Specks Of Gold

by TheWonderYears

They still remembered what it was like, before the world turned to ash.

1. Chapter 1

Specks of Gold

Genre: Drama, Angst, Romance, Supernatural. Sci-fi

Warnings: Some Character Death, Some Violence, Sexual Situations and Language.

Rating: T to M.

Summary: They still remembered what it was like, before the world turned to ash.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters in any way, shape, or form.

(I don't do song fics, but I heavily recommend listening to" Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap and "Always" by Panic at the Disco while reading this story because it will defiantly set the mood. Onward!)

---

He sat on a mountain of polished redwood, eyes drooping and figure lax. No matter how long he held his position, he would never get used to the tediousness of it. The dragging hands of the ornate overhead clock mocked him endlessly. The seconds ticked by for what seemed hours, and the subtle sound of changing seconds was sure to drive him insane.

Naruto, Lord of The Nest, was bored. There was nothing he could do to change that simple fact. He had completed the massive mound of paperwork that was carelessly flung onto his desk at eight in the morning by his faithful assistant, Kakashi an hour ago. He would no doubt be astonished. Naruto was not the most efficient a leader when it came to paperwork in the like, not the most efficient by far, but his people loved him. After all, he was the only leader they had ever had.

The clock dinged six times, and he listened with his eyes closed and head tilted back to each sound, noticing the sound of rushing feet and clamoring voices outside his giant oak door. Closing time, in his opinion, was the best and worst time of the day. Best, because he could be finished with assigning mere children to missions in other lands, some to victory and some to death. He could be through with handing the village's finances and treaties and ridiculously disgusting problems like a sewage-line break or a mouse infestation in the grain stores. He could give pause to thoughts of how to make the village better and safer for a few hours a night, only with the promise to himself that he would always pick up on it in the morning. Then, he could be alone, with himself and his thoughts. And that was the worst.

"Lord Naruto, do you have a moment?" Kakashi's sliver head was standing in the doorway, an equally silver eyebrow skyward in question. Naruto hadn't heard him come in. The man was a ninja after all. One of his best.

"Always and only for you, Kakashi. What do you need?" He replied quietly. He rose, stretching and cracking his back to release the tension there.

"Well, many things. I need for my Lord to rest; you appear as if you are going to keel over at a moment's notice. Secondly, I am here to collect your finished work. I'm very proud that you decided to finish it today." He said with a smirk. His face turned serious and professional as he spoke again.

"However, before any of that, there is a woman outside of the front gates that has requested your presence. I came to see if that is a matter you wish for me to attend to, or if you would like to handle it yourself."

Naruto yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "Is it an urgent matter? Did she state where she was from, or her business here?"

"She will not say. She stated that she would only divulge any and every bit of information she has to your ears only."

Naruto paused and thought for a moment, and Kakashi waited patiently for his answer. He silently wished that his Lord would refuse her, so that Kakashi could have the personal pleasure of removing her from their lands himself. The woman, whose name was unknown to him, was very cheeky and untamed. Her accent told him that she hailed from somewhere in the south, and that made him immediately distrust her. The Nest's relationships with the southern villages had never been smooth. Not to mention that her posture was horrendous, her hair unkempt, and she seemed as if she wouldn't know class if it ran up and proposed to her. Mostly his problem was with how she spoke of his Master like he was any other common man and that did not sit well with Kakashi. The only person allowed to any type of disrespectful action or words around Lord Naruto was him and even that was different. He knew that Lord Naruto sees him as a trusted friend and confidant, someone that he did not always have to be stiff and proper with. Underlying his friendly status was a deep respect and adoration for the man that was borderline unhealthy. He, however, did not bark order at his Lord like that uncouth woman did, and would never push his luck in that way. He knew what Lord Naruto was. He was not Lord for so long for nothing.

"No, I will handle it myself. You have done enough for today Kakashi, as always. It is time for you to scurry home to that wife of yours. I know how much trouble you'll get into if you keep her waiting." Naruto said with a sly wink, causing Kakashi to chuckle.

"Thank you, my Lord." Kakashi said. Falling to one knee and bowing his head so far that his hair brushed the ground. Naruto rolled his eyes at his over-exaggerated display of respect, but appreciated it nonetheless. "If you have need of me, you know where I'll be."

"Yes, yes. Now go! Dismissed." Naruto said with an impatient wave of his hand. Kakashi bowed again, before back out the way he came and gently shutting the door. Naruto sighed, reaching up to scratch his head. He had not been aware of any scheduled visits from any other villages any time soon, and this place never got many urgent messengers at the gates. It was usually tourists or wayward travelers looking to rest their weary heads. This was a welcome change of pace, provided it didn't spell out impending doom for himself or those around him.

He snapped his fingers, and his overelaborate golden robes fissured and fused into more comfortable garments- a billowy white blouse with rolled and pinned sleeves and tapered brown pants with matching sandals. He pulled his headband down from his forehead- hands brushing tenderly over the grooved leaf insignia- and tied it around his neck instead. He looked more casual and less stiff, something he felt was necessary if he wanted for this mystery woman to open up to him. It would not change much, thought, he mused, if his glowing eyes had anything to say about it. She would know a Remnant when she saw one.

The walk to the gates was a peaceful one. Naruto always enjoyed the tree cover and foliage he had the pleasure to see every day as he made his way. He turned his eyes skyward, basking in the glow of late afternoon sun as it touched his face. It was the same way, years ago, many, many years ago, before it had gotten the name it held proudly now. He always had to remind himself to adjust his eyes to the village's new, muted brightness, lest he get lost in a sea of memories. He tilted his head back down, noting that woman and children waved a fluttered about as he walked to catch his attention. He winked sultrily at a group of young women, causing them to break out into fresh giggles and putting a smile on his face. He loved his people so very much, which is why his mood darkened as the gate came into full view. He could see his guards holding the red-haired woman back as they all yelled recklessly at each other. Upon seeing him, she pushed past them, taking a moment to straighten her dress and smoothing down her hair.

"Naru-I mean, Lord Naruto, I'm so glad you came personally to speak with me!" Naruto eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, unnoticed to anyone else present. He figured he was the only one to notice her slip up a moment before too.

"Watch your mouth, cur, how dare you call out our Leader's name without a title! You will show respect!" His face turned an angry red color, and he raised his hand to her in warning.

Or maybe not.

"Stand down, men, it is alright. May I ask your name, ma'am? For I am sure we have not met before."

"Oh! Yes, yes, forgive me. I did not mean to disrespect you, my name is Karin. I come from The Cove to the south. I can't help but feel like I already know you, since I've just heard so much about you from-"Her eyes became comically wide and she clamped her mouth shut with an audible pop. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"From whom?" He said.

"Never mind, it's not important. How about we go get something to eat and I'll tell you what you need to know."

Naruto tried to ignore his men's silent pleas to kill her. He had no desire to, really, but he didn't want to look bad in the presence of his guards. So, being a sly as he was, he pulled a face as if he was offended by her insolence and began to drag her down the street, raising a hand in warning to his guards when they tried to follow. The held position reluctantly, but silently triumphed that the foolish girl would be taken care of.

He waited until they were far enough away, and checked that there were no random citizens out and about before pulling her into a deserted alleyway and trapping her inside. He stared her down for a moment, giving her his most stern, governing gaze, but it didn't seem to affect her. He sighed. He really did not have the patience for this.

"Look, I sensed that you wanted to speak to me alone, so we are alone. Am I correct in that assumption?"

"You can stop with all the pompous proper-stuff now. I know you're not really like that, there's nobody here to impress."

"Oh? And how do you know that?" He asked, gaze hardening. He had a very bad feeling about this.

Karin just smiled slyly and prettily, and that sealed it for him. Naruto decided right then that nothing good could come of this.

---

Stop, stop! I can't move anymore. We have to stop." Sakura moaned pathetically. She would have crumpled right to the ground had Sasuke not caught her. Naruto stopped mid-step, his bloody-bare feet scrapping painfully on the street as he halted. He turned tired eyes around to her battered body, letting out a heavy sigh thought his nose.

"She's right, Naruto, she can't go on like this. Let's stop here for now." Sasuke said quietly, helping Sakura into a sitting position. He never took his eyes off of her. She's only right because you're in love with her. Naruto thought bitterly. He turned away so that he wouldn't have to see the "delightful" scene of Sakura smiling at him beautifully, but tiredly and Sasuke returning it, pulling out his water bottle and offering her some.

"We can't possibly stay here." Naruto replied evenly, turning his head this way and that to see if there was any other life about. He was equally unsurprised and disappointed to find none. "We're out in the open." Sasuke huffed, and Naruto felt his heart clinch when those black eyes were upon him.

"If you haven't noticed, Naruto, there's no one else here." Naruto snorted.

"Yes, because all of them are dead. I did happen to notice that, yes." He shot back with a sneer.

They both fell silent after that declaration. It was the first time any of them had said it aloud, and therefore, the first time they truly acknowledged it. Naruto instantly hated himself. Everything was so fucked up and tense. When did it get like this between him and Sasuke? Oh yes, when he started to date Sakura. Sasuke was his best-friend, someone he had spent all twenty-two years of this earth with and he wasn't willing to give that up. Sasuke was his; Sasuke should have been his, before the dumb bitch had gotten in his way.

