Author's Notes

I'm so sorry for the delay. I just got caught up in work again T_T, anyways, this story has little chapters left. Please bear with me! We give huge thanks with bouquet of roses to my wonderful beta, NikkiCross, her amazing efforts in little time helped produce this chapter faster. Enjoy!

"Can I sit here?"

Black, listless eyes looked up at the intruder in their vicinity, and a young kid stood before them. Probably around the age of eleven or so, his eyes held a bizarre yet intriguing shade of blue whilst his hair matched the bright sun rays in its vibrancy. Spiked up all over the place, it complimented a tan complexion sporting three whispers on each cheek, and the young profile was perfected with a bright grin. Sasuke blinked to be able to grasp the whole outline in his head. He looked away from the human asking permission to sit beside him and continued gazing at the lake streaming close by.

The other seemed to think Sasuke's gesture meant that he could do what he wanted, and the grass rustled beside him as the blond took a seat.

"So I've seen you here before, what's your name?" the blond inquired.

Sasuke stayed silent. He really wasn't in the mood for chit chat, nor did he want to make friends. Especially not with the neighborhood kids. Human interactions of any sort were forbidden in his list, so he felt no compelling need to bother with a reply. The chatterbox beside him, however, didn't yield.

"Okay. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. My name's Uzumaki Naruto… ummm… nice to meet you."

Sasuke cast a glance towards the boy, and sure enough a beaming smile was in waiting. He feigned ignorance.

The child known as Naruto continued talking as if he had no idea he was being ignored. "So like I said, I always see you here. I play ball with my friends in the park nearby, you know it?" He gestured to the spacious park on his right, yet the raven made no motion to indicate he did. "I… umm… I don't know how to say this and it's very strange I know, but do you want to be friends?"

This caught Sasuke's attention and he looked the other in the eyes, slightly piqued by the odd request. "…Friends?"

"Yeah!" Naruto got excited at the reaction, small as it was. "You're always alone, right? My friends and I would love to have you play with us. So come on, join in!"

Friends.

That word resonated inside his head. How long has it been since he last used it? He didn't know; the memories themselves were too far off. Vague. Sasuke didn't hate the ring the word gave, however, and his eyes studied the blond very keenly. There was radiance and clarity, something he hadn't seen in a while as he had never encountered such a pure soul. He could see and feel it. The boy beside him held a very big and tender heart; a gentle and warm aura was engulfing him. His aura formed a shield, protecting the beautiful soul from the blackness of the world. They were total opposites.

Maybe playing the friends game wouldn't be as much of an awful thing as he'd presumed. Throughout his journey across time, he'd come across people asking to be his friends - companions and the like - though it never ended well. Sasuke had never befriended kids before, yet, so maybe the young had a better outcome than the rest.

His analytical brain couldn't help but question still. "Why do you want to be friends?"

Naruto blinked, obviously startled by the odd question. He rubbed his head thinking then a smile plastered onto his face. "Because you seem sad and lonely and no one should be like that."

Sasuke saw the light that shone from the boy beside him get stronger, without his knowledge, his mouth twitched into a small smile. The boy didn't just have a good aura but also a nice intuition. It made Sasuke all the more reluctant to taint him.

"That's some deep insight you have there," Sasuke mumbled.

"So will you?" Naruto beamed. "Be my friend?"

Sasuke looked at the lake before him and saw his reflection. The image of a thirty something year old man stared back at him, hair falling loosely around his frame and one eye was hidden so gracefully between his locks. Wanting to see just what the kid had seen to make him approach such an old man, the raven paused his rejection and instead asked.

"Before that, answer me. How do I appear to you?"

Naruto's brows furrowed as his hands crossed in front of his chest, puzzled. "Appear? Like, look?"

"Yes."

The blond looked the other up and down; his eyes perceived a kid around his age. The way he was sitting didn't give Naruto a clear estimation about his height so he didn't go there. Spiked black hair reminded him of a chicken's butt (he chuckled inwardly), but the other had nice features, and he was sure Sakura would go crazy if she'd seen him. A small part of him flared with a sense of jealousy. Shaking his emotions back to normal, he thought of an answer but his mind could only blurt.

"Well I don't know… you look like me, I guess."

Black orbs shone to him and Sasuke urged. "Like how?"

"Err… same age maybe. You look like someone from my grade, you have black hair and eyes and I think we're of the same height. I'm probably taller," Naruto snickered, "Is that what you meant?"

Soon after Naruto finished his words, Sasuke felt a sting of pain strike his body. In a matter of seconds, his body shifted, his clothes altered and his image shifted to another before his startled eyes. Shocked, he looked at the lake, and indeed, the reflection he'd seen moments ago changed into the one described by the blond. Sasuke could barely reign in his gasp of horror. This… something like this should not be possible. Not for the blond. Not for anyone. His gaze swung around to face Naruto, heart stuttering, as he thought, who was this kid?

This has never happened before. No one had the ability to change his appearance simply by stating it. Sure, he'd come across individuals who were able to see his true appearance and not fall for the disguise, but… never this.

The black haired male had lived a very long life; encountered countless miracles and amazing individuals but this was a first. There he was, being given a new facade by a mere child. Sasuke's lifeless eyes came back to life just a little bit. Fisting his hand, he took a deep breath and questioned.

"What did you say your name was again?"

Naruto's eyes glittered with delight, he answered excitedly. "Uzumaki, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Sasuke extended his pale hand and grasped Naruto's. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke; I'll be in your care from now on, Naruto-kun."

