The Blonde and the Raven

A/N: Welcome readers to the 5th chapter of Those Eyes! I am SO SO SORRY I took ages! Well here is a needed update. All warnings apply since the first chapter. This is probably the final chapter. :( Sad right? Oh well, go check out my other stories! And please review, its what drives writers! ENJOY!

A tiny drop landed on his tan skin. Soft pitter patter of the rain sounded, growing louder. Darkened spots gradually cover the stone ground.

Just like last time.

Naruto stood on the head of the massive stone Hashirama Senju; the first Hokage. His deep blue eyes scanned the view, spotting a too familiar boy. Who similar him stood on the stone head of Uchiha Madara. All too familiar.

Naruto let out a tensed breath, of course, he didn't want this to happen.

[Yesterday in the Hokage office]

"I said 'no!' Naruto!"

"Please Baa-chan! PLEASE! I have to fight… him," Naruto couldn't even bear to say his name "its not like I haven't grown stronger!"

"Naruto! Stop! We know that you are really powerful now! But we cant risk to lose you!"

"But its MY decision! MY life! MY choice! I mean I'm already 18! I have to make my own decisions, and right now, I want to go fight!"

"We know that already! But, we just can't – "

"This is my fate! I have to do this!"

Tsunade lowered her head in deep thought. Filled with troubles,

'What if we lose Naruto? How would everyone react? Definitely not good… He brings unlimited joy to everyone… What if he is gone? And even I can't bear to lose him!'

"Baa-chan," Naruto started slowly, "I know that you care about me, but I have my own needs too! I need to fight him! Please."

A few silent moments passed as Tsunade debated with her own thoughts.

"Alright Naruto," She looked seriously to him, "But we are going to be watching close by if you really need us, ok? No changing that. Oh and make sure that Madara isn't fighting you too. Just Sasuke."

Naruto shivered at the sound of his name, but looked up to Tsunade in thanks. He agreed to the terms and left the office after a

"Be back here 6:30 am tomorrow, get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow is the start of the war. Going to be a big day."

"'Big' might be the understatement of the century."

[At Naruto's apartment that night]

Rolling around, Naruto was restless. He wasn't even thinking about the day after!

"Sleep, sleep, sleep… Go to sleep…"

Man he was going to be tired tomorrow…

[Present-at VoTE]

Unseen by the two, hidden were the Konoha army and Madara's army. There stood the two teenagers. Just staring at each other.

Maybe they were waiting for the other to start, to make their move. Get the ball rolling. Both of them didn't even want to do this. Its like taking a cigarette from a friend who is pressuring you. Yes, Naruto didn't want to fight Sasuke. Of course he didn't! Sasuke is his best friend, well at least used to be…

A call of a stray hawk screeched above, and the boys directed their sight upwards.

Then Naruto decided he has had enough waiting. If he isn't going to start this, I will.

A split second ago, he was staring at the never-ending sky. Now Sasuke felt the wind being forced out of him. Pain rippled from his abdomen as Naruto perfectly landed a chakra laced punch at his old best friend.

Being propelled into the air, Sasuke regained his breath and flipped over to land swiftly back onto the floor.

They both started at each other for a fraction, then Sasuke speedily launched himself upwards into the air sending sharp shuriken down at Naruto. Said boy easily deflected them, as Sasuke landed. This gave him a second more to run towards Naruto at his blinding speed.

The blonde blinked for a moment, bewildered at where Sasuke disappeared to, only then he sensed a presence behind him.

Sasuke had his hand placed on the handle of his Kusangi, and gradually drew it out.

The sound of metal against metal was heard, slowly unsheathing the severely sharp blade. Sasuke listened to Naruto's heart-beat, a strong steady beat.

"Not nervous?" The raven questioned while slowly pulling the blade to the still blonde's throat.

"You wish. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready to kill you."

Sasuke's eyes widened minutely, and his eyebrow raised.