"Guys, stop. Don't be like that, don't argue. We have to stick together. We only have each other now." Sakura said softly, her voice nearly catching with unshed tears. Naruto felt himself stiffen then relax, noting that Sasuke reacted in the same fashion. She was right.

Naruto sighed and sat down, rubbing at his injured feet. He had tried, in the last few days, to lessen his pain, but all the walking they did wore at any shoes he had brought with him until they eventually broke apart. He regretted that he had not been able to carry more clothes with him, but he knew it was for the best. When they had started out on this journey, they had been frightened and panicky. They grabbed what their hands could hold and stuffed them in any bags they could find. Sasuke had been wise and told them to worry about food and water and warm clothing in case they were still traveling in the winter. It was two months away, but none of them knew what the future would hold. It was better to be safe than sorry.

Naruto felt eyes on him, and looked up to find Sasuke watching him rub at his feet.

"You didn't bring your boots with you?" He asked. His tone was much softer and friendlier, and Naruto silently thanked Sakura for diffusing the moment.

"I did, but like you said, we needed stuff for the winter. I don't want to wear those out now and have nothing to put on later."

Sasuke said nothing, only reaching into his pack and tossing a pair of shoes in Naruto's direction. Naruto smiled in thanks, but Sasuke wasn't paying attention; Sakura had starting speaking again.

"W-what do you think going to happen to us, guys? I-I mean, we've been walking for two weeks and haven't met a single soul on the road yet. Could we be the only ones left?"

"I doubt it." Naruto snapped, wishing she would shut up. He didn't want to think shit like that. Ever. "We did wait a while to leave my house after the blast. Everyone that may have survived could have left before us and just got a head start."

The blast. It was three weeks ago. A core-rattling, earth-shattering boom that left the world in pieces. It turned the sky into an array of bright colors-yellow, red, purple, orange, blue, green.-

It was most likely a nuclear bomb or something similar. God knows that governments all over the world had been developing things like that for years. The news coverage from many different continents and countries were proof that the entire world was experiencing the same thing- they all screamed in different languages and tongues until full impact and everything went black. Those that were inside of their homes yelled as they covered their heads, but most were too close to impact zone, roasting alive as they shielded their children and pets from the windows and doors when the very ground they lay on became too hot. Those outside that were too close were simply incinerated instantly. Naruto's house happened to be on the edge of town. He was lucky, if that was the word, that it hit near the center of the city of Konoha. Most were not.

He had just woken up when the blast hit, and nearly jumped out of his skin when Sasuke and Sakura burst into his front door and dragged him to the ground. Sakura, being the fool she was, noticed a young girl outside at the last moment and ran back out to save her. A large, unearthly sound raised then, over the shattered buildings and dusty corpses, a sound so wrong, so loud, that Naruto could have sworn sounded like the Earth itself sighing (or dying, he wasn't sure on which one).

Sasuke had turned, and mouthed 'Sakura' before trying to get up and run after her. Naruto, still clueless as to what the fuck was happening, felt something odd snap inside of him. Instincts told him that they were in danger, and there was no goddamn way he was letting Sasuke go back out there. He grabbed at him, and Sasuke looked back, confused. Naruto tried to yell over the noise, but it beat him out. He took to shaking his head furiously. Sasuke began to yell something back at him, but it was also drowned out. He kept pointing at the door, until Sakura ran back inside, empty-handed with tears streaming down her face, and a forceful wind threw her into the opposite wall. She seemed to lose consciousness. They both sprung up to help her, only to be knocked down again. The force of the wind torn off the door and shattered the windows. It shook the house to the very foundation, and Naruto was afraid it might fall down on them. Sasuke tucked Naruto's body under him, digging into the floorboards until his fingernails bled so they wouldn't be thrown about. Naruto held onto him just as hard. He was terrified to let go for even a second. He couldn't let go, nothing of this world or another would make him let go of Sasuke. Ever. The wind and the howling went on for a few minutes, which felt like hours, and as quickly as it started, it ceased. They both lay there for a few minutes, listening to the sound of their own heavy breathing, until Sasuke pulled his head back from where it was tucked in Naruto's neck and stared at him.

"You okay?" He whispered, as if he was afraid talking any louder would bring the wind back. His eyes were wider and more frightened than Naruto had ever seen, and he figured his own looked pretty much the same. Naruto simply nodded, fearing that he may have forgotten how to speak in that short time. A surprised gasp was ripped from both of their throats when Sakura spoke. Naruto had forgotten she was there.

"Sasuke?" She said, sitting up and looking around blearily. She had a nasty gash on her forehead from the impact of the wall. Her eyes were hazy and unfocused.

Sasuke scrabbled from atop of Naruto, rushing over to her side and dabbing her head with the end of his sleeve. She hissed in pain.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Naruto asked a question:

"What happened to the little girl, Sakura?"

Sasuke head jerked in his direction, eyes narrowing and mouth opening to say something but Sakura cut him off with a choked sob. They both turned to look at her.

"S-she she turned to dust as I picked her up, Naruto! I-I-I don't know what's happening! She's dead, oh God, she was just a little girl! There's dust everywhere! I think that used to be people!" She began to sob uncontrollably, and Sasuke gathered her to his chest and glared at Naruto. Naruto looked away, swearing lowly. He felt bad; Sakura had risked her life to save the child and she literally disappeared right in front of her eyes.

"What the hell's happening out there, Sasuke?" He asked, knowing that he wouldn't get an answer from Sakura. Sasuke looked defeated at the question, and Naruto felt his heart plummet.

"I don't know."

It took forever for Sasuke to detach himself from the distraught Sakura, he and Naruto agreeing to take a look outside. Naruto had no idea what they would find, but he knew it would be anything but good. The minute the stepped out his front opening- it couldn't be called a door anymore with the way the hinges creaked in mourning for the lost door- they jumped back, swearing colorfully as their feet touched some kind of nuclear goo. It swept into their shoes, which was followed by a strange tingling sensation. The tore them off frantically down to the socks, silently praying to themselves that they would be alright. They didn't venture out again for a week, surviving off Naruto's limited rations that required to electricity to make. All the power was out, and the forced the couch against the gaping door to keep anything from coming in as the slept.

It only took a quick look around town after they had packed and went to the local, desolate-but not decimated super market to confirm what they already knew: The town was deserted and destroyed. There was a heavy layer of dust covering the ground, and judging from what Sakura said, meant that it all used to be people. He barely kept his food down after that thought. It had just as much toxic goo floating around-stuck on overturned cars and in puddles on the ground, and they were all careful to avoid touching the stuff. Sasuke had suggested that they move on, see if they could find anymore survivors in other cities.

So here they were, sitting on a cracked, empty street with not a soul in sight. The sky, as it had been since the incident, was a pale gray. Stuck in the after-effects on a rainstorm. The earth was now like a giant desert; the trees were barren and cracked, all the greenery and beauty sucked out.

"Stop it, Naruto. We're all thinking it. There's no reason to be a dick." Sasuke said. He gave Naruto a disapproving stare, but Naruto didn't care.

"I'm not thinking it. There's no way that there are three people left on the entire Earth." Especially if they fell in some of that green goo.

Naruto didn't want to bring it up, but he had been feeling stronger and healthier lately, which was weird, considering the circumstances, and he figured it had to do with the stuff he and Sasuke stepped in. He knew that Sasuke felt it too, but didn't want to bring it up. He kept silent about how his feet were already healing rapidly. Sakura had been experiencing just the opposite: Her hair lost its luster and her eyes dulled; she got tired faster than usual and slept for long periods of time. Any wounds she got lasted for days and brought her much pain. She was losing weight at any unhealthy pace as well. He knew that Sasuke was worried she was dying. Naruto thought so too, but had no idea how to help her stay alive. He didn't want her dead, at least, no now. He didn't think her death would improve his and Sasuke's relationship. He also speculated that it had something to do with Sakura being outside when the howling started. He had no idea why he thought that way, but then again, his very thoughts were changing too. He could see father and hear better, and his mind analyzing facts in ways he never thought of before. It both scared and excited him.

While he wasn't paying attention, Sakura had drifted off to sleep, quickly and silently. Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought. She was slowing them down. She couldn't keep up.

I have to get rid of her.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called.

"Huh?" Naruto said dumbly, swallowing thickly. What if he can read my thoughts? I know we're getting superpowers or some shit. He'll hate me for what I'm thinking.

"Come here. It's getting colder. Don't sit so far away."

"Surprised you actually want to be near me." He said impossibly low. Somehow, Naruto knew that human ears would not have been able to hear it. A test.

"Whatever, Naruto, just come here." That settles it then. Sasuke didn't even notice.

They lay down on the cold ground together, the grip of sleep pulling at them. Sakura lay in between them, and they stuffed their packs underneath their heads. Naruto silently reached for Sasuke's hand, reaching over Sakura's middle. Their entwined hands lay in her lap. Weightless, almost as if she wasn't there. He bit his cheek to keep from smiling when Sasuke squeezed back.

"She'll be okay, Sasuke. Don't worry. We'll…be okay too. I know it." He said after a beat. Sasuke sighed, holding his hand tighter.

"I hope so, Naruto, I hope so."