The blond felt his cheeks get hot as a fine blush decorated his face when Sasuke gave him a smile. He felt something in him throb, Naruto was puzzled as to what was happening but was glad that everything worked out well for him. Squeezing the cold hand, Naruto chirped.

"Nice to meet you too, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked at the fireplace and twirled the glass of wine in his hands. His brain was replaying the old memories, like the first time he'd come in contact with Uzumaki Naruto and how special his existence was. The light around him was shining in a beautiful hue, illuminating his clear cut features. He recalled the first time he was introduced to Naruto's inner circle of friends. They were all very fascinating and full of life, but the girls were soon fawning over him and Sasuke knew better.

When he had agreed to take Naruto's hand, his curiosity had won him over. He wanted to get closer to the individual with those powers. A small part of him hoped that by doing so, he'd be able to understand himself better and what he was truly meant to do. Throughout his life, he was oblivious to that.

The moment he opened his eyes to the world, war surrounded him. He lived through many tragedies and witnessed suffering from a young age. Even when peace came, he remained in turmoil. The people he was close with perished one after another but he kept going. Any relationship he worked hard to secure vanished under the cold sand. He reclaimed himself to a lifetime of agony and misery. Ceaselessly.

Sasuke didn't know what he was. At times he thought it would be best to die and give up life altogether, but somehow he couldn't do that. He didn't know if he was immortal or not, but death certainly hadn't come knocking at his door. He encountered various diseases, but they never took his life. He had survived even the serious ones.

Sasuke knew it was atonement.

He'd transgressed against God and this was his punishment. His soul didn't recall what grave sin he'd committed, but the result was to spend eternity living a life of loneliness. He found that his appearance could be changed; molded after a certain amount of time, and he had that ability amongst others. Sasuke tried experimenting on himself to check what he was, cutting himself and burning his body. The wounds healed faster than a normal human's. The scars vanished and his skin returned to normal.

He had searched religion and philosophy, read tons of theories and books, but none gave a clear cut explanation to what he was. He wasn't an angel or a demon. He was just… a being. He didn't fit any category. After about fifty years of going without an answer, he gave up and decided that he wasn't human. He was a being that simply lived too long and had abilities a human didn't. That's why he gave himself a role; a mission and a reason for living. He was an observer, the record keeper for humanity.

His role on Earth was not to judge or live, but simply to record the life of man. Somehow, once he started doing that, a feeling of relief came over him. As if his soul was telling him that this indeed was his calling.

Something had changed the day he met Naruto. It was almost as if destiny was molding around the two of them and altering what Sasuke could and could not be. How naive he had been. He sensed that that boy would end up changing him. Sasuke snickered at the irony of fate. In fact, he'd longed for human affection for ages, and connecting with Naruto gave the black hole he called a heart purpose. He felt complete. During his life, he discarded his emotions and turned into a machine. He would record death with no emotions. Nothing fazed him. Even if he was in the midst of tragedy, it was a simple event that needed to be written down.

Yet when he was with Naruto, whatever he was doing, be it playing around, riding bicycles or doing homework, he was satisfied. His heart was filled and his existence acknowledged. His emotions were returning bit by bit. He was changing back to a human, but Sasuke knew it wasn't right and it wouldn't last. His role was to record and live utterly alone. The universe wouldn't allow interference.

He spent many years enjoying life beside Naruto and his world, before disaster struck. Naruto lost his father in tragedy. The house caught on fire and the man perished in a second. The blond lost the light inside his eyes and Sasuke couldn't stand it. He'd tried everything in his power to return it but the void was too big. That's when he'd realized, his existence was the reason. Naruto's father should have lived a long and prosperous life; he did enough records to know that. So it only meant one thing, the universe was sending him a warning.

He was to stay away from the blond.

Sasuke felt the heart that he'd acquired break when he came to that realization. It was hard and he didn't like doing it, but he did. He kept his distance. Through the decades, he noticed how forgetful humans were. If the right amount of time passed, they'd forget things that one day had meant the world to them. He relied on that. However it didn't happen. The blond came to seek him. Sasuke refused him countless of times but Naruto didn't want to leave.

There was a bond between them. Sasuke knew Naruto felt it and didn't want to let it go. That's when the blond started to visit him regularly. Taking shelter in the garden outside the giant manor he'd acquired with time. Naruto had decided to plant some trees and flowers there, every single day he'd come and tend to them. Sasuke was pained every time he'd see the plants the blond put. Time passed and they increased in number. Just when Sasuke thought that maybe he'd read the universe's message wrong, disaster number two struck.

Haruno Sakura got into a car accident and was between life and death.

That's when he decided that he'd rely on his abilities to make things right. If Naruto was adamant on not letting him go, he'd force him to. Yet before he did his plan, he tried talking to the blond. The first time he did it, Naruto fainted and didn't wake up for two weeks. The second time he did it, the blond lost all memories of a whole day. The third time, Naruto started forgetting things about himself. That's when Sasuke gave up on attempting telling Naruto the truth and simply went to the plan that he didn't like. Erasing his existence from Naruto's world.

First he started with Naruto's close friends; he changed their memories one by one, overwriting the records individually. Sakura's memory was a little tricky to change because she was unconscious, but he was able to pull it off. The problem was with the object of his affection, Uzumaki Naruto. The blond was delighted when Sasuke asked to meet.

