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Chapter Text

This plot has been in my head since I read Chapter 363 of the manga.  As always, I wondered what would happen if this had occurred.  So here we are!  This was intended to be a one-shot and posted years ago, but life got in the way.  I decided to flesh it out more and it became a multi-chapter story.

I hope that you enjoy this and rest assured, progress is being made on my other stories!  I’m in the process of trying to find employment, so I might be a little slow in updating my stories.  But they are being worked on!

Note:   It was never stated who Jiraiya’s informant was in the manga.  At least to my knowledge, anyway.  So, for this story and the way I redid things, I’m making Itachi his informant.  It fits with what I wanted to do with the plot, so here goes.

Disclaimer:   I do not own Naruto.  No profit is being made from the writing of this story.  All characters are copyrighted to Misashi Kishimoto.

“Home is where you go to find solace from the ever-changing chaos, to find love within the confines of a heartless world, and to be reminded that no matter how far you wander, there will always be something waiting when you return.” – Kendal Rob

The loud explosion rocked the clearing they were standing in, almost bringing them to their knees with the violent force of the shockwaves that ricocheted from it.  A deformed, humanoid shape detonating in bright bands of light stood out in stark contrast to the daytime sky.  Naruto could only stare at the blinding light in horrified fascination, even as the glare made his eyes water from its intensity.  Deep down, he couldn’t shake the nerve-wracking fear that Sasuke was at the very heart of that explosion.  Hinata and Yamato-taichou stood next to him, their stunned silence speaking for them.

“What…what in the world just happened?”  Hinata found that she couldn’t take her eyes away from the sight.

“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out!”  Naruto sprinted ahead, as Hinata and Yamato-taichou swiftly kept up with his brutal pace.  ‘Oi, furball, you could help me out here!  I need your help tracking him down!’

“Oh, so now you want my help, do you?  Tch.  Fine, if it means I won’t have to endure any more of your incessant whining about the Uchiha brat.”

Naruto felt the onrush of chakra as his senses heightened exponentially.  He felt nothing at first, not even a slight tingle of chakra that signified it as Sasuke’s.  Dread filled his heart as he realized that Sasuke might have indeed gotten caught up in the explosion.  He tried to get a grip on the flow of haunting images as they ravaged his mind, but they remained persistent.  The sensation of bile burning at the back of his throat kept surging as each image displayed in full color, complete with the sound of Sasuke’s screams of pain.  He vaguely heard Hinata’s worried voice cry out his name as he missed his footing mid-jump and fell to the forest floor.  Before he fell too far, Yamato used his Wood Release to catch Naruto and place him safely on the ground.  Collapsing into a heap on the ground, he retched violently, his throat convulsing as the contents of his stomach forced their way past.  Kneeling on his hands and knees, he panted heavily as he tried to regain control of his stomach and nerves, sweat sliding down his face in rivulets.

A cool hand brushed against his sweat-drenched face as he felt the sensation of Hinata’s healing chakra as she tried to help him.  Her other hand reached into her weapons pouch and pulled out what looked like a well-worn bandanna.  She used that to wipe at Naruto’s face, her usually calm features pinched with worry.  Naruto sensed Yamato-taichou standing near them, keeping watch, as Hinata helped Naruto to recover.  Finally, the spasms stopped, his stomach finally not feeling as though it were being forced through a wringer.  Running a shaky hand over his eyes, he inhaled slowly, willing the images to leave his mind.  Reacting like this wasn’t going to help him find Sasuke any faster.

Hinata rubbed her hand over his back soothingly, as she packed away the bandanna she’d used.  What in the world had caused him to suddenly collapse like that?  “Naruto-kun, are you okay now?  Did something happen?”

“Yeah, Hinata-chan, I’m fine.  Kyuubi gave me the chakra I asked for so I could use it to help find Sasuke faster.  But I couldn’t sense his chakra anywhere.  I started panicking because I let myself get so worried about the bastard that my imagination decided to torment me about what might have happened.  Thanks for helping me, Hinata-chan.  I feel a lot better now, thanks to you.”

Hinata blushed at her friend’s praise.  She understood why Naruto was so worried about Sasuke.  The Hyuuga suspected that she was the only one who knew.  In the past, she’d harbored a healthy crush on the blond shinobi since they’d first started the Academy.  After gathering her courage, she finally confessed to him.  He’d been flattered that she liked him, but he couldn’t return her feelings.  Heartbroken, she asked him if it was Sakura he liked, knowing of the crush Naruto had held for her.  He’d shook his head no.  Like her, he’d nursed a crush himself for Sakura.  He honestly thought he’d been head-over-heels for her when he was younger, irritated that she had liked Sasuke.  But once he returned from his training trip with Jiraiya, he found he no longer felt any romantic interest toward the pink-haired medic when he thought of her.  This was reinforced when they were reunited.  His feelings for Sakura, he realized, were those of a familial nature.  Since that time, he considered Sakura to be the sister he had never had.  His three-year trip had forced him to realize who he truly felt he had romantic feelings toward.  Sasuke…it had always been about his rogue, former teammate.  Everything he did, every accomplishment, he attributed to his wanting Sasuke to see what he had become.  She could see how happy it made him to talk about the black-haired male.  But at the same time, she saw a sadness enter his eyes as well.