---

Naruto sat across from the lively redhead, Karin, watching her scarf down her second meal. His hand supported his drooping head. His own meal sat off to the side. His lips were pursed shut, slightly appalled at the way she ate, but he said nothing. He could not deny that he was interested in whatever she had to say. She talked to him as if she knew him, and apparently she had information from someone. . He just wanted to know who. He did have many friends out there, at least not anymore, least of all from the south. The closest area was ruled by a man named Kabuto-or it used to be, hadn't they gotten a new leader after he retired sometime around thirty years ago? He cursed himself for his curiosity. He, despite his better judgment, brought her back to his own home. Only because the girl seemed to clam up anytime someone else was around. Naruto truly hated to have his time wasted, so he cornered her and promised her food in return for her purpose. His head turned to look out of his dining room window, noting that the last vestiges of sunlight were quickly dimming.

"Will you tell me why you are here now, Ms. Karin?" He asked politely. "I have fed you and done everything you have asked, so your cooperation would be appreciated in return."

She smiled at him, using a napkin to wipe her face. She folded her hands in front of her lap and tilted her head.

"How long have you been here, Lord Naruto?" she asked. His brow scrunched in confusion and his eyes narrowed.

"If you truly hail from the south then you should know the answer to that." She laughed, and shook her head.

"Yes, but I would like to hear it from your mouth, if you don't mind." He sighed.

"I have been the Leader of the Nest for 100 years." He said after a beat.

She hummed in response, nodding her head slowly in acceptance, in such a way that he knew she already knew that information. Why ask me such a thing if she already knew? What is this about? She is testing my patience.

"But you've been here for much longer, no? I mean before. That's why you are a Remnant, right? You came back to build over the ruins of your hometown. Not many people know that, not many people at all."

"Is there a point you're trying to make?" He asked impatiently. He could tell that whatever direction this was going to take, he would not like it.

"Nothing, really, I think it's admirable. You got past your demons and helped people come together. People like you are heroes."

"What's this about? What the hell do you want?" He snapped. Not many did know that, and that was a problem. Where would she get such information? I need to be careful.

She raised her hands in mock surrender. "I'm not saying it like it's a bad thing. No, no, you misunderstand. Your people would be proud that you did such a thing, I'm sure."

"So what is your point?" He said through clinched teeth.

"Why not tell people what this place used to be called? What it was like there? I know you still remember. I've met a few Remnants and they all remember. Can't forget, is what they say. The tall buildings and central air and what not." She paused to laugh, and Naruto stare at her with his mouth hanging open. "We wish that you all would share more tales about back then. It's so interesting, you know? A time before ninjas and warring villages. All of us want to know what happened in the 'Before-Time'. Why didn't you call it Konoha?"

What-? "Because Konoha is gone! It's gone as well as everyone and everything in it!" He yelled, losing it. "Where the fuck are you getting all of this from? None of you need to know what it was like, because it's gone! Decimated, destroyed. I watched it fall. It took years for the trees and the grass to grow back, and all of the dust to disappear and the fucking sun to come out again! We lived like barbarians for years, until we finally got any semblance of order back, before we rebuilt. Those times were terrible, and tragic, and sad. That's why we "can't forget". All those that die will still be dead even if we tell the whole world how it ended once before. The world bounced back, so there's no point in living in the past. You're all better off not knowing shit!"

He panted, letting out deep puffs of air as he attempted to calm himself down. He immediately regretted losing himself, only if it was for a moment. This insolent girl knew nothing; she had no idea how he got where he was or what he went through to do it. It wasn't that easy, to just share everything. It haunted him, as he was sure it haunted everyone else like him. It was painful. The howling, the great wind the past over the world that turned many to dust. The years that followed were tough and long. He had suffered, alone, with the knowledge that his friends were dead, his home and hometown were gone. The world was in fractured pieces, only a shell of what it once was. Everything he knew and loved were gone. So no, he wasn't so gung-ho to give his people a history lesson, that's what his scholars were for. They wrote down whatever he told them. His memory was impeccable; after he had been changed, molded into something stronger, better, he never forgot a thing. After he had become a Remnant, someone who could live forever.

She allowed him a few moments to collect himself, pity swimming in her eyes. He decided that he hated her, that he wanted her gone. She was pushing hurtful things up from deep inside of him that only swam behind his eyelids in dreams.

"I will ask you one last time, where have you heard all of this? I know many of the leaders in the surrounded villages, and I want to know which one has told you such information." So that I may rip out their throats. We had a pact, dammit, no divulging to commoners, only to historians. Naruto felt frustrated, and raw. He was alert, and wary, of whatever else she had to say next.

"It's very simple, actually." She said with a smile. "I heard it from Sasuke."

In the next moment, the table was overturned, plates and glasses cracked on the floor, and Karin was flung to the opposite wall, her ears ringing and eyesight blurry from the impact of the slap she just received. Her fingers had caught the tablecloth as she was struck, causing it to pull and sent everything tumbling like she was. Had her head not been pounding, she would have whistled at the strength that came from only a simple backhand. His power was not exaggerated then, she decided for herself. She looked up, and was taken aback by the absolutely scorching fire that blazed in Naruto's eyes. He seemed transformed, teeth bared and chest heaving, She worried for a moment that she had pushed him too far; she did plan to make it back to her village alive. She couldn't worry though, because he needed to hear this.

"You are a dirty, fucking liar. The man called Uchiha Sasuke is dead. If you are not out of my sight in the next ten seconds, I will tear you limb from limb!" He bellowed.

"He told me about you temper too, but I'll admit I'm still a little surprised." She replied, rubbing her head. Naruto took a step toward, and she scrambled up the wall to stand quickly.

"Okay, okay, calm down and hear me out, alright?!" She shouted, putting her hands up in front of her for defense. If Naruto wasn't set on killing her, he would have laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it. As if her hands would be enough to protect her from the "Demon of the Nest". He snorted at the thought. Karin sensed that he had calmed down a bit, so she took her chances.

"Look, Sasuke is the leader of The Cove, alright? You know of that village, I know you do. It's the closest one to here, so I know that you know it-"

"You are rambling." He said shortly, winding down a bit. He was slightly disappointed that he had lost so much of his carefully placed control today. Leave it to the subject of "Sasuke" to set him off. Some things never change.

"Ha-ha, right, I'm sorry. Anyways, you've known him the whole time; you just haven't known it was him."

"I know for a fact that the leader of The Cove is the one who calls himself "The Raven". He only came into power thirty years ago, so I would not consider that the whole time." You're lying. It's impossible. I would have known, I know that I would have.

"Sasuke goes by "The Raven"; he never takes off his mask. I know for a fact you used to call him that in something he calls "high school". I take it you know what that is? Something about him being an "enigmatic asshole" that could sometimes be a little bit of a "creeper". Does that sound familiar to you?"

The force of knowing what "that was" hit him square in the gut. He hadn't thought about high school in years, about his yearbooks and school memories, all rotted and gone in the aftermath of the end. He hadn't thought about his favorite nickname for his best-friend, and secret love. He had even make a t-shirt that said "Nevermore" on it for his eighteenth birthday. He remembered the look on Sasuke's face when he presented it, the way he sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes- telltale signs that he loved it. All that churned in his stomach, making him feel sick. How would she have known that? He covered his hand with his mouth; he sat down before his knees gave out.

"It's impossible. It's a lie. It can't be. If he's been here, so nearby for so long, why would he not come to me? Why would he not want to see me? Why wait? I don't believe you!"

She made her way over to him slowly. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I can't explain that. But he talks about you all the time. I swear it. H-he said that it was something about the way you two got separated that made him hesitant. I don't know anything else." She patted his back carefully, a little afraid that he might snap again. Her humor was gone now, sucked out by how bad Naruto was affected by this. She silently cursed her Master, a little angry that he had caused this man to suffer like this. Naruto had obviously carried the weight of Sasuke's "death" with him like a badge. She felt guilty.

Naruto rested his head in his hands, silently trying to regain his composure. He bit his lip, unsure what to do next, or to handle such information, for that matter. He was still in a state of shocked disbelief. They sat in silence, while Karin rubbed slow, soothing circles in his back.

"He mentioned that too, ya know." She said matter-of-factly after a long stretch of silence.

"Mention what?" he said, raising his head. She smiled, tilting her head to the side, almost in wonder.

"Your eyes. He mentioned your eyes. He said that whenever you get really angry, the bright blue gets mixed with little specks of gold, almost as if the sun itself-"

"-had come down from its place in the sky to get vengeance with me." He finished, feeling hot tears well up behind his eyes. He took a shaky breath, and looked away from her.

For once in a very long time, Naruto had no idea what to do. His first, although irrational thought was to take off on foot to The Cove, leaving everything behind without a word and run to Sasuke and flung himself, sobbing uncontrollably, at his feet. He had to stop himself from rising and doing just that. But he chided himself for the foolish thought. He wasn't the same wild, unpredictable kid anymore, he had time to grow and change. A lot of time. Affairs had to be mapped out, mulled over, and revised. He had a village to run, to protect.