The raven could still see the happiness in those eyes he'd come to love. It was his treasure. Naruto was the reason why he was alive, and as corny as it sounded, he believed with all his might that he was made to meet the blond and love him. But as the momentary happiness passed, he saw how broken the blond was. He'd lost the father he loved so much and not soon after, his best friend was on her death bed. Not to forget how Sasuke was shutting him out. The bright aura that he'd always seen around Naruto was dimming. His treasure was losing its shine.

With strong arms, he engulfed Naruto in a bone-crushing hug. He allowed all the unspoken feelings to transfer between them. Since before, he was bad with words but the kiss he'd given the blond was enough to show him the pain and happiness he was feeling inside. Gently, he rewrote Naruto's memories. Erasing himself from them. Sasuke found his eyes tearing up when he was done. His heart broke in pieces, but it was alright. A life of loneliness was just fine as long as his Naruto was happy.

Just like turning on a switch, the universe seemed to forgive him as Haruno Sakura made a miraculous recovery. Her memory of the accident was vague and everything related to Sasuke was wiped clean. Again to the world, he didn't exist.

Years passed and life was hard to live. He tried to take his life many times, but failed miserably. Keeping the records. His mission was still not fulfilled. Sasuke wanted to see Naruto in every given second; he wanted to escape the agony. However he feared the consequences. So he moved, went to a different country, another continent, a place where Naruto didn't exist.

He put himself in exile.

Yet that didn't help. The image of Naruto was always haunting him. Every time he closed his eyes, he'd see that beautiful, dorky grin. His ears remembered Naruto's voice as he called him, the times they spent sitting around or bickering. It was all written down to his cells. That's when an idea came to his mind. If he couldn't forget Naruto in this time, he should just jump in time until he reaches a place where Naruto's existence wasn't so strong.

Jumping time forward was something he didn't try before, it took him a while to get the hang of it right. He had to tattoo some strange circles on his back, but wanting to escape Naruto's ghost, he jumped. Four or eight years to the future, Sasuke didn't calculate, yet the journey took its toll on his body and battered him up. He wasn't dead – couldn't die, but he was wounded. That's when a kind stranger came and patched him up. Sasuke was in shock when the familiar image of Naruto embraced him again. His emotions were overwhelmed. He was overwhelmed. Not knowing what to do, he decided to stay silent.

Naruto didn't remember him; he treated him as a complete stranger. No, scratch that, he was treated like a cat. Sasuke was being careful. The blond might not remember him, but the universe will still act in ways that forbade them getting together. His brain thought a lot of times before he decided to take a chance and visited Naruto that first time. To his dismay, the blond didn't have any solid relationships, probably his subconscious was still keeping their bond alive, and Sasuke mourned the possibility.

How many chances could he get? How many visits were allowed before everything started to break again? Will Naruto remember him? Will he respond to him without any deep meanings? Would his existence in the other's world be forgiven?

Sasuke's brain was in overdrive everyday he saw Naruto, however the minute he touched his hand, he was calmed. The demons inside of him, his anxiety, everything would disappear. That's when his brain came up with another idea. What if he could redo everything again? What if he could take Naruto back in time to just before his father died? Could this sequence of events trigger something different? If he could save Minato from any disaster, then he and Naruto could be together.

The both of them were stuck in time. He couldn't move forward knowing everything and Naruto couldn't move forward knowing nothing. That's why Sasuke put a huge gamble on another chance. He left the black box that was used as a channel between times in Naruto's apartment, and just when the blond touched it, he knocked him out and started the rituals.

He knew that this time, the effect wouldn't be as minor as the injuries he'd sustained. He was trying to change their fates and the price would be great. Sasuke didn't mind paying everything himself.

The fire before him flickered a couple of times and he looked at the place where his left arm should have been, yet there was nothing but empty clothes. He'd paid his left eye and arm but didn't regret it once. Taking another sip of the vintage wine, he looked at the rain outside. The rainy season was very quick to hit Konoha, and though it was sad, it was perfect to match his mood.

Standing upright, he put the empty glass on the table before calling it a night. Thinking of the past always tired him, and as much as he wanted to change his situation, apparently, he was doomed to a life of loneliness. How sad it was that it took so much effort to come to point zero once more.

"Naruto, are you okay?"

The blond looked from his location on the tree to the ground. None other than Sakura stood there holding her bright yellow umbrella. The rain was coming to a drizzle and the weather was cold. His school uniform was half wet. He looked at her small silhouette and nodded, forcing a smile.

"I'm fine, Sakura-chan. What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you. Class has started," she answered, not believing a word he'd said.

"…Yeah, you can go on ahead, I'm ditching," he mumbled.

Sakura looked at him with a frown, she took out a napkin and wiped a nearby bench under the tree Naruto was sitting on. As the pink-haired cheerleader closed her umbrella and sat down, she spoke, explaining her behavior.

"Then I'll ditch too."

Naruto grinned at her. "You don't need to, I'm really okay."

"Naruto," Firmly, she called his name. "You don't have to tell me what happened, but please don't lie to me. I deserve that much."

The blond's eyes widened slightly, before he dropped the forced grin and nodded. "…Sorry."

"Don't be."

They stayed like that in silence. It had been a week since Naruto's sudden return. Sakura was more than elated that he was there, but it appeared something was off. Sure, Naruto did everything 'Naruto' should do – he apologized for ditching school, accepted the punishment his school and father, after being informed by the school of his absences, gave him – but her gut told her something changed. Naruto refused to say anything about where he was or why he'd disappeared and Sakura didn't push it. Yet she really wanted to know. She wanted to take some of the burden off his shoulders. However, Naruto didn't want that and she respected that. For now, she'd be by his side, giving her silent support every time he needed it.

