Disclaimer: NARUTO is the property of its creator. Which isn't me.
Comments: This fanfic was inspired by StarsOfYaoi's Shards of Life.
The Price of Greed
One-shot
He has always been greedy.
Even when he was young, he was greed personified.
He had the love and affection of his brother and clan members, yet it wasn't enough. He wanted love from his parents. He wanted them to shower him with praises just as they did Itachi. He wanted them to pay attention to him, and nobody else. He was so absorbed in his wants that he was oblivious that his brother had changed a long time ago.
As he grew up, he wanted power. The power to avenge, the power to take revenge. He wanted more power. What he had was never enough. He did everything he could to gain more power. He trained, shutting out others. He defected, believing that he could get more power from Orochimaru. He almost killed his best friend to do it, pleadings went into deaf ears. It wasn't until it was almost time that he awakened. By that time, it almost became too late for him.
After his avenger days were cut short by the fact that he was forbidden to ever be a ninja again and that he wasn't allowed to go out of Konoha alone, he turned to Naruto. He had loved him and they had planned to spend eternity together, but something happened. He happened. His sudden need to rebuild his clan happened. He left Naruto because he couldn't give him what he needed: children.
'No, not needed. Wanted.' He thought. He wanted to rebuild his clan. He was blinded by his want. So much so that he missed what he truly needed. What he truly needed was Naruto.
By the time he realised this, it was already too late. The happy boy he had left behind was now a broken doll. A broken doll that had, in time, left him behind. A broken doll that has turned away from him, seeking solace in his enemy.
A broken doll that was currently standing over him, eyes cold and face blank, with Itachi by his side.
Naruto gave him a twisted smile as he took in his horror-filled face. "Are you happy?" He mocked, "are you happy now? You got what you wanted didn't you? Shouldn't you be happy?" He smirked.
"Why?" Was all he could say.
Naruto laughed. It was loud and warm before, but now it was soft and as cold as ice. "Why?" He echoed. "Because you left. You left me so selfishly. You left me to accomplish your... dream." He scowled at the word. "You left me, so in return, I left you."
He stammered as he eyes widened, "I loved you! I really did! But I had to rebuild my clan."
Naruto snorted in cold laughter, "if you had truly loved me, you would have stayed with me. But you left, for your selfish reasons. It's one or the other. You can't have both, Sasuke. You had to choose, and you chose to leave."
With a bitter-filled smile, he left in Itachi's arms.
He had been greedy till the end, and he had paid for it dearly.
The End