Hinata had been understandably upset when the blond told her what happened all those years ago during the retrieval mission for Sasuke.  And it angered her to realize the extent to which Sasuke had left Naruto broken.  Timid and shy she might be, but Hinata wanted nothing more than to slap the daylights out of Sasuke if she ever saw him again.  It hurt her to know that Naruto was in love with someone who, in her opinion at least, didn’t deserve his heart.  Especially after how he left him for dead at the Valley of the End.  But for whatever reason, the rogue shinobi made him happy, so she would help in any way she could.  Her romantic hopes might have been dashed, but Naruto was still her friend.  And she would do whatever it took to protect him.  “You’re welcome, Naruto-kun!”

Once he regained his composure, he stood up, his cloak falling back around him.  He stood still as he focused once again.  Blue eyes shot open wide in shock as he felt the faint but tangible trace of Sasuke’s chakra.  Just feeling that slight trace gave him hope as he nodded to his companions, all three leaping into pursuit again.  He followed that little lead, intent on confronting Sasuke once and for all.  And hopefully, once he learned what Naruto had to tell him, he would give up seeking vengeance on his brother.

Sensing another person’s chakra nearby, he quickly jumped to the ground, his companions following suit.  Creeping over to a nearby tree, they saw a white-haired male wearing a black cloak standing a short distance ahead.  He heard Yamato-taichou whisper, “That’s Hozuki Suigetsu.  He hails from Kirigakure and is known as the “Second Coming of the Demon”.  Why in the world is he here?”  They waited patiently, or impatiently in Naruto’s case, for the other male to act.  His sharp hearing heard the muttered words Suigetsu spoke.  “That’s the rendezvous spot…he didn’t!  Oh my God, he did!”  Naruto saw that he was holding some type of scroll.  Kneeling down, Suigetsu unrolled it on the ground.  Grabbing a vial out of one of the pouches on his hip, he poured some kind of reddish liquid, probably blood, onto the scroll.  Watching as Suigetsu slammed his hand down on the scroll, he realized it was a summoning scroll of some type.  Confused, he could only stare as smoke obliterated the scene for a few minutes.  A small gasp slipped past his lips as he saw what appeared out of the plume of smoke.  Easily recognizing the giant snake summons known as Manda, his eyes frantically searched for a sign of Sasuke.  “So…this is Orochimaru’s summon, Manda.  How could someone control him when Orochimaru himself had trouble?”

A figure came into view a few minutes later, walking wearily around Manda’s body before collapsing to his knees on the ground and Naruto knew he’d found him at last.  Before they could advance forward, two more figures came running towards Sasuke’s location.  “Shit!”  Naruto cursed.  “Come on, before they manage to make off with Sasuke!”  Making their move, they darted forward.

Karin and Jugo came to a stop when they saw how battered Sasuke appeared.  Before she could say anything, Karin’s head jerked up as she sensed three new chakra signatures.  Spying the shinobi running their way, she shouted, “We’ve got company, Sasuke!  Three shinobi are incoming.  And…damn, I’ve never felt such a potent chakra before!  Whoever it is, they’re a monster!”

Naruto came screeching to a stop, Yamato-taichou and Hinata flanking him, as he saw the four figures standing before them.  Worry filled the blond as he saw how injured Sasuke was.  His white haori lay around his hips, one arm guard was gone revealing the snake summoning tattoo branded on his left arm.  Suigetsu, now that he got a good look at him, eerily reminded the blond of the Akatsuki member named Kisame.  He felt pangs of jealousy seethe through his heart as he realized this must be the team Sasuke had probably assembled in his search for Itachi.  The three people who had replaced the members of Team 7.  A red-haired woman with glasses and a tall man with orange hair stood near Suigetsu.  They were wearing black cloaks as well.  He knew their presence had been detected when he saw those familiar black eyes turn his way.  Surprise shimmered there briefly before it was replaced with a blank look.

Sasuke stared impassively at the blond standing a few feet away.  He hadn’t thought that Naruto would manage to find him, but here he was.  He shouldn’t be surprised, though.  Naruto was, if nothing else, tenacious.  Blue eyes regarded him steadily, never glancing away from his face.  He was with two other people, but it wasn’t the members of Team 7.  He recognized the man called Yamato from Orochimaru’s hideout and the Hyuuga girl…Hinata, was it?  He couldn’t sense anyone else’s chakra, so it was only the three of them.  Sasuke knew the blond would inevitably go on another spiel about bringing him back to Konoha.  And right then, as tired and injured as he was, Sasuke really didn’t want to hear it. 

Suigetsu silently observed the blond shinobi that had suddenly appeared along with his companions.  Their hitai-ate proclaimed them to be Konoha shinobi.  And from what he could recall overhearing when he’d been inside his tank in Orochimaru’s hideout, he knew the blond to be Uzumaki Naruto.  A regular thorn in the snake’s side and one of the ones who had fought against Zabuza-sensei.  The one the bridge back in Wave Country was named after.  Looking back at Sasuke, he couldn’t help but comment on his battered appearance, a rarity for the man.  “Man, you’re all beat up.  Who did you fight?”

A sinister voice soon spoke out.  “You…you trash used me!  Those eyes…you used those accursed eyes to control me…”  Manda’s voice soon died out, the giant snake’s eyes glazing over in death.

“Ah man, he died.  You do realize that he was Orochimaru’s favorite pet?  You gotta treat animals better than that, you know.  And to control them with genjutsu…man, that was cruel.”

Sasuke simply shrugged off Suigetsu’s words.  “I had no other choice.  There was no other way.  That damn mad bomber was intent on taking me down.”

