A/N: Oh. My. Kami. This would be AWESOME if it happened in the manga. But, sadly...no. Sasuke's still a revenge-driven idiot. This one was inspired by Pendulum's "Crush."
AU, OOC Sasuke (a little), and slight SasuSaku.
Spoilers up to chapter 611.
I don't own Naruto.
A sound like a sonic boom; a flash; and everyone waits with bated breath for the inevitable impact that will kill them all.
The dust clears, and the many ninja of the Shinobi Alliance open their eyes to see the Jūbi's attack floating in midair, held there as if suspended by a thousand invisible threads.
Below it stands a figure, cloaked in white and navy, red energy streaming from his body, hands and head lifted skyward.
And that's when they realize—the last Uchiha has come to make things right.
The ball of chakra begins to rise. The teen's arms are shaking. Then, it launches itself back at its owner.
The Jūbi doesn't have enough time or power to dodge or counter. Its own attack slams into its single eye.
The ten-tailed beast lets out a shriek that shatters the eardrums of the ninja closest to it as it's blasted into the sky, dissolving into a huge cloud of shadow that whirls into the barely-there moon.
Madara and Obito jump away just in time; they stand across from Sasuke as he collapses to his knees.
No one moves. No one breathes. The only sound is the whistling of the wind.
And then Madara is speaking, the breeze whipping away his words.
They can all hear Sasuke's yell.
"You're wrong, Uchiha Madara! We've never wanted unjust power; that's the Uchiha nindo! Our power comes from within, Uchiha no Baka!"
"You dare to address your clan leader in such a manner?!"
"You're not the clan leader, Madara."
"Oh? Then who is?"
"I am."
There's a semi-awkward silence as Sasuke stares defiantly at his clan's founder. He stands up shakily, and they can only see his back, but they can tell he's angry. Madara glares daggers at his descendent, and Sasuke glares right back.
Electricity crackles in the air, and Sasuke opens his stance as he glows with lightning, shooting a huge bolt of white energy into the sky.
Madara and Obito are forced to jump back again as a huge dragon slithers from the clouds and it begins to rain. Sasuke claps his hands together and screams his jutsu to the heavens.
"NINPOU: RYŪ NO RAI!"
He back-flips onto the now-diving dragon's head, and its roar scatters the two others. Madara activates his Perfect Susano'o, while Obito uses the Shodaime's Ryū no Ko to combat his nephew.
The twin dragons collide in midair, claws extended. Sasuke draws his sword and clashes with Obito, who's unsheathed two trench knives.
Meanwhile, Madara lunges for the lightning dragon, his Susano'o's fingers digging deep into insubstantial flesh and ripping it away from his companion's wooden creation.
Sasuke disengages from Obito as his dragon rears back, screeching at the sky. He's panting, and descends to one knee as the beast takes flight, floating high above the battlefield.
The ninja army is motionless with shock as the three Uchiha charge each other once more.
Naruto is, as always, the first to break the silence. He grins, and leaps forward, calling to Sakura and Kakashi.
Team Seven runs forward. Naruto yells to Sasuke.
"OOOOI~! TEME~!"
He doesn't respond—he's too busy dodging the Susano'o's punch and parrying several handfuls of kunai. Naruto slides in at his back. The silence speaks volumes as the former teammates and best friends watch each other's backs. Sakura and Kakashi jump into the fray, Kakashi joining Naruto while Sakura and Sasuke face down Madara.
Everything around them seems to melt into blurs of color, save for the figure opposite them. They don't move, don't speak, just stare.
And then Sasuke moves.
He drops down and shoots forward in a deadly fast sprint, another Chidori already charging in the palm of his right hand. Sakura takes this as her cue, and follows him, both hands glowing with fatal chakra scalpels. She catches up to him, and matches him stride for stride as they jump to hammer him from above.
Thirty minutes later, they're still fighting. Everyone else is watching them, knowing that it isn't just a battle for their homes, it's a battle for their honor. Naruto, having worked some of his magic, has convinced Obito to sacrifice himself to permanently seal the Jūbi into the moon, with his soul as the final barrier. Now, the only enemy left is Madara.
Both Sasuke and Sakura are badly wounded now, their blood splattering the ground with every movement they make. Sasuke's left leg has ceased to function, leaving him to limp awkwardly about the battlefield. Both of Sakura's arms are disabled, and they hang behind her as she races forward. Between them they have the chakra level of a low-power Genin.
It's then that it happens.
Madara slashes at Sasuke with his fan, knocking him off balance. Sakura, behind him, is flattened beneath the heavier teen's body. Sasuke rolls away, but can't get up; his leg is shot. Madara raises his sickle for the final blow…
And a white light appears before them both, and a ghostly hand stops the blade. Sasuke looks up.
Uchiha Itachi stands in front of him, beautiful white wings spreading from beneath his shoulder blades, hair flowing in an ethereal manner.
He feels hands on his chest, under his back, and a warm, strong body picks him up.
He looks up to see his father. Uchiha Fugaku. The man who made his life hell.
The man who smiles down at him now, pride shining in glowing black eyes.
My son. You have finally realized.
He looks over to Sakura. His mother, Uchiha Mikoto, hovers over her, healing her wounds and speaking rapidly to her in a hushed whisper.
Fugaku is watching them, too. He turns back to Sasuke.
She's the one, Sasuke. Don't let her go.
Fugaku puts him down and trades places with Mikoto as Itachi continues to protect them. She smiles down at him, the warm, happy smile he remembers from his childhood.
Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke…I'm sorry…
Tears are pouring down her face now, as she hugs him and he reacts.
I'm sorry we all had to leave you alone. I'm sorry you couldn't see me there.
You were there? He asks.
Always. We both were.
He feels his eyes beginning to water, and furiously rubs them to get rid of the oncoming tears.
I'm out of time, musuko. But remember, please—
That we all love you.
All three of them speak together, Mikoto smiling, Fugaku proud, and Itachi smirking softly (because no Uchiha man can smile; it's been proven physically impossible). They fade from view, and the shell of white chakra that's been defending them shatters.
Make it right. Make it right.
Their voices are chanting in his ears. He looks over, and is sure Sakura hears the same.
Make it right. Make it right.
He knows what they have to do, now. The last of his strength pours to his hand, where lightning is already beginning to gather. Beside him, Sakura's funneling the rest of her chakra into one final scalpel—Mikoto was able to heal her left arm.
They slam their hands together, and the Chidori takes on a green glow as they begin to run.
Twin voices scream as one.
"SHANNARO~!"
"CHIDORI~!"
The attack hits Madara in the chest, directly over his heart. Warm liquid bursts forth, splattering Sasuke's face and Sakura's arm as they drive him several feet back with sheer force.
He falls to the ground as they rip their fingers from his now-destroyed rib cage, already turning to dust as the last of the jutsu holding him in this world fades.
All that's left now is a puddle of cooling blood and a spiral of ash in the sky.
And he can hear Sakura's voice, like an angel's.
"It's over."
He nods, and pulls her close to him, one arm around her thin shoulders, the other around her waist. He can feel her warm breath on his chest, and he's thinking that he might just get used to this.
"Aa. It's over."
It's over, and peace has finally come.