He needed a plan. He couldn't just leave it all behind at a moment's notice, a least not without telling Kakashi or the council that he needed to take leave. He would 'forget' to mention that he would, as soon as he saw Sasuke's face, never want to leave his side ever again. But that brought a new set of problems. Did Sasuke even want to see him? He had been within arm's reach for thirty years and God knows where for the rest of the time and never made an effort to see him. Naruto had unwittingly seen him many times before, at the annual village meeting the held to discuss current events with their neighbors, always wondering about the mysterious Cove leader that permanently stayed behind his mask and to himself. He had always felt those painted eyes on him, always felt the need to know and get close to the man, and now he understood why.

But had he sent Karin to tell him these things? To reveal himself? For what purpose? Reconciliation or closure? He had to know.

"Did he send you to me?" He asked her quietly, turning his gaze back to her. She bit her lip, and looked down.

"Uh, no, he didn't. But before you say anything, he's really lonely, Lord Naruto, and he misses you terribly. He talks of you all the time, going on and on about your adventures and such, He told me that you both knew each other since you were babies and he never has and never will trust and care for anyone like he does you!" Naruto snorted, incredulous.

"Trust? Maybe. Care for? That, my dear, is a flat out lie. He never loved me more than me loved her." He laughed. She stared at him down.

"You're talking about Sakura, aren't you? Don't look at me like that, he told me about her too. He really blabs when there is none one else to talk to, trust me."

"Oh? He told you about Sakura? Did he tell you how he would forget I even existed whenever she would text him? Or ignore me whenever she was talking? Or cancel plans we had for weeks when she wanted him to come over? Or how he would side with her in any argument? If he cared for me so much, he shouldn't have treated me like shit whenever she was around!" The words felt so foreign to him; things he hadn't uttered in years. They felt heavy on his tongue.

"Well, um, she was his girlfriend." Karin said awkwardly, not really sure how to respond.

"Yes, was." He shot back. Instantly, he felt crushing guilt fall into the pit of his stomach. That was low, even for him. Even for how much he hated her still.

"I'm sure he still loved you." Naruto took a moment to reply.

"But not in the way I wanted him to." Karin nodded sagely.

"I know. I could tell."

"She said that to me once, too, and do you know what? She regretted it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever you want it to."

They lapsed into silence.

"So you believe me now? He told me everything." She said, smirking again in her mocking little way. Naruto nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. He let it slide.

No, he didn't tell you everything, because he doesn't know everything. He doesn't know how I let Sakura die.

---

They ran into good luck a few more weeks down the road. It couldn't have come at a better time, too. Sakura was really fading, alarmingly so. They gave her most of the remaining rations, as he and Sasuke found they could survive on less for longer periods of time. Sakura was always scared now, always in constant need of assurance that she would be alright, and it was pissing Naruto off. He couldn't figure out how to ditch her without Sasuke noticing. They were always together, and there was no one else around. All the signs would point to him if something disastrous happened. The thoughts jammed in his mind, rolling around and increasing in intensity. It appalled him how heinous and detailed they were becoming. He felt as if he was transforming into a monster in front of his very eyes. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

They, to their great amazement, excitement, and relief, came upon a large, bustling shantytown after many miles and five more weeks of trekking though the wasteland that could once be considered a highway. Naruto never wanted to walk back the way they came again. It resembled a horror movie- with tons of overturned, burnt, or empty cars, the terrain dry and splintered. They searched the cars for anything of substance, and Naruto gave a whoop of victory when he found a cache of Twinkies. Those things never went bad, and were fattening, so they gave most of them to Sakura.

Finally, when the made it to the makeshift city, Naruto had noticed that the Sun, which had been playing amongst the clouds for the past weeks, pressed through with tiny sprinkles of light here and there, making more shadows in the valley as they walked. Somehow, he took it as a good sign. When they noticed armed guards, they fell to their knees in exhaustion, begging to be let in. The guards just laughed at them, putting down their guns and holding out their hands, stating that there was no way they would ever be turned away. Anyone that had survived was automatically a friend. They all liked the sound of that.

As they were escorted inside, one of the guards decided to tell them a few things. .They discovered that this was one of many ersatz towns around the continent. They were all in contact with each other and that, many a survivor had gotten together whatever they could find to eat and protect themselves from the elements. Just a precaution, as it hadn't rained or done much of anything weather-wise since the initial blast.

"This town is pretty lawful, just so you know. People may still fight and get killed like nothing's changed so make sure to just mind you and yours. We're tryna hold it together for the little ones. They have no idea what to make of all this, but we don't either, so…..anyways, if ya want s'more information, you should ask the Head."

"You have a leader?' Sasuke asked. The guard just looked at him strangely.

"Sure we do! Got to have somebody to take charge, can't be complete beasts, I guess."

As the man finished in sentence, a rather important looking man approached them. Jet-black hair and golden eyes. Naruto instantly felt wary of him. He introduced himself as Orochimaru, a man full of welcome and much knowledge about the end of the world. He promised to fill them in on everything he knew.

His eyes, also, seemed to glow.

"Sasuke, Naruto, would you follow me? Oh, don't worry about Sakura, my team will know how to help her, she'll be just fine."

Sakura was led away by a group of men in white lab coats. She looked back every few seconds as the directed her. Her eyes revealing every worry she held inside of her for both of them to see. Sasuke and Naruto shared a look. A look, that, after an entire lifetime of knowing each other, said all they needed to without a single word.

Should we trust him? Naruto asked with only his eyes.

I don't think we have any other choice. Sasuke beamed back.

Maybe he was imagining things, or maybe he really wanted it to happen, but Naruto was sure that he actually head Sasuke's voice in his head.

Great, now we can talk with our minds? How much crazier is this going to get?

They walked into the un-city, following behind the man that went by "The Snake". He explained that he was a government scientist- former, he reminded himself aloud, as there was really much of a government anymore, and he was part of the cover-up project for the attacks on the Earth.

"Cover-up?" Naruto asked. "What do you mean?"

Orochimaru sighed heavily. He explained that the attacks had been happening for months. Russia was the first to fall- six months ago.

"That's half a fucking year! There's no goddamn way! We haven't heard a thing about it!" Sasuke exclaimed. Naruto felt too shocked to react. It made sense, then, how put together this make-shift town was, how many supplies they had, why no one was flipping the fuck out. They had been ready, and waiting, for something to happen like this. He looked around suspiciously. He wouldn't be surprised to find a bomb shelter nearby.

"Yes, that was the point." Orochimaru said with a nod. "We looped news coverage, put out a gag order, halted publications, anything to keep it under wraps. We, in the few days of aftermath, thought that another country had done the deed, but when places like Iran and North Korea began to be blasted to smithereens, a rookie astronomer discovered that the bombs fell from too high in the atmosphere to be any human weapon." He paused, letting that little fact-let sink in.

And sink it did.

"W-what, what the hell does that mean?" Naruto said after a beat.

"It means that it was alien technology. Meaning we had no way to stop it, and no reasoning about why they did it. At least, for a time we had no reasoning."

He closed his eyes tightly, as if willing away a bad dream. "We received a message from the alien leader." He said. "He was like nothing I have ever seen before, and in all honesty, hope I never see again. He told us that destroying us was a "gift". We had lost sight of what was important and became too full of ourselves. "We were lost" he said, and that this was a way of starting anew. For those that were left, it was a way to regain our unity, our humanity."

They all fell silent, lost in thought.

"So basically, they wanted to take us all down a peg." Sasuke said slowly, as if he wasn't sure of himself.

"In not so many words, yes."

"So what do we do now?" Naruto said impatiently, suddenly feeling fed up. He almost mentioned that he didn't think he could regain his humanity, as he didn't feel very human anymore, but decided against it. This is so fucked up, where the hell do those fucks get off, thinking their God?

"We rebuild." Orochimaru said evenly. "Although, there may be some… unforeseen complications."

"What do you mean?" Naruto said quickly, mouth feeling dry.

"Well…" He looked off to the side." Some have exhibited…superhuman abilities, such as myself, as a direct result of the blast. Others, such as your friend Sakura, have been poisoned by it."

"Poisoned?! How?!" Sasuke said. Naruto reached out to comfort him, but Sasuke batted his hand away, eyes fixed on the man in front of him.

"Coming into direct or indirect contact with some of the "Cosmic Goo" as we call it, has given what we would call "superpowers". The subjects become transformed. The become impervious to attack by man-made weapon, their sight and hearing become like that of an animal, as well as their nature. They become beast-like; their mind and bodies cold and calculating, reverting to the dormant "survival mode". It is in all of us. A telltale sign of this change is the glowing of eyes and sometimes of the skin. As you may well know, you both are exhibiting these qualities."

Naruto jerked, casting a quick glance to Sasuke. Sasuke only nodded sternly. So he has noticed.

"We are not completely certain, but these qualities seem to be permanent. On the other hand, those that have been exposed to the "Dust" and the "Howling" that both appear after each blast can become "poisoned", per say. The dust comes from disintegrated individuals as the pressure of the blast becomes too much. The dust then becomes equal part body matter as well as high-level radiation. We have no scale for it; it is a type of radiation we have never seen. Inhaling it, in any shape of form, is deadly. Only because of the "Howling". The "Howling" is some type of weaponry also. The sound is only harmful to those already infected, and signals of the dust to start attacking the cells in the body."

"Oh my God." Naruto said, hand flying up to cover his mouth. What kind of shit are we dealing with?

