AN: Last chapter until we meet again. Somebody's back and Naruto is still trying to get through to him. Hope you enjoy!

Broken Promises

The rain from the previous night lasted until the late afternoon. The water felt good as it flowed down his back, temporally washing away his troubles, but rain doesn't last forever. He knew once it ends he will the feel the burden of his mistakes once again. He looked down at the loosened dirt, watching as the water pulled some of it away. More dirt flowed down stream as the rain tugged it away from his brother's grave. He wondered if the water kept pulling would he see his brother again. Maybe Itachi was still smiling underneath all the earth. Maybe Itachi was still promising a 'next time'. Sasuke stared at the grave almost as if his brother would rise from the dead and tell him what he should do next. He wanted his brother to rise and give him some direction. For years he wondered around aimlessly, even leaving behind his former group. Ever since the disbandment of Taka he had no one and he liked it that way. No, he needed it that way. No one could possibly understand him… except maybe Naruto.

It seemed like they were meant to be in each other's lives, but it didn't matter now. He gave up the opportunity for friendship years ago. He left it behind for power to kill a man that didn't even deserve to die, to kill a man that he was tricked into killing and he couldn't let that go unpunished. No, it didn't matter now, not after all the sins he committed. "I didn't deserve you kindness," Sasuke muttered to the dirt below him, "I didn't deserve your sacrifice, Niisan."

"I doubt if he feels the same way." Sasuke tensed at the sudden intrusion, hand reaching for his katana. "Calm down, I didn't come here to start any trouble."

"How did you know I was here?"

"You usually are."

"What do you want," Sasuke said with a sigh as he turned around to face the man that was once invading his thoughts, "Naruto?"

"I wanted to see if you were ok."

Sasuke sighed again, "Dobe, you're hopeless."

"Apparently so are you," he returned with a chuckle. Naruto then turned to the wet dirt below him, watching as Sasuke eyes returned to it as well, "So this is where you buried Itachi-sama?"

"Yes."

"I'm… sorry."

"Don't apologize, soon you and your entire village would be showing your condolences with your blood."

"I thought you didn't want to kill me."

"The day's changed and so has my frame of mind."

"Why do you go back and forth," Naruto asked, "Why won't you just kill us?"

"Because my brother loved that place and gave his life for it as well as me," Sasuke said frowning at the grave, "It was a waste of his life, but his wish all the same."

"Then why won't you come back?"

"To be donned a traitor," Sasuke asked sarcastically, eyes never leaving his brother's resting place, "When it was the village that betrayed me? My brother, my clan!"

"Sasuke-"

"They didn't even give Itachi a chance at happiness," Sasuke snapped, fingers digging deep enough in his palms to draw blood, "They snatched it away from him! They snatched him away from me!"

"But what about the sins your clan committed," Naruto said grabbing Sasuke's arm and forcing him to face him, "If it wasn't for your father's uprising-"Sasuke's fist connected before Naruto's sentence finished.

"How dare you blame my father," Sasuke yelled eyes blaring red, "I might not have liked the man but he was doing what he thought was best for my clan!"

"But what about what was best for his sons, his wife! What about the promise he made to my father! That wasn't honoring his memory," Naruto said as he returned the punch, his eyes also a bright red. The blow sent the Uchiha flying. However, Sasuke landed with the grace of a cat, standing in a fighting position. Naruto stood at attention also, readying himself for whatever the man may have done next.

Sasuke looked at sadden yet determined red eyes and shook his head, putting his katana away, "You're so naïve Naruto, not all promises are kept."

"What happened to us, Sasuke," Naruto asked as the adrenaline from the blow melted away. He thought about all of the unsaid promises that were made between them. Every time a blow was landed out of camaraderie another promise was made. On the other hand, every blow that was giving out of hatred was promises broken.

"We grew up. We made mistakes. I became a traitor and you became a hero. Bonds were separated and promises were broken. That's what happened." Naruto looked at Sasuke, Kyuubi eyes connecting with the black swirls of the Sharingan. There was some regret in Sasuke's words, in his voice, in his eyes. His friend was still in there- somewhere.

"Do you regret what you've done," Naruto said after a while. The chakra from the Kyuubi retreated back in its place, changing Naruto's eyes back to their original hue.

"Every day I come to this grave and 'regret what I've done'," Sasuke replied his own eyes returning to their ebony color, "Every day I wish I could take it back, live the life that Itachi-niisan wanted for me. Looking at that tape, seeing our fathers together, I wonder what would have happened if your father had lived. If the Kyuubi hadn't killed him, would he had deterred my father from the coup d'état? Would our lives have played out differently? Would Itachi have lived a fruitful life? Would you and I have remained friends, or were we just destined to be enemies?"

"I don't think so, Sasuke."

"It's too late now," Sasuke said with a hint of- hurt- in his voice, "Your father did die and my father planned the coup. My brother killed my father and in turn I killed him. Everything is said and done."

"No Sasuke," Naruto said fuming. He then calm down and thought out his words carefully. He didn't want to chastise the boy but comfort him, "We can't change the past but we can still shape the future."

"What's the use of shaping the future if the past is where my heart dwells?"

"What's the use of dwelling on the past where there's nothing you can do about it," Naruto said with a sigh.

"But there is something I can do," Sasuke said turning back to the grave, the forgotten raindrops sliding down his face, almost as if they were replacing his distant tears, "My only chance for my heart to heal lies within the destruction of that village and putting all of this to rest. I have to make sure that this won't happen again."

"No," Naruto said shaking his head, "I don't believe that! There has to be something else. You even said that this method is flawed! Remember what happened the last time you 'got revenge'?" Naruto directed his hand to the makeshift gravesite. Sasuke eyes never left the pile of dirt, envisioning the man below. Everything he did since his brother's death was for him, to 'make him proud of him here in the land of the living', but was what he was doing matched what his brother wanted? Naruto was right. The last time he went through with his plan of revenge he ended up regretting it for the rest of his life. But he was an avenger, what else could he possibly do? "Sasuke just let it go."

Sasuke turned his head further away from his former comrade, his former friend and the only person that understood him. Sasuke just couldn't return, not to the place that took everything from him, "No, something like this can't go unpunished."

Naruto sighed. "Can't you see Sasuke," Sasuke looked at Naruto confused, "It's not the village that you have a hard time forgiving, you can't forgive yourself. No matter how many lies the village fed to you, it was still you that killed your brother and you can't forgive yourself for making such a huge mistake."

"How can I," Sasuke said, the tears trapped in his voice but refusing to fall from his eyes, "I killed an innocent man."

"But you have no problem killing the many innocent people that populates my village," Naruto sighed, rain flying from his hair as he turned to look in the direction of Konoha, "You're not a bad man, Sasuke. You've been hurt and I understand, but you have to stop doing this to yourself. If anything your brother would want you to be happy."

"And you think that going back to Konoha would bring me happiness?"

"And you think destroying Konoha would bring you happiness," Naruto said turning back to him, "I have to go, but know this: I am the Rokudaime, the son of the Yondaime, the Tattered Prince of Konoha and I will protect my home with everything that I have. If you harm my villagers in any way… I will kill you." He then disappeared in a ring of leaves and smoke.

AN: Would Naruto have to kill Sauske? I have no idea... Anyway drop a review and tell me what you think. See ya soon!