Warnings: death, violence, betrayal, angst, sasunaru
"Leaves You With Nothing"
by vernajast
sasuke and naruto
nothing ever goes quite as planned
Revenge doesn't change anything. It only leaves you empty. Leaves you with nothing.
Naruto had heard that somewhere; Kakashi-sensei, maybe. And he can't let it happen to Sasuke.
His chest hurts, hurts. Who knew chidori could burn like this? He's forgotten that first time, in the valley. That time, that memory, no longer exists, another synapse is destroyed.
The Kyuubi is having a hard time deciding whether to repair his host's destroyed heart or to heal the wounds that are causing him to bleed to death. Each exacerbates the other; there is no right decision. And its hesitation causes only more damage to their shared body as it convulses wildly, still engulfed in blue-white light and the screams of one thousand birds. One thousand kunai unsheathing. One thousand dead.
A pair of wide Sharingan stare, bewildered-to think those eyes could possibly show such emotion-watching Naruto's contorting features.
Another matched set glisten with amusement, and Itachi laughs quietly to himself. "Naruto-kun, how is it that you have such impeccable timing? I would have thought you took after your father's whore. Always late."
It's good neither Naruto nor Kyuubi can understand the words anymore. And he had, indeed, been just in time.
Obito's vision spins in Kakashi's skull and catches Itachi off guard, wiping away all evidence of the older Uchiha before the man has time to react. With the same detachment mistaken for efficiency, Sasuke's arm is severed at the elbow, his chidori falling silent as Naruto collapses to the ground.
"St-stupid...dobe...shouldn'thavegotten...intheway...I had him...no...nonono!"
Descending on Naruto's limp form, Sasuke kisses lips that are already cooling. He grinds his mouth against them mercilessly, until his own lips are bright with Naruto's blood and his own tears stain both their cheeks. As if, for an instant, Sasuke has resuscitated the amazing boy who is dead, dead...and now Sasuke's so alone.
He wishes, more than anything, to make this not true, to make it go away. But wishes are nothing more than unfulfilled hopes and dreams...
A boy once dreamed of becoming Hokage...
Sasuke knows he has exposed his back to an enemy. Willingly. Purposefully. Kakashi's hand on his shoulder is the only warning he gets before the heat in his chest becomes a burn becomes a fire, and Sasuke smiles one of those rare smiles that Naruto used to tease out of him.
This time, he plans to do the chasing.