I was too busy working on the mini garden outside catering to the tomatoes and flowers. Therefore I was now a bit dirty heh-heh.

Brown patches of dirt were all over exposed my tan whiskered skin from my cheeks to elsewhere. Those were there because when I'd wiped the sweat from my face with my gardening gloves the excess of dirt dropped off and or rubbed onto me.

I couldn't help it. I wanted everything to look perfect even the garden. I turned to the step in shower with its glass blurred doors. Sliding open the doors I could hear the room door opening from outside of the bathroom. I reached in and turned the crystal ball like knobs for the shower.

Retracting my hands I saw a pair come over my eyes.

"Guess who?"

"Hmmm Itachi?"

"Really?"

I couldn't help but laugh at my easily worried husband. I turned around and snaked my arms around his neck and under his buttoned collared white shirt.

"I'm joking love…Why does he not come over more often again? He is coming to the party though right? He ignored my call, so I'm not so su-Nmm!"

Whenever I asked too many questions he'd just force his lips against my own in a gentle hush, hush manner. I broke this kiss quickly because this was serious. I and Sasuke have been married for 7 years. Itachi always talked to me before, but now it was like he couldn't stand the sight of me. This has been going on for some months now.

"Sasuke I'm serious! I want him here! He's family! Our parents are coming and our closest friends…why does Itachi not li-"

"He will be here Naruto calm down. I told him I'd beat his ass if he didn't show up"

Itachi rarely called and whenever I saw him he avoided me like I did something wrong. Smiling inside reassured by my husband's words I returned the kiss I broke earlier before pushing him out of the bathroom.

"Good! I Love you *blows a kiss*! Now I have to get clean, and you aren't going to make me filthier!" The words and kiss came out faster than I could close the door. Turning my back on the door and leaning against it I could hear Sasuke's voice come through saying 'I love you too'.

I always melted at his sort of deep dulcet voice whenever he said something loving and meant it. I stripped down afterwards to take the long awaited shower. It had reached the right temperature for me to get inside, and not make me want to jump back out.

oO~ Sasuke's POV ~Oo

Hearing the shower doors close I headed over to our closet to get his clothes out he wanted to wear for the party. I myself would put on my navy blue sweater vest and tie when it was time. Even though Naruto didn't ask for me to do this I wanted to. I opened the closet doors to see our neatly row of clothes on their hangers.

Naruto had set up an outfit already on a red hanger. I unhooked it from its rail and laid it on the king sized bed with royal blue sheets.

Naruto wanted to match me so he had a white buttoned collar shirt with an annoying orange/white checkered vest and plain tie instead. He never understood his loves fascination with that bright color, but it was who he was. The pants were regular khaki pants for a formal occasion though jeans were allowed as well.

Shoes would be black dress shoes like his, but Naruto preferred brown ones. Arguing over what to wear with Naruto was like telling him he couldn't have ramen. I looked towards the bathroom when I heard Naruto singing. I sat down next to his clothes as I listened to his voice.

He had this angelic enticing voice for a male. The slow song came through the bathroom door over the sound of the shower.

"I still hear your voice, when you sleep next to me.
I still feel your touch in my dream"
I leaned back on the bed feeling the soft fabric against my exposed skin on the back of my neck and hands as his voice took hold of my heart again like the day I first realized I was in love with him.

" Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why…
Without you it's hard to survive "
I slipped instantly into a painful miniature flashback of red/white lights that changed to a steel room with an empty bed in middle of the floor. Then I came back to reality when Naruto hit the chorus lines dead on.

" 'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling.
And every time we kiss, I swear I could fly. " " Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.
Need you by my side. "

" 'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static.
And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky. "
" Can't you hear my heart beat so...
I can't let you go… "
That line...those five words broke my heart then the next one sealed it back up. " Want you in my life. "

"Naruto! Do you plan on singing at the party?" I had to ask to get my mind out of where it was going. There's no need to be sad anymore, not anymore. Smiling I hopped up off the bed and wiped the tear from eyes that had escaped.

"Oh heh-heh my bad. Of course! What do you think I should sing?"

I thought about a few choice songs as I pulled out my sweater vest I got from the still opened closet.

"I don't know surprise us!" I boosted back as I slipped on my vest. Searching for my tie I imagined Naruto's pouted face giving me that look with his eyes, so I chuckled to myself a little.

"You arse! Come onnnn help me out here!"

Looking towards the bathroom door upon hearing the showers turn off I expected Naruto to poke his head out and glare at me. It actually took a while for Naruto to get out of the bathroom. I crouched down near a dresser to search through for my tie. The bathroom door opened and Naruto stepped out with a towel wrapped around his torso on down.

