Disclaimer: I do not own, though I would love to petition Kishi-sensei to make a yaoi ending. XD I stole the title of the story from… yes, it's sad, the Buffy musical. It fits and it popped in my head, even though I haven't seen a Buffy episode in 5 or 6 years. XD

Pairing: Sasuke x Naruto

Warnings: Yaoi, language, OOCness, Rokudaime!Naruto, friend!Sakura, time travel, violence, dark imagery, chakra play, power fetishes, character death (that won't be permanent), use of the word pinkette, and a whole lot more.

Length: Likely only 10 chapters or so… we'll see.

Timeline (IMPORTANT!): Okay, since this is a FANfiction, I can do as I please, and so, I am changing something spanning and large, but not the story itself. I am upping everyone's ages three years, and no I don't mean this will take place post-timeskip. For the sake of this story, lets pretend the Uchiha massacre happened when Sasuke was 10, almost 11. The first series took place when Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were 15. The post-timeskip time period made them 18. Etc etc. I have to do this, or else this story would creep most people out. XD

--

Once More, With Feeling

Eradication of Fate

--

"RUN, damnit, Naruto!"

He hated running. He despised it. He hated feeling weak, wanting nothing more than to sit and cry. He hated the emptiness that was consuming him, the lack of his trademark tenacity. But on he ran, only because of Sakura's familiar voice reminding him to, he ran because she was all he had left.

They were all dead.

Bodies were everywhere, many Naruto didn't recognize and some he did. Corpses littered the once bright streets of Konoha, blood coated the storefronts. Only with his training was Naruto able to hold back the urge to gag as he had to jump over the dismembered arm of a child that had likely not even been old enough for the Academy yet. These were his people, his charges, and even without the loss of his own precious people Naruto thought he would feel like giving up.

"Keep running! So help me Naruto, I will break your neck if you don't hurry up!"

'Why?' he wanted to ask, 'Why bother? They're dead, Sakura, don't you see? Women, children, ninjas. They're gone. All of them are dead. Why are we running? Why should we live through this?'

But he didn't ask. He couldn't force the words out of his mouth. Instead he bit his lip and put on an extra burst of speed, forcing the Kyuubi to aid him in his flight from Konoha. From home.

Twenty-five year old Uzumaki Naruto was doing something he had promised himself he would never do. He was running away, abandoning his village. Not that there was any more reason to stay, seeing as he and Sakura were the last surviving inhabitants of Konohagakure. The thought nearly tore a sob from Naruto's throat, had the blond not been so sure he had lost the ability to.

He had been inducted as the Rokudaime the year before. It had been fifteen months since he had realized his lifelong dream of being the Hokage. Fifteen months since Tsunade had defied all precedent, ignored the remaining townsfolk who disregarded all Naruto had done for them and protested, and passing her mantle on to the young blond who had managed to turn half the village away from their previous close-mindedness. It had been hard path, but Naruto had walked it unflinchingly.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, yanking him by the elbow, "Now is not the time to break, damnit!" Cerulean blue eyes met with sea-foam green and Naruto couldn't help having a short moment of pride for the woman in front of him. Long years training as Tsunade's apprentice had turned her from a simpering girl into a strong, independent woman, whose strength never failed to stun Naruto. Even now, those eyes were hard and determined, even though she herself had just lost her husband and child.

Somehow, she wasn't letting it affect her, though Naruto didn't know how she could even breathe.

"Then when?!" he finally burst out, speaking for the first time in an hour as he wrenched his arm out of her colossal grip. "When can I break? I'm done Sakura! They're all dead!! My people are dead, my friends are dead, Sasuke… " his voice broke and his jaw clenched, cold blue eyes boring into her as he roared, barely handling his rage enough to keep the Kyuubi's features from emerging, "When can I break?"

Fierce fire lit in the eyes he had known for over a decade. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself," she hissed vehemently, "We BOTH lost everything! But I am not going to lie down and die, Naruto, and I am going to protect my Hokage!"

With strength that had long since surpassed that of even Tsunade's, the pinkette latched onto his arm again and dragged him away, the city's gates in sight.

Naruto closed his eyes and let the kunoichi lead him, the last few hours flashing before his mind.

Fires consuming his village, Deidara cackling from his perch high above, his explosives still being thrown out even then, killing most of the village before Naruto could even exit his tower.

Iruka's face as a blast rushed toward him, unable to move in his shock, only turning as Naruto screamed and the fire engulfed him.

Neji's confused look as Kisame impaled him on his sword.

Shikamaru's eyes locking with Naruto's as he was eaten alive by Zetsu.

Anko's screams as she was dismembered by Tobi.

Kakashi's snarl as he managed to take down Deidara, only for both of them to be killed in an explosion.

…Sasuke's apologetic smile as he dove between Kisame and Naruto, his eyes locked with those of his husband's as the chakra-eating sword did its job.