Naruto’s mind recognized who Sasuke was referring to.  Deidara, a member of Akatsuki known for using his detonating clay to make bombs.  He remembered how much of a pain he’d been when they’d encountered him in their effort to rescue Gaara.  And Sasuke had gone up against him and won?  The gap in their abilities seemed to widen further and Naruto despaired that he’d ever manage to catch up to Sasuke.  Before Naruto could gain a chance to speak with Sasuke, he heard his female teammate’s voice calling out Sasuke’s name.  Sighing in slight annoyance, he decided to wait, doing his best to be patient.  He could tell that being his usual brash self wouldn’t help him.  But their staring at him was beginning to grate heavily on his nerves, so he paid them no mind, his attention solely targeted at Sasuke.

“I knew you were here,” Karin said.  “Your chakra suddenly vanished, so I was wondering what happened.  And you were just teleporting using a space-time jutsu?!”  Her red eyes zeroed in on the blond male standing not far from them.  She’d briefly caught a glimpse of his chakra previously.  While she had thought it was overpowering then, she now had to restrain herself from reacting.  The feel of his chakra was enormous!  Warm…so warm.  Unlike the coldness of Sasuke’s chakra.  Wait, why was she feeling two distinct chakras?  No one had two sets…unless.  Could he be a jinchuriki?  Analyzing his appearance again, seeing the Konoha hitai-ate, she knew her guess wasn’t off.  And she knew why he was here.

“Well, we don’t care about how you put yourself inside Manda and used space and time ninjutsu to teleport yourself to another area.  We want to know why you’re so beat up.”

Sasuke cast an irritated glare at Suigetsu.  “Weren’t you listening?  I was dealing with Deidara and that idiotic partner of his, Tobi.  Not sure if that idiot made it out alive or not, or if he succeeded in killing him as well.  Doesn’t matter to me.  Bastard wouldn’t tell me anything about Itachi.  He only seemed pissed that I was his brother and somehow reminded him of how much Itachi irritated him.  Right before we were able to escape, Manda and I got hit by part of the blast.  He was better than I had anticipated.”  His attention swung back to Naruto, surprised that the blond hadn’t started ranting at him.  Had they finally managed to teach him how to be patient?  He didn’t think it was possible.  “So, what are Konoha’s shinobi doing here, huh?  Let me guess.  Looking for me, are we?  Go ahead, dobe, make your usual spiel so I can tell you to stop wasting your time and just leave me alone.  I’m not in the mood to deal with your foolishness right now.”

Hinata worried for her friend as she saw his back stiffen.  Was this how Sasuke usually treated him?  As if he was nothing but trash underneath the Uchiha’s feet?  And Naruto was in love with that insufferable asshole?  Honestly, she didn’t understand it.  “Naruto-kun”, she whispered softly.

Naruto sighed quietly in resignation.  Sasuke just had to always be the king of bastards whenever they met.  Deciding to take the wind out of his sails, he forged ahead with what he and Tsunade had discovered.  It was best to just go ahead and rip the scab off of a wound that had been festering for years.  “Did you ever wonder, Sasuke, what really drove Itachi to massacre your clan?  He didn’t do it because of a silly whim.  The Uchiha clan was suspected of being behind the Kyuubi’s attack because the Sharingan can control the bijuu.  Because of rising tensions and how they were being ostracized, your clan planned a coup d’état against the Hokage to change things.  The leader of the coup was your father.  The old man tried to work things out with your clan, but it didn’t do any good.  It was decided behind his back by his advisors, Danzo in particular, to eliminate the clan.  Itachi had been the spy they used to infiltrate the clan.  Unknown to them, he was also being used as a spy for the Uchiha clan.  Itachi was given two options.  Let the coup go ahead and face extermination with his clan, including you, or eliminate the clan himself and they would allow you to live.  He chose you, Sasuke.  The brother he loved more than his own clan.  Itachi fucking begged them to spare your life.  You were that important to him!  He specifically asked the old man to never tell you the truth about the massacre.  He chose to shoulder the burden on his own and become a nukenin, because it was important to him that you believe your clan was still good.”

Sasuke could only stare at Naruto incredulously, black eyes narrowing before he exploded in anger.  “Don’t you fucking stand there and lie to me, dobe!  How long did it take you to fabricate that far-fetched excuse?!  Did you honestly think you were going to get me to come back with a lie that outlandish?”

Hinata whirled around to face the Uchiha.  “He’s not lying!”  She shouted angrily.  Her lavender-colored eyes narrowed in irritation in response to his nasty attitude towards Naruto.  “Why would Naruto-kun come all this way in search of you for him to lie?  That’s stupid!”

Although he couldn’t currently activate his Sharingan, black eyes coldly glared at the Hyuuga.  He found himself actually surprised that the usually mousy girl wasn’t acting like her timid self.  “I don’t recall fucking asking your opinion, Hyuuga.”  He retorted.  A nasty smirk twisted his mouth into a sneer as he glanced back at Naruto.  “How appropriate that little weakling’s defending you.  After all, you’re both pathetic.  I suppose losers have to stand together, correct?  Remember, Naruto, that I know all about your little furry parasite.  The fact that you rely on its chakra is why you’ll never be at my level or succeed in beating me in a fight.”

Feeling Hinata recoil at Sasuke’s words, Naruto finally snapped.  Hearing Kyuubi’s muted angry grumblings in his mind at being referred to as a parasite, his anger lashed out at the rogue shinobi.  “Shut the fuck up, bastard!”  He roared as he raised red, slitted eyes to glare at the other male.  His black, whisker-like markings had thickened, while his canines and fingernails lengthened.  He wasn’t in full Kyuubi mode just yet, but his patience had finally been pushed to its breaking point.  Yamato-taichou hovered close to him in case he had to quickly subdue Kyuubi’s chakra.  “I don’t give a goddamn if you insult me, but you will never insult Hinata-chan in my presence!”