"I'll never understand why you just don't wear it around your waist Naru-"

"Because I can! Now are you going to help me pick a song or wha-Oh my god Sasuke you didn't have to set my clothes out"

Watching my husband beam over something so little made me just love him even more. He is such a kind hearted innocent person I hated him for it at first. He always saw the bright side of things, but then when I got to know him I realized he barred so much pain from people putting him down for no reason and being rejected from countless agents that he was just strong.

He was so strong he could smile either way and hold no ill will towards the people whom wronged him…including me at one point in time.

"Yeah I did. Don't start crying already"

Naruto looked at me with a gentle smile before he walked over then bent down and kissed me on my forehead.

"Shut up and accept my appreciation"

I leaned up and kissed him on his lips that still felt the same after all this time. Soft, warm, and overall amazing. As he got dressed I found my tie and tied it on while I watched him get dressed.

"What time is it pervert?"

I blinked a bit at the last word, but shook my head realizing he noticed my attention to his backside.

"Almost 7. They'll be here soon, ready?" I looked over to see Naruto going through the dresser by the bed for our socks.

"In a bit! Is everything set up?"

"Yeah. Decorations, food, and gift table all done" Heading over to the door I looked back to see Naruto struggling to get his socks on in a hurry.

"Awesome hun! This is going to be great. Wooooah!" Naruto rolled off the bed due to bad posture support when putting on his shoes.

"Careful Naruto!" I practically ran over to his side to check him for any damages.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" he protested against my advances to look him over.

I had to accept he was fine when the doorbell rang. With him pushing me away again to go get the door I snuck in a quick kiss on his forehead this time as a sign to be safe. Leaving the bedroom I could hear the springs on the bed as the blonde got back on it.

Our mansion was on a hill with a beautiful window wall outlook. Since the sun was going down I left the curtains open for the beautiful sunset and the cluster of stars that would take its place. Down the hall from our room pass the guest bedroom and bathroom it stretched out into the living room with the window wall outlook and the kitchen across from it.

The door entrance to the house was down the picture aligned hallway from the kitchen. The doorbell rang again and again this time signaling that it was Sakura. I hurried towards the door to let the pink haired woman in.

oO~ End of POV's ~Oo

Sasuke unlocked the door and yanked it open to reveal Sakura in her pink Sunday dress and flip flops holding a small pink/white polka dot present with a white ribbon.

"About time you opened the damn door!" Sakura snapped at the man for really no reason.

Sasuke just stepped aside rolling his eyes at the woman.

"You're early anyway"

"I know that! I just wanted to see how he was doing." Sakura lowered her voice at her next sentence, so that Sasuke could only hear.

"He's fine…why do you ask?"

Sakura frowned upon his answer seeing him look at her as if he didn't know what she meant. She walked inside to the living room as he closed the door behind her.

"Sasuke you know what I mean…is he-"

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted with his arms out when he came around the corner from the hall to their bedroom.

"Naruto-chan!" Sakura shouted back in mirth to cover up her worried tone. She set the gift on the coffee table before running over to hug Naruto. As they hugged Sasuke picked up the gift and carried it to the kitchen to sit on the gift table opposite the dinner table near the wall. He kept an eye on Sakura as he did so.

"Oh you... Look at you…You look amazing" Sakura complemented the boy once they broke apart despite what she really wanted to say.

Naruto could see she was holding back something, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"You look amazing as always too Sakura. Is something wron-"

"Nothing's wrong" Sasuke spoke up with a strange look to Sakura that Naruto didn't understand.

"I'm asking Sakura…Sasuke what's up with you all of a sudde-"

"He's right Naruto! Nothing is wrong now come on and show me that garden you've been telling me about" Sakura took hold of Naruto's elbow and pulled him along to the glass doors that led to the back, but not before she gave the raven a despondent expression.

When they left to the back the doorbell rang again breaking Sasuke's thoughts. He headed over to the door and opened it to see his and Naruto's parents with presents being held by their moms.

"Hey Sasuke" Minato was the first to break the awkward 5 second silence.

"Hey you guys. Glad you could make it"

"We wouldn't have missed it for the wo-"Kushina found herself choking at her last word that made the situation all the more awkward as she looked down trying to regain her composure.

"How's Naruto?" Fugaku spoke up this time with Mikoto on his arm.

"He's okay as always dad, why do you ask?"

"Sasuke you can't-"

"Aye let's get inside to see our birthday boy!" Minato put his hand on Fugaku shoulder and pulled the couple inside once Sasuke stepped aside. Sasuke smiled a thank you towards Minato whom returned a rather half forced one.

He was about to close the door when Kiba ran up to the door putting his foot in the way.

"Dude wait! There's like a crap load more people pulling up man"

Sasuke smiled at hearing the dog man's voice. He opened the door to see him with Akamaru in his arms as the dog held a small flat present in its mouth.

"Glad you could make it"

"Akamaru wouldn't stop bugging me about it"

"And he pissed on everything in the house to remind us" Shikamaru stood beside his boyfriend Kiba with an annoyed look towards the dog whom just wagged his tail.