Their relationship had never been traditional. Insults had taken the place of endearments, sparring instead of snuggling. But for them… it had been perfect. Naruto had never really thought he would gain happiness with all the problems he had faced growing up. Six years ago, Sasuke had come back after defeating Orochimaru and Itachi, a new outlook on life after hearing his older brother's parting sentiments. It hadn't taken long for the boys to realize that their tense rivalry had a lot more behind it than familial affection, and upon recognizing it to be mutual, the two had wasted little time.

They had only gotten married six months prior, after years of pressure from everyone around them and to the broken hearted wails of half the female population of Konoha. Sasuke and Naruto had been considered two of the most eligible bachelors in the town, and seeing them taken together had been devastating. Not that the pair cared what anyone else thought. The had merely brushed off any commentary, simply happy to have the lives they had been given.

In Sasuke's last moments, Naruto's heart had broken to hear the first 'I love you' ever passed between them gasped from between pale lips… it had been done just as the light left Sasuke's black eyes.

A rough yank propelled Naruto back to reality, and he met with the eyes of his long-time friend, "Come on, Naruto. We're almost out."

And he forced the thoughts to the back of his mind as they ran into the forest.

Reaching a secluded clearing that would surely buy them time, Sakura stopped and tugged on her short ponytail, "Are you sure you want to do this, Naruto?"

The usually immature, chipper man met her eyes steadily, in the mindset most of his friends dubbed as 'Rokudaime-Mode', his hands already fumbling in his robe pockets. "I can't not do this, Sakura. I'm going, and I'm not going to let something like this happen again. I can't."

The kunoichi nodded, biting her lip with a worried gaze, "What if this doesn't work? You only found the scroll last month… "

And he had. There seemed to be an endless amount of scrolls only accessible by the Hokage, and Naruto had methodically been going through every one of them. Many things he had no interest in; he was still terrible with Genjutsu and never bothered to try and improve on it. His mind didn't have the right set for illusionary tactics. On the same vein, many of the scrolls were elementally based, and since he wasn't proficient in anything beyond wind and fire, again he didn't bother with them.

But this scroll had intrigued him. It was something only hypothesized, as none before him had had the necessary chakra to undertake such a thing, but the jutsu would apparently give the user a second chance at life. It would take them back to an important event and allow them to retain their knowledge, thusly giving the wielder a chance to change the outcome of the future. It was a Forbidden scroll, as doing anything to alter time was expressly prohibited… but Naruto had memorized it anyway. He hadn't honestly believed it would be needed -- and it could just as easily backfire and kill him -- but in the situation he was currently faced with, death was preferable to living on.

"I will do this, Sakura-chan," he said softly, adding on the fond honorific. "I will go back… back to before the Chuunin exams. I will make sure Sasuke is never cursed, I will warn the Sandaime about Orochimaru. With the knowledge I have now, I will help to take down the Akatsuki member by member. Then we can be happy, Sakura. All of us."

"But how do you know, Naruto?" she said softly, laying her hand on his tense shoulder, "Time is not that simple. Changing things could make them so much worse… "

"I have to try!" he exclaimed, whipping around and forcing back the tears that burned his eyes. He was not weak. He stood tall, his posture straight and his chin set fiercely. "Even if it all turns out the same… at least I tried. I would not deserve to be Hokage if I didn't do anything in my power to help my people. And… this… this is in my power, Sakura-chan. I will go back, I will make things right. I, Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime Hokage will correct this destiny, dattebayo!"

Sakura's green eyes were brimming with tears as she rushed forward to clutch Naruto close, a choked sob escaping her throat. "You've grown so much… "

Naruto held her close, relishing in this last bit of contact. He would be going back to a Sakura that berated him for simply existing, whose eyes saw no one but Sasuke. After all the loss of the day, he would now willingly be losing one of his closest friends. He held her tighter, nearly painfully.

"Sakura-chan… come with me."

The girl choked. "Wh-What? I can't, Naruto… "

"I don't want to lose you too! Think about it… if I change everything… you'll never exist. If Sasuke never leaves the village… you won't become the person you are now. I can't… I've lost so many of my precious people, Sakura-chan, don't make me lose you too…"

The girl shuddered, her strong exterior crumbling, "B-But Naruto… the power it would take to send both of us back… "

"Kyuubi's chakra is nearly unlimited, Sakura-chan. I can't lose you like this, and the damned fox will help me if he wants to live. I'm going to need help, and you know I'm real bad at making tough decisions… I'll need your help. Come with me… "

The pinkette drew back and met his eyes, a small smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "Is that an order, sir?"

An answering smile bloomed on Naruto's face. "It is."

"Then yes, Rokudaime-sama. Your wish is my command."

--

It hadn't taken much time to prepare. Naruto had meditated in the center of the clearing, Sakura watching his back, going over and over the order of the hand seals in his mind. He would not mess this up.