"It seems that this sickness is just another way of wiping us out. For those that survive even this will be the most powerful." Orochimaru finished. Sasuke closed his eyes and looked away.

"Survival of the Fittest." Naruto mumbled, although he was sure the others heard him anyway.

"So Sakura is going to die?" He said with a surprisingly calm voice. Naruto stared at him. Maybe the 'beast-mode' or whatever the fuck he called it is finally kicking in for Sasuke. He couldn't decipher in his own mind if that was good or not.

"Not necessarily."

Dammit.

"In our time spent working with this, we have developed these capsules for the subjects to take that fight off the infection. We extrapolated that we could reverse-engineer some of the atomic matter found at the blast sights to counteract the effects of the dust and such. Make no mistake, I make you no promises. Some have survived and some have not, even after consumption of the pills. We have no way of knowing if she is too far gone or not."

Sasuke was quiet for a while, assumedly gathering his thoughts.

"Alright. Thank you for your help." He said. Orochimaru patted them both on the head, and turned to walk away. He said over his shoulder:

"Please, don't thank me yet."

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

They were given a little cottage to stay in, food and water, and guns. When the asked what the weapons were for, the guard just laughed, stating:

"We aren't the only things that got super strength, boys."

At that vague declaration, they both sat in the house in silence, Sasuke periodically checking out of the window to see if Sakura was coming back. No such luck. Naruto, on the other hand, tried to find anything to look at but Sasuke. Since the announcement, and acknowledgement that they were indeed different, he was more in tune to his so call "Primal Nature". Apparently, part of that nature included the urge to rip off Sasuke's clothes and ride his cock like a prized stallion. Unfortunately, he didn't think that would go over to well right at the moment. He, after all, had just found out what they knew all along: Sakura was most likely going to die. Kind of a mood-killer, that was.

"Are you all right, Naruto? You've been kind of quiet."

Leave it to Sasuke to bring up when he's not talking.

"I'm…fine. I just can't think of anything to say right now."

That part was true at least. Nothing he could say now would make everything okay, so he thought it better to just keep his mouth shut.

Sasuke nodded. "I know what you mean. This is all too much." Sasuke said with a sigh.

"Yeah." Naruto said softly. He tapped his fingers on his knee, feeling slightly awkward. It had been a long time since they had sat down and had a simple conversation with each other without it ending in Sasuke leaving in haste or them trying to rip each other's heads off. It reminded him again, why he despised Sakura so very much; she had unraveled such familiarity, a bond that it had taken him years to perfect in just a few, short months of her presence. He realized he had missed the way they could just sit together and have a normal conversation about their problems or nothing, if it suited them. Too bad nothing, even something as simple as this, would probably ever be normal again.

"Do…do you think we're going to "change" any more than this this?" Sasuke said after a beat, emphasizing his point with air quotes.

"What do you mean?" So we're going to talk about this? Just what I need. Naruto thought with an inner sneer. It wasn't Sasuke's fault that he felt like this; well…maybe it was a little, He didn't want to delve into the depths of his newfound feelings; He might just end up revealing something he desperately didn't want to.

"Come on, Naruto, you're not stupid, stop acting like it. You know exactly what I mean." He retorted, eyebrow rising in condescension. Never mind, I take it back, here's where we fall apart. Why has it become so hard for him to be nice to me? Fucking asshole.

"No Sasuke, I don't know what you fucking mean, so please explain it to me, old, wise one." He snapped back sarcastically. He felt tired. He hadn't slept well in a few days and it was finally catching up with him. All he wanted was to curl up in a ball and pretend that nobody else existed, at least for a few hours.

Sasuke huffed impatiently, completely missing-or overlooking, who knows- the fact that Naruto was started to get pissed off. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking off to the side to a random spot on the floor. He opened his mouth to speak, but then snapped it shut, his brow scrunching up in annoyance, presumably at himself. It was Naruto's turn to raise an eyebrow. It wasn't like Sasuke to hesitate. What could he possibly have to say that Naruto couldn't handle?

"I mean that, you remember what Orochimaru said, about us going into "survival mode" or shit like that? About us acting like beasts? Well...I've been feeling weird, lately, and I know you have too."

"What kind of weird?" Sasuke chewed his lip.

"The other day, when Sakura cried about the dead rabbits we found, I could smell the salt in her tears. It was fucking weird. And then I found myself getting overly pissed whenever she got emotional, I know that it's not her fault, she's scared, it's understandable. But a voice in my head kept telling me that she was dead weight that was dragging me down. I was horrified. I've never felt that way before and haven't since, but for a moment, it was like my mind had a mind of its own and my body was rebelling against me. It was almost like I had an aversion to her weakness. Do you get what I'm saying?"

Naruto felt his eyes widen. Holy salt, pepper and ketchup-batman! Sasuke felt like that too?

"And then you..." He cut himself off, looking away again. Naruto's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"What about me?" He felt himself stiffen. Did that bastard have thoughts about getting rid of me too? Over your dead body, bitch. Naruto jerked, surprised at himself. No way other me, I won't ever hurt Sasuke! I really have got to get a handle on that.

"I've…been feeling oddly drawn to you, and not in the "you're my best friend" kind of way in a…another way." Naruto rolled his eyes. He's talking in circles.

"Sasuke just spit it out already." Sasuke sighed, closing his eyes. He seemed to come to a decision before opening his mouth again.

"Fine. At this very moment, I want to fuck you up against the wall until you'll never be able to walk again without feeling me inside of you."

If Naruto had been drinking something, he would have spat it out dramatically. He sat there, eyes comically wide and mouth hanging open. Never in a million years would he have ever expected Sasuke to say anything like that. Not to mention the fact that it made him fucking hot. Scorching even, he could feel his body heating up, but he held himself back from flinging himself at Sasuke and taking what he had wanted for years. He swallowed thickly, mouth feeling dry.

"How long have you felt like this?" He asked, looking at a point able Sasuke's head. Really, this hut-thing was well put together, all things considered. He might not have gone with the boring, concrete walls, but then again-

"Since all of this started, or maybe forever, I guess. Fuck, I don't know!" He said, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"You guess? Maybe forever? What kind of shitty answer is that, Sasuke? You can't just drop some shit like that on me and then say that you've maybe wanted me for-ever! And you call me a fucking idiot!"

"Look, I don't fucking know, alright? You've always been very important to me and I've always felt very protective of you, shit-loads more than I should. You've always known me better than anyone else, and understand everything I've gone through because you've experience it yourself! I've always known that I love you, maybe I just wasn't sure on how much!"

Naruto paused before saying what he had to say next. "So you love me."

"Yes."

"But you love Sakura."

"She means the world to me. I want to marry her, Naruto."

Naruto felt ice creep up in his chest, but he ignored it. He really wasn't stupid, he saw the signs. It didn't make it sting any less to hear the word tumble out of his mouth, though.

"So what do we do?" He said, fighting off tears.

"I…I don't know."

"Yes you do, you want to chalk this up to our new found abilities, don't you?"

"Yes…no…Maybe…I guess, Fuck, how do you feel about me, Naruto? Have you been feeling it too? It must be weird for you; I know you've never thought about me like that before, right?" He said with an awkward laugh. Naruto noted that his eyes held a strange light, one that almost resembled hope. But why? Because Sasuke's an egomaniac that loves for people to love him, that's why. Always has been. He wouldn't set himself up, though. He would rather for him to suffer under the weight of his unknown feelings then to confess and be second-best to Sakura any day.

"No, I can't say I have." He said coldly. Feeling like he was cracking to pieces when Sasuke's shoulders slumped dejectedly. You blew your fucking chance, you dumbass, way to go.

No, no, you saved yourself some heartache. You're his friend, and you'll always be his friend, and you know that he loves her more than anything. You can't change that, so it's best to let it go. You wouldn't be able to survive him picking her even after he took you as a lover.

I know that! He said to himself made a good agreement against himself, as always.

Then he can never know.

Ugh, fine!

"This…won't change anything between us, right Naruto? I can't bear to lose you. Your my best friend I hope I didn't make you feel too awkward." Naruto shook his head and gave him a weak smile.

"Nah, we're cool, c'mere, man." He beckoned him over with a wave of the hand, and Sasuke stood and wrapped his arms around him tightly. They stayed like that for a while, Naruto just breathing in his scent and sighing heavily into his shoulder. Sasuke was nuzzling his hair and Naruto almost laughed when he remembered how much Sasuke always went on about how soft it was when they were younger.

After a few comfortable moments, Sasuke pulled back, kissing his forehead carefully, as if he was trying not to break the moment. The action brought back a slew of long-dormant memories for Naruto. Like when they were children-and Sasuke's older brother would steal his toys, causing him to cry. Sasuke would them go take them back from the laughing Itachi with his miniature death glare and return them to Naruto, placing a peck on his forehead to assure him that everything was alright. Their mothers would coo and nearly explode at how cute they were, while their fathers would roll their eyes at their wives, embarrassed. Or when he had done the same for the hysterical Naruto when their parents and Itachi had carpooled and got into a horrific, fatal car accident on their way to retrieve Sasuke and Naruto from soccer practice in Minato's van.

Naruto felt tears rush to his eyes, and he closed them against the onslaught on emotions. Sasuke caressed his closed lids, almost as if he knew. Naruto supposed that he did. It had been so, so long though; he had forgotten what it felt like to have such a small, minuscule thing that meant so much.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He whispered. Naruto shook his head slowly.