"He did it out of love!" Kiba cooed as he nuzzled the little dog.

"Don't we all" Shikamaru said it in such a way that it didn't seem to be directed at Sasuke, but it sure felt that way.

Those words hung in the air for a brief moment making it another awkward situation. Sasuke looked down and bit his lip restraining from flipping out on his friends.

"Well love is love! Let's get inside before Choji gets here and eats everything!" Kiba could feel the tension so he hooked his arm around Shikamaru's and pulled him inside.

"I heard that!" Choji came walking up with his girl no one knew on his arm. She held a red triangular present in her hands.

"Choji thank god you're here" Sasuke said in an exasperated voice.

"Of course! Hey how's the new electronic design working out? Did my plans help at all?" Choji made small talk with the raven as he entered the house.

"They helped allot thanks!" Sasuke's job was a bit complicated, so help from his friends was defiantly needed, and Choji was his biggest supporter.

The rest of the guests arrived one by one making the Uchiha remain at the door to greet everyone. The whole time he was worried about Naruto. The last two couples arrived involving Kakashi and Iruka and last but not least was his brother and Deidra.

"Sasuke you look lovely. This place looks freakin awesome itself! I love the design you went with" Deidra spoke as he walked up and hugged the raven. Sasuke looked over Deidra's shoulders at his brother to see him standing back not looking at him at all. Sasuke returned the hug as quick as he broke it off to address his brother.

"Itachi…"

"What?"

"Don't"

"Don't what? Tell the truth about this bullshit you're forcing down everyone's throats!"

"Itachi!" Deidra gasped and stormed over to his boyfriend.

"Its fine Deidra…Itachi all I'm asking is for you to give this a shot please for once in your life understand me"

"There's so many things wrong with that pathetic plea I can't even begin to-"

"Itachi" Deidra's voice came off as a clear warning to drop it or leave. With a heavy sigh Itachi gave in and took Deidra's hand.

"Just keep him away from me" Itachi let his voice hyphen the warning behind his words as he stormed pass he brother bumping his shoulder slightly. Deidra apologized with a cheerless smile as he was pulled along.

Sasuke sighed and closed the door then locked it back. The mixed voices from the living room could be heard as he returned to see Naruto back inside talking with the guest. The presents had been set on the gift table by Naruto instead of the coffee table.

He looked over to see Itachi being calmed down by Deidra off in the corner of the kitchen by the fridge. Naruto noticed this as well and broke off from the guest to confront him only to be stopped by Sasuke.

"Naruto are you okay?"

"I'm fine Sasuke…What's wrong with Itachi?"

"He's just blowing off steam from work. Come on let's start with the birthday cake"

"But what about the games?" Naruto put his hands on either side of Sasuke's arms to stop him from trying to turn him away.

"It's getting late so we need to get everyone ou-"

"It's only 7:15! We just started too! Sasuke what's going on?"

"Nothing Naruto come on-"

"Sasuke, how's work?! And hey Naruto"

"Hey Kiba" Naruto said with a smile towards the man. Sasuke took in a deep breath as he looked at his colleague.

"Works fine. We're going to do the cake now"

"Wait, now? Why? We haven't' played any games yet"

"Exactly, Sasuke why are we-"

"Everyone we are going to do the birthday cake now!" Sasuke shouted over the blonde earning everyone's confused attention. Naruto squeezed Sasuke's arms to get his attention.

"Sasuke talk to me! What's going on-"

"Just trust me okay! Come on" He kissed the blonde on the lips as quick as he rushed those words out.

Naruto had to go along as he was pulled over to the dinner table. It surprisingly went by rather well. Everyone song the happy birthday song before Naruto blew out his candles on his ramen bowl birthday cake and they cheered.

Sasuke kissed the blonde on the cheek earning a disapproved look from his brother that he ignored.

"Aww! Smile for the camera!" Ino popped up with her camera and brought it to her face as the two lovers posed with their arms around each other. Many happy and even goofy pictures were taken with other guests expect for Itachi.

"Okay enough pictures! Ha-ha we are going to play some games now since my husband's stomach is satisfied now" Naruto was sitting on Sasuke's lap on one of the singlet couches while the empty plate of food sat on the coffee table along with others.

"You don't want to open your gifts?" Kiba asked as he held Akamaru on his lap while Shikamaru had his arm around his shoulders.

"It's not about gifts for me. It's about seeing all of you in one place again! It's been practically 7 months since I've seen you all in one place like I used to do years before this."

"Wow…"

That audible hate filled wow came from Itachi.

"Itachi" Deidra looked down at his boyfriend whom didn't spare him a glance. The older Uchiha kept his eyes on Naruto.

"It's okay Deidra this needs to be addressed. Itachi what do you have against me?"

"What do you I have against you?"