"Kill me? Wow Naruto," Sasuke knew there was an undeniable shiver than ran through Naruto as his name flowed from Sasuke's lips, "I didn't know you wanted to kill me." Sasuke carefully kept a mocking, playful voice.

"You are ready to kill me, so why not me to you?"

"True, true…" Sasuke's blade had been resting on Naruto's prominent collarbones. The raven lifted his sword and was ready to strike.

Naruto with surprising speed used his right arm to deflect Sasuke's arm holding the sword, and with his left, grabbed onto Sasuke's left shoulder. With a quick pulse of power through his arms, Naruto used Sasuke's shoulder to flip over the other boy and was now behind the raven. He kneed Sasuke in the back of his legs and pushed the boy's right shoulder forward, forcing the raven to twist towards him an throw him off balance. With this, Naruto threw a punch towards the other's face but was quickly blocked with his palm. Sasuke shifted his legs to gain balance and rotated his left wrist, painfully twisting Naruto's fist and arm. Sasuke then quickly kneed Naruto in the abdomen and then released the boy's fist.

The blonde doubled over in sharp pain "He definitely concentrated his chakra in that blow… Gotta avoid that!"

Naruto stumbled back and Sasuke jumped and proceeded to kick Naruto in the face. This attack was blocked too by the length of Naruto's arm. In that split second, Naruto used that same arm to pull Sasuke's leg towards him; this bringing Sasuke's mid-air body to fly towards him. The blonde then managed to counter his pull with a fast kick to Sasuke's face.

This time he actually landed it.

Sasuke's body came to halt on the stone ground. His drenched hair dripped down to the floor as he spat out some blood and said

"Wow, Naruto," he paused… "You really have improved,"

"What did you think? Sasuke," Two can play at that game, Naruto thought, purposely deepening his voice to a melting sound. "I wasn't just sitting around waiting for you to come home…"

"Hn," was all the reply as Sasuke stood up again.

"Again with your monosyllable word. That doesn't even mean anything!" Naruto said jokingly.

'All too familiar' Sasuke thought.

The rain was pouring down now, creating a low sound of rumbling.

[In the distance]

The Konoha squad watched on from afar, the battle had started again, with Sasuke running towards Naruto but dodged a counterattack and attempted to send a crackling chidori into the blonde's side.

"Man, they are quite equal…" Kiba noted as he watched

"Yeah, but you realised that both hasn't really pulled out their big guns yet.. And we haven't even had an appearance of Naruto's rasengan yet." Neji noted.

"They are mostly doing hand to hand combat! I wish I was there! I feel the need to express my freedom of youth!"

"Shut up Lee…" the other two groaned.

The 3 cell team watched from the tree tops in the forest nearby, with a perfect view of the battle ground. They saw vigorous punches, kicks. What they saw had the power to disintegrate tonne boulders. But no, each boy fought as equals till they tired. But even when loud huffs and grunts were exchanged, the boys kept in combat.

Maybe he got tired of fighting, maybe he had a change of heart, or maybe because Naruto just felt like it. He created 4 other clones and directed them towards a worn Sasuke.

He didn't really have a strategy. Or anything close in fact. Naruto simply just didn't really know what he was doing. Sasuke rid himself of the clones and launched himself at Naruto.

The raven drove his blade straight at Naruto's heart, chakra seeping off his blade.

This was a pretty common attack for Sasuke, but the only thing that actually surprised him was when he felt his severe blade sinking into the blonde's flesh. Fresh red blood started to spill out, drenching the raven's white shirt. His eyes were wide with disbelief that he actually struck Naruto.

Sasuke looked for the first time during this encounter; into Naruto's eyes. All he saw, was lifeless blue. So very... Unfamiliar...

Pain seeped through Sasuke's veins, no not physical, but deep with sorrow and regret. Once more he allowed a stare into Naruto's eyes, as the raven pulled his blade out. No change, a dull weird blue... Something was off...

'Waitaminute!' He thought 'this isn't right!' Sasuke grabbed hold of the limp, pale Naruto and shook him. After all he also didn't know what to do. From behind him he heard a whirring and turned around. Naruto was high in the air, propelling down with a great rasengan in his hands.

