AN: I have a newfound respect for people who write fanfictions and update them every other week. Anyways, on the subject of the actual fic, going in it's gonna seem a little OOC, but I think a large part of Naruto and Sasuke's personalities were partially due to circumstance. Sasuke probably would've been a lot happier had his entier family not been killed by his older brother, and Naruto himself says that he very easily could've ended up like Sasuke, full of hatred, so please bear with me. Also to reflect some of the changed dynamics of this fic, certain stuff that's normally kept the same throught most fics, even AU's, might be different later on. Anyways, thanks for reading!

(Breathing is easy when you're under with someone else. It's only hard when you're above the surface alone.)

-oOo-

Knock knock.

(Say come in, it's the polite thing to do.)

His lips forming without permission, "Come in" leaving Sasuke's mouth, even though more than anything in the world he didn't want to talk to a human being right now, least of all the one he knew was on the other side of the door before the shock of pink hair was even revealed.

"Hi Sakura." Sasuke sighed, turning from his face up position on the bed so that he was lying with his back to her.

"Hi Sasuke." She said carefully, slowly and quietly closing the door behind her. (She should've slammed it. She should be more angry at me. I let him go. I couldn't stop him. Why isn't anybody mad at me?) Sasuke could hear her approaching footsteps, hear the chair screeching as she sat down in it. But he wouldn't look. Looking would allow her to see his face and nobody could know that he gave even the smallest of shits about this whole situation. "He beat you up pretty bad, huh?" the normally loud girl said quietly. (Quiet. Just like everything in this village. Everything but Naruto. Who is gone now. And who I need to stop thinking about.)

"No shit." Came the muttered reply. Sakura furrowed her brow. She knew she couldn't do much but she was trying damnit! And of course Sasuke couldn't accept her help, all he could do was just keep on sulking in solitude, putting on a poker face and saying none of this mattered to him. Whenever he said that, Sakura honestly couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not. Sakura bit her lip before nervously continuing.

"I'm sure you'll be able to get him to come back. Naruto is… Naruto. He'll realize he made a mistake and change his mind soon enough." Sakura said it with as much conviction as she could muster, which, given the present situation, wasn't that much. Obviously Sasuke would want to bring Naruto back because of their seal, and she would do all she could to reassure Sasuke that this was a goal within reach. She forced a smile, not that Sasuke could see it with his back still to her.

"You weren't there when we fought. He seemed pretty set on leaving." Sasuke muttered angrily. "Go away." he said as he pulled the covers further over his shoulders, providing even more of a barrier between him and Sakura. He felt her arm on his shoulder and immediately shook it off, finally turning around to glare at her. "Don't suddenly pretend to care about me just because your stupid boyfriend-" He spat out that last word. "-isn't around anymore."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. The asshole was testing her patience. "Sasuke, you don't seriously believe that I-"

"Just get out Sakura." Sasuke said. "Please." He added on the end, trying to sound as strong and uncaring as he could but causing it to come out as just a small quiet request. Like that of a small child, which was not one of the things he wanted associated with him.

(Powerful, strong, detached, uncaring, cold, distant.) Sasuke repeated those words like a mantra, a mantra of who he was supposed to be. But he wondered how much longer he could keep up this stone face that acted like Naruto's disappearance meant nothing to him, or that all that did matter to him was that Naruto come back for him because of their seal. (Stupid seal. Throbbing constantly on the back of my neck.) He allowed (Allowed because he had complete and total control over his mind thankyouverymuch) his mind to wander back to their fight as he heard Sakura quietly close the door behind her.

(Because you're my friend!)

He didn't allow (Again, allowed, because he could've kept it in if he really wanted to) himself to cry until the footsteps faded and he was sure nobody could hear him.

-oOo-

He'd caught up. Sasuke had finally caught up to him.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, relief flooding through his entire system. Thank god he was okay. Because he didn't know what he'd do if he-

"Sasuke?" Naruto said not nearly as loudly as he turned around a sort of panic in his eyes. "What are you doing here?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. "You're not going to try to bring me back are you?" There was a hint of anger in his voice.

Sasuke quickly composed himself. God he probably looked like a desperate idiot right now. (Calm, cool, collected, untouchable. Calm, cool, collected, untouchable, calmcoolcollecteduntouchab-) "-going back." Naruto finished yelling. God had Naruto been talking? What had he said? The word "no" had been said a lot. "No" what? Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. He didn't mean...

"You're not coming back?" Sasuke said raising an eyebrow, doing his best to reveal as little as possible of what emotions (Stress, fear, anxiety) were running around inside of him. What was happening? He had not come this far just for Naruto to refuse to come back. "You have to come back dumb ass. This isn't a choice. Do you have any idea what I've been through to get here?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "I don't know and I don't care." He yelled back.