"Don't be. I missed that. I missed you." He whispered back. Sasuke stared at him.

"I didn't go anywhere." Naruto was still for an instant.

"Yes, you did."

When he opened his eyes, Sasuke's eyes were more venerable than he had seen them in years. He wasn't sure who moved first-most likely it was him- but the in the next second they were all over each other. Hands roaming, lips biting, and breath harsh. Naruto felt like he was being pulled into Sasuke, by how close they were standing. When Sasuke gripped his hair tightly, tipping his head back, and licking a burning stripe down his neck, he stopped trying to think at all.

They ended up on the floor with both of them ripping at each other's clothes. Sasuke was grinding down harshly into Naruto, who felt like he had died and gone to heaven, or hell, because the heat Sasuke's perfect body was giving off could not be normal.

This is a bad idea. You're making a mistake. He told himself. Sasuke bit his neck, causing him to arch and mewl wantonly.

Shut up. I'm gonna get fucked right now and damn the consequences!

"What does this mean, Naruto?" He said between kisses, voice breathy, hands sliding down to-oh, right there!

"Nothing." He breathed. "Let's just get it out of our systems. Think of it as a type of bonding between us. We can't have this kind of tension for the rest of our lives, can we?" He was geared to say more, but Sasuke was making a curious, wet path down his naval to-was he going to?-Oh yes he was. He stopped short of his goal, chuckling when Naruto frowned at him.

"I can live with that." He said simply. He pulled back suddenly, and pulled Naruto up to position him on the wall. Naruto raised an eyebrow, but wrapped his legs around Sasuke's firm waist.

"I said I wanted you up against the wall, and I meant that." He said with a smirk. Naruto could swear that his eyes were almost red.

"Well then hop to it, ya bastard, and I want it to burn." Sasuke growled at him, biting his lip and drawing blood.

"Yes sir."

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Sakura came in later that night, a light colored pill bottle clutched to her chest. Naruto had woken up the moment she stepped in. Sasuke slept on. Sakura took one look at them, wrapped up together under a small blanket, obviously naked and thoroughly debauched. Naruto didn't have to look down to know that his chest looked like a battlefield with all the red that was present there. They stared at each other for what felt like hours, until Sasuke mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like his name and snuggled closer into Naruto's side. Sakura's eyes followed the movement. She then turned and walked into the single bedroom, saying nothing.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The next time he was awakened, it was by the sound of shouting and screaming. Sasuke was gone from his side, and he was dressed and under the covers of a futon. His body was still buzzing pleasantly from the attention he had gotten last night; the new improvements to their bodies required little preparation before they got busy and produced some lasting results. He and Sasuke were cut like marble puzzle pieces; perfection that fit together perfectly. He pushed the feeling aside. He didn't have time to think about that, right now his mind registered danger.

He sat up, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. He jumped out of bed and ran into the living area. He saw Sakura sitting with her head in her hands; Sasuke was standing by the door, gun in hand, and almost out of it when he noticed Naruto.

"What's going on?" He asked, swiveling his head back and forth between them. Sasuke looked grim, and Sakura just stared at him blankly. Oh yeah, last night. Awkward.

He knew from the look on their faces that they had probably talked about last night. Naruto was secretly glad that he hadn't been awake for that. He could imagine that Sasuke dressing him and putting him in bed had gone over so well with Sakura.

"There's some sort of attack by some radioactive monsters on the village. I'm going to help out." Naruto strode over to him.

"Where's the other gun? I'm coming with you." He said, looking around for it.

"No you're not, you're staying here." Sasuke said in a no nonsense tone. Naruto being Naruto naturally didn't give a fuck.

"Sasuke, there's no way in hell that I'm-"Sasuke cut him off, gripping the back of his neck and looked him deep in the eyes.

"Naruto, you're staying here." Someone has to protect Sakura, his eyes said; I'm begging you, please. You both have to be safe. Naruto sucked his teeth and looked away, a sign of submission.

"Fine." He grit out.

"Thank you." Sasuke said back, leaning in a pecking his forehead. Naruto felt his eyes widen. Sasuke pulled back, stared at him for a moment, and then disappeared out the door. Naruto was frozen. He had no way of explaining it, but from that action he couldn't help but feel like he had just hit game over.

He was pulled out of his stupor by Sakura's very bitter laughter. He turned to her, somewhat surprised to find her laughing uncontrollably, bordering on hysterics, wiping-mirthful?-tears out of her eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her and she stared at him calmly for a second before losing it again.

"I've always known how you've felt about him, because you're so obvious, but to do it right in front of me? I tip my hat to you, Naruto. That certainly took some balls." She said after calming down a bit. Here we go.

"He loves you, Sakura." He said, monotone, almost obligatory-like he owned her reassurance after what he did.

"Yes, I'm aware of that." She said in a clipped tone. It was her responsibility to agree, no matter what was pushed in front of her face.

Sakura pushed on; she wasn't affected in the least. She jumped right to business.

"But I also know that he just loves you, too. I tried to get rid of you, once; did he ever tell you that?"

"No." Obviously you failed, dumb bitch.

"I'm not surprised. It was only about three months into our relationship. Too early, in hindsight, to try and get him to dump his life-long friend. I should have waited until later, it might have worked then." She said with an awful sneer. It twisted her beauty, he noted, into something terrible and unrecognizable. He wondered, offhandedly, how many times he looked at her like that.

"Do you know what he said to me? He said "If you make me choose, you know you won't like the answer." I laughed in his fucking face. But I never brought it up again."

"You should have known better." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Your right, I fucking should have!" She said, jumping up and getting into his face. Those pills must have had her feeling better already, for her to think herself strong enough to challenge him.

"I wanted him to myself, was that so bad? Yeah, you both had lost your family, and were there for each other thought that, and I wasn't. I would have been, if I had known him back then. And yeah, you knew everything there was to know about Sasuke, but he should have been mine, only mine! I shouldn't have to fucking share! My only regret was taking so long to realize that you wanted him all to yourself too!"

"Don't you mean first?!" He exploded at her, letting go of two years of emotions that he had cradled in a tiny, tiny box. "He was already mine for years when you came along and slipped in under my nose! I'm that one that doesn't have to share! You knew Ino, she told you how I felt, and you went in for the kill anyway! You only have yourself to blame if you feel hurt!"

"You never said shit about loving him to him, only to everyone else! It's your fault! You ruined your own and my relationship with him! You think he didn't notice how we hated each other's guts? He tried to appease me, he really did, by trying not to spend so much time with you, but you're like a goddamn magnet! Every. Single. Fucking. Time. he would end up back at your house on your couch. The only way I could move his ass was to threaten to break up! I hate you so much Uzumaki Naruto! You ruined everything!"

At that, she broke into tears. Not those beautiful tears the actresses on TV have, where they only sniffle a little and still are stunning. No, those heart-wrenching, blotchy, hot, soul-rendering tears that leave you gasping and you nose red as a fire engine. Naruto could barely see her, as his own eyes were hazy and unfocused. Her shoulders slumped dolefully, and she melting back onto the couch. He didn't know what else to say. He had a whole other tirade ready and waiting; her tears and exhaustion threw him off.

"I hate you too." He said voice hoarse. He was mildly horrified that his voice caught. She looked up; her eyes showing surprise that he was crying too. She bit her lip and looked away.

"You really love him, huh?" She said after a moment, quietly, a little over a mouse's whisper.

"So goddamn much." He said back, voice cracking again. He felt his energy sliding out of him, and for a second, he forgot where he was, or what was going on outside. He understood at that instant that they had both been wrong about each other. They had both thought each other's feelings for Sasuke had been fleeting, more of a claim to ownership-a "one-up" to each other rather than actual love for him. He realized that Sakura loved him more than he ever imagined, and she realized the same of him.

That made it so much worse.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Take me outside, Naruto." Sakura said.

It had been a little over an hour, based on Naruto's guess, and Sasuke hadn't returned. He tried to tell himself not to worry, but to no avail. Sakura had been tapping her foot impatiently for a while, and he was starting to get irritated. They didn't have much to say to each other after their little shouting match, so his head jerk up from his lap in surprise when she spoke.

"For what?" He asked, looking at her oddly. What is she thinking now?

"I was inside all day yesterday; I want to go see how much they built to this village."

"You want to go look for Sasuke." He said, gazing at her. She looked right back, her expression closed off. He stared her down until she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Yes. I want to go look for Sasuke."

"Alright." He said, nodding. He stood, looking around for the other gun. When he found it, leaning by the door-how had he missed that before? - He grabbed it and motioned her over.

They went out slowly, looking this way and that for anyone or anything. The dirt path was empty; everyone who was not fighting or was smart was inside already. Naruto expected to see tumbleweeds blow by. When they didn't, he had to admit, he was a little disappointed.

"Let's go toward the other end of the town. There was nothing by where we came in." Sakura said, gripping his arm tightly. She probably didn't notice she was doing it in her nervousness, so he let her.

They walked slowly, pausing every few minutes to see if they heard anything. It was deathly quiet, and Naruto didn't like it.