"Itachi don't start!" Sasuke spoke up this time making Naruto get off his lap.

"No Sasuke! No more! I'm tired of this! Itachi what is it about me that you hate?! What did I do to you?!" Naruto shouted at Itachi as he made his way towards him.

"It's not what you did! It's what he did and what you are!" Itachi pushed Deidra off of his lap so he could stand and come face to face with the blonde. Sasuke rushed over to separate the two. The guest were all looking uncomfortable. Iruka had brought his hands to cover his mouth while Kakashi sighed knowing where this was going.

Kushina looked at Minato wanting him to do something like he always did, but instead he looked as if he wanted this to happen. Fugaku held Mikoto down from getting in the mix.

"Itachi you need to leave now" Sasuke said in a grave tone as he pulled Naruto back. Deidra was regaining his composure due to Itachi pushing him off and making him spill his wine on the wooden floors.

"No he doesn't need to leave! Stop trying to protect me Sasuke! I can handle myself-"

"He's not trying to protect you! He's trying to protect himself!"

Sasuke froze in his struggle with Naruto at his brothers words. Naruto stopped as well and looked from Itachi then to Sasuke in confusion. Akamaru started to bark at Itachi resulting in Kiba trying to hush him up.

"Protect himself? Sasuke what's he talking about?"

"Oh my fucking god you can't be this dense! Sasuke did you forget to program him a brain?"

"Itachi!" Sasuke fumed as he let go of Naruto to grab on to his brothers leather jacket and grip it in his fists. Everyone could feel the emotional tension rising more and more.

"Program me…? What's he mean by program me?" Naruto was shaking slightly as he reached out to touch Sasuke's shoulder.

Itachi laughed in a sarcastic manner as he started to break.

"Wow Sasuke you managed to hide it from him this long. Did you just work on him when he shutdowns?"

"Sasuke what's he-"

"Or do you have a remote that shuts him down whenever you feel lik-"A punch in the face stopped Itachi's hurtful rants knocking back on the couch. Gasps broke out amongst the guest. Itachi wiped the blood with the back of his hand from the corner of his mouth as he smirked at a shaking Sasuke.

"Sasuke answer me! What's going on?!" Naruto shouted this time as his heart raced. Sasuke didn't respond as Itachi launched forward and tackled the raven onto the floor. Naruto had to step aside with a shriek. Now Minato and Fugaku had to get involved as the boys started to fight.

Shikamaru actually laughed a bit only to be hit by Kiba to stop it.

"What? This was bound to happen!"

Kiba rolled his eyes at his smart alack boyfriend before he tried to calm Akamaru down again.

Minato grabbed hold of Sasuke while Fugaku took hold of Itachi stopping his son's fist from hitting his other son in the face this time repeatedly. As Itachi was yanked up Minato helped Sasuke up as well as restrain him by holding him by his arms.

"Why couldn't you just let him rest?!"

"You'd never understand! Like you always never-"

"Oh fuck you! I did understand you, but this! This I don't fucking get! I loved Naruto too! We all did, but brining this fake ass copy of him into our lives isn't the answer!"

Naruto felt a strange twitch as he looked at Sasuke to see him stunned. The raven's eyes were wide in a haunted way then he shook his head in defiance repeating 'No'. Naruto looked to the other guest to see them all looking away from him avoiding contact except for Akamaru whom was still barking.

"Mom?" Naruto looked over at the woman he knew he remembered calling mother to see her just break down.

"You are not my son!" she bellowed before she got up and ran out the house. Minato dropped his hold of Sasuke to chase after his wife. Naruto felt tears well up in his eyes as memories of his child hood flooded his mind, but they were breaking up and being replaced with a snow pelted window shield and a screeching tier sound.

"Sasuke!" Naruto screamed as he clutched his face and fell to his knees. Whatever was going was hurting like hell, and his breathing had picked up to match the situation.

"Looks like your synthetic is having a meltdown" Itachi said in a cold voice as his father gave him a warning squeeze of his shoulders.

"Itachi stop it!" Deidra shouted in the blonde's defense. Sasuke ran over to Naruto and tried to calm him down ignoring his brother's comment.

"S-s-sasuke w-zzwhahzz-zzwhatt w-wrongzz w-with me-e-ee?" Naruto twitched out as his voice broke from normal to a robotic cord.

"He needs to be shut down now Sasuke" Choji spoke up as he got up from the couch to assist Sasuke. Sasuke nodded and reached in his pocket to pull out a remote Naruto hadn't noticed before.

"N-nn-oo!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed the remote and threw it in the kitchen.

"Shit!" Choji ran over to pick up the remote as Itachi laughed making the guest more uncomfortable as they watched.

"Naruto calm down! Look at me!" Sasuke begged with his breaking voice and grabbed hold of the blonde's hands. Naruto's eyes were twitching and loosing color every now and then as his memories started to get blurred by more snow pelted window shield images and screeching of tiers spinning out of control with the song 'Have Yourself a Merry Christmas by Frank Sinatra' playing in the background.