“I knew it,” Karin whispered softly, as she saw Naruto’s features change.  “That’s why he’s got two different chakras!”

Staring Sasuke down, Naruto knew deep down that Sasuke wouldn’t believe him.  He’d been entrenched in his avenger ways for too long to even contemplate letting go of his hatred towards Itachi.  “On his own, Itachi decided to commit a crime that would never be forgiven, leave his village and join Akatsuki to protect his village from the inside.  When the old man died, the one who promised Itachi he would keep you safe, your brother returned to the village immediately.  You remember that, don’t you, Sasuke?  Itachi returned as a warning to Danzo to remind them that he was still alive.  Before he deserted, Itachi gave that bastard a threat.  If he did anything to harm you, Itachi would tell everything there is to know about the village to every hostile nation in the world.  He was worried about you more than anything else.  You knew how strong Itachi was.  In the times I’ve encountered him, he didn’t act hostile toward me or attack me.  He could have easily killed Kakashi-sensei and the rest when they encountered him in Konoha.  He didn’t.  Does that sound like someone who killed his clan on a mere whim?”

Dark eyes had coolly observed as Naruto’s features changed to resemble how he did at the Valley of the End.  “Is that all you have to say?  What happened to your infamous “breaking all my bones to bring me back” speech?  I expected more from you.  How disappointing that all you have are lies about my bastard of a brother.  Is that all you can come up with?”

Quelling the urge to throttle the other man, Naruto forced Kyuubi's chakra back, his features changing back to normal.  He replied, “In the years you’ve known me, Sasuke, have I ever lied to you?  You already know the answer.  It’s not too late to forgive your brother and try to work things out with him.  Tsunade-baa-chan is working as we speak to try and clear his name and punish those who are responsible.”  Here his voice turned bitter as he continued, “After all, these are the same people who only view me as a weapon because of Kyuubi.  They wanted nothing more than to restrict me to the village because of Akatsuki and only use me when necessary.  Baa-chan’s had her own struggles with them.  Believe me when I say she’d have no problem punishing them.”  Hearing no response from Sasuke, he turned his back to the other shinobi.  A shadow seemed to cross his eyes as he kept them averted.  He’d be damned if he let the bastard see the frustrated tears that now swam in his eyes.

The more Hinata witnessed Sasuke’s treatment of Naruto, the angrier she grew.  Who did that asshole think he was?  Lavender-hued eyes saw the despondent look on Naruto’s face, the tears that sat in the corners of his eyes like jewels.  That did it.  She was not going to let this continue!  With a hiss of fury, her Byakugan activated, the veins bulging around her eyes.  “You damn jerk!  Who do you think you are, huh?  Just because you’re an Uchiha doesn’t mean squat!  Naruto is worth more than you’ll ever hope to be!”  She went to rush at the seated Uchiha, palms coated in blue chakra, when she felt a hand grasp hold of her arm.  Startled, she allowed her chakra to dissipate, as she raised her eyes to see Naruto’s face next to hers.  “Naruto, what?”  Her eyes returned to normal at the look on his face.

Naruto gazed at Hinata with a fond expression, grateful at how she stood up for him.  He spoke quietly.  “No, Hinata-chan.  Even though he does probably deserve it, I’m not going to let you sink down to his level.”  Turning back to face Sasuke, his voice turned glacial, expression wiped of emotion.  “I’ve said what I needed to say.  It’s up to you now whether you believe me or not.  I’m not so naïve as to think I can persuade you to return to Konoha without a fight.  Guess I’m not the idiot everyone seems to think I am.  You’re so fucking entrenched in being an avenger and gaining revenge that you’ve lost all sight of reason.  Tch…maybe you are a lost cause after all, like everyone keeps reminding me.  If that’s the case, then why should I bother to keep killing myself just to chase after your sorry ass?  Don’t worry.  This is the last time you’ll ever see me come after you.  Goodbye, Sasuke.”  The finality of his sentence lingered in the tense atmosphere as he and his comrades turned to leave the older man and his team.  Hinata spared a glance back, giving him one last frigid glare before walking away with Naruto.

Sasuke could say nothing as he watched the blond turn and leave.  Was he dreaming?  Did Naruto just walk away without a fight?  No screaming that he’d take Sasuke back by force, nothing.  He just gave up on Sasuke after all those years of trying to get him back.  Wait – wasn’t that what he wanted?  At least this way he could continue with his plans…with his carefully mapped out revenge.  Inwardly, he scoffed at the lies that the blond had concocted.  The Hokage had probably given him some rehearsed script to go by.  As if he’d believe that bullshit he’d just spouted.  “In the years you’ve known me, Sasuke, have I ever lied to you?”  Shaking away the nagging thought, he stood up, wincing as his bruised body rebelled against the movement.  “Let’s get out of here before anyone else decides to show up.”  He told his team.

Karin glanced behind her, seeing the fading silhouettes of the Konoha shinobi.  Something was up between those two.  She vaguely recalled seeing the blond at the Chunin Exams all those years ago and knew he was Sasuke’s teammate as well as her kin from the Uzumaki clan.  Knowing that she had one remaining relative made her decision easier.  She would focus on helping Sasuke to heal for now but knew she’d have to discuss it with him later.  The blond hadn’t been lying.  She would have sensed it if his chakra had fluctuated.  If that was the case, then Sasuke had no need for revenge against his brother, but someone else entirely.

