Naruto brings Sasuke Home

Summary: the final battle occurs, and Sasuke comes home.

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There was silence on the destroyed battle field of the Valley of the End as a young man fell onto his back painfully. Sasuke panted as he lied there, ignoring the sting of his now blind eyes for the pain of the wound in his stomach. Naruto panted as well, standing over his enemy and friend and once brother, who was on his back for the first time by his hand.

Sasuke gave a slight smile. "Never thought we'd end up this way Naruto," he said wryly, blood falling form his mouth. "Knew I'd get home, but not like this."

Naruto couldn't return the smile. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," he murmured.

Sasuke looked at the sky, seeing a crow flying over them. "An old swordsman once told me, if I hesitated, I would die," Sasuke looked at Naruto, "I hesitated that day and today; not because it would make me like nii-san or that man, but because I valued as a friend… as a brother."

Now Naruto gave a small smile; Sasuke returned it. "Take me home will you dobe? I'm kinda tired," Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah teme," he bent over, "brace yourself."

Sasuke gritted his teeth but remained silent as Naruto lifted him up in a bridal style. Naruto gently adjusted Sasuke in his grip before he leapt away from the battle field; away from the place where it all began, and now ended, for the snake and the fox.

Naruto didn't speak as he jumped from tree top to tree top, but Sasuke did. The entire time, uncharacteristically, Sasuke spoke to Naruto about everything and anything pertaining to his person. When Naruto had asked why, the Uchiha had replied that he had to catch Naruto up and everything he'd missed. It was after then that Naruto began to join the conversation as well; both speaking of whom they were as a person and not of whom they were defined.

Naruto ran throughout the night to the village, not once pausing; by now Sasuke had fallen silent, his eyes closed and his wounds unbleeding. Naruto was silent.

When Naruto reached the village, the gates were closed and empty for the night save for the night patrol guards. Naruto didn't make himself known; he just sat down, putting Sasuke in his lap. Naruto hugged Sasuke tightly.

When they were found in the morning by ANBU, Naruto was frozen stiff with tension; holding a frozen stiff Sasuke, thought the onyx haired man was stiff with rigor mortis. After Naruto finally separated himself from the Uchiha, Tsuande marked his death at late afternoon the day before.

Sasuke had been dead long before he came home.

End.

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I saw this picture once where Naruto was carrying Sasuke bridal style through Konoha, both were covered in blood and wounds, only one was dead. It made me sad because I had deaths between brothers, those who had the potential to be psychic twins, or brothers in all but blood. I think Sasuke and Naruto, along with Sakura, had that potential.