Just like always.

The day came to an end and they went back home. Naruto declined his friends' invitation to go to their usual café, complaining that he was on a curfew. Going to his house, the blond took a glass of juice and went to the backyard. He gazed at the cloudy skies and his brain went on overdrive.

Sasuke, since that fateful night, hadn't seen him again. The raven male didn't show his face in school. A part in Naruto was worried but he was angrier than anything else. He hated that Sasuke lied to him, hated being a lab-rat to whatever experiment he was cooking. A part of him defended Sasuke, telling him that he should give the male another chance, but he'd already done that. He gave more than enough chances and Sasuke refused them all, saying stupid shit like how he didn't know what will happen if Naruto knew. As if life would disappear… he was making a mountain out of molehill.

The other part argued that Naruto didn't really know if it was something little or not. Maybe the information was best not being known. Ignorance is bliss. Yet Naruto rejected staying ignorant anymore. He was in the dark too many times, his feelings and his memories, he was questioning everything. If Sasuke was the same from his timeline, then there was a high chance he was the reason why Naruto was back in time. But why would he bring him back?

Was he supposed to stop some major catastrophe from happening? The only catastrophe Naruto recalled was his father's death, in that ominous fire, he remembered the date. It was two months from his current timeline. So was that the thing Sasuke brought him back for? For him to help his father not die? But wouldn't doing that mess with the natural order of things? Every movie he has ever watched about time travel warned people not to mess with time, or else the space-time continuum would shift and hell would break loose. Did Sasuke not tell him because he wanted Naruto not to save his dad?

It made no sense. Was he brought back to save or not to save? Could he actually stand still watching his father die? Naruto knew he won't be able to do that. Even if the result was a shift to hell, he'd save his father and deal with the consequences later. Sighing, he closed the door to the yard and came back in. It was getting colder as evening descended.

When he entered the living room, he saw his father, Minato, come through the front door.

"Hi, dad, how's work?"

"Naruto! Fine, it was fine, but this rain hit so suddenly I was late because of it. I think classes will be cancelled tomorrow."

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Probably. Wasn't there a similar downpour a couple of years ago?"

"Hmm… no, not that I remember."

The blond teen hit himself mentally, that didn't happen yet. The downpour that he was talking about was in the future. He cleared his though and corrected himself. "Yeah… I think I remember wrong. Anyhow, did you have lunch?"

"Yes. I went out with Kakashi. We met after he was done with his work."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto chirped, "Here I am on curfew, hungry and waiting for you and you go eat with Kakashi-sensei. Since when have you been so close?"

"He's my junior in college. You know this. Besides, we were discussing you, so be grateful that you were off the hook with detention because of him. The school wanted to expel you for a month."

"That would have been much better, actually," The blond teen mumbled under his breath.

Minato ignored his son and went up to his room to change, for after all, it had been a crazy day for him. Naruto opened the television and decided to try and shut his mind and enjoy some peace and quiet for a change.

Sakura had to excuse herself from her club-mates company as she ran behind the raven haired male. From the crowd at the station, it was quite easy to distinguish Uchiha Sasuke. He stood out like a shining black diamond. Even if she didn't want to see it, the black haired male had a mysterious aura; it attracted her on so many levels. Calling out loud, she caught his attention. Sasuke stood waiting for her arrival, so Sakura smiled at him and started speaking.

"Sasuke-kun. It's been a while, how have you been?"

"Good," he replied.

His curt reply told her that the only thing keeping him was his manners. Tucking a pink strand behind her ear, she continued.

"Glad to hear that. Well I just wanted to tell you that Naruto-kun has returned home safe and sound. So there's nothing to be worried about anymore."

"…I wasn't worried." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Yeah… err, you might not be," She chirped nervously. "But I thought you should know."

Sakura was searching for anything, a change in that cold exterior but nothing happened. The beautiful statue was just that, a beautiful statue. The mentioning of Naruto did nothing to break the shell. Sasuke started walking away, but she took hold of his hand, not done with what she wanted to say.

"Wait! I'm not done yet. If you have some time," She pointed to the café near them. "Care to have a drink with me?"

The raven looked at her then the café, he was tempted for a second to take her up on her offer, but he knew better. He was sure she would tell him everything about Naruto if he'd enquired, but right now he didn't want to know. He wasn't ready to know the condition the blond was in. It was still hard for him to heal being left alone like that again. Besides, getting close to Sakura – who was a big part of Naruto's world – meant that he'd bring the wrath of the universe on him again, his answer was made. No need to repeat history.

"Haruno Sakura-san, I don't think it's good for you to associate yourself with me. Please, keep your distance. It's better for all of us." He said in an icy tone.

The girl frowned her brows at him and asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"My words are clear. Take them as they are." Sasuke replied, somewhat annoyed.

"Well, they sound like a warning to me." Sakura growled.

"Then it's a warning."

The atmosphere around them started to change. Sakura looked him in the eye and questioned, "You know, I had suspected that you had something to do with Naruto's disappearance, but now I'm sure. You did something to him didn't you? What did you do?"

Sasuke turned his back to her and softly spoke. "Some things are better off left in the dark, child."

With that he walked away, not allowing her time to stop him. Sakura didn't feel like she could. Even though her words with him were firm, somehow she was shaking from the inside. Her intuition told her that that guy was someone she shouldn't come close to. She didn't know why but it felt like disaster was walking hand in hand with him. Her group of cheerleaders came to catch her. With a fake smile she shook the unpleasant meeting from her mind and walked with them.