"Hope it dies"

With that comment Naruto snapped into a full flashback.

oO~ Flashback ~Oo

"What do you think we should do for Christmas this year?" I ask from the passenger seat as I patted my knees to the song on the radio.

"We get together with everyone like always?" Sasuke said as he kept his eyes on the road. We were headed home from our usual date-night on Fridays.

"I know, but I want to do something special! Like a party at that karaoke place!"

"You just want to go there because of the ramen"

"Shut up! You know you like it too!" I leaned over in my seat and kissed my husband on his cheek making him look at me with a loving smile.

"SASUKE!" I shouted in fear when I turned my attention back to the road. I grabbed onto the dashboard as a truck came out of nowhere with blinding lights on the wrong side heading straight for us.

"HOLD ON!" Sasuke shouted back in urgency as he tried to slow down, but only ended up spinning out of control due to the snow. There was no railing along the hill to stop us from spinning out off the cliff with the horn from the truck going off behind. Both of our screams filled the car as we went tumbling down the hill.

When we finally stopped at the bottom we were flipped over. I awoke upside down thanks to the seatbelt. My first instinct was to check on Sasuke. I looked over to see him hanging upside down as well but completely unconscious with his arms drooping down as his head was turned to the side away from me.

"Sasuke" I coughed out as I reached for my seatbelt buckle. I anticipated the pain I'd feel when I hit the roof, but it actually hurt allot worst. I opened the car door first, so when I landed on my back I could get out the car easier. I unbuckled my seatbelt and sort of landed on my back closer to my shoulder. With a wince of my eyes and grit of my teeth I made it outside the car by backing out with my hands.

Once outside in the snow I wanted to go back in the car. I forced myself up despite the growing pain in my abdomen. Struggling to the other side I made myself open the driver side door, and get my husband out. With my remaining strength I checked him for injuries as I laid him on the snowy earth.

"Naruto…?"

I looked at my husband seeing his eyes flutter open.

"Sasuke! Are you alright?!" I asked him with a hand placed on his chest gently. He blinked from the snow kissing his face.

"I'm fine. I think...Are you okay?" Sasuke sat up with the support of his elbows.

"I-I think" my strength was fading and I slumped against my husband's chest. The pain was starting to go rather numb, and now I felt as if I was fading.

"Naruto!" I heard my husband shout as his hand came to my abdomen. I finally looked down to see a glass shard sticking out then at the trail of blood that stained the snow.

"Oh heh how'd that get there?" I said with my voice going in and out trying to make the situation lighter.

"How did you even…?! I….Hold on!" Sasuke's voice was shaky as broken questions came out. He sat up to hold me close to him then his right hand frantically moved over my wound not sure what to do.

"I'm fine Sasuke. The more important thing is are you okay?"

"Stop worrying about me!" Sasuke snapped at me as I looked up at him to see tears coming from those onyx eyes. I never liked it when he cried it was such a heartbreaking sight.

"But I love you…don't cry Sasuke-"

"I love you too don't speak just…just breathe!"

I could see Red/white lights coming from the side in the distance as Sasuke held me closer to his chest and told me 'Everything's going to be okay' over and over again with his bloodstained hands running through my hair. With my blood on his hands I knew he felt responsible, but I couldn't tell him that it wasn't.

Because I died right there with the ending song lyrics.

" So have yourself a merry little Christmas now "

oO~ End of Flashback ~Oo

"STOP!" Naruto shouted through tears as he pushed himself away from Sasuke and jutted up running out the door. Before Naruto could get far he blacked out and fell to the concrete ground with his eyes wide open and the tears stopping. The azure eyes faded to a dull gray signaling shutdown.

Choji held the remote in his hand with his finger on the button. He looked towards Sasuke still frozen with utter horror on his face.

"Sasuke go get him, and I'll help to delete this from his memory" Choji said as he looked over the remote.

"Why don't you just leave it out there?"

Deidra didn't hold back from slapping Itachi.

"As of now we are done!" Deidra shouted before he stormed out of the house.

Itachi jerked himself out of his father's hold and left as well. On his way out passing Naruto's lifeless body he couldn't help the regret he felt. He looked over to see Minato looking at him, but he quickly looked away. The regret was then replaced with hate as he glared back down at the body that was supposed to be Naruto. He walked away to see his car gone... 'Damnit Deidra' he cursed to himself.

Sakura got up to help put things away with Ino and Iruka to avoid conversation. Mikoto headed outside to see Naruto on the ground and Kushina crying her eyes out near their car against Minato. She avoided the blonde's body as if it wasn't there and walked over to Kushina and Minato to check on them.

