THANKS TO: My beta Kakashis-first-kiss. I really need one of those mugs that say 'I love my beta'

Thanks to: the randomist, Lanna, crimsondeathhurts, DarkRavie, Anonymous Sister of the Author, Dreamsofdragons, and Syciara-Lynx for reviewing!

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Kabuto ran through the forest. He'd finally picked up Naruto's chakra signature. Something very close to fear coursed through his veins however: almost on top of Naruto's signature was Sasuke's. Kabuto felt Sasuke's chakra spike and Naruto's plummet and ran faster. If he didn't make it in time he'd never forgive himself. His blue chakra blade cut away branches that were in his way. As he cleared away the last of the branches, a strange sight met his eyes. Naruto's pierced body was sliding to the ground while a mirror image of Kabuto stood above him, using his signature charka scalpel. The jutsu wasn't perfect though; blood was spreading its crimson stain across his chest. The mirror turned, and red eyes shown through the façade.

"You did it wrong. Apparently your Sharingan is flawed," Kabuto said calmly, all the while wishing he could rip Sasuke's still-beating heart out.

"No I didn't. Your jutsu doesn't allow the victim to bleed, and I really wanted to see him bleed."

"What good will blood do you? Kyuubi chakra will just heal him, you know that," the red-eyed Kabuto leered.

"What good will the demon do if the chakra path ways at the heart are too damaged to use?" Kabuto's eyes widened and he took a step towards Naruto but Sasuke's voice stopped him.

"Do you really want to try and save him? I have plenty of reasons to kill you; can you afford the chakra that would take? Besides, I'm not wearing your form because it's flattering; he thinks you tried to kill him." Kabuto continued walking and knelt down beside Naruto. Soft green healing light lit his hands and his heart raced as he moved over Naruto heart. He felt Sasuke come up behind him.

"It won't work, he might as well be dead anyway. Think of it as a service to the world." One step closer and Kabuto ripped his hands away from Naruto chest and slammed them into Sasuke. The poisoned healing jutsu raced hungrily through Sasuke's body.

"I won't let you kill me!" Sasuke shouted as Kabuto's form ripped away. His charka surged and the air around him whined the Chidori formed in his palm. The jutsu flickered dangerously and Sasuke screamed as his own chakra burned at this arm. He fell to his knees clutching at his wrist trying to control his power.

"You bastard!" He shouted as the Chidori screamed up his arm. Kabuto bent down again and began to carefully heal Naruto's heart. He could have laughed; Sasuke had just missed Naruto's chakra center, and the Kyuubi leapt to the healing of its host.

Kabuto carefully picked Naruto up off the ground and cradled him against his chest. He turned to look at Sasuke and watched with cold eyes as one of the last of a proud family died as his own charka turned against him. In his arms Naruto stirred.

Even in his dying pain, Sasuke noticed the boy stir.

"Naruto help me! I escaped Orochimaru and was coming to find you when I found him trying to kill you! Look what he did to me!" Naruto stiffened and looked up at Kabuto's cold face.

"You're dying because your pride has finally caught up to you and because you tried to hurt Naruto," Kabuto said coolly. Sasuke howled in pain.

"Sasuke…" Naruto murmured.

"Naruto save me!" Sasuke cried, and Naruto was struck by the memory of a time not so long ago when he'd asked just as desperately for Sasuke's help.

"It's not any of my business if Orochimaru's dogs kill each other. I believe it was you that taught me that it was up to the master what happened to the pet." Sasuke made an ugly face but didn't have enough control over his body to attack, but even an injured snake has poison.

"Fine, don't help me, but I think that you still care about your other teammates. I wonder if Suigetsu has finished killing them yet. And think about the man that's holding you. How many masters has he had? How long till he tires of you, too? After all, you're nothing special." Kabuto's grip on Naruto tightened.

"Don't listen to him Naruto. He'd say anything to hurt you."

"Does that mean I've lied?" Sasuke's voice was forced now, as death crept closer. "Suigetsu really will kill them; and knowing him they won't even-" a cough racked his body and brought blood up from his lungs, "-won't even have time to scream." The agony caused him to double over, but even as it forced his head down Sasuke's eyes burned with proud hate.

Naruto struggled in Kabuto's arms until he was let down and he ran back down the hill. On the forest floor Sasuke laugher struggled to overcome his coughing.

"He's going to die, just like his friends." Kabuto didn't bother to answering, but ran after Naruto. He caught the boy around the waist and covered his mouth just before he could enter the clearing where his friends lay.

It the center of the clearing stood Suigetsu, twirling Sai's blade in his hands.

"I know you're there. The blond Sasuke wanted and Orochimaru's lap dog." Suigetsu pulled out his water bottle and nudged Sai's body with his foot. "It's a shame you didn't come earlier boy; but then again, they didn't stand a chance to begin with. I might have fought you if you'd come alone, but I'm sure Kabuto won't just stand around and watch you die judging by how's he's holding you and he knows how to kill me. He helped make me after all. Perhaps another time then, alright boy?" With that, the shark-toothed boy was gone and Kabuto released Naruto, who ran to the bodies of his friends.

He touched their still warm faces and ran his fingers across Kakashi's soft mask with no desire to lift it. Then he turned to Kabuto.

"It was him wasn't it?" Naruto whispered. "It wasn't you who tried to kill me. It was him. It was Sasuke." Kabuto nodded slowly and took Naruto's hands from Kakashi's face and folded them in his own.

"I would never do anything to hurt you. I sent you away once, and I've learned never to do it again." Naruto put his head down tears falling from his face and Kabuto pulled him against his chest.

"Why? Why did he hate me so much? Was I a bad friend? How could I let this happen?" Kabuto pulled back just enough to lift Naruto's face to his.

"Nothing you could have done would have stopped this. Sasuke was an angry person. He hated you because people loved you, not because of something you did." Naruto sobbed softly and Kabuto bent his head and gently kissed Naruto.

"I won't tell you not to cry, but please don't blame yourself. What happened to your friends wasn't something anybody could have stopped." He let the boy drop his head against his chest and cry softly in his arms.

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AN: Sorry if any of you are Sasuke fangirls, but I owed him a painful means of death. I'm thinking there only going to be one more chapter in this story so I'm going to have a vote! Please let me know if you have two people using one account so I can count both votes, otherwise only one vote per person.

So here are your options.

Happy Ending with Smut

Happy Ending without Smut

Sad Ending with Smut

Sad Ending without Smut