Sasuke now knew it was an illusion... Even the blood on his clothes has just disappeared, also explaining the very different feel to the boy he once knew too well.

Now, Sasuke powerfully leaped towards Naruto with also a largened chidori.

All too familiar. Pangs of nostalgia and deva ju waved though the two as they collided.

Quiet gasps sounded from the woods and the area around the battleground. Onlookers saw the massive explosion, felt the rippling wave of power.

Minutes passed and as the smoke cleared, it revealed Naruto and Sasuke strewn on the floor surprisingly closer to each other than expected. More gasps were sounded as Sasuke very, very gingerly dragged his own bloody body towards Naruto's. The blonde wasn't dead. Thankfully, also to Sasuke's secret relief. Everyone thought Sasuke was going to give Naruto his final blow when the raven reached for his blade nearby. But only then, he sheathed it and looked down at Naruto.

He was awake. Just relishing (/sarcasm) in the pain.

"Just kill me now Sasuke."

"No."

"Why not! I mean you were pretty keen on doing that many times before! And here I am, lying useless and helpless here!"

"I didn't actually want to kill you Naruto!" Sasuke paused after admitting... He carried on, "and you aren't useless…"The raven avoided any eye contact, minutely shying away, "you are the only thing that keeps me sane, Naruto... The only… Bond… I have. I don't want this to happen! Please don't make me!" Sasuke lowered his head onto Naruto's chest.

"Well then it doesn't have to be like this right?" Naruto whispered, coughing out blood.

"We know it does. This... is our fate." Seriousness seeping through his words, the boys ignoring the cliché-ness.

"No, there is no such thing as fate Sasuke. We can change it right here, right now! It doesn't have to end this way, it is all our choice! No one has to die and we can live our lives just the way we wanna! Just you and me Sasuke."

"You really think so Naruto?" Shivers rippled down the blonde's spine as his name was said.

"Yeah, just you and me Sasuke…"

"Just like old times? Promise?"

"Forever."

Naruto's world went quiet for a moment. Everything froze in one spot. Just like in Naruto's dream. But suddenly,

my world spun round and round. So fast. Our lips connected. I saw white, and felt my feet being lifted off, so unreal.

But all I saw, now all I saw, was Sasuke, my lone soldier.

He was the being of my world. It felt like he was the only thing that was keeping me grounded. That one sole string tied to me, keeping me from flying away. He was all I'm worth, and more.

The world was still quiet. We parted for air. I couldn't hear anything. But his face said everything. The simple movement of his perfect lips caught me.

Those words in the midst of the spinning world, a scarce whisper, almost non-existent.

I love you.

I love you too.

My only connection to the world now, he was my soul my being. And I loved him with every atom in my body, he was mine, and I was his. Nothing felt so right in my life. I felt unbelievably secure, so complete.

My eyes trailed up his face. I can't describe this next feeling. For the first time in many years of what felt like torture, I was captured into his eyes once more.

Those Eyes.

"Now dobe, how are we going to explain this to the whole of Konoha watching? Oh and Madara with his army..."

"Ahhh who gives a fuck? Let's deal with them later."

An unusual chuckle left Sasuke's lips as he said- "one of the endless reasons why I love you."

"That was cheesy Sasuke! Stop it! I'm like so not used to it!" Naruto was silenced with a kiss, still staring into Sasuke's eyes.

Midnight black totally goes with azure blue.

Oh Those Eyes

FIN

A/N: noo! It has ended! Possibly I might carry on if I get like a sudden whammy of inspiration… But I actually have no idea what should even happen next anyway… Well, I hope you liked it as much as I loved writing it! PLEASE reviewwwwwww. And now, go check out my other stories especially "Hello NY"(a Alternate Universe NaruSasuNaru fic – in-progress)

JA NE~

Ps. I would have added a more awesomer fight scene… but I wasn't

really in the mood… and had a lack of inspiration : (