In the back of her head, she prayed for her hunch to be wrong.

"Say, Naruto," Sakura started, putting a muffin in her mouth. She was at Naruto's house, deciding that it was fun to barge in on him and demand treats. The blond sweat-dropped at her randomness, but as always, he complied as his soft spot for her had never changed. "I met Sasuke-kun yesterday."

The cream bowel the blond was whipping slipped from his hands, had he not – miraculously – caught it, they'd be left with a floor filled with cream. Sakura rolled her eyes at his reaction, sternly, she scolded.

"Sheesh, can you be any more obvious," Sakura grumbled.

He smiled sheepishly to her and put the bowel back on the counter. "H-How… how was he?"

"Good, good. He was weird though. Something happened between you two, didn't it?" The jade eyed girl firmly stated. "I don't want to pry and honestly I'm waiting until you feel like telling me, but there was something off about him. You know I had the theory that he'd taken you hostage, and I still believe that that's what had happened –"

"Sakura-chan…"

She raised her hand, stopping him. "I know, I know, you denied that, but my gut is telling me this so just humor me."

He gave her a smile and continued whipping. "So, what do you mean something was off?"

"He warned me to stay away from him. When I told him about you returning, there was no reaction, but when I asked if we could sit down and talk, he refused. He also called me 'child,'" she added with furrowed brows.

"'Child'?" Naruto raised a brow matching hers.

"Yeah, weird right?"

Naruto nodded. "Hmm… so anything else?"

Blinking, she asked. "All of that and you want more?"

"Well," The blond put the cream aside and fetched the chocolate syrup. "Everything you just told can be explained. Him telling you to stay away is normal, he always tells girls off. Not giving any reaction to me returning, might be because he doesn't have anything to do with me – we're not even friends," he lied flatly to her. "The odd thing is him calling you child… but it's not something big, maybe he was acting out a role from TV or something."

Sakura's frown deepened. "Yeah, no. I don't believe that. There's something more there, I just know it!"

Naruto started injecting the vanilla muffins with chocolate syrup and sighed to her. "Just don't act on it. It's fine if you're uncomfortable with this, but do what he told you, stay away from him."

The pink-haired girl stood up from her seat and walked towards him. With eyes cracking him up like a peanut, she clarified. "Listen Uzumaki Naruto, if you're by any chance hiding something because you want to protect me and stuff, then don't, I'm more able to do that myself –"

"That's not it, Sakura-chan," He interrupted her for the second time. "I just don't think its right to put your nose where it doesn't belong. This guy flatly told you to stay away from him, so do that. Comply."

Her insides told her that she should pursue the matter but the way Naruto was so adamant on her not, she decided to leave it be. Whatever happened these past few weeks, her blond friend decided that it was his business alone, her interference was unnecessary – as much as she disliked that, she respected his boundaries. Taking another muffin from the finished pile, Sakura sat back down.

"Fine! Have it your way. I'll drop it. But if a disaster happens, don't come running back to me, okay?"

Naruto nodded with a charming smile. "Thanks, Sakura."

Naruto felt like his feet had sunk into concrete. His brain told him to move and escape before Sasuke could catch him, but his body refused to obey. It was evening time, he was returning home from an outing with Shikamaru and Kiba. He'd made a detour, passing through the park next to his neighborhood. His eyes went wide when he saw the silhouette of none other than Sasuke slouching upon the lake. It was odd how he could recognize the male so easily.

People passed them by, but the blond paid them no mind. It's been close to three weeks since the last time he spoke with Sasuke. Actually, he hadn't seen him even. He'd thought of going back to that mansion, yet he had nothing to say. Actually, even now, he shouldn't be freaking out. There was nothing wrong. He'd decided to stay away from Sasuke, to leave the mysteries alone and not bother with any. He was given a second chance to do his life and this time, he was going to make all the right decisions.

Starting with staying away from any spiky-haired, strange Uchiha.

The minute he turned around and made his first step, a loud thud brought him back to where Sasuke was. Naruto was amazed at how fast his body moved, in less than a second, he was cradling the unconscious male in his arms. Calling loudly for all to hear, trying to reach to Sasuke's subconscious, but to no avail. The black haired male decided that lying on the grass there was the right thing to do.

Naruto picked up his phone and called an ambulance when he realized that Sasuke's breathing was becoming shallow. The ambulance didn't take long to get to where he was. Yet the first thing the paramedic asked upon reaching him was.

"Excuse me, sir, where's the patient?"

Naruto puzzled, gestured to the man sleeping in his arms. "What are you saying, this is him, his name's Uchiha Sasuke, and he's my friend, I just –"

"Sir, please, if you want to make a prank call, don't. There might be someone who needs this ambulance more than you. Have a good night."

With that the paramedic left one stunned Naruto behind. The blond replayed the events in his head a lot of times but he couldn't make up anything. He tried shaking Sasuke, but it was like the other was in a coma or something. Sighing, he tried to calm himself and thought of the next best thing to do. He could take Sasuke to his house, but that didn't assure he'd get the treatment he needed – besides, he really didn't want to enter that estate.

He picked up his cell again and dialed the only person that came to his mind, Haruno Sakura. He hated himself for always using her like that.

