AUTHORS NOTE:

Well, this is unchartered territory and I am not so sure that I have been received all that well…heck, who's going to notice…So anyway, I decided to make my first venture into this world a rather short one – less room for mistakes, see? Still…

Disclaimer; I do not own any of the characters; all credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto and his ingenious mind. Goodness I wish I had his mind…

Sasuke was knocked back with force, his back crashing against the wall. He fell to the floor with a grunt.

'Let me have him, boy' Kyuubi sneered

'No!' Naruto wanted to watch himself as he finished the job.

'You are too weak to do it,' Kyuubi said as they stalked towards the trembling figure of Sasuke.

'I must do it for it is my duty to Konoha,' Naruto said both to himself and Kyuubi. He used the chakra of the fox to begin the Rasengan.

Naruto knew Sasuke would not be down for long. The wings that protruded from his back like death-claws unfurled revealing a battered Sasuke. Naruto smiled viciously, letting his canines gleam.

"Get up," Naruto said, although he couldn't be sure if it was him or Kyuubi speaking.

Sasuke rose as Naruto readied the Rasengan and Sasuke pooled his remaining chakra to form his own Chidori. As the two forces flew from each opposing hand and met in the middle, Naruto's own Rasengan bearing the upper hand with the aid of Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto was pulled into the subconscious of his mind.

He was facing two blood red eyes and savage teeth that were sneering gloriously at him. Got ya he taunted, his voice vibrating through every being of Naruto.

With that Naruto succumbed to the overpowering blackness and left the rest to Kyuubi. He would check up on him later…

*…*…*

Sasuke was shaking badly now. He nearly completely depleted all of his chakra. He had gathered what little he could afford in his last attempt to throw Naruto off with his Chidori but, when the two attacks met, his chidori had been completely swallowed by the red energy.

But he was far from over.

He flinched as he heard the unmistakable voice of the Kyuubi chuckling; "Got ya," it said. Then, all of a sudden a great plume of red exploded and a crouched figure surged towards him.

A hand knocked Sasuke's chest, sending him flying once more before crashing to the ground. Sasuke grunted as he stood and was forced back against the wall by a searing hot hand. Naruto's face was still visible in the red haze and Sasuke was level with his eyes that had lost any hint of the person they belonged to.

"He wanted to do it himself, you know" Naruto said, pushing harder against Sasuke's chest, "Kill you, I mean."

Sasuke managed a scoff although it hurt like hell. Blood was running freely now down his face and he was sure he wouldn't last much longer. But to hell if he thought he'd admit it to the demon freak.

Scoffing, though, probably wasn't a good idea. Enraged Naruto lifted Sasuke and threw him to the floor before picking him up again, his hands burning into Sasuke's shoulders.

"You forget," Naruto said through clenched teeth, "who I am."

Summoning what will power he had left, Sasuke braved a glare into red eyes. "You are nothing." He coughed.

Those words earned him a smartly placed backhand that seared heat of an excruciating kind across his cheek.

"Fool Uchiha!" Naruto yelled, his eyes blazing in anger, "I am not the boy!" He grabbed Sasuke by the collar and threw him to the ground.

"But while we're here," he said, "you need to know something."

He leant into Sasuke's chest with blood red eyes staring into his own obsidian orbs.

"Pity," he said, "potential wasted in such an undeserving person."

Naruto laughed quietly.

Sasuke took the opportunity as Naruto eyes closed briefly to reach for his sword at his side. The movement was not missed, however, and Naruto's eyes snapped open in a flash, all amusement gone.

Naruto reached to where Sasuke's sword was sheathed and threw it aside. It landed to the ground with a clank.

"I don't think so," he said, "Would you really do it?"

"Do what?" Sasuke grunted, glaring at the blonde

"Kill him"

Sasuke laughed now, a painful, scorn-filled choke.

"You can't do it." Naruto stated.

"Like hell I can't!" Sasuke retorted, jerking under the weight of Naruto. He could feel his skin being seared by Kyuubi's chakra.

"I won't let you." Naruto said; his voice calm and factual. He shifted to a crouching position over Sasuke.

"You see," he said, "the brat is mine. And while I am trapped in this body I will feed it with my strength and power."

Naruto paused to gauge Sasuke's reaction.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he asked; smiling tauntingly. "Strength. Power. That's all you've ever wanted. But no matter how hard you try, you will never be strong enough for Naruto. Not while I'm here."

"And guess what?" Naruto stood now and placed a heavy foot on Sasuke's chest. "I'm here to stay."

Naruto laughed scornfully again as he looked down at the gasping figure of Sasuke.

"Look at you. You're pathetic. I don't know why Naruto tries so hard for you. Did you know that you are his greatest failure?"

This statement left Sasuke confused and slightly berated.

"He couldn't save you. Why he wasted his time trying is beyond me. You're not even worth destroying let alone saving…"

Those words struck Sasuke. A vision of Itachi standing over the limp body of his parents came to him.

Not even worth destroying…not even worth killing…

That's what he had said

But Naruto wasn't finished yet. Sasuke managed to get into an uncomfortable sitting position and was wheezing blood as Naruto stalked around him on all fours – red chakra swirling hotter than flames.

"Perhaps I would almost go as far as saying that the brat loved you." He said, "Too much. But I won't let him waste his emotions on you, Uchiha."

"Please. It's his love that makes him weak." Sasuke spluttered between coughs.

"True as that may be, I am the one that makes him stronger. Stronger than you." He turned and jumped out of the compound. Landing on the wall he chanced one last glance at Sasuke struggling for breath.

"Remember that next time you chose to engage us, for I will not be so lenient again."

And with that he was gone, his chakra leaving behind static flames in the air. Sasuke was left curled on the ground pondering Kyuubi's last words.

Remember that next time you chose to engage us.

Us

Hmm, that's better. I do so like Sasuke...sometimes...but he really did need a good talking to. He needs to be reminded of his place some times, ya know?