Naruto turned to face Sasuke, he was perched on top of a rock, just staring at him. Naruto looked into his eyes, still dark. Naruto still heard the sound of Sasuke's voice ringing in his head. "Why are here?" Sasuke asked. Naruto just kept staring. "You're not here to bring me back, I can see it in your eyes." Sasuke said. "You're too hard to let go." Naruto said, voice shaking. "So again, why are you here?" Sasuke asked, climbing down from the rock. Naruto took a deep breath, breathing in his presence. "This has gone on for too long, dobe." Sasuke smirked. "The rope is coming apart, only hanging on by a thread." Naruto said. "Skip the cheesy metaphors idiot." Sasuke said, approaching Naruto.

Naruto dropped his back pack and kicked it to the side. "I'm not armed." Naruto said. Sasuke looked at him questionable. "Kill me." Naruto said. "A mercy killing, huh?" Sasuke laughed. "It's not funny, Sasuke." Naruto said, calm. Sasuke looked up at him, taking his chin in his hand and lifting Naruto's face to look at him. "You're pathetic." He chuckled. The words still cut deep as knives in Naruto's heart, he had to get this over with. "I'm not going to kill you, no point if you're not begging me to surrender." Sasuke laughed. Naruto felt the note he wrote safely in his pocket and pulled it out. "Just read this." Naruto pleaded. Sasuke took the note and turned around and walked away. Naruto collapsed on the ground beneath him and cried, hysterically cried, he didn't care anymore.

/~***~\\\\\

Hours later, Naruto sat on the edge of the cliff, watching the river flow beneath him. The wind blew his blonde locks and stung his cheeks, raw with tears. His breath caught in his throat when he felt Sasuke approach. Sasuke drew his sword from his side and Naruto smiled, 'This is it.' He thought to himself. Sasuke placed his weapon down on the ground and Naruto froze. Sasuke came and sat next to him.

"What do you want from me?" Sasuke asked, looking forward instead of at Naruto. Naruto did the same. "I already told you." Naruto said. "You wouldn't come all this way just for me to kill you, if you wanted to die, you could do it yourself." Sasuke spat. "You're right." Naruto smiled. Sasuke's eyes shot to Naruto. "I just had to see you one last time." Naruto smiled, finally looking at Sasuke. "But that note Naruto, what you said, what do you want from me?" Sasuke asked again. "Just look into my eyes once last time so we never forget the way we were before." Naruto said. Sasuke was taken aback by that. Sasuke looked into Naruto eyes, and he did remember. "You want to live." Sasuke said. "Not without you." Naruto chuckled. Sasuke gritted his teeth. "This is a love that I wanted to live." Naruto smiled. "What are you talking about?" Sasuke yelled. "I gave you all I've got to give Sasuke." Naruto looked at him. "What are you talking about?!" Sasuke screamed. Naruto just turned back to the water and looked down.

Sasuke got angry and pulled Naruto by the collar of his shirt. "Look at me!" Sasuke screamed. Naruto was still smiling. "Our bond is a lot stronger than you care to admit." Naruto said. Sasuke was shaking with anger. "Just answer me." Sasuke said. "I love you." Naruto said, staring into his eyes. Sasuke let him go, still staring at him. Naruto leaned in and kissed him. After a minute, Naruto pulled away. Sasuke still staring at him. "That's all I wanted, before I go." Naruto smiled. Sasuke's hands were shaking. He grabbed Naruto by the throat and clenched, Naruto was still smiling. Sasuke threw him to the side so Naruto hit the ground hard. Sasuke stood above him. Naruto looked at him, his eyes were welling with tears. "You idiot!" Sasuke screamed. "You love me?!" Sasuke yelled down at him. Naruto just nodded. "How long?" Sasuke asked. "What?" Naruto was confused by that question. "How long?!" Sasuke screamed. There was a long pause before Naruto answered, "Since we were genin." Naruto whispered. "And why do you think you're in love with me?" Sasuke asked. Naruto chuckled a little bit. "Because being in love implies that I am willing to give my entirety to someone, which I have done, for so long, to you." He said.

Sasuke just stared him for a minute before picking him up off the ground by his collar. Sasuke was shaking all over with anger. "What are you going to do?" Naruto asked, calmly. Sasuke gritted his teeth and let Naruto go, embracing him suddenly. Naruto's eye went wide, he couldn't move, he couldn't believe what was happening. "You're still worth fighting for Naruto." Sasuke whispered. "You have NEVER given up!" Sasuke yelled, squeezing Naruto tighter. "It's a dangerous cycle Sasuke." Naruto said. Sasuke pulled back and looked at him. "You can't kill me and I won't give up on bringing you back, we would be doing this for the rest of our lives, and I can't live this way anymore." Naruto whispered.

Sasuke knew what he was saying was true. "Sasuke, I told you I'm in love with you and you haven't even hit me, you've been avoiding the subject." Naruto said. Sasuke looked down at the ground and sighed. He looked back at Naruto and looked into his eyes, he really did miss him. "Because I think I love you too." Sasuke said. "What?" Naruto said, shaking. "There's no other way to describe it Naruto, we're weak when it comes to each other and we can't keep living like this." Sasuke said. "Sasuke…this isn't how you would act…" Naruto said. "That's all it is Naruto, an act!" Sasuke yelled. "I've wanted this forever." Naruto smiled. "You were right about one thing Naruto." Sasuke smiled. "What's that?" Naruto asked. "Only your love can save me." Sasuke said. "What are you saying Sasuke?" Naruto asked, wide eyed. Sasuke smiled at him and cupped his face in his hand. "Let's go home." He said with a big smile.