Naruto was more amazed at how his friends were acting. When he briefed Sakura about the situation, she came running – alongside Neji. Apparently he was her ride and they were together when he called. They dropped him off at his house, the blond quickly put Sasuke on his bed as his friends made themselves comfortable in his room. The weird thing was that they acted the same way as the paramedic; he felt their odd looks to each other since they met him, but since no one said anything, he shrugged it off. But when a good couple of minutes have passed, he grew irked and questioned.

"Okay, Sakura, out with it, what's wrong?"

The jade eyed female blinked, she and Neji shared a look, then with all compassion in the world, she returned his question. "No, Naruto, what's wrong with you?"

He blinked. "Nothing, I'm fine. It's you who has been acting fidgety since before."

Neji seemed to be the one to speak this time round; he tucked astray lock behind his beautiful face and said. "Naruto-kun, if I may, you called saying that Uchiha-san is hurt and he needs our help, right?"

The blond nodded.

"Yeah, see the thing is, where's Sasuke-kun?" Sakura interrupted Neji's upcoming question.

Naruto felt the frustration he experienced with the paramedic come back to him. He pointed to his bed and said in a clear voice. "What do you mean where? He's lying on my bed, can't you see him?"

"Naruto, are you sure you're fine? Maybe you hit your head with something or..."

"Sakura-chan, I haven't gone crazy… how can you not see him?"

Neji stood up and walked to the bed, he put his hand on the pillow and pushed in. Naruto's eyes went wide when he saw Neji's hand go right through Sasuke's head. Neji moved his hand sideways to emphasize his point; Naruto looked horrified when the pale hand moved through Sasuke's body as if it was air.

"You… You really can't see him."

Sakura came to stabilize Naruto's shaking form and nodded. "I'm sorry, we can't. I don't know what's happening, Naruto, but are you telling me that Sasuke-kun is lying there?"

The blond sat down and took a moment to get everything through his head, his eyes clearly saw Sasuke but what Neji did was right. There was no Sasuke there. Was he hallucinating? Well whatever it was, he needed to deal with it himself. With a grim tone, he clearly spoke.

"I'm sorry but I want you both to leave."

"Leave?" Sakura started. "You must be kidding me –"

A gentle hand came to reside on her shoulder; she looked to see Neji shaking his head. His eyes told her to do as she was asked. It was late and all this was sounding heavy, she knew that Naruto probably saw things that she didn't and it upset her, she wanted to be there, to know everything, and not to be pushed away. However, the reality was different. Naruto here was making clear lines. He crossed her out. As much as she wanted to argue, she felt that it wasn't the right time.

With gritted teeth, Sakura turned her back to Naruto. "Fine. We'll leave for today… but you have to tell me everything later."

Naruto stayed silent, Neji bid him goodbye and closed the door with a soft 'we'll see ourselves out'. With the room now quiet and no one was there to question him, Naruto crawled on his bed and laid next to the unconscious Uchiha. He extended a shaky hand to him, yet the moment it connected with Sasuke's skin, he released a sigh he didn't know he was holding.

"Sasuke… I don't know what's happening anymore. What are you?" He looked at his own hand and muttered. "What am I?"

Then everything turned black.

Naruto felt a bang and a buzz echo inside his head; unconsciously he grabbed his throbbing head and opened his eyes. If he remembered clearly, he'd fallen asleep beside Sasuke. Blinking, he felt a sense of déjà vu wash over him, how many times has he been in this situation – waking to total confusion? Sighing in agony, he tried to blink and clear his vision, what he saw awed him.

He was certainly in his room, but it was glowing a shiny golden color. His closet, the dresser, the floor and as he looked at the bed, his eyes went wider at seeing his body lying there, holding Sasuke's close. Blinking, he noticed that he was actually floating – more precisely hovering – over said body. Frowning he tried to put two and two together, he remembered seeing a movie about this, astral projection they called it. Strangely enough, he didn't feel anything odd. Perhaps he'd already developed immunity to the supernatural. A ghost could pop out and he won't sweat a drop. He floated close to his body and tried to touch it, but nothing happened. His hand went through it. He concluded that either he was dreaming, or this shit just got real.

A groan left Sasuke's mouth, directing Naruto's attention to the raven haired male and he sighed. His heart did a couple of flips and he realized how much he really missed the other. He'd tried to stop thinking about Sasuke, but seeing him lying there, sleeping with that handsome face just brought all of his suppressed feelings afloat. Lost in a daze, the blond reached his transparent hand, trying to touch Sasuke however, a calm voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The blond jumped, his sight quickly shifting to his right. Naruto blinked. He was sure there was no one there, then where did this person pop-up from? The male hovering close to him had the same transparent look, Naruto's eyes shone with an unknown emotion. In a split second, he had the layout of the other memorized to a tee. The man looked older than he was, had long black hair, flowing to reach his back and tied at the end. His bangs hid most of his facial features from Naruto's sight, but he was able to locate a black orb looking at him. For some reason, Naruto blushed. It felt like a child being caught with his hands down the cookie jar.

As he lowered his gaze, the blond caught the absence of the man's left arm. It was strange, yet he felt as if he'd seen this person before. Trying to sound normal in an abnormal situation, Naruto asked.

"What do you mean?"

"If you touch me, your energy would be sucked right in and right now who knows what might happen to you."

"Touch you?" Naruto's brows furrowed, soon though, the realization hit him and shock was visible on his face. "You… you're Sasuke?"

"…One of my names."

The man before him looked nothing short of the end of his second decade, what he knew of Sasuke was something else. Naruto tried to organize the thoughts in his head and prioritize the important ones.