"Sasuke do you want us to help you bring Naruto back in?" Fugaku asked as he walked over to his son and took a knee beside him. Akamaru jumped out of Kiba's lap and ran outside making his owner chase him. Shikamaru had no choice but to follow passing by Sasuke.

"We are going home. Hope you get this sorted out" Shikamaru said before he left, not really wanting to be a part of what was going on. Akamaru was now licking Naruto's face trying to make him wake up.

"Bad Akamaru! That's not Naruto" Kiba knelt down to pick up the dog. Shikamaru watched the dog fret about being pulled away from the blonde.

"Usually dogs can sense the difference…Maybe Akamaru is getting ol-"

"Don't even go there!" Kiba held the little dog and looked him over as they headed towards the car leaving Naruto on the ground.

Back in the house Kakashi was trying to get Iruka to leave.

"Sasuke we need to get Naruto inside"Choji urged the raven to wake up.

"AAAIIIHHH!"

Everyone's attention averted to the door at the sudden scream. Sasuke got up off the floor and ran outside to see Naruto gone.

"He just got up and ran out of nowhere!" Mikoto stammered as she helped calm down Kushina.

"Where'd he run to?" Sasuke asked his mother quickly. Choji came out the house with the remote in hand. Mikoto pointed towards the gate exit with a shaky hand.

"Shit!" Sasuke took off with Choji following close behind.

"Shut him off again!"

"I'm trying! He's redone his programming somehow! It's actually kind of amazing really!" Choji shouted as they ran towards the gates to see them open.

"Fuck! Can we still track him?"

"I doubt it" Choji said between breaths as they looked down the street. Sasuke turned to Choji to see his smile go off his face.

"You think this is funny?!"

"No! But you have to admit this is a break through! He's learning-"

"LEARNING?! I just lost him again!" Sasuke grabbed hold of Choji's blazer and pushed him against the gate making it ring.

"C-calm down! He'll come back!"

"How?! WHY?! Why would he come back?!"

"Because he's learning! He knows now Sasuke! He knows the truth now…"

With those words Sasuke calmed down a bit looking over to see everyone outside looking at him.

"I'll help you look for him" Itachi had no ride home anyway.

"I don't need your help" Sasuke said as he let Choji go and headed back inside pushing anyone in his way aside.

"Yes you do"

"Like I need your help at the hospital? Outside the door watching the operating table? And at the funeral?"

Itachi stopped upon those true comments. As Sasuke stood in the doorway Itachi could tell that he was crying again.

"He'll come back guys! Trust me!" Choji shouted in desperation to make everyone understand.

"Till then I'm going to look for him. You all can go home…I'm sure most of you feel the same way my dear brother does"

It was true for the most part. No one liked what Sasuke had done by making a synthetic copy of Naruto, but some understood his pain. A few people left and a few apologies were mentioned, but some didn't say anything at all. Choji and Itachi stayed with Sasuke to help despite his protest.

"If we find him…Will you fully shut him down?" Itachi asked his little brother as they searched the garage.

"I told you I didn't need your help" Sasuke said as he knelt down and flashed the light in a pitch of darkness beneath the working bench table.

"Let's not talk about shutting him down while we are searching for him okay guys?" Choji spoke up with a 'duh' fashion in his voice.

"Fine…" Itachi kicked a random box knocking it over getting their flashlights attention.

"What? It's not like it's even in here"

Sasuke shook his head in frustration before he looked back under the table.

"Guy's I'm going home. Sasuke, look he is likely still here. He's just hiding really well. He'll show up in the morning. Hell he probably would have showed up sooner if me and Itachi had left, so come on Itachi lets go"

Sasuke didn't bother responding as Choji dragged Itachi out. He didn't give up searching though once they left. He decided to check the garden and he wasn't there either. Naruto was just nowhere to be found.

Coming back in the house he grabbed a bottle of wine off the table and dropped onto the couch. Popping of the top he chugged it down. He ended up choking on it and coughing most of it up on the floor. Upon getting dizzy he thought he saw Naruto standing the hallway to their room, but he passed out.

~oOOo~

The next morning Sasuke awoke to a bright light coming over his closed eye lids from the giant window walls. He sat up to shield his eyes from the sunlight then he looked down to see covers sliding off his body.

"Tell me the truth"

Sasuke looked from under his arm to see Naruto half silhouetted sitting on the table in the kitchen wearing his gardening clothes. A pale blue buttoned shirt, a white undershirt with brown rolled up shorts and matching boots.

"Truth about what?"

"…." Naruto looked at the raven with a scowling look he'd never received before.

"It's not important-"

"I died Sasuke. I. Died! I think this is important to tell your husband? Am I even your husband? Is that why you didn't tell me?" Naruto let the questions roll of his tongue in a sort of sarcastic hurt cord.

"Naruto…I didn't mean for you to find ou-"

"Like this? You think you could have hid this from me forever?! That we would be a happy family?!"