He had to do this. For his people. For his friends.

For Sasuke.

Naruto was surprised when the roundhouse kick connected with the side of his head, making his vision blacken for a moment. He and Sasuke had been sparring over a river outside of Konoha, not far from where they used to do D-ranked missions all those years ago. With a great splash Naruto hit the water, his control on his chakra dampened by the bone jarring kick, sending him into the rapids.

No one ever accused Uzumaki Naruto of being overly intelligent, so when he realized he was under fast-moving water without having had time to get a breath, he began flailing, panicking needlessly and draining the energy that remained. The dizziness from Sasuke's hit to his head only made matters worse, and very quickly he found himself running out of air and unable to kick his way through the strong currents. He was used to placid lakes, not rivers.

Then a hand had him, yanking him into the cool air. Naruto gagged as he breathed in too deeply, shuddering his breaths out as he was laid on the bank. He looked up at a drenched Sasuke, black hair plastered to his head and water running down his face as he leaned over Naruto with a Sasuke-version of concern on his face. To most, this would probably look like annoyance, but Naruto knew better. The picture reminded Naruto of the last moments in the Valley of the End, his friend leaning over him silently as he realized he could not bring about his death, and that scared Naruto more than he would ever admit.

"Dobe?"

Even years in the future he would claim insanity in that moment, barely having gotten his breath back from the river, as he reached up to the remaining Uchiha's neck and yanked him down forcefully, pushing himself up into a desperate kiss that was fiercely returned. Soaked and panting as they broke apart, the truth was clear. Nothing could ever be as it had been before Sasuke's defection… but sometimes, change was a good thing.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked as he broke from his reverie and stood, brushing off his Hokage's robes.

"Whenever you are."

Naruto nodded and waved her over, positioning her hands on his upper arms to allow him the movement to make the hand seals, "I don't know if this will be painful, I don't know what is going to happen. But no matter what… we'll do it for sure!"

Sakura nodded grimly, and Naruto could see the reluctance and pessimism in her eyes. But they would make it, and everything would work out fine. He would be strong for her.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog.

Swiftly Naruto began forming the long string of hand seals required, moving steadily as his mind repeated the sequence again and again. One repetition for every year they needed to go back.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog.

In the recesses of his being he could feel the Kyuubi responding, the massive beast sending out waves of chakra to fuel the spell. The demon had little choice in the matter, as Naruto would likely die if they stayed in the current timeframe.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog.

For his own survival Kyuubi tapped into itself, pushing out vast quantities of its limitless pools of power.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog.

He repeated them again and again, his hands steadily going faster and faster. A presence tickled the edges of his awareness, but he was almost halfway done, he couldn't wait and figure out who it was.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog.

He chanted the string of seals in his mind rapidly as his hands moved of their own accord, blurring through the motions.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!

He very nearly crowed as lashes of fire sprung out from his aura, striking the ground like whips around him. He could feel the magic tugging at his soul, his essence, and a smile lit his face. It was working, he could feel it.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!!

The whips of fire had created a formation on the grasses around him, circles within circles with bisecting lines.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!!

The two of them were glowing in the terrible red of Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto knew, and he met glimmering green eyes that held real hope for the first time in hours.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, DOG!!

They were going to make it.

Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!!

The last sequence went through just as Kisame burst into the clearing, charging towards them with his scaled sword. Naruto grinned ferally at the shark-like man, unable to speak or make the crude gesture that came to mind due to his need to hold the final sign.

"Kokugen Sakasa no Jutsu!"

As the roaring red fire, hot enough to sear their skin and becoming hotter by the moment raised around them and masked their sight, an ear-splitting scream made Naruto's eyes widen.

Through Sakura's chest was the huge blade Samehada, her red-obscured face twisted into an expression of shock and pain.

It was the last thing Naruto saw before the jutsu took him away.

--

Kokugen Sakasa no Jutsu is… well… lame. Kokugen is a moment in time and Sakasa is backwards, reverse, or inverted. My command of the language isn't good enough to do any better than that, and hell if I'll use some cheesy-sounding English one. XP

Japanese:I will refrain from using much at all, but there are some terms that I refuse to omit. For instance, suffixes/honorifics. It just isn't right, to me, for there to not be any. Without Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke-kun… the world is a dreary place to me. XD Other than that, these will be the only Japanese words that will be used, and I'm assuming you've been reading fan fiction enough to know them even without any grasp on the language. However, if there is one on this list you don't know, feel free to ask.

Shinobi, kunoichi, dattebayo, the numerical titles for the Hokage (Sandaime, Yondaime, Godaime, Rokudaime, etc), nicknames (dobe, teme, usuratonkachi, Ero-sennin, baa-chan), Kyuubi and kitsune, jinchuuriki, Sannin, and all jutsu and bloodline limits (I will translate any original ones in each chapter). That is all.