Naruto let his captain do the talking as all the tracking teams reconvened outside of Konoha’s gates.  He sensed Sakura’s disappointment as he and his team relayed what had occurred when they encountered Sasuke and his team.  In the background, he could hear Hinata’s team along with Neji congratulating her on how she reacted to Sasuke’s taunting.  It impressed them that their little Hinata had shown some major backbone to the Uchiha.  I’m sorry, Sakura-chan.  But if you’d seen him, then you understand.  Nothing’s going to make him come home.  I’m honestly not sure if he’d even return to Konoha once Itachi’s dead.

Sakura couldn’t help but be disappointed that they’d failed to get Sasuke to return to the village.  By Naruto’s expression, she knew something had happened between the two males to make the blond more despondent than usual.  His normally expressive blue eyes were dimmed and a frown tugged at his full lips.  She raised her hand and placed it on his arm, making those blue eyes glance her way.  She nodded; her eyes sad but understanding.  He tried to smile for her, but it never reached his eyes.  Nothing was said as they made their way to the Hokage Tower.

Tsunade’s expression didn’t falter as she heard the reports from the various teams.  Naruto came to a decision that it was time to let one particular skeleton out of the closet.  “Tsunade-baa-chan, maybe we should let everyone here know about what we found out.  I don’t know if it’ll help people to understand why Sasuke is the way he is or not.  But it’s time the truth came out.”  He saw Hinata nod her head from the corner of his eye.  She’d been there and seen Sasuke’s reaction.  It would be no less explosive here when everyone found out.

The Hokage glanced at Naruto, light brown eyes taking in his current mood.  It had surprised her that Naruto just let Sasuke walk away after their last encounter.  But she understood why.  Naruto had reached a point no one had anticipated – leaving Sasuke to his own devices.  In a way, he’d become just like Jiraiya.  She nodded at the hidden Anbu who set up a sealing barrier.  “What I’m about to tell you does not leave this room.  It is an S-class secret that has been kept for years, not unlike Naruto’s jinchuriki status.  You’re about to hear the real, undisclosed truth behind the Uchiha clan massacre.”

“The truth?”  Sakura questioned.  “We were always told that it was Uchiha Itachi who slaughtered his clan, except for Sasuke-kun.  No one ever told us why, though.”

“It all began fifteen years ago after the night of the Kyuubi attack.  The Uchiha clan was suspected to be behind the attack due to the Sharingan’s ability to control the tailed beasts.  After that night, the Uchiha were placed under close surveillance and forced to live in one section of the village.  As you can imagine, this didn’t go over well with some members of the clan, most notably Sasuke and Itachi’s father and the clan elders.  It ultimately rekindled the hatred harbored towards what they saw as a Senju-influenced government.  The Uchiha clan, led by Fugaku, began planning a coup d’état to overthrow Konoha’s leadership.”  She stopped, gauging how everyone was reacting so far to her news.

“They prepared for the coup by inserting clan members within Konoha’s command structure to act as spies.  Itachi was their spy in Anbu.  But Itachi didn’t agree with what they were planning.  Itachi, due to his being touted as a genius in his clan, became a shinobi at an early age.  He had lived through the Shinobi Third War and believed the coup would only escalate into more fighting.  He chose to become a double agent, supplying Konoha with information on the Uchiha’s plans.  While the Third Hokage tried to find a peaceful resolution with the clan, Danzo did not believe negotiations would solve anything.  His resolution was to slaughter the Uchiha clan to cause the least bloodshed.”

You could have heard a pin drop after her last statement.  Shikamaru spoke up, his usual bored drawl gone.  “Danzo used Itachi’s fears against him, didn’t he?  He had to have used some form of manipulation for Itachi to even consider slaughtering his clan.”

“Yes, he did.  The Uchiha had noticed Itachi’s strange behavior and tasked his cousin, Uchiha Shisui, with keeping an eye on him.  Shisui also opposed the coup and wanted to prevent it.  He intended to use the technique unique to his Mangekyo Sharingan, Kotoamatsukami, to try and force the Uchiha’s leaders to change their minds.  He never got a chance to.  Danzo took his eye before he could use it, since the technique can only be used every ten years.  Fearful that Danzo would try and take his remaining eye, Shisui entrusted it to Itachi and then committed suicide.  These events only made Itachi more certain that the coup wasn’t the answer.  Danzo confronted Itachi with two outcomes for his clan:  allow the coup to continue and see the clan face extermination, himself and his brother included; or Itachi could eliminate the clan and be allowed to let his brother live.  Itachi chose Sasuke over his clan.  He wasn’t alone that night.  There was another Uchiha with him that night.  He claimed to be the real Uchiha Madara, which I don’t see how it’s possible for him to be alive.  Believing he was bent on destroying Konoha, Itachi offered to help him take revenge against the Uchiha for betraying him decades earlier if he would spare the village, which he agreed to.  Itachi made Sasuke believe he had massacred the clan on a whim.  He wanted Sasuke to be the one who meted out his punishment, believing himself to be guilty.”

Naruto pulled his crying teammate to him, listening to her soft sobs.  “It’s going to be okay, Sakura-chan.”  He tried to reassure her, even though he wasn’t entirely sure if it would be ever again.

“So, Sasuke’s been determined to kill an innocent man all these years?”  Neji found it hard to wrap his head around what he had just learned.  “And the village, who believed Itachi to be a cold-blooded murderer, encouraged Sasuke to become more powerful so he could kill his brother and avenge his clan?  It was no wonder why he ran off to Orochimaru with that as his mindset!”

“That’s not all,” Naruto responded quietly.  “Before he left that night, he told Sasuke to get stronger.  To do that, he’d need to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan.  Itachi told him that he’d need to kill his best friend to get those eyes.”  He said no more, but judging from the looks he was getting, he knew they were piecing the puzzle pieces together.

