Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I claim to own it. None of the characters in the fan fiction belong to me, except for a few enemies and the plotline behind them.
Author's Note: Okay, I'm sorry that this story starts out with something you've probably already seen in the anime/read in the manga. Sorry!! But it's different, you'll see. - not giving anything away – Anyway, me is mucho impressed with this one. :3 Fun stuff. Oh, plus, there will be different action moves, since some parts of it I can't remember. I remember mostly the words. :3 By the way, this ISN'T SasuNaru! It's a brotherly relationship for crime's sake!
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"They were lost and never found.
These memories are fading slowly.
But I will keep holding them back.
Because... you are special to me."
Sasuke.
After Lee had distracted the guy with the bones along with Gaara, Naruto had chased after Sasuke, in hopes of finally coming across him, and finally stopping him in his journey to Orochimaru. He wouldn't let Orochimaru have him. He wouldn't let anyone have him, except for Konoha. He needed his best friend. The second person ever to acknowledge his existence, and not to call him a monster. He needed his teammate. He needed Team 7 to be back together, and he needed to see Sakura smile again...
He wouldn't fail. He couldn't. Even after seeing Sasuke's face, covered with that ugly mark, the ugly mark that Orochimaru had marked him with. His face, his eye, it was all covered with that disgusting mark. He wouldn't let Sasuke have it. This power of hatred, this... this menacing alliance with Orochimaru, he wouldn't let him. He never did before. Now was no exception.
And that's what inspired Naruto, when he was fighting Sasuke.
What was happening, now? Sasuke grabbed him by the orange suit that he typically wears all the time. Sasuke was smirking in satisfaction. He had Naruto just where he wanted him. And now he could kill him. He could kill his best friend... then he'd get the Mangekyou Sharingan. And not only that, but he would get more power with Orochimaru. He would be able to kill his brother, and he would be able to get all that he desired. After all, he was an avenger. Sacrifices were necessary for avengers. The life of the victim was to be taken always with avengers, because, the avengers were tired of being the victims themselves. Naruto was his victim now. He was sick and tired of seeing how Naruto was progressing. He couldn't fall behind... he needed Orochimaru. Because, if he was weaker than an idiot like him, it was obvious that he could not get far. He could never get his revenge on Itachi, that murderer.
All the valiant effort that Naruto put into taking Sasuke back... why? Sure, it would be reasonable if he was working for Sakura, but it was obvious this was more than that; Naruto had uttered vows, that he would bring back Sasuke, for Konoha's sake. Plus, he wouldn't have thought of all those lines, all those stupid things saying that he couldn't let Orochimaru have him and that he was going on the wrong path. He would be a good little puppy and just say that Sakura needed him back there. But he didn't even mention Sakura. So it was obvious... there was a different reason. Memories, they came crashing through Sasuke's mind. Naruto... He was his best friend. They seemed so alike. They had both dealt with the pain, the pain of loneliness. And yet... He was so different. They always clashed in arguments, but yet... It seemed so... they hated each other... But...
Naruto. Just like Sasuke, he had a dream. But contrary to Sasuke's, his was not of vengeance; no, it was quite the opposite, as a Hokage is supposed to protect the village, not kill people of the village. So it seemed, their dreams clashed. But he did have a dream. And so did Sasuke. He remembered when they were fighting Haku and Zabuza. "Don't let your dream die,"had been what he had said. But what was a dream, if it crushed Sasuke's own? Any interference, he would get rid of. But he still had a dream. And he was still beside Sasuke, only doing this because... for some reason, he wanted Sasuke back... he cared...
And perhaps, if Sasuke had pondered this further, he would've hesitated. He saw Naruto, staring at him, wide-eyed. All he saw was fear. But that was because, Sasuke never looked deep enough into Naruto's eyes. There was more than just fear there. Much more. There was understanding, friendship, and a fierce loyalty. But Sasuke looked past that. Why? Because he had no time to gaze into his eyes. Because it was too late. It was too late. Naruto, you cannot save Sasuke.
"... You're too late. You're too late!"
