Hey guys. Sorry about this, but I'm gonna have to out this story on hiatus for awhile, not long, maybe a month or so due to all the damn AP work I have. I promise I'll get back to updating ASAP when I get out of this test zone and I come up with some better ideas for the story.

Since I didn't want this to be a complete Author's Note, here's a little piece of what's coming for ya. :)

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered bitterly, despite the attempts he had made to find a sliver of compassion for the Uchiha in his soul, and he had dug down deep. Deep into the recessed memories of hate, fear, and loneliness the raven had given him, hoping that while they were shoved into the back of his heart they had turned into love, joy, and compassion.

Those feelings had not even come close to doing so.

In fact, they had contorted themselves into twisted insanity, the kind that sends you into a maniacal fit of laughter when you see the person you're holding the grudge against. A laughter that targets the deepest fears of a person rather than enchants their ears with bellowing echoes. Naruto had reached the point of breaking and let out a hollow chuckle. Sasuke's lips parted as if he was going to comment on it, but rather his face returned to the normalism of stoic blandness we have all come to hate. Only one word could accurately describe what was heard in Naruto's hysteric: Despair.

Sasuke stiffened his body as though he were in a state of rigimortus and paled like the draining corpse he wished himself to be. Sasuke never fancied the idea of fighting Naruto, but this was it. He had never tried before, he never really put forth effort into Naruto's demise, and now he was caught face to face as a sorry bastard with the blond hero he had heard so much about. But it was too late to turn back now.

Naruto watched as Sasuke effortlessly drew a kunai and spun it around on his index finger, occasionally letting it slide onto the next finger just as a tease for him. Naruto felt his teeth start to grow, feeling as if they were being ripped from his gum, but ignored the physical pain in favor of the emotional pain. Sasuke watched as Naruto slowly lost his cool, from him doing as much as simply spinning a kunai. It was when Naruto dropped to his knees that Sasuke lost the rhythm he had perfected and allowed the metal piece to slip through his fingers and land on the ground, shattering the silence he had worked so hard to establish. Sasuke bent to pick it up, but was cut off by a slight pain in his leg. Damn, it had cut him on the way down. His torn gown slowly started to stain with the red substance, and Naruto looked up from where he was on the ground.

His eyes were a shocking colors of red, ostentatious enough to rip Sasuke's eyes away from the crimson coloring his leg in thin, hot strands. Were they ever this color before? He didn't believe so. Naruto stumbled to his feet and smiled eerily, as if he knew something Sasuke didn't. "Sasuke," he murmured in a deep, dark undertone Sasuke couldn't believe Naruto was capable of (for it almost resembled his voice), "you smell good." Sasuke flinched noticeably at the words and prepared a comeback but realized Naruto had taken off and was already at his back, eyes gleaming brightly with the same terror as before. Naruto had wrapped an arm around Sasuke's waist and dug his teeth into Sasuke's neck, making Sasuke moan in guilty pleasure...Orochimaru never bit him nearly as hard.

Sasuke threw back his head and angled it to where Naruto could dig his teeth even deeper into his pale skin. Why? Well, why not? It felt good, amazing at that, and Sasuke longed for more. When brushing his head back against the blond ninja unintentionally (or not), Sasuke felt Naruto jerk slightly. What is this? A sick joke?

Logic came into play as Sasuke realized what was happening and flew back, barely avoiding the kunai in Naruto's right hand, surrounded by perfect claws. So this was Naruto's plan...but this wasn't Naruto. He had heard Naruto received the key to the Nine Tails' power, and did an excellent job of controlling it. Or was the demon fox controlling him? Did it sit back like an innocent puppy, then slowly coax it's way into Naruto's mind when Naruto knew he need its power the most? How fucking sick. Sasuke knew the feeling though, it was a feeling of debauchery, the feeling you receive after a tremendous fight which you won: it was a feeling of liberation, ecstasy, and empowerment rolled into one. A feeling that could only be counteracted by guilt for normal people, extreme anger for Sasuke, and fulfillment for Naruto. Sasuke couldn't let that happen. It wasn't his time to die. Not yet, anyways. Konoha had yet to see its end.

The blood dripping down Sasuke's neck slightly turned him on and gave him a feeling of warmth in his body, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Sasuke faced his opponent again and saw blood thirst in his eyes. Naruto broke the gaze, thankfully. It made Sasuke slightly uncomfortable looking into his eyes and realizing what everyone else had seen in his and Itachi's eyes. It could have been mistaken easily for lust. Sasuke spread his legs and assumed his fighting stance, activating his Sharingan. "Come on, idiot, are we going to fight or not?" He said this talking to Naruto, not the Kyuubi; and wanted-more like needed-the Kyuubi out of the battle. Come on, Naruto, look me in the eyes once more.

"Damn straight we a-" Naruto snapped, but paused once he realized what he had fallen into. He and Sasuke now stood in the same room as before, with water and orange bubbles at their feet, originating from the Kyuubi. Sasuke placed his hand on the Kyuubi's nose and squeezed gently, the Kyuubi bellowing, "Now, Uchiha, are we really doing this again?" He laughter wafted through the air entranced Sasuke's mind. No, stop, his hand gripped the nose and thrust his palm through the Kyuubi. Sasuke spun around to Naruto and hit him, sending him flying across the room and crashing into the wall. Satisfied, he exited Naruto's mind. Naruto stumbled for air and slipped out of his trance. An ominous feeling swept over him and he looked around. "Huh, what the hell? Sasuke? Why are you-"

"Good, Uzumaki, you're out of your haze. Now we can begin," Sasuke put on a grin and hoped to end this quickly.

"Wha-?" Naruto was suddenly choking for air, raped of what oxygen had been in his lungs before. Sasuke stood under him, gripping his neck and slowly lifting him off the ground. Naruto managed to pry himself out of Sasuke's stone cold death grip and fall back, allowing him to escape the chakra blade Sasuke wielded. Sasuke shrugged and sheathed his blade before screaming "CHIDORI!" and charged at Naruto. Fuck, Naruto. I'm sorry.

Sasuke winced as the words sounded odd even in his head.

Naruto blinked and felt pain surge through his stomach, allowing him to cry out and spit blood on Sasuke white shirt. He craned his neck and realized Sasuke's Chidori had broken the skin on his stomach. Naruto's head suddenly felt light, airy even, as he wondered what would happen if the seal on his stomach were burnt off. But moreover, even though this was a stupid, stupid question,

When did Sasuke get so fast?

Here's a new word for ya: equilibrium. The perfect balance.