"Sasuke, I'm very confused right now. Why are we here in this form and why do you look like this?"

"I know you are," The man started. "You might not believe me when I say this, Naruto, but I wish to tell you everything, but that can't happen. You can't handle it… precisely, your body can't."

"Why are you assuming this? How about we try it first?"

"We did. The information have a spiritual toll, with word comes power. Each person is born with a certain limit to their spiritual energy. The words that we speak and hear influence that energy, in your case, your spiritual energy is very weak – that's why you can't handle all this." He grimly looked at their joint bodies.

"This doesn't make sense. Why is my spiritual energy weak? I feel healthy."

"Physical health has nothing to do with spiritual one. Besides, you're weak because of me. I had linked us together, you and I share the same energy – no, that's not right; I am leeching off your energy. That's why you've grown weak spiritually and that's why the words affect you strongly."

Even though Sasuke had explained it in a way that made it clear, the blond still didn't understand. How could two living people, considering Sasuke is human which he was doubting at the moment, share the same soul?

"Sasuke, do you mean we have the same soul? Could that even be possible?"

"Not soul, Naruto, spiritual energy. Your soul emits your energy; a lot of people live their lives not using it. It lies dormant in them. In the old times, people harvested that energy and used it for a lot of things. However, with the passing of time, and evolving of machinery, man decided that it's best to forget the way to harvest that energy. So right now, only one or two people on Earth are able to work this energy into materialization."

"Does that mean you're one of those people?" The blond skeptically looked at him, the words were still feeling like mumbo-jumbo, but he was floating above his body, back in time, so he should probably keep an open mind.

"No, I am not." Sasuke firmly stated, with no further explanation.

Naruto frowned. "Well, even if my energy is weak as you claim and even if my body can't handle it, I would still want to hear the truth. I have a right to know what the hell I'm mixed up in."

The man known as Sasuke floated close to the blond upon his sharp demand, the hair covering his face moved a little allowing Naruto vision. The blond felt his blush return. This form of Sasuke was extremely attractive, long hair suited him perfectly. He was forced to snap to attention when Sasuke's melodious voice started.

"I won't go into details, but I'll give you the big picture. When you picked me up in front of your apartment, that wasn't the first time we had met. You and I share a common past, Naruto." Sasuke avoided those astonished blue orbs and continued. "Bad events happened in the past, events I was the cause of, I sinned against you and I tried to redeem myself by disconnecting from you. I tried it on many occasions, but I always failed miserably. The first time we met, you were a little kid, unknowingly to both of us, you shared your spiritual energy with me and for years, I kept bathing in it. When I found out what was happening, I tried to cut the connection, but like I said before, it was impossible. I became a being that is unable to exist on my own. My spiritual energy has vanished – probably sucked – into your powerful one."

The blond listened attentively to the tale, with each passing second; he could explain the feeling of déjà vu that washed over him every time Sasuke got close.

"Now, to our current ordeal, the day you left the mansion, I felt our connection weaken. Since you've decided to ignore my existence, your energy followed suit. I'm being repelled from you; that's why no one other than you is able to see me. I became unable to maintain a solid form in front of people. If you hadn't found me tonight, I might have vanished already. I'm still here because you haven't severed the connection completely. It's pathetic," Sasuke cursed under his breath, dissatisfied with himself, "I'm pathetic."

"So, in short," Naruto felt his mouth twitch upward into a smile. "You can't live without me."

The raven haired male disliked the tinge of delight he detected in the other's tone. "..."

His smile was a full blown grin right now. Having some satisfaction at that, Naruto moved to the other thing that was bothering him. "I would take that as a yes, so what's up with your get up? Why do you look like this?"

The adult of the two stayed silent. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Sasuke," The blond started. "A: you shouldn't worry about me losing energy because the situation we are in tells that I am not, it's you whose energy is dying off. B: I don't remember you telling me about the past, but please, have faith in me. I won't break a second time."

"You broke before," Sasuke retorted. His mind recalling the memories of Naruto's passing out and the horrible feeling it left him with.

"Well, the past is the past, today is today, you never know what might happen. At least tell me something I can work with. Don't forget it's your judgment and decisions that put us here. Trust me and let's try to escape this fate together. Give me a chance."

A picture of Naruto saying words similar to those flashed before Sasuke's vision. His friend was always one who wanted him to share the burden, unfortunately it was pointless. He'd feel better when he shared, but the result was always the same. Naruto would end up forgetting. However a small part in him decided that maybe this time would be different. They weren't in their physical bodies, so perhaps Naruto's energy will be able to withstand everything. Maybe he has a chance after all. The older version of Sasuke contemplated this thought, it wasn't something that he wanted to do and there were going to be consequences, however, the blond was right. His way of doing things have put them in a stall. He needed to approach the subject from a different angle.

"Alright, I think a change won't be so bad."

"No, it won't." Naruto excitedly affirmed.

"I believe it would be best to start from the beginning, you might wonder who I am." Naruto nodded, "Well to put it simply, I didn't lie to you when I said I'm an observer. I think God put me on this world to record the actions of man. I don't know what I might be called, but I don't think I'm an angel or a demon. I existed as long as I can remember. Time seemed irrelevant to me. I witnessed many ages and decades and lived through different wars and catastrophes. Without realizing, I turned into a machine, working all the time, recording anything of importance, while I lost my heart and forgot its existence. That is until I met you."

Sasuke looked the floating blond in the eyes and a small smile showed on his face. Naruto felt his cheeks redden with heat; Sasuke's smile was to die for.