"There must me something here! They wouldn't have been gone this long if there was nothing!" She said impatiently in a loud whisper. As if on cue, Naruto stiffened, hearing a low growl, almost muffled, behind him. They turned around quickly, not before Naruto missed the way that Sakura whimpered. He felt the blood freeze in his veins. He spun, gun raised.

The beast, or whatever it used to be, had Sakura by the leg, blood dripping down past it teeth that seemed to be gripping tight. Sakura was trying desperately to pull away, which was only making it worse. It was huge, to say the least, towering over his 5'11 frame. Its skin was molted and cracked, and it had an absolutely crazed look in its eye. This thing was hungry, and obviously suffering the effects of the blast, but he didn't have time to feel sorry for it. He froze like an idiot for about two seconds, before aiming his gun and shooting it in the shoulder. It barely reacted. He shot it again and again, growing more desperately and freighted with each round he let off. Sakura was crying, screaming something unintelligible to him. Her leg was nearly ripped to shreds now, and he knew it was going to start tearing the rest of her if he didn't do something.

With a roar, he used every bit of himself to smash the gun into its head. He obviously caught it off guard, because it staggered and let go of Sakura for a moment. She cried out, falling to the ground in a heap. He raised the gun above his head to smash into it again, but before he could, the beast got its bearing back and smacked him square in the middle. The impact of it sent him sprawling. He felt his ribs crack, and he cried out in pain. He noticed though, that before he crashed into an opposing building, that he could already feel them melding themselves back together.

He landed, skidded a few feet, and struggled to sit up. The beast was staring at him, unmoving, as if waiting for him to make the next move. Its eyes glowed, and Naruto wondered if it recognized him something like it. His eyes narrowed at the thought. He was nothing like this disgusting creature.

It was almost like it was challenging him, waiting to see if he would risk his life for her. Would he? Could he?

He saw Sakura behind it, gripping at her leg. He could see the light of her bone peeking out of her pant leg. She looked at him, her eyes pleading, but he didn't know what he could do. He would have to get close to it to harm it in any way, and he had no idea the limit to his powers. He was sure that if he got hit enough, he could be killed and eaten too. We should have stayed in the house.

"Naruto…" Sakura said softly, she jerked back when the beast turned away from him and looked at her. It snarled.

Naruto's body screamed at him to move, to save her, but he stayed stock-still.

I want to live.

I want to find Sasuke.

She's already hurt; she won't be able to run. You'll have to carry her; she'll slow you down.

I really want to live!

He turned around while its attention was still on her, taking off into a full sprint. He heard her give a choked cry of his name before a sick, wet, squelching sound met his ears. He closed his eyes and cried out, but his legs pumped faster. He wasn't even sure where he was going, but when he opened his eyes, they were full of tears. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, forgive me. You won't suffer anymore. He felt no victory, as he always thought he would, in her death. He felt nothing but horror and a deep regret.

He ran past crudely built houses and scattered children's toys, past the gate and beyond. He hated himself, and what he had become. What all this forced him to become. He'd left her to die. He didn't think he'd be strong enough to save her. He was a coward, a worthless piece of shit that only looked out for him. Everyone always died around him. How would he ever face Sasuke?

"Naruto!" He skidded, turning his body in enough time to keep from crashing into the person he was just thinking about. He saw, to his shock, that he had come upon Sasuke fighting another one of those things. Sasuke was bloody and bruised, but alive.

"What the fuck are you doing out here? I told you to stay inside! Where's Sakura?" He said without taking his eyes off the monster. It was beat down and struggling to stand. Sasuke had really done a number on it.

Naruto found that he could barely open his mouth to speak. She's dead. I left her to die.

He couldn't breathe.

"She's dead." He left the last part out.

"What?" Sasuke's head whipped around so fast that Naruto worried about him having whiplash. He could see the disbelief painted on his face and the signs of tears creeping into his eyes.

"I'm so fucking sorry, it's my fault, I le-"He began, but the beast decided at that moment that it didn't like to be ignored. It flung itself at them, using its full weight to send them both flying. It, however, did not account for its own body hitting the ground for, when it did, the dry, cracked earth began to give way, caving in under it.

Naruto saw it begin to fall He had landed a little further away from it, but Sasuke didn't. He groaned, and tried to roll away, but Naruto could see that Sasuke was beginning to fall with it.

"Sasuke! Hurry! You have to get up! The ground's caving in!" He screamed. This isn't happening. No. I'm going to wake up now. This is the most elaborate dream I've ever had.

The beast gave a mighty roar, using its paws to swipe at the still-stable earth, but its lower body has already halfway into the growing hole.

Sasuke pulled himself up, holding his head, and Naruto ran over to him. The beast swiped again, catching Sasuke in the back of the leg. Naruto watched in horror as it grabbed onto him and yanked him down.

"Sasuke!" He screamed again, clutching his hand. They were injured, and healing, but not fast enough. He could feel the strain on his muscles and wounds as he held Sasuke up, which was, in turn, holding the beast up. It began to try to pull itself back up, nails digging into Sasuke's skin. Sasuke cried out with every move it made.

"Naruto…" Sasuke groaned weakly, staring up at him. The earth beneath Naruto's feet began to crumble. He felt himself lurch, his hand losing some of his grip on Sasuke. He and the beast slid down a little more.

"Sasuke! Hold on, I've got you! Try and shake him off!" He begged. His arms were screaming. He knew that if the thing didn't let go, there was no way he would be able to keep this up for long. Not to mention, that apparently, this was a sinkhole and there was a fucking gorge underneath it if the inky blackness below them was anything to go by. If something didn't happen soon, they were all going down.

"Naruto, let go." Sasuke said, his black eyes turning sad.

"You're fucking crazy! Let go of him you fucker!" he screamed at the beast over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Naruto, you can't hold on to both of us. He's got me. You have to let go before the ground falls from under your feet."

"NO! I won't! I won't let you die, Sasuke! Not now, not ever!" Ugh! It's like led weight. My arms are going to be ripped off.

"You have a chance to make it, Naruto! I'm done for! Let me not your fault, don't blame yourself " Naruto felt his eyes water. Soon, his vision was blurred with tears. But it is my fault.

"I can't!" he sobbed. Sasuke's fingers were slipping from his. Sasuke smiled at him sweetly and heartbrokenly.

"I love you, Naruto. I want you to live." He said, letting go. He plummeted downward.

Naruto didn't stop screaming for hours.

Orochimaru and his team found him like that, on his knees with his eyes cast down into the hole. There were teams of men were dragging the body of the fallen beasts, one of which had bloody pink hair stuck to the side of its mouth. Naruto barely registered it. The moment Orochimaru touched his shoulder, he jerked and looked up at him, only to crack and begin sobbing into his hands a moment later. He felt arms encircle him and pat his head, but he was miles away. He understood that this was his punishment, for letting her die. In turn, the universe took away the one thing he had left to live for. He contemplated jumping down and ending himself. He cast a longing glance at the hole, but Orochimaru must have figured him out and pulled him away, ignoring his cries and pulling him back toward the city.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The rest of his life came a went, nothing very notable happened afterward, but his mind remembered it all. He trained like a madman, become stronger, faster, and wiser. Many like him, that wouldn't die and held the knowledge of the world as it once was, came together, proposing that they lead the rebuilding efforts. The people willingly agreed to follow them, in awe of the tough, ageless bodies and shining eyes. He reluctantly agreed. He had been living away from others at the time, after he had pitched in in rebuilding Konoha—He couldn't bear to call it that, because it wasn't Konoha – when a man with stars for eyes came to him and proposed he lead the people of that place. He agreed, only if he could choose the name. Konoha had always been the center of the world for commerce, or the "Crow's Nest" as they used to say on TV, so he decided to call it such.

That man, who had stars for eyes and shining silver hair had been obsessed with fighting and ninjas and was a skilled mercenary. He thought it a good idea to train some of the normal villagers to fight to defend themselves. Soon, the rest of the villages followed suit. They became the hidden villages, growing in number all over the world until there were too many to count. He watched as that man, now a trusted friend, took a wife, had children, and died. His son, a man they called "white fang" was one of his greatest ninjas he'd ever had, and that man's son, was Kakashi. He watched as everyone's life pasted by, while time overlooked him.

But he was strong now, one of the world's most skillful fighters. He was important—his people loved him while others hated him. He was mighty, he was alone. But he made sure, throughout everything, that he would never be too weak again.

---

Karin yawned, pulling on the reigns of her horse to slow it down. She was getting tired. She looked over to Naruto, and was not surprised to find his face unreadable. She sighed. She was glad that he had decided to come with her back to her village, but she was worried about how the two men would react to seeing each other again. She had no idea what had happened between them and she wanted desperately to ask, but anytime Sasuke got to that part of the story he would clam up and Naruto didn't look like he'd tell her shit.

She marveled at his composure, though, for he looked every bit a king in his regalia and onto his proud horse. She had no idea what it must have been like for all these years by himself. She didn't think she would have been strong enough to survive. She probably would have lay in her bed and waited to die. Naruto was quite the impressive man, and if not for him being hopelessly in love with Sasuke, she would probably have tried her hand at him.