The lightning formed in Sasuke's hand, its bright blue shocks curling around his hand and forming into something of a ball. The Chidori, the Chidori that even Kakashi had taught him. But Kakashi didn't teach him for this reason, to use against his friends like he was at this moment. No, he was taught to use it in case of danger, and to make him stronger. Because Sasuke wanted that. Strength. But Sasuke didn't feel a need to be with Kakashi anymore. That sensei was useless to him now. Orochimaru was where the path really lie. He could just taste it: being with Orochimaru, feeling power in his hands like he had when he first had the cursed seal go across his face, across him and making a new Sasuke. The cursed seal squirmed as he thought of this, and Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. This was it. He would get his dream...
Blood dripped. It landed on the water, the water below their feet as they were fighting in the Valley of the End. A small pool, it was, but it was still water. And they were standing on it. But the blood stained it. The blood belonged to Naruto. Sasuke had struck him. Sasuke looked up, the brightness of the Chidori fading, and then surprise fell on Sasuke, something that he never thought Naruto would even think of doing. Naruto should've given up. And yet...
"Heh, so you put your hand up to defend yourself."
As Sasuke said this, Naruto's hand bled, as did his chest, because Sasuke's arm had went completely through all of it. Sasuke took his arm out of Naruto, and continued, "But it was useless."
Why? Why was Naruto trying so hard just to get him to come back? He would never come back. Why was Naruto wasting unnecessary effort for something that would never happen, not in a million years? Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes, and even though they seemed closed, he could see true emotion spewing out of them as he assumed that Naruto was dead at this point. The emotions came in fast bursts: hate, fear, pain, sorrow, and strong will. Now, Sasuke didn't care much for the hate; he knew it wasn't for him. It was for Orochimaru. The pain and sorrow were to be of expected; it was something that was quite obvious. But two emotions really intrigued Sasuke: strong will and fear. First of all, he knew that Naruto had a strong will; it was obvious in all of the battles that they had been in together. But for some reason, this strong will seemed stronger than all the other wills; there was something to him, where it radiated more strongly to a point that Sasuke may have been blinded. And then there was the fear. At first, when Sasuke first saw this fear, when he first felt it off of Naruto... Sasuke was happy. Because this fear seemed to be a fear for Naruto's life. Which was Sasuke's aim; he wanted to strike fear into others, for their own lives. Because, this is what he would want to do to Itachi. But... now... The fear was not for Naruto, Sasuke realized. It was for him...
Suddenly, Sasuke was snapped into focus, as he felt power start to radiate from Naruto. He felt it coming in a small burst, then suddenly growing bigger and bigger until finally, the power came out with a boom, right in Sasuke's arm, the one that was holding Naruto's. He felt a tight grip, and he felt the grip a strong grip, as well; Naruto was far from dead. No, he was fighting back, more powerful than ever! If Sasuke didn't let go and back away at the right time, right when he did... Naruto would've ripped his arm off. Weakened by the sudden shock, Sasuke's Sharingan eyes stared at the ground as he felt more power, even though he was back away from Naruto.
Naruto felt power surging through him. The fox... it had finally come to help him. His eyes turned from the normal, soft light blue to a harsh and angry bloodred, fierce and piercing. His nails grew, and his teeth grew to more like fangs. Even his face grew, to something more like a muzzle. His whisker-like marks became more prominent. And then, the chakra finally burst out, hugging Naruto tightly but still too big for him as it became clearly visible. Naruto remembered this power. He remembered it from the Chuunin exams, from all the training that he did with Ero-sennin, from the first time when he assumed... that Sasuke died... It was a great power, the power of the nine-tailed fox. Only activated when he was in trouble... Naruto's huge wound started to heal quickly, spiraling skin growing in rapidly, and the injury was treated like as if it was nothing. And once it finished, the only indication he ever got hit there was his torn shirt, ripped to shreds in that certain area, but completely normal everywhere else. Naruto glared at Sasuke, teeth gritting fiercely as blood dripped from his lip. It didn't bother him, as it seemed that he still managed to grit his teeth to twice their normal size, staring fiercely at Sasuke. He wouldn't let Sasuke get taken. Sasuke belonged to Konoha, not Orochimaru. And he was going to stop him... even if it meant injuring Sasuke.