Sakura whirled around to face her teammate.  “That’s why you were so battered-looking in the hospital?!  Sasuke-kun tried to kill you to gain an advanced Sharingan?  Something had to have stopped him because he didn’t go through with it.”

“Sasuke told me that he wasn’t going to do what Itachi wanted him to do.  I still got a Chidori through my chest for my efforts in trying to bring him back, though.”  Naruto decided to get everything out in the open.  Might as well.  He was tired of keeping secrets from his friends.  “Ever since then, I’ve been trying to train to be able to use Kyuubi’s chakra without it overtaking me.  There are six people who know what happens when I lose control due to the nine-tails.  It’s happened before when we traveled to Suna to help retrieve Gaara and also on our first mission with Sai.  But, there’s a downside to having his chakra.  While it does help to heal any injuries I sustain, it comes at a cost.  To sum it up, when I use his chakra, it shortens my lifespan due to the constant cellular regeneration.  Tsunade-baa-chan knows about this, as well as Kakashi-sensei, Ero-sennin, and Yamato-taichou.”

Sakura grabbed hold of Naruto’s cloak and pulled him towards her.  “You idiot!”  She yelled, fresh tears sliding down her face.  “Why didn’t you tell us that?!  You’re always trying to protect us and look what it’s doing to you!  I’ve already lost one teammate; I’m not going to lose another!”

Naruto’s eyes widened at her response.  Glancing up, he could see the shocked expressions of his friends.  “I’m sorry, Sakura-chan.  Honestly, I only just found out about it recently myself.  That’s one reason Yamato-taichou is with me if I have to do intense training.”

“Sounds like we all need to up our game,” Kiba commented, his eyes gaining a determined glint.  “It’s not fair of us to always rely on Naruto to save our asses.  We’re Konoha shinobi and it’s time we acted like it.”

“Did anyone get any leads on Itachi?”

Karin stopped bustling around the small room they were staying in as she packed away her bag of medical supplies.  Turning to stare at Sasuke, she crossed her arms across her chest.  Sasuke was resembling a human mummy from the bandages wrapped around different sections of his body.  “Are you kidding me?!  You’re practically half-dead and still trying to be a tough guy?”

Suigetsu piped up, “I heard plenty about Akatsuki as a whole, but nothing specific on Uchiha Itachi.  They’re after specific people…people who have special kinds of chakra.  I think you know who I’m talking about.”

Sasuke said nothing as an image of Naruto appeared in his head.  They were after the Kyuubi that was sealed within Naruto.  The reason why Itachi and Kisame had gone after Naruto at that time.

Jugo’s quiet voice spoke next.  “The birds say that they feel strange, unpleasant chakra radiating from those places.  It's possible that they've already accomplished this with others.  Is there a certain number of bijuu?”

Pushing up her glasses, Karin replied, "According to what I learned from Kabuto, there are nine known bijuu, with the Kyuubi being the strongest."  Knowing that Sasuke couldn’t go anywhere, Karin launched into her little speech.  He might not like it, but by damn did he need to hear it!  “You know, Sasuke, blondie back there wasn’t lying.  I get it, you hate Konoha and your brother for what happened to you and your clan.  But he was trying to tell you the truth.  And I don’t really care if you want to hear it or not, but you are going to sit here and listen.”

Sasuke could only gape at the red-head’s words.  This behavior was unlike Karin’s normal behavior.  No fawning over him.  Just brusque and to the point.  “What are you talking about?”

“You heard what I said.  He was telling the truth about your brother and what happened to your clan.”

“No, you don’t understand!  He’d do anything to try and get me to give up on my revenge and go peacefully back to the village.  You didn’t see what he was like when he tried to stop me from going to Orochimaru.”

“And like that was a really brilliant decision,”  Karin muttered under her breath.  “You’re wrong, Sasuke.  I understand plenty.  If he was lying, his chakra would have fluctuated.  It didn’t.  And that includes the Kyuubi’s chakra.  Besides, even if I couldn’t sense chakras, I’d know he wasn’t lying.  The guy seems too honorable to even know how to lie.  Why do you hate him so much?  From what I can tell, he was your former teammate.  So, what did he do to end up on your bad side besides trying to drag you back to Konoha?”

Sasuke started to reply to her question when he finally realized that Naruto really hadn’t done anything.  It wasn’t Naruto’s fault that Sasuke had let his jealousy and need for revenge overtake him so that the curse seal fed off of it.  He’d simply assumed the nine-tailed fox was what made Naruto powerful.  But from what he’d seen at Orochimaru’s hideout, Naruto refused to accept Kyuubi’s chakra.  Was it nothing more than hard work and perseverance, then?  According to scrolls he’d read, the Uzumaki clan had abnormally large chakra networks, allowing them to do ninjutsu that required high levels of chakra usage.  He’d heard the snake muttering about Naruto at times, listening as he ranted about the son of that man.  Eventually, he questioned Orochimaru about it, curiosity getting the better of him.  The snake had sneered at first, reptilian eyes shining in the light, before replying.  It should have surprised him to learn of Naruto’s lineage, but it all started making sense.  Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato.  The fucking Fourth Hokage was Naruto’s father.  If that was the case, why had Naruto been treated the way he was?  No one to care for him.  Adults treating him like a pariah.  It made no sense.

“I…I don’t have an answer to that.”  He finally said.