"You were twelve when we met. You were so pure and innocent. I was unconsciously drawn to that light. You've asked us to be friends, you were so stupid but I agreed."

Naruto watched the handsome face glow ever so slowly, all Sasuke's words were foreign to his ears, he had no memory of them, but he didn't interrupt, a part of him told him that if he broke Sasuke's chain, that this charm will end and he won't know what's what.

"I was reluctant at first, but when my form changed to what you perceived me as, I thought it was a sign. Maybe I was allowed a friend this time, maybe I was allowed your company. Not long we became inseparable. You introduced me to your life, your home and friends. Those were the best years of my life – and I've lived long." Sasuke's eyes seemed to look past the blond into the past he'd buried deep in his heart. It has been long since he spoke of it. It was a treasure he kept hidden, afraid a day might come where all of it would be stolen from him. "We were happy… until…"

With that Sasuke stopped talking. His face took a dark turn; he bit his lower lip as the awful events poured into him. Naruto's father's death. Sakura's grave accident. Naruto's breakdown and the hideous way he chose to abandon him with. It all left a bitter taste in his mouth. He will never forgive himself for giving Naruto those memories. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Naruto's pleading eyes, standing in his garden, begging Sasuke to come out and talk to him, wanting his comfort and support. He'd decided cruelly to leave Naruto and keep distance – not once has he thought there was a way for them to be together. Truth was, he was afraid. He didn't want to reach a stage where living without Naruto would be impossible… such ironic turn of events.

"Sasuke?" The blond beside him called him back from his inner darkness. "Are you alright?"

A concerned face looked at him; Naruto was as cute as he remembered him. He loved Naruto's face, whenever they were studying and Naruto would doze off, Sasuke would stare until he could no longer bare it. A pale hand extended to cup Naruto's whiskered cheek. They were transparent, but strangely enough, Naruto was able to feel the touch of the other. The blond allowed the intrusion and placed his hand onto Sasuke's.

Sasuke's face squeezed in pain, trying with all his powers to apologize for his misdeeds. "I'm so sorry, Naruto. If there was another way to get you out of that misery, I would have done it… forgive me, please, I couldn't think of anything else..."

The blond had no idea what the other was so bent up about, but the agony in that visible eye told him all he needed to know. With a force he didn't know he had, he pulled Sasuke closer to him. Giving the tormented man a hug that he knew he needed. Naruto tried to think of comforting words, but nothing came to mind, he didn't know if saying anything would help increase or decrease Sasuke's pain, so he held him tight. Closed his arms around Sasuke's manly body and made him feel safe.

They stayed that way until the raven-haired male relaxed. Sasuke drew back a little from the hug, enough to be able to speak without his voice getting muffled.

"You probably don't understand and it's alright… anyway, my energy is decreasing and I think the only means for it to replenish is for you to let me go."

Naruto's brows furrowed. "That doesn't sound right. You have no energy left, you're existing due to my energy, if I cut you off, doesn't that mean that you'll disappear?."

"Not necessarily. While it's true I'm relying on you, if I leave your side my initial energy should return. It's a risky solution but it's the only one we have right now."

"Can't I just not ignore your existence anymore? I mean, the only reason why you're disappearing is because I shunned you out –"

"I might have mentioned it, but it's not the only reason. I've lived a long time so my energy has reached its limit. I think that happened when we first met, and I relied on your energy because it was strong. However, I think my energy has refilled enough to secure me alone. I just want you to believe in me and allow me to let go. Can you do that?" Sasuke pleaded.

Naruto felt insecure with this whole situation. He felt like the other was playing him again, his gut told him not to follow with Sasuke's words, but the way those eyes were looking at him, he couldn't refuse. However, what would he do if Sasuke was tricking him into something else again? He tried to get rid of those thoughts and not allow doubt to enter his heart again… something that was very hard to do with Sasuke's nature.

The raven moved away from Naruto, allowing the other full capacity to think without distractions. He knew he was asking a lot of the other, but again, it was the only choice he thought of. Naruto needed to let him go and he needed to vanish. They both needed to break away from this vicious cycle they were in. he loved Naruto too much to allow him this burden. What he failed to mention to the blond was that the longer they stay connected, the faster Naruto's energy would be consumed. He'd die sooner than anticipated. Sasuke has stolen so much from the blond, he wasn't about to steal whatever life he had left.

His black orbs fixated on Naruto as a loud sigh escaped those lips he loved so much. With a reluctant face, Naruto spoke.

"Alright. I would do it, tell me what I need to do."

Sasuke gave the other a nod. "It's easy, close your eyes first."'

Naruto obeyed.

"Think of me."

A smile showed on Naruto's face, even if he didn't want to, his head was already filled with thoughts of the other. "Easy."

Sasuke ignored the remark that sent butterflies to his stomach and continued his instructions. "Now, think that you and I hold a thread together, think of yourself bringing a scissor and cutting it."

The blond did as told, he imagined the whole act and the minute it was done, he opened his eyes only for them to grow wider.

"Sasu –"

"Thank you, Naruto."

That was the last thing he heard alongside Sasuke's smiling face before the floating raven disappeared from his vision entirely. Horrified, the blond looked at Sasuke's body lying next to his, in bubbles of warm light, the body disappeared into thin air. Suddenly it all turned black and Naruto knew.

He was tricked yet again.

Thank you for reading. Review and tell me your thoughts. My best part is always reading your reviews, they make me want to write more! ^_^