This power... what is it? was Sasuke's thought. This power... I felt it before. The Chuunin exams... Sasuke looked up, and gasped at what he saw, even his Sharingan eyes expanding at the sight. Naruto was standing there, fiercer than ever, glaring at him through bloodred eyes instead of the normal light blue that Naruto had. Naruto looked more ready to battle than ever. What is he? Sasuke saw the vision... A ghostly figure of the nine-tailed fox, that looked strangely familiar to the Uchiha, stood above Naruto, in the same exact stance that Naruto was in. It looked just as ready to battle as he did. Why am I seeing this? What IS Naruto? Is he a monster?
"Sasuke... I won't let you go to Orochimaru!" was what Naruto had said before.
Is this how far you will go just to prevent me from crawling to him? Sasuke's thoughts only continued. What was it with Naruto? His power... where was it coming from? Who was he? "Hey, what the hell are you?" Sasuke asked aloud, staring at Naruto with a look of both fascination and fake hatred. Hey, he didn't hate Naruto, but he had to intimidate him. And he had to practice. For he was to battle Orochimaru in the future. "Are you some sort of monster? Who are you?"
"Your friend!"
Those words had struck Sasuke like a needle.
Naruto stared at Sasuke. He would not let him go to Orochimaru. Ever. "That's why I said I wouldn't let you go to Orochimaru. That's why I said I will bring you back to Konoha, even if I have to break your arms and legs!"
It was true, that had been exactly what Naruto had said before, not too long ago. "Sasuke... I won't let you go to Orochimaru. I can't let you. I'll bring you back to Konoha, even if I have to break your arms and legs and drag you there!" He was... He was really determined. He wasn't going to give up now. Even after all that Sasuke said, he wasn't going to give up. Sasuke felt that this battle was getting too personal. That's how it'd stay, too. Emotional. Personal. Why?
Naruto, without giving Sasuke anymore time to think, slammed his fist forward, and the water he was standing on pulsed rapidly, forward at an extreme speed, and finally knocking Sasuke, right over the cliff. Sasuke was falling rapidly, but he tried his best to halt his fall. He landed right into the water, and Naruto immediately took this to his advantage, jumping and slamming his foot into Sasuke's stomach and knocking him further into the water. Then he dived in right after Sasuke, who was already busy trying to recover. He punched Sasuke, who punched back, the two of them trying to get to the surface. Right when Sasuke managed to make it to the surface, Naruto was ready for him. Instantly jumping to the opportunity, Naruto threw a few punches, first right, then left, right, left, right, left, until finally Sasuke was knocked backward, then upward, and then backward again, doing somersaults in the air before landing back onto the water, and then getting right back up. His chakra kept him right on the surface, but for how long this would remain he couldn't be sure. Suddenly, Naruto was at it again, running straight for him, then kicking him up in the air, and then kicking him to the side after jumping high with his chakra centered at his feet, kicking Sasuke right into the hill they had both fallen off of not too long ago.
Oof! Ow! Sasuke slammed right into the cliff, feeling rocks and things collide all around him and collide into him. The cliff grew shorter and eroded beneath him as he finally landed into some rocks that kept him onto the cliff. Right when Sasuke was trying to get off, Naruto immediately leaped on him and pinned him, grabbing the edge of his shirt. And there he was, face to face, with Naruto, staring into the guy that he had known for a year. The person that seemed most like him, and yet was so different...
"Sasuke... I know you want to avenge your family. But... you can't be doing this."
At these words, anyone else would be snapped to it, and then finally would be with Naruto on this one and then would quit the fight. But Sasuke was different than "anyone else". These words offended him. What does Naruto know!? He does know about being alone. He knows about the pain of being alone. But there's one thing he doesn't know. And what was that thing? Sasuke knew all too well. He had suffered the pain too much.
