A/N: [Read? Or skip down? You're choice. I do not own Naruto~.]

Ciao! Here is my first Naruto fanfiction. The shipping is Sasunaru. Warning~ if you don't like boyxboy please leave immediately. Or, you could give this a try. As always, my work is short but hits homebase. 3 Anyways! I hope you enjoy my story. This is only the first chapter, there will be many more to come. I'll include a short summary of what will happen in the next chapter on the bottom. Please check it out and stay updated to this FF.

Basic Setting/Summary: Team Seven has been assigned by the new hokage Tsunade to track down a rogue ninja. It is a rank B mission, because they are only to find the whereabouts of the ninja. Hatake Kakashi, the jounin and team leader, decided for everyone to split up and cover more ground. Naruto and Sasuke hit the jackpot and found the ninja near a bridge-only to be defeated. This is the aftermath of the battle which will come out in full detail later on.

Plop.

Naruto's eyes were blank. The dark, maroon blood that was continuously dripping down on his face did little to awake him from his state of mental shock. Someone was holding his hands, someone was trying to save him… who was it?

"If… you let go.. I'll kill you," the raven-haired boy threatened through his gritted teeth. The strain from holding himself and his comrade from falling off the rugged cliff was unbearably painful. He knew the rocks were continuously loosening underneath his tight grip. It certainly didn't take a rocket scientist to prove they were in a very bad predicament. Their other teammates were no where near them yet, and thousands of feet below was a river with a bountiful amount of turbulent whirlpools. He looked down at the blonde, "…Naruto…"

Even though they were both very strong genins capable of getting out of this particular predicament, the two were drained from all their chakra. They had lost badly against the rogue ninja they were suppose to capture, and Sasuke was more furious than ever. 'If letting him get away wasn't bad enough. Just what did that bastard do to him?' Sasuke's eyes narrowed remembering how both he and Naruto were tossed around like rags during the seemingly one-sided fight. He was just relieved he woke up just in time to save his friend from falling off the cliff. "Che. When I find that-Ack!"

The young Uchiha flinched as a wound on his arm began to reopen itself, "Nnngh..!" The weight of his own and Naruto was just too much for his beaten body. But still, Sasuke gave no sign of weakness and just held in the pain with all the strength he could muster. His blue shirt with the Uchiha clan's brand soon was drenched with his blood from his left shoulder blade and down. The gravity led a stream of blood down his white arm. Small drops began to splatter themselves on his friend's face.

"…suke."

Sasuke forced himself to open one eye through the pain, "Huh…?"

He suddenly felt his grip on Naruto's wrist loosen. 'That idiot…He's really trying to let go..!' Angrily, he grabbed on tighter as he glared down at his comrade. "Naruto, what the hell are you thinking?"

The young blonde shinobi began to laugh and then stared up at the last Uchiha.

"N..Naruto?" One look was all it took to silence the Uchiha. The one he was holding was not the Naruto he knew.

A wide, deranged grin was plastered on the blonde's face. It was most likely a result of the powerful genjutsu that the rogue ninja placed on Naruto. Besides, such a demonic smile would never have found itself on such an innocent face. Sasuke knew that more than anyone. However, even he could not help admit that it… was horrifying.

Naruto began to reach up with his free arm to release his wrist from the other's grip. All the while, his aquamarine eyes and terrifying grin never left Sasuke's gaze.

Reacting almost immediately, Sasuke used both of his feet to fend off Naruto's hand. "Hey! You moron, snap out of it already! You're stronger than this!"

Naruto stopped for a single moment when he heard the familiar voice. Using that one instant, Sasuke quickly locked his ankles around both of Naruto's hands. Having Naruto firmly secured, he began to plan how he would save the both of them. Freeing Naruto from the genjustsu wold just have to come later. For now he would need to. . . need to. . .

"Damn, I'm losing too much blood. I can't even keep my eyes opened," Sasuke cursed. He battled to keep himself conscious. He couldn't afford to die now, and he would never let Naruto die either. Sasuke smirked.

'If I have to die…. I guess it wouldn't be too bad to die like this. Naruto, I…'

"Damn it all," he murmured slowly as everything became black for the heroic shinobi. His grip on the cliff and naruto lingered on for a few more seconds before they both began to fall. How slowly time seemed to pass at the moment of one's death. Even the currents below seemed to slow down as if it was some majestic moment that demanded a dramatic stage of silence. As they both fell, the raven-haired boy still refused to let go of his closest friend. Till the very end...their bond seemed to say.

The blonde's grin disappeared. His clear, cerulean eyes looked horrified as he saw who was falling next to him. "..Sasuke..?" It suddenly became clear to him.

During those seconds that seemed so long, the blood red eyes of the nine-tailed beast emerged. 'I'm not ready to die…yet.'

"SASUKE!"

Coming Up Next:

Sasuke and Naruto are finally found. They are brought back to Konoha for medical treatment. However, Naruto is acting very, very strange. Only Sasuke knew about the genjutsu, but when Naruto was checked by professionals, they declared nothing was wrong with him. Sasuke doesn't buy it one bit. What will happen next, can Sasuke figure out what is wrong with Naruto?