"To me, you have become my closest friend."
The words thundered repeatedly in Naruto's head. Sasuke thought of Naruto as his closest friend. And this, in some form of twisted logic, Naruto thought, meant that Sasuke had to kill him. Yet, for some reason, he was still alive. Injured, he mused, looking at his bandaged hand, but still alive.
According to Kakashi-sensei, Naruto had been laying unconscious on the ground and that there was no sight of Sasuke. That meant Sasuke had defeated him. He had probably stood over Naruto's body and made a few disparaging comments. But still, why hadn't Sasuke given the finishing blow?
For one blissful moment of innocence, Naruto actually thought that maybe Sasuke changed his mind. Maybe the bastard decided to come back to Konoha. Maybe things could go back they way they used to be. Reality came crashing down in the the form of Shikamaru's and Sakura's visit. So, why leave Naruto alive? Naruto didn't get it. Then again, there were a lot of things Naruto didn't get.
It was actually kind of shocking to Naruto that Sasuke had even said those words at all. Naruto always thought Sasuke thought of him as a idiot, or at best, another step to getting stronger. Well, he probably still thinks of me as the latter, Naruto thought wryly. His bandaged body could attest to that. But Naruto's thoughts drew away from Sasuke's words as he asked himself some important questions.
Did he still want to save Sasuke? Was there even anything left to save? Remembering the slightly wistful look in Sasuke's eyes, Naruto firmly answered his question. Yes, yes there was.
A/N: This is my first story so constructive criticism is appreciated. Thank You.