"Yes! Yes I did!"

"Why?!"

"Because I couldn't let go! There I said it…I can't let you go…It was Christmas eve Naruto…I lost you on the night before Christmas! I was forced to go through that alone! No one understood no one could have possibly understood how much you meant to me. So as a gift to myself I brought you back" Sasuke found himself getting up off the couch as his voice carried out is emotions.

He walked towards Naruto to see his scowling look unwavering.

"You didn't bring me back…you made a copy of me" Naruto looked down at his gloved hands. He thought gardening would help, but it didn't.

"Because I love you"

"No you don't…this isn't me Sasuke. This is something else" Naruto started to shake as the raven hugged him.

"No, this is you"

"No its not! STOP LIEING TO ME!" Naruto pushed the raven off of him so he could hug himself.

"Kill me!"

"No!"

"Then I will!" Naruto jumped off the table, and headed over to the kitchen drawers. Sasuke just watched Naruto pull out a butcher knife and hold it to his throat.

"This is what you want right?" Naruto asked as he choked slightly and pressed the cold blade closer to his skin.

"You and I both know that won't work"

"It's a start!" Naruto moved the blade down to where his heart would be.

"Do I even have a heart?"

"Of course Naruto" Sasuke half smiled to the blonde as he took a step closer.

"Whose heart did you steal?!"

"Yours"

Naruto faltered for a bit at that with his eyes going wide. Sasuke came over and took the knife from him. He placed it on the counter before he cupped the blondes face in his hands and made him look up at him.

"Every about you is you. Your heart…your lungs. Almost everything up until the damaged parts. Granted something's are synthetic as well, but mostly you." Sasuke kissed the blondes forehead gently before looking at his tear filled closed eyes.

"I'm a monster!"

"No you're not! Look at me!" Sasuke demanded feeling his voice crack. Naruto opened his azure eyes to meet hopeful onyx ones.

"I loved you then and I'll love you now!" With that he brought his face closer and captured Naruto's lips with his own. Naruto trembled and returned the kiss still unsure what to make of this. The raven used his thumbs to wipe the tears from the blonde's face.

"I-I want to know how you did this" Naruto stated when he broke the kiss.

"Of course…Let's settle down first okay? Did you eat yet?" Sasuke asked as he looked around to see the place clean.

"Yeah…How can I eat and shower?"

"Because I wanted you to be as human as possible"

"So I'm like Frankenstein?"

"No...Naruto don't say things like that I-"

"I'm sorry" Naruto apologized before the raven could explain.

"Just let me get dressed and we'll go there okay?"

"Okay"

Sasuke kissed the blonde on the forehead before he left to their bedroom with his headache. Naruto watched him leave before he turned his attention to the knife on the counter. He quickly grabbed it and shoved it back in the drawer. Taking in deep breaths he placed both hands on the counter tops.

'I'm not real, but I feel so…' as he thought about it he looked down at his hands gripping the counter tops. The wrinkles in his fingers whenever he gripped something were real. When they made love that was real wasn't it? It had to be! This was just a cruel joke for something he had done in the past. That's it! This is a joke! Yes, but that car crash…felt so real too.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the shower turn on. He waited patiently for the raven to get done. Sasuke came back after a while fully clothed in his business suit.

"Ready?"

~oOOo~

On the way there in the car it was a quiet ride despite the odd atmosphere.

"Sasuke when we made love…how was I able to you know?"

"Well the same way a sex-bot works now-a-days" Sasuke answered as if that was an exceptional answer. Naruto face palmed himself at his perverted husband.

"…."

"Don't worry I only borrowed the simulations of an orgasm and such"

"…"

Naruto's silence pretty much spoke for itself that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

They arrived at his job where he led Naruto to the side of the building where they worked on machines. He then led the blonde through his office to a steel room with a bed in the center where he worked privately on projects. He flipped on the lights so they could see the space.

"This is where I brought you back. It was Christmas so no one was around…It took me a week I think"

Naruto ignored the fact that Sasuke used the words 'brought back'.

"A week?" Naruto asked in amazement as he walked over to the bed in the vast empty space.

"How?"

"Oh hold on" Sasuke flipped on another switch and with a whiz and buzz of mechanical objects working together all kinds of gadgets and monitors came out of the walls. Naruto had to move aside as a table with utensils on it came out of the floor. The ceiling over the bed opened to lower a weird machine down with all kinds of gadgets a few feet above it.

Naruto looked around at all the instruments then to Sasuke whom was looking rather proud of himself.

"What did you start with?"

"A robot of course. Then I worked my way on up from there" Sasuke said as he walked over to Naruto, and followed him around looking at things.

"Did you modify me?"

"No, why would I?"

"I don't know…"

"Naruto" Sasuke took hold of the blonde's hand making him turn around.

"Sasuke you need to let me go"

Sasuke was taken aback by this sudden tone after all he'd just revealed.