“Hmph…that’s what I thought.  Sasuke, I’d do some deep thinking about what blondie told you, if I were you.  You should be glad that your brother wasn’t the heartless murderer you thought he was.  Could he have done something differently?  Yes, it’s a possibility.  But maybe you should speak with the man.  Blondie seems like he knows what it’s like to grow up without a family.  And I’m sure he doesn’t want you to experience that as well.  Now that I know he’s an Uzumaki, I’m going to try and make sure he doesn’t keep experiencing life without a family.”

Sasuke found he had no reply to her words at first before finally saying, “Does that mean you want to return to Konoha?”

Karin considered his question before responding, “Right now I will help you with your mission, however foolish I think it is.  I promised, after all.  But once we’re done, I want to meet up with him.  He’s never known that side of his family and I can help with that, even though my knowledge is somewhat limited.”

Later that evening, as Sasuke drifted off to sleep, he was still dwelling over Karin’s words.  His life since the massacre had all been a lie.  Why was it he remembered what happened to be different from Naruto’s account of what he read?

He was back in his childhood home, playing in his room.  He heard that familiar voice.  “I’m home.”  Itachi was back from being at the Academy all day.  “Nii-san!”  A young Sasuke called out.  “You’re home!  Let’s play, nii-san!  Whatcha wanna do?”

The admonishing voice of his mother.  “Sasuke!  Your brother has lots of homework from the Academy!  You can play after he’s done!”

Itachi smiled at his younger brother’s pouting face.  “I can do my homework later.  The assignment’s really simple.”  Sasuke’s happy face when Itachi agreed to play.

It quickly flipped to him training with Itachi and then that fateful night.  His brow furrowed with remembered pain.  “This can’t be real!  You can’t be my brother!”

“I’ve played the part of the elder brother you always wanted in order to measure your capacity.  You have the potential sleeping inside you to become an opponent I can truly test my limits against.  Feelings of jealousy and hatred for me fill your head.  You’ve done nothing but hope to surpass me.  That’s why I’m letting you live.  Foolish little brother, if you truly want to kill me, hate me…detest me.  Live a wretched, miserable existence.  Run, run and cling to life.  And when you finally obtain the same eyes as me, come before me once more!”

With those words, it was like a fog finally lifting from Sasuke’s mind.  The things he tried to keep locked away in his heart were coming back to him.  The anger filling him as his Sharingan manifested itself for the first time.  Running after Itachi as he teleported away, screaming “Get back here!”  His hands grabbed some kunai that had gotten wedged into a nearby wall.  Leaping down, he flung them with all his might at Itachi, watching as one made an impact, knocking Itachi’s hitai-ate from his forehead.  He landed with a grunt, panting as adrenaline pumped through his small body.  Itachi was bending down to pick up his hitai-ate, pulling it bandanna-like over his black hair.  It was like time slowed down as Sasuke watched his older brother.  That beloved face turned to glance at him one last time and he saw the tears running down Itachi’s face.  He didn’t remember anything else after that as he passed out from shock and pain.

Sasuke jolted awake, hissing in pain as his injuries were jostled.  His movement hadn’t made anyone else wake up, the room silent.  He hadn’t wanted to accept it, but he had no choice.  Naruto had been right.  This changed everything.  But how to proceed from here?

Chapter Text

Disclaimer:   I do not own Naruto.  No profit is being made from the writing of this story.  All characters are copyrighted to Misashi Kishimoto.

You found parts of me I didn't know existed and in you, I found a love I no longer believed was real.

Naruto gave a grateful sigh of relief as he dropped his backpack on the floor.  Glad that his mission was finally over, he decided it was time for a nice, hot shower before bed.  It’d been almost a week since he’d seen Sasuke.  He could remember the conversation he’d had with Sakura after everything had come out into the open.

“I’m so sorry, Naruto!  It’s all my fault!  I shouldn’t have asked you to try and bring back Sasuke-kun all those years ago.  Yes, I’ll agree that it was important to me at the time, but now that I’ve had a chance to think, it wasn’t right of me to pin all of my expectations on you.  When I started apprenticing under Tsunade-shishou, I…I saw your medical records from that day.  The extent of your injuries – if it hadn’t been for the Kyuubi, you could’ve died!  It was selfish of me and for that, I apologize.”

“Sakura-chan, I don’t hold it against you!  Remember, I wanted to bring him back as well.  It’s just…until he gets his priorities settled, he’s never going to want to return here.  Given what I’ve learned, I can’t say I blame him for not seeing it as his home.  And I couldn’t force him to do so.”

“I understand.”  They were sitting together at Ichiraku’s Ramen stand, waiting for their meals to be served.  “You know, Naruto, I finally realized something.  What I thought I felt for Sasuke-kun wasn’t love, but a silly girl’s crush.  When we encountered him at that hideout, I felt no romantic feelings toward him.  Maybe a sense of nostalgia at seeing him again, but no feelings of love.  I still see him as my friend, but nothing more than that.”  She paused, knowing the blond’s feelings for her in the past.  “That’s why I’ve decided to give Lee a chance if he still wants to go out with me.”

Naruto beamed at his friend.  “That’s great, Sakura-chan!  Fuzzy-brows absolutely adores you!  I know once he hears you’re interested, he’ll be running laps around the village and shouting about youth.  You’re not the only one who’s realized their true feelings for someone.”

Sakura leaned towards Naruto; her green eyes gleaming at his news.  “Does that mean Hinata finally confessed to you?”  She gushed excitedly.  “It’s about time!  She’s loved you since our academy days!  And I’ll be honest, I was surprised to hear about how she stood up to Sasuke-kun.  She was always so shy back then.  Even now, she’s still shy but she seems to be working on overcoming it.  So, tell me, are you two dating now?!”