Itachi. That Uchiha Itachi. The self-proclaimed genius, and probably the genius of all of Konoha, before he betrayed them. He killed their whole family. These images came crashing into his head. Naruto, he had been all alone. He had had no family. But Sasuke, he had a family. One that he loved dearly, one that he wanted to be with. And Itachi killed it. Sasuke was an avenger. He would always be an avenger. Perhaps this is why Naruto doesn't understand. He has no reason to avenge. He has no one he's losing. He has no one he has lost. Naruto has all his friends. Sasuke grit his teeth. Naruto knew nothing of true pain. He knew nothing! "You... you don't understand," Sasuke growled, rage filling him up. "You... have always been alone. You know nothing of losing family. You know nothing! I lost everything. You never lost anything!"
So Sasuke winced. He expected a sharp comeback. You know, the one that Naruto always comes up with.
Nothing came.
Sasuke looked at his face, his teeth gritting, and saw Naruto's eyes wide, in so much of a mish-mash of emotions that Sasuke couldn't even determine them. Sasuke grinned inside. So now Naruto finally understood. Naruto could never compare to Sasuke. He was a loser. And not only that, they were no longer equals. Sasuke was stronger. He knew of true pain. Naruto never knew of it. And he would never know. He had no family, and the friends he had... Sakura was certainly dedicated to Konoha and would never live away, never die to them. Sasuke's eyes went wide again, and he saw his chance. He could get Naruto off of him now! He grabbed Naruto, and he dragged the two of them down the hillside, falling... crashing through rocks, hurting the both of them. But Sasuke didn't care. Sasuke would never hurt more than he had already been hurting.
But for Naruto... the hurt wasn't even felt. He was shocked at what Sasuke said. He didn't know? Naruto had many he cared about die... and it's true, he knew nothing about family... but there was something, something that he felt, whenever he was around certain people... Two people, in fact. Iruka. He was like a father...
And Sasuke... a brother.
Naruto remembered the times, they were always arguing. Naruto had always wanted to be a friend of Sasuke's, even though it seemed that he always hated him. He remembered, where they would always be glaring at each other, and yet... whenever they crossed to another angle... they would be smiling. They were too alike... and Naruto had to admit, Sasuke was cool. And then in Team 7, Naruto acted like he only cared about Sakura... but now he knew. It was just an act. The two of them were the best friends, the only friends, the first true friends either of them had.
A crash. The water once again ran into them, but Naruto finally managed to gain his bearings, and, quickly sliding his leg on the water, kicked up one of the logs. The log finally came up at his command, and Naruto made a 360 in the air before finally squeezing his legs on the log, holding his arms out in front of him to keep balance. Sasuke reflected just what Naruto did, but in the opposite direction and on the opposite side of the lake. The two of them stared at each other, Sasuke's eyes menacing, Naruto's eyes sorrowful.
"You know nothing of losing family."
I feel... I am losing one now, Naruto thought, saddened. Was it what Sasuke really felt was right? That Naruto felt nothing? That this battle, it meant nothing to him? "Sasuke..." Naruto couldn't manage any more words out of his mouth. He was nearly out of it. But... he couldn't fight at this moment. He had to say something, he had to. But what?
Sasuke's Sharingan eyes grew menacing, staring into Naruto's nine-tailed fox ones. "Well, what are you going to say?" Sasuke asked. He knew Naruto had something to say, or else he would've attacked Sasuke again. It was just how he was. And Naruto wasn't one to back down on a challenge. Never. Even against a friend. He knew, because he had been on many challenges, and had only stopped the fight that they had on the roof only because of Sakura. And now, Sakura wasn't to intervene. "Are you going to admit defeat now and finally give up? Because it seems like the reasonable thing to do now. You know nothing of family."
Naruto stared at his hand. "You know nothing of family." It was true, he knew nothing. But still... this feeling... It was a strong one, a strong feeling of love toward Iruka, a father-son love, and love toward Sasuke, a brother love.
"Are you just going to stare at your hand, or are you going to say something?" Sasuke shouted, feeling more tense. Why was Naruto hesitating? He made his hands into fists. Was Naruto just really that scared to fight Sasuke? He had been expecting a good fight from Naruto, a good warm-up for the real thing, against Itachi. A fight to the end, where either one could give in, or either one could die.