(Why is he choosing now of all times to finally become cynical?) Sasuke covered up his minimal annoyance. "You know that leaving the village without permission is a punishable offense. I'm risking my entire life as a ninja just to bring you back." Sasuke said in the quietest voice he could use and still be heard over the distance between them and the sound of the waterfall cascading down between them. Naruto looked down at his feet, looking genuinely sorry before seeming to realize something and looking up.

"I didn't ask you to come here Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "Go home." He said, angrily (How can he be angry?) tucking his bangs behind his ear, only for them to immediately fall back in front of his face.

(His bangs. God what I would give to -)

Wait.

Bangs.

Naruto wasn't wearing his forehead protector. Why the hell wouldn't he be wearing it? For his occasional talk about how awful the village was Sasuke would've never thought that Naruto would ever actually break his loyalty to the village.

"Why aren't you wearing your forehead protector?" Sasuke said darkly, already afraid he knew the answer but refusing to accept it until Naruto said it himself. (Please don't say it, please don't say it pleasepleasepleaseplease)

Naruto looked back at the ground as he spoke. "I can't be a part of that awful village anymore Sasuke. They… they used my clan. They used me. I just… I can't stay in a place that will only ever see me as a tool, that ruined my clan." Naruto turned away and began to walk away. Sasuke had to stop him.

"Used you? How did they use you?"

Naruto sighed. "None of your business bastard!" He yelled back.

What wasn't he telling him? Why wouldn't he tell Sasuke? Didn't he know that out of everyone in that miserable village he was the one who would understand him the most? They had to understand each other or else It would get out. And God only knew what It could do. Wait a minute. What if…

"Is it the Kyuubi talking right now Naruto? Because if it is you know that I can-"

"It is NOT Kurama. Which is his name by the way." Naruto sneered. (He shouldn't do that. Hatred doesn't suit him.) "Kurama isn't nearly as bad as the village would have liked to have lead you and I to believe. He's not a threat. I don't need you anymore Sasuke. I apparently never did to begin with." Naruto finished in a less angry tone.

Sasuke was sure that was supposed to be reassuring but more than anything it hurt. Sasuke opened his mouth to respond but Naruto beat him to it.

"You could always leave with me." Naruto said.

God if only Naruto could've known how many nights Sasuke would stay up thinking about those six words. If he'd known then maybe he wouldn't have said them out of courtesy to Sasuke's sanity. But he couldn't have known, and in the moment Sasuke didn't know either. In fact Sasuke was in shock.

"You want me to leave with you?" Sasuke asked, doing an excellent job of masking his shock and slight joy.

"Not want necessarily. S'just an offer."

God how tempting it was to just run away. He could run away from a village that shunned him, scorned him, muttered about him when they saw him walking their way, looked at him but looked away as soon as he tried to meet their eyes. But he couldn't leave. He'd promised his family and himself that he wouldn't leave, that he'd redeem them and himself even though he hated them for getting him into his situation.

"You know I can't Naruto." Sasuke said, and when he would replay this moment over and over again in his mind in the future, he would like to tell himself that Naruto was disappointed with his answer, because it made what happened next seem more bearable.

"Then why are you here asshole?" Naruto shouted.

"To bring you back." Sasuke said simply. If there was ever a time he was glad he was good at concealing his emotions it was during this conversation. Despite his brain's' screaming he knew for a fact that the most emotion he'd shown on his face had been a mere raise of an eyebrow or maybe the slightest widening of his eyes. He couldn't act weak, not when so much was riding on-

"Why?" Naruto said, His face contorted into one of anger. "So you can get that stupid place to 'accept' you or whatever it is you want them to do? 'I brought back Uzumaki fucking Naruto! I can control him! I'm a good fucking person! Everybody love me now!'"

Despite the fact that proving himself was part of the reason he knew he needed to bring Naruto back, Naruto's statement still hurt. He did care a about the village and proving his worth but in the end he cared more about Naruto. And why was he being so cynical and dubious of Sasuke's intent? This wasn't him. This wasn't Naruto. Sasuke was about to try and put his thoughts into words when he realized Naruto was walking away. Filled with panic Sasuke jumped the distance of the waterfall between them.

"Wait!" He yelled as he grabbed onto Naruto's wrist, immediately feeling mad at himself at how desperate it sounded as Naruto stiffened beneath his touch. "You need to think rationally Naruto. Where are you going to go? What are you going to do once you leave? How are you gonna survive?" For as much as Sasuke wanted to believe in Naruto's intelligence, this was seriously wavering his faith. Sasuke had tried to run away once after a particular fight with his father and although he'd only gotten as far as the edge of the village, he'd been much better prepared as a six year old than the thirteen year old boy standing in front of him.

"I don't know Sasuke. But I honestly don't care. All I care about right now is never going back to that awful, stupid, god forsaken village ever again." Naruto said as he tried to pull free from Sasuke's grip, but Sasuke just squeezed tighter.