Naruto road quickly or as quickly as he could without seeming too excited. He had waited until daybreak to inform Kakashi of his departure, not giving away much except for his need for some time off to deal with important business. Kakashi didn't question him, but Naruto could tell from the look in his eyes that he wanted a full explanation when he returned. The man was always listening for a juicy story, and Naruto was sure that his would not disappoint.

The ride took two days, with minimal breaks. Naruto went through a range of emotions—happy, morose, angry, excited—He had no idea what to do with himself, but he controlled himself. He was glad that he only brought two guards along with him, along with Karin. He rode in the front, so that no one would see his face changing every few minutes.

He felt his heart begin to race when he saw the gates of The Cove up ahead. He sighed and bit his lip. It was now or never. Or…maybe in a few more years when he thought over it a few more times.

"Lord Naruto! This is unexpected! We we're, um…not expecting you!" He watched as the guard motioned to some behind him; they fumbled and scrambled to prepare for him, most likely to thrown rose petals in the street for him to walk on. Naruto rolled his eyes and smiled politely.

"Forgive me for the short notice, but I have urgent business with your leader." The man nodded furiously, and Naruto was afraid that his head would fall off from the force of it.

"Of course! Right this way!" He said, ushering his arms out. Naruto hopped off his horse and allowed them to take it. He gave a meaningful look to Karin while he told his guards to wait for him here.

"What would you like for me to do?" Karin asked as they walked together toward the Tower.

"I would like for you to wait outside. I want for us to be able to talk in private."

"Okay. Good luck in there." She said with a smile. He laughed slightly.

"What? Why would I need luck?"

"I don't know. I just really hope that everything goes the way you want it to."

"That's the thing; I don't know how I want it to go." He said. She smiled knowingly, as if she knew something he didn't.

"Yes you do." She gave him a slight wave as he walked on. He approached the Tower, giving a slight nod to the two men posted in front of the door.

"We have informed him of your arrival, Lord Naruto." The first man said.

"Thank You."

He walked up the wooden stairs, passing by many people that bowed respectfully to him. He reached a large, oak door that resembled his own back in the village. He sighed, standing in front of the door, hesitant.

He raised his hand, placing in the door and lowered his head. What did he have to be afraid of? It was just Sasuke. He was alive, he should be happy. He could finally see him again. Why did he feel so scared, then? He slowly pushed open the door.

---

"Have you ever noticed that, whenever you get really angry, the bright blue gets mixed with little specks of gold, almost as if the sun itself has come down to get vengeance with you." Sasuke said, running his fingers though Naruto's hair. It was a beautiful summer day, and they chose to enjoy it together, watching the sunset. The back drop of the cemetery behind the hill they sat on was tactfully ignored.

Naruto smiled, looking up from his position on his lap. He wiped his teary eyes, relishing in the warmth that blossomed in his chest. Sasuke always knew that complimenting him made him feel better. "That's really poetic of you Sasuke, and also pretty gay of you, too." Sasuke huffed and rolled his eyes. His mouth didn't lose his smile, though.

"Shut up, idiot."

---

Sasuke sat behind his large, redwood desk, hands folded in front of him. Naruto stared at that masked face, saying nothing.

"Hello, Lord Naruto, to what do I owe this visit?" He said. Naruto marveled at that deep, rumbling voice. How had he never noticed it before? It seemed so obvious now. He knew that he had to act before he lost his nerve.

"Take it off." He said. He was proud that his voice came out strong. Sasuke tipped his head, presumably in question.

"What?" He simply said. Naruto felt his heat rise. He strode over to the desk, smacking his hands down on it. He was slightly impressed that it creaked under his weight.

"Don't pay dumb with me! Take it off, Sasuke!" He said. He noticed, with a hit of triumph, that Sasuke sat up straighter and stiffer. He stood up slowly, and Naruto heard his sigh deeply. He stood up, unhooking his mask and taking it off slowly. When Naruto could see black hair and deep, fathomless eyes, he lost it. His body and face were unchanged. This was Sasuke, He was really here. His eyes filled, and he would have crumpled right to the ground had Sasuke not caught him. He threw his arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. Sasuke patted his back, nuzzling his hair and whispering something Naruto couldn't understand.

"You bastard!" He cried into his shirt, over and over. He pulled back from him, and punched him square in the face. He hugged him again. Sasuke didn't even react; he just stood there and took it while Naruto beat at his chest weakly.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." He said.

"Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you come see me?" He blubbered.

"I didn't know how to face you."

"What? Why?" He said, incredulous.

"Let me finish, Naruto." He said, pulling his hand up to his face and kissing it. Naruto fought off a blush. He couldn't believe it, but he even missed Sasuke scolding him. Fuck, he had it bad.

"I, after I fell, I was surprised to make it out alive. I was really messed up; nearly all of my bones were broken and I could barely move. It took me weeks to get back to full capacity. Even longer to figure my way out of the cave. I survived on mushrooms and fungus -pretty much things that hadn't been affected by what happened on the surface. When I came out, I had no idea where I was. I then went around helping out every budding civilization I could find. I kind of lost track of time. I realized that it had been years. I thought maybe you'd forgotten me." Naruto opening his mouth to retort, but Sasuke put his finger over his mouth to silence him. "I know that's a stupid reason, because we don't forget anything. But I convinced myself of it. Everything was so strange between us before. But I began to miss you. So I asked about you and once I got steered in the right direction of where we had been before, I came to find you." He paused, sitting down and pulling Naruto so he was sitting on his lap.

"I heard that you had teamed up with others like us to lead the people. I was so proud of you, become a leader like that. You looked happy, surrounded by all your people and I thought me showing up would bring back a bunch of memories that you didn't want. But then Kabuto- You know of him, right? Orochimaru's grandson? - asked me to take over for him because he wanted to travel the world. I didn't refuse. I thought it might be a nice change of pace. I knew you would have to see me eventually, so I kind of started to wear the mask so that I could spy on you without you knowing, just making sure you were okay. It also sort of became a way to hid from myself. I could pretend that I wasn't really me, if that makes sense."

Naruto remained silent for a while, and Sasuke waited on baited breath for him to speak.

"And you called me an idiot." He said after a while. Sasuke laughed, and thanked his lucky stars that he could hear it again. He knew that Sasuke had struggled too, with himself, so he tried to be as light as he could about it.

"I know." He said, kissing Naruto's forehead. Naruto leaned into him, laying his head on his chest.

"I love you." He whispered. He was surprised, it came out so easily, after so long. Maybe he was tired of wasting time.

"I know." He said back. Naruto jerked his head up, looking into his eyes.

"What the fuck? You knew." Sasuke smiled sheepishly. Well that's fucking awesome.

"Not the whole time. I took me a while to figure it out." Naruto opened his mouth again, but Sasuke cut him off. He kissed him; a wonderful kiss that said everything he needed it to, and more. Naruto melted, his hands coming up to grasp Sasuke's hair. It was just as smooth and ridiculous as he remembered.

"So what's that mean?" He said softly, a little out of it. His mouth tingled pleasantly.

"What do you think? I love you too."

"How long did it take you to figure that out?" He said with a slight smirk. He couldn't resist. Sasuke looked at him serious.

"Two days after I fell."

"Really?" Naruto said, surprised.

"Yeah. I got a little held up in telling you." They stared at each other, and then burst out laughing. Naruto laughed harder than he had in years. It wasn't even that funny.

---

Naruto sat on top of a mountain with his face carved in it, overlooking a large lake. He was comfortable, with his head in Sasuke's lap and his hand in his hair. That sat together, with the backdrop of Naruto's village tactfully ignored.

They had arrived back here after a few days in Sasuke's village, catching up on other activities they had missed out on as well as their adventures when they were apart. They talked about the past. It didn't hurt so much we he talked about it with Sasuke-instead of it being the past, it was just memories. They laughed about it, cried about it, and Naruto even convinced Kakashi to let him have a few days off. He ended up telling Kakashi everything because he had promised, and laughed when Kakashi promised to punch Sasuke repeatedly for his stupidity. He smiled fondly as he watched his closest friend walk away. He hoped Kakashi was ready for all that paperwork, because he would be seeing a lot more of it soon. Naruto was finally ready to step down and give someone else the reigns to his city, to his past.

But right now, he was here, with Sasuke, head in his lap watching the sun set.

"There are a lot of things I haven't told you about, you know." Naruto said, breaking the silence, he looked up at Sasuke for his reaction.

"I know."

"A lot of things I'm not ready to face myself."

"I know."

"I-I don't know if I'll ever be ready to tell you some of it."

Sasuke leaned down, kissing his lips and then his forehead. He lingered there, and Naruto felt hot tears climb to his eyes. Sasuke wiped them away as they fell, smiling brilliantly.

"It's okay Naruto, we have time."

---

Specks of Gold

A/N: Oh My Good Lord that took me forever. I worked real hard on this so I would really know what everyone thinks of this. Please review and tell me if I did a crap job. Thanks!

P.S – I kind of pictured Sasuke's mask as the V for Vendetta mask, just for reference. And if anyone was confused, the modern world, after 2012 I guess, had grown into to the Naruto-verse after the blast, kind of as a precursor to them getting all technological and advanced again. It would take a lot more years for that. Everything in history happened and the world of Naruto was pretty much the same except for multiple hokages and the names of the villages. Sasuke's village used to be Sound. That's all I can think of. Thanks again! - TheWonderYears