"Why?!"

"Because I died for a reason Sasuke. Maybe the reason is for you to learn to let go" Naruto said with a sideways glance to the bed.

"You want to leave me this badly?"

"No! I just…I can't get over the fact that I died Sasuke! I heard about the funeral! Why am I here?!"

"Because I love you…you'll still age just like normal and we'll grow old together look!" Sasuke pulled Naruto over to a monitor and typed in his password bringing up all kinds of images of the human body and a robotic design.

"Choji helped me figure out the missing piece between robots and humans"

Naruto looked at the images in disbelief. 'My husband's insane' Naruto thought as he took a step back.

"Sasuke…this is wrong"

"How is this wrong? You'll keep telling me this is wrong, but you're not giving me a real answer as to why that is?!"

"You're upsetting the balance by playing god!"

"Don't tell me you believe in god Naruto! Life took you away from me, so I brought you back. Millions of people die every day and their loved ones would do anything to have them back in their arms! What has god done to protect them huh? Those innocent people both woman, men and children are not given a chance or a heads up"

"He has a higher plan for them Sas-"

"Fuck the higher plan! What about their higher plans huh? What if little Yuki wanted to be a doctor and help millions? Denied, she dies in an unsuspected plane crash because of gods 'higher plan' for her! Don't you see Naruto?! If he can be selfish and take away people's dreams just like that then I can bring my dream back"

Naruto just starred at his husband as if seeing him for the first time. Sasuke had this smile on his face that creeped Naruto out to no end, but the blonde just stepped back more bumping into the bed at lost for words.

"Sasuke don't do this…"

"Don't do what? It's not like I'm brining everyone in the world back! It's just you…for now"

"What do you mean for now?"

"Well Choji has idea's to further it since it works. Everyone close to us knows that that I brought you back and a few others that know us know. The only reason no one has talked about it on the news or anything like that yet because is because I have been keeping it a secret to protect you, but now we can go public with it"

"I don't want to go public Sasuke!"

"Okay then we'll keep it our secret" Sasuke assured the blonde whom was panicking now, so he approached him with caution.

"I'm sure Choji will understand"

"Stay away from me!"

"Sshh shh just relax Naruto" Sasuke said in a soothing voice as he put his hands on the blonde's shoulders and rubbed them.

Naruto starred at his husband wanting to just punch him and run, but he couldn't. A part of him understood his pain, and the other part refused to accept what he'd done.

"Everything will be okay" Sasuke pulled the blonde into a hug and snaked his fingers through the tuff of blonde hair.

"No it won't! No one will accept me Sasuke!"

"I will…I always have"

Naruto just shook his head against Sasuke's chest.

"Sasuke please just turn me off"

"Okay…"

Naruto looked up at the raven's sudden compliance seeing a strange look on his face which was a smile mixed with mischievous eyes.

"What?"

"If you want to leave me so bad then fine get on the bed"

Naruto blinked in confusion until the raven basically rushed him onto the bed.

"Now relax okay. It'll be over quickly"

Before Naruto could ask how it would work he blacked out again. When Naruto awoke moments later he had no idea what had just happened.

"Sasuke why are we at your job?"

The raven smiled at his husband and helped him of the bed.

"You wanted to see what I do, so I brought you here. You passed out on me though"

"Oh…I'm sorry Sasuke"

"It's fine. It gets boring after a while anyways"

Naruto blushed in embarrassment from thinking he'd fallen asleep during Sasuke's explanations. Sasuke kissed his blushed cheek to his surprise making the boy cup his cheek.

"I didn't deserve that"

"Yes you do, and more" he moved to kiss the blondes lips, but Naruto stopped him with the palm of his hand. His eyes faded from azure to gray like a light cutting on and off.

"Szz-sauske y-you didn't shut me down" Naruto's voice came out broken and twitched.

The raven gawked at the blonde in surprise.

"Get back on the bed I'll fix it-"

"N-n-zz-no. I-IIIIIIIII can do it" Naruto grabbed hold of a scalpel of the table with twitchy fingers. Sasuke grabbed hold of Naruto's wrist to stop him.

"No, drop it!" Sasuke made the twitching blonde drop the little knife.

The raven then pulled him away from the objects and hugged him close to his chest as if shielding him from the world. Backed up in a corner Sasuke just starred at nothing as Naruto broke down in his arms repeating 'S-shut-z-zz m-me d-d-d-downzzz' over and over again like a broken record getting louder and louder.

After a while when the blonde stopped moving Sasuke finally answered.

"No"

Authors Note: (I was in a dark place…I don't like death, so I can safely say I would do something like this in a heartbeat. I hope you enjoyed though! I really hate sad endings so I might actually work on another part to make it a happy ending, but for now this is a test on how I can execute a sad moment as well as deception. Feel free to let me know what you think!)