"Sasuke let go."

"No."

"Sasuke." Naruto said, something dark creeping into his voice. "Let. Go."

"I'm not letting you go and do something stupid that you'll regret later." Sasuke said stubbornly, grabbing onto his arm with his other hand. He didn't want to hurt Naruto, just hold him still until he reconsidered and realized what he was trying to do was stupid. Sasuke's train of thought was interrupted by Naruto looking over his shoulder, his eyes red.

"I'm warning you Sasuke." Naruto's voice did the thing it did whenever this happened (Deep, throaty, full of rage, a little evil). Sasuke's sharingan activated instinctively and he could feel his half of the seal pulsing on the back of his neck.

"Naruto. It's starting to-" Sasuke was cut off in surprise when Naruto suddenly ripped his arm out from Sasuke's grip in a sudden burst of strength. Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes, searching for how much of what was happening now was Naruto and how much was The Kyuubi. God he knew he'd been preparing for this since the day they'd been linked and he had subdued the Kyuubi before but every time it happened he couldn't help but think of what the merits of failure would be. He began to concentrate on the Bijuu within when a single word stopped him.

"Stop." Naruto said it with such conviction that Sasuke immediately deactivated the sharingan. Never, in all the times he'd had to take control, not once had Naruto ever objected. (What's wrong something must be wrong whatdoidowhatdoidowhatdoido?) Sure, Naruto didn't come running and throw himself into Sasuke's hands and he had expressed some reluctance but in the end he knew that it was necessary to protect the village from the thing inside of him. (And I knew that I needed to prove myself). Sasuke had stopped trying to gain control but still Naruto's eyes were slitting, the marks on his cheeks grew darker and Sasuke could see his canines growing sharper through his slightly open mouth.

"Naruto you know that I have to do this to protect you and anybody else who might be around." Sasuke began in the most authoritative and mature voice he could speak with especially considering the fact he knew they were the only ones around for miles. Yet Naruto shook his head.

"I already told you, that's what they want us to think." Naruto growled, his voice starting to waver, his eyes slowly growing more intense. Sasuke could see his nails (Claws?) growing longer and sharper as Naruto's hand gripped his arm in a vice, the nails starting to cut through some of his jackets fabric. "I don't expect you to understand what it feels like to live your life only to learn you've been completely taken advantage of the entire time." Sasuke swore Naruto was crying now (Angry tears, not sad tears), which caused his own fist to clench up a little.

"Naruto I can't help you if you don't tell me what you mean by 'taken advantage of.' " Sasuke said matter-of-factly, trying his hardest (And succeeding please tell me I'm succeeding) not to let the fact that seeing Naruto cry, even if they seemed like tears of anger more than anything, made something dark and sad well up inside of his own chest. At Sasuke's statement Naruto looked up, a tear (He was crying he was really crying pleasestopstopstop) still running down his cheek, but any look of sadness (Why was I hoping it would be sadness and not anger? God what is wrong with me) was gone from his face. There was just fury.

Naruto leaned into Sasuke's face and growled (He's close oh god he's close) "I'm leaving." before turning around and marching determinedly away.

"No you're not." Sasuke said it like it was a fact, partially to reassure himself he supposed, running forwards and grabbing Naruto by his forearm again.

Only this time he wasn't prepared for the kick to his stomach that followed the grab.

Sasuke was sent skidding back, almost falling off the edge of the monument he'd been kicked with such force. The pain barely registered because Sasuke's body and brain were too busy processing the shock. Naruto and him had had their fair share of fights yes, but those had always been friendly spars. (Friendly. Because we're friends) Always friendly, with the exception of the time on the roof where they'd nearly killed each other. Was that what they were doing now? Nearly killing each other?

Because Sasuke knew which one of them had to end up nearly dead and it wasn't him.

"Do you really want to fight?" Sasuke sneered, feeling a sort of anger bubble up inside of him. "Do you really want to lose to me?" Sasuke said with such confidence he almost felt it. (Because I'm stronger, I'm better, I've always been even if nobody has noticed.)

Any legitimate confidence left Sasuke's body when Naruto started to laugh. Not his loud boisterous, tinkling laugh, (Tinkling like a bunch of bells, like a windchime, like the sounds butterflies wings should make but don't) but a dark rumbling laugh that sounded angry and sad. The kind of laugh reserved for pitying the losing team (Me. I'm the one who's going to lose) The kind of laugh reserved for those on the brink of insanity (Naruto, on the edge. But it shouldn't be him. It should be me. He wasn't built to hate.)