"Sasuke..." Naruto's voice finally seemed to gain more confidence and ground now. Sasuke smirked. So finally the twerp speaks up.
"Go ahead." His voice was as cold as a vicious snake's.
"I... I... I may not have a family... but... I think... I've gotten close..."
Sasuke's eyes popped right there. He thinks he's gotten close? A bond... bonds... they have always been strange. But no matter. Sasuke didn't care about Naruto's stupid bonds. As long as they didn't get the way. Because Naruto started to matter less and less to him. A previous best friend... now to be a worst enemy. He didn't care. Orochimaru was his power, Orochimaru was all he nee -
"Two people... Iruka... whenever I'm with Iruka-sensei, I think... 'This is what it's like to have a father'."
Sasuke knew that already. They were already pretty attached, it was obvious from the Chuunin exams. Once again, he didn't care about his stupid bonds. Even though he was curious to hear them, the Iruka-Naruto bond was nothing he cared about. Sasuke knew it. This was hopeless. Bonds weren't important now. The only bond Sasuke had now was against Itachi. A bond of hatred. And that's his only bond. And that's how it would be.
"Sasuke... whenever I'm with you..."
Hold it right there. Sasuke stared. His attention was now fully on Naruto.
"Whenever I'm with you... Sasuke... I think, 'This is what it's like to have a brother'."
Sasuke felt a twang, right where it counts. Brothers? A true brother... not a brother like Itachi, but a true brother... Now that Sasuke thought of it, it seemed too real – they seemed way too much like brothers. They bickered, they yelled, and yet, they still were there for each other whenever it was needed. Sasuke would call him a baka, but he would still always be there fore Naruto, always risking to save him, even in the stupidest of situations. They were like true brothers... why? "You... formed that bond with me? Why..."
Naruto sighed, looking like the anger, the thrill for a fight... it had all passed through his eyes and was now gone for good. "These days... these memories... we should never forget them. Because... Sasuke... you're special to me... and I won't let Orochimaru have you..."
Naruto. Have you always felt that way?
Sasuke... don't forget...
"I'm sorry."
"Please don't leave."
"You've stood so tall... without the influence of hate. I need to become strong... like you."
"Sasuke..."
Sasuke shuffled through his pocket, deeply struck in the heart from what he had heard. He then took out his headband, and then he put it on his forehead. Now, at first, if any bystander were to look at this motion, it would probably just mean that he doesn't want his forehead hurt. But... there's something deeper to it. What Naruto said.
They had fought on the roof. It certainly was an epic battle, and it would've been bigger if Sakura hadn't intervened. They certainly were pumped for this fight. But they were pumped for it to test their skills as rivals, not because they hated each other. And Sasuke thought he knew everything. But now he knew. This fight, all the fights they encounter, only make them stronger. But not just stronger in strength itself, but in teamwork, and only makes the bond bigger. Naruto's words, he had just ignored them. "Put your headband on." Sasuke had replied that he couldn't even get a scratch. And then what Naruto said next was quite symbolic. "No! I don't mean an injury to the forehead! This signals that we are equals, and we are fighting on equal ground! In other words, we're fighting at the same level, as Konoha ninja. If you aren't wearing this... then you are disrespecting me, and thinking me inferior. I think of you as an equal, that is why I wear this."
Naruto, you are an equal, Sasuke was thinking now. You always have been. I have been wrong...
Suddenly, Sasuke sensed chakra he hadn't sensed in the fight's beginning. He looked around. He sensed Naruto, who seemed at unease as well, feeling the sense of another being. What was approaching them?
"Sasuke, you feel it too."
Sasuke looked to Naruto. He seemed to be able to read him like a book. Another reason, why they are so like brothers.
"Sasuke, we are a team. Let's work together. Please..."
Sasuke stared at Naruto. He didn't know what to do. But he kept himself ready, shifting his headband in front of Naruto, to signal their equality. To signal, that they were not inferior and superior, but equals...
"I know not what the future holds,
However, I know one thing for certain,
We are friends, we have a bond,
And nothing can break it, not even a dark beholder."