O.C. #2 : Hah! Yes! Whack him! Maybe it'll whack the mark off his neck! -has nothing to do with the story-

Out : The silver was...um...I think I'll wait a chapter or two more before I reveal that. Naruto may reveal it himself...Oh yea! Sasuke picked it up in the last battle after talking to Kakashi. He gives it back to Naruto this chapter. When you review, guess what it is!

Chapter 10 - I Love You

Blue eyes blinked open blearily and took in his surroundings. He gasped slightly and sat up straight. He calmed moments later.

'Oh, I remember...I have to wonder if this is where it'll all end...' he wondered sadly.

The guards smirked at him, all dirty from the floor he'd been tossed on, and then turned away. He glared half-heartedly at their backs.

'Sasuke probably heard that back there...so he knows who I am...' he didn't want to cry. 'I guess he'll be mad I didn't tell him...Will I ever even see him again?'

He didn't hear the door creak open, but the voice caught his attention.

"You can go. I'll watch him." it said flatly.

Naruto's head snapped up and there were no tears in his eyes. The guards turned to the black haired teen.

"Of course young prince." one said and they both left.

Naruto lowered his eyes. He'd known Sasuke's secret, and Sasuke knew his now...The blonde frowned as Sasuke turned from the door the guards had just left through and they faced each other. Sasuke's eyes softened at the scene. It was so wrong, Naruto in a cell...

"Is something wrong?" Young Naruto asked. The boy shook his head.

"Nothing. I'm fine." he muttered. Naruto could hear the tears in his voice.

"No, you're not okay. What's wrong?" he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Go ahead and cry...It's alright..." he said softly. "I know what it's like to need someone who cares."

"An...Uzumakian...warrior...my whole fleet...was destroyed...He had...blazing hair and...fire in his eyes...we attacked his captain...and he attacked us."

'Good-bye, my lovely, smiling prince. I love you.'

"What happened to the prince?" Sasuke blurted out before thinking. Naruto blinked, then shrugged.

"If he's still alive...he's not at the castle..." he seemed suddenly sad.

"Not everything in Uzumaki can be bad." Sasuke muttered, flashes of a faded out but smiling boy flashed in his eyes. "There's gotta be at least...one truly good person in that kingdom." He saw Naruto as he gave him Hebbet.

"Yea...I bet there is one..." Naruto smirked slightly at Sasuke. "And there's one in your kingdom too. I should know...I've met him."

"Sasuke...what would you do...what do you think it would feel like...if your parents died?"

'The 'royals' are dead.'

"I'm sorry Naruto...I'm sorry your parents died...I'm sorry you're alone...I'm sorry this war even started. Though I'm happy...because I met you. I feel connected to you as I did to the prince of Uzumaki, whom I only knew for one hour..." he looked at the moon, shining brightly.

"Do I feel...the same for you...that I did for...Prince Uzumaki?" Sasuke asked as tears welled up in his eyes as thoughts of the Prince's possible demise filled his head. "This is so out of character for me...I..." a single tear fell and landed on Naruto's lips. "I loved him..." he whispered before a dark silence echoed around them.

Sasuke shut the book and leaned into the tree he was against. Looking at the stars, he felt warmth flowing steadily down his cheeks. He raised his hand and touched his cheeks, then looked at his hand.

Tears? He was crying? Why?

"I can't take this...Not now!"

Gracefully and quickly, Sasuke's hands had reached the cell door and unlocked it. Naruto stared on in confusion as Sasuke entered the cell and walked over to him. He grabbed the blonde's wrist and hoisted him to his feet.

"Get up." he said, and Naruto could hear how hard it was for him to act so cold. "You're leaving." And his eyes were so sad...

-

Sasuke had gotten Naruto a horse, the horse. He'd brought Rasiel, Hebbet's colt. Naruto stared at the horse.

"Is this-"

"Uh-huh." Sasuke nodded, making sure the straps of the saddle were on right. "Here, take this." he handed Naruto a blackish-grey cloak. "To hide yourself."

"What'll you do?" Naruto asked, confusion and care on his face. Sasuke closed his eyes for a second.

"I'll go on like I have been. But this time, I won't fight against you." he said softly, not sure for himself.

Naruto nodded and went to climb into the saddle.

"Naruto!" Sasuke stopped him. He had to say this.

"Hm?" The blonde turned to Sasuke, pausing in getting on his horse.

"Here." he held out his right hand, took Naruto's, and laid something in it. "It fell off in the last battle."

Naruto looked down at it and saw it was the necklace Sasuke had given him when he was little. He gasped and started feeling around his neck for a necklace that was no longer there. He turned a grateful look to his dark haired rescuer.

"Thank You. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost this." he said in a caring tone. Naruto put it around his neck again and Sasuke thought the picture was sadly...incomplete...

"Naruto..." Naruto paused in getting on the horse again and turned back to Sasuke again. "I love you."

Naruto's eyes widened as he turned to fully face the other boy.

"A while ago, we sat at a lake. The sky was clear and we were young. You were so kind to me, I don't think I would be here today if it weren't for you. I loved you even then." Sasuke continued. "8 years later, we once again sat at a lake. You had cried yourself to sleep because your parents were dead. I kissed your hair and suddenly I realized...I loved you still."

Naruto could only stare at him with slightly disbelieving eyes.

"I didn't know you were the prince I loved. I thought he was dead. So, I decided...I couldn't love you, the one I had held in my arms that night..." Sasuke looked down dejectedly at the ground, a blush across his features but his expression one of pain. "I realized that night that, even though the prince was likely dead...I still loved him. So I was going to release my feelings for you."

"But I saw you again, I dreamt of your smiles...I met you on the battlefield, and my heart tore when I realized fully that you were the Uzumakian warrior who could kill an entire fleet in mere moments..." Naruto looked regretful. Sasuke suddenly looked at the blonde with a look of determination mixed with pain, regret, love, and sadness. "But I didn't care! I knew you to be a kind individual, and that picture wasn't marred at all with the revelation that you could kill so many. Because I know you didn't want to!"

"Sasuke..." Naruto breathed out.

"And now I know you are the prince I fell in love with years ago. You are also the kind warrior I fell in love with all over again in the forest. And you are the one I love still, here and now. I don't want to have you leave again! I really don't. But you have to or you'll be killed...and I...I don't think I could stand that..." he looked at the ground, fighting back tears at the feeling of living life knowing Naruto was dead.

Arms encompassed him as Naruto held him. Sasuke, a little taller...slightly, held him tightly as he cried. Naruto pulled away only when the tears were spent. Sasuke looked away after they separated, a deep blush on his face.

"I love you too Sasuke..." Sasuke's head snapped up to meet Naruto's lovely blue eyes. "I've always known I did. I never really doubted it. I think, somewhere in me, I knew you and the boy I met by the lake were the same person. But there was no reason for me to fight my feelings, because...when I drew little you's picture, and then your's...They were the same. Not identical, but the same. So I knew...you were always the one I loved Sasuke." Naruto turned and climbed into the saddle of the black horse.

"ah...Naruto!" Sasuke breathed out in surprise when he realized Naruto had mounted the horse.

"Good-bye Sasuke...I know I'll see you again..." he nodded his head to assure the lost looking black haired teen in front of him. Sasuke nodded back, the lost look being replaced by determination.

And Naruto rode off, hood of his cloak hiding his bright hair from view as he rode towards his palace and his friends.

"Naruto..." he let a simple smile light his face, head down slightly and eyes closed. "Good-bye, my lovely, smiling king. I love you."


Out : So? What was the silver Sasuke saw?

O.C. #2 : Gah, this sounds to mushy to be Sasuke...