"You really think you can beat me?" Naruto laughed. "Sasuke… when was the last time you actually saw Kurama in the flesh?" Naruto was slowly walking towards a slowly getting up Sasuke, staring down at him with red eyes and a fanged grin. Sasuke knew there was no way Kurama could actually leave as long as he was there, (Right?) But the seal on his neck was red hot searing pain, (Red like both of their eyes, red like the flames burning in Sasuke's stomach, red like the anger burning between them) hotter than it had ever been, and that had to mean trouble.

Quickly forming seals with his hands, Sasuke brought his hand to his mouth and blew a fireball towards the blond, who instantly poofed out of existence. A clone. So then where was the original?

As Sasuke felt someone grabbing him from behind he knew where.

"Gotcha bastard."

-oOo-

Ten days, fourteen hours, forty-three minutes, and twenty-two seconds.

But who was counting?

Additionally eight days (What time they had started exactly he couldn't know) since the dreams began. The dreams where he was running, running away from everything and hating himself for it. Hating himself so much. The dreams where the steal on his stomach was on fire (Fire, like how his skin burned whenever He got out) and he could hear him yelling at him in his head, yelling at him to come back, to turn around. He could feel him pulling at him, trying to drag him back. And it hurt oh God did it hurt. But he couldn't go back. Not back to that absolute hell.

And then Sasuke would wake up in a cold sweat, the three tomoe seal on his neck burning like hellfire itself. And it was now that he hated that they were connected by these god forsaken things, that they were, had been, and would be. All because of the disaster that ruined his life by giving him one new good thing in replacement of the many that were lost.

(And now even the one good thing is gone.)

-oOo-

(Being alone and loneliness are two very different things. One is temporary, the other is forever. Or at least it feels like it is.)

-oOo-

"Naruto! Wake up!" Naruto felt his body being shaken, opening his eyes blearily to see Mikoto. What was his mom's guardian doing here? Sitting up carefully he looked over next to her to see her younger son (What was Sasuke doing here?) standing next to her, holding her hand, looking just the slightest bit scared, his lower lip wobbling.

"Mmmmm," The eight year old said lazily starting to get out of bed. "Mikoto? What's -"

Someone shouted "Mother!" before poking their head in to reveal that the yell had been from none other than Itachi Uchiha, the older son of the two. The thirteen year old continued, "Mother, you need to hurry. I'll try to postpone them but I don't think I can do it for long."

"Mother I'm scared." Sasuke said, showing an uncharacteristic amount of fear.

"It's going to be fine." Mikoto said in a soothing and reassuring voice, completely conflicting the panicked expression on Itachi's face and the obvious urgency of whatever was happening right now. "Naruto you need to get up." She said.

"I don't understand. Where's Mom?" Naruto said, panic starting to work into his voice.

"Shhhh… It's okay." Mikoto said. "You need to come with Sasuke and I okay?" Naruto slowly nodded, getting up, quickly grabbing ahold of Sasuke's free hand. He felt the other boy squeeze his hand reassuringly, or as reassuringly as he could when his hand was trembling as much as it was.

The boys followed Mikoto out the back entrance of the young blond boys house, and further still to leave the Uzumaki compound. They were walking towards the hills directly beyond the village.

"Mikoto, why are we leaving the village?" Naruto asked nervously.

"We have to meet up with your mother." Mikoto answered quietly. At the notion of his mother, Naruto perked up a bit, and he began to walk a little faster. He wanted to know that she was safe from whatever was going on. So he continued to walk in line with Mikoto, dragging Sasuke, who had let go of Mikoto's hand a little while ago (Because he likes holding my hand), along behind him.

He wasn't prepared for what they found upon reaching a clearing in the woods.

It was huge. It was terrifying and you could almost see the hate oozing out of it's every pore. It was the thing that was supposed to be in his Mom, wrapped in chains. The Kyuubi. Suddenly Naruto froze upon seeing the things eyes and snarling mouth. It looked like it was trying to break free of the chains, and he honestly thought that the chains would snap. He saw his parents nearby, his Mom lying down while his Dad attended to her. She looked exhausted. He wanted to run over to her, but was stopped by the colossal beast standing in front of him. Why had Mikoto brought them here? He had felt Sasuke go rigid in his hand at the mere sight of the thing. He heard Mikoto yelling, something that sounded awfully like her husband's name, and all he remembered was pure terror.

"Fugaku, get Sasuke ready for the sealing." He heard Mikoto saying as he felt Sasuke's hand slipping away from his. The thing was still growling, moving against its chains. Naruto could've sworn it looked at him for a second, pure hatred and bloodlust in it's eyes, but he wasn't sure if it had actually looked his way or if he'd just been hallucinating. Frozen stiff, Naruto barely registered his Dad taking hold of his hand gently and whispering to him that he was safe, and that his mother would explain more but he would explain what he could for now, and Naruto really wished he'd been listening to what his father had been saying because the next thing that happened was the chains snapping.

AN: Thanks for reading! Please favorite or leave a review!