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.  “Yeah, she confessed to me, actually.  But I had to be honest with her.  While I was flattered, there’s someone else that I like.  You know, I used to think I was totally head-over-heels in love with you, Sakura-chan.  But like you said about Sasuke, it was just a crush.  You’re like the sister I never had and I’m perfectly fine with that.  During my time away with Pervy-sage, I realized who I’ve really liked all this time.”

Sakura’s green eyes widened as she digested what Naruto told her.  If it wasn’t Hinata, then who was it?  No one else was really close to the blond except…  “Are you talking about Sasuke-kun?”

He nodded, thanking Teuchi as he sat down their orders.  Idly swirling his chopsticks in the ramen, he replied, “Strange, isn’t it?  I don’t really understand it all myself, but for some reason, I’m in love with the bastard.  Think it’s been that way since day one, actually.”

Sakura grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently.  “It’s okay, Naruto.  You can’t help who you love.  The important thing is that he treats you right!  If he doesn’t, my chakra-fueled fists of fury will make sure he does!”

Naruto laughed, imagining the scene in his head.  “Hopefully, it won’t come to that, Sakura-chan.  Let’s eat!”

Sasuke stealthily made his way into the Hidden Leaf village, having recovered enough from his injuries to make the trip.  And he had the snake’s healing powers to thank for that, although it galled him to admit it.  Apparently, absorbing Orochimaru’s abilities increased his healing power, something he was thankful for then.

Nostalgia threatened to swamp him as he gazed at familiar landmarks.  Shaking his head, he sought to dispel the feeling.  He didn’t have time to reflect on his past.  The rogue shinobi was here for one reason only – to confront Naruto about what he’d told him.  His conscience, however small, wouldn’t let up about Naruto.  All he could see in his mind’s eye was the dejected expression on the blond’s face.  And that shook him more than he cared to admit.  Especially after Karin had lectured him.  Not to mention the dream he’d had of the massacre as repressed memories of that horrid night had finally been unearthed.  Memories that validated what Naruto had stated.  The thing that nagged at him the most was Naruto stating that he’d been killing himself to try and find him.  What had he meant by that?  Whatever it was, he meant to find out.  Karin had practically shoved him out the hotel room door, telling him to get his ass straight before they continued with their search for Itachi.  In her words, he wouldn’t be worth a damn until he got the information he needed to know.  He soon found himself outside of Naruto’s apartment, thankful that it was evening.  Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to knock on Naruto’s door.

If Naruto was honest with himself, what good did it do to continually chase someone who refused to be caught?  He was about to sit down on his bed when he heard a soft knock on his apartment door.  Guessing it was one of his friends, Sakura probably, wanting to check in on him, he went to open the door.  His hand stilled on the doorknob.  Whoever it was at his door had their chakra masked.  Not a good sign.  Quickly grabbing a spare kunai, he cautiously opened the door.  Cerulean eyes widened as he realized just why the person had their chakra masked.  He saw the unexpected sight of Sasuke standing in his doorway.  The other man wasn’t as bandaged as Naruto had expected, given the condition he’d last seen him in.  He still wore the same clothes he had when he’d been with Orochimaru, except he’d traded the white haori for a sleeveless, black shirt that exposed a healthy amount of pale skin and the addition of a black cloak.  Swallowing hard to gather his thoughts and stubbornly ignoring the fetching sight that Sasuke presented.  Leveling a glare at his former friend, he crossed his arms across his chest as he started to talk.  “I’m not asleep, so I know I’m not dreaming.  So, I guess that means you’re either a figment of my imagination or Hell has officially frozen over for you to be standing here.  I’d have to rule out this being a social visit since we all know how anti-social you are.  Tell me then, Sasuke, why exactly are you here?  Come to finally kill me and get me out of your hair?”

Okay, so that wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting, but what was with the sarcasm?  If he’d been too blinded before to notice it, he certainly did now.  Naruto had indeed changed, but it wasn’t for the better.  The blond was wearing a green and white, long-sleeved shirt with white pajama pants.  Apparently, he’d caught him just as he was going to bed.  “Nice welcome, dobe.  I thought you’d be jumping up and down like an idiot when I showed up here.  Do I have to have a reason to be here?”

The blond shot him an "Are you kidding me?" look.  "You do realize how stupid that sounded, don't you?  You're the one who left and treated us like plague bearers."  Naruto glanced behind Sasuke and saw that he was alone.  “You mean your team actually let you out of their sight?  I’m surprised they’ve not wedged up your ass along with that stick that seems to always stay there.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed in irritation.  “You’re one to talk with Sakura and that damned freak that replaced me.”

Sighing irritably, Naruto snapped, “What the fuck do you want, then?  I was about to go to sleep since I just returned from a mission this evening.  Either spill it or leave me alone, okay?!”

“Can I at least come in?”

Naruto’s eyes closed in weary resignation.  “Fine, although I’m not entirely sure why I’m letting you in.”  Stepping back, he allowed the Uchiha to walk through the doorway.  “I’m assuming you didn’t let anyone see you?  The last thing I need is ANBU swarming my apartment.”  Closing the door behind him, Naruto said nothing as Sasuke sat down on the bed.  “Okay, you’re in.  Now talk.”

Sasuke was silent for a moment before he finally spoke up.  “I now know that you were telling the truth.  Karin said that she would have sensed if you were lying since your chakra would have fluctuated.”  The apology was on his lips, but he never said it.  The sound of footsteps caught his attention and he watched as Naruto started pacing.

For a few minutes, Naruto couldn’t believe the gall of the other man.  He then started to pace aimlessly as he regarded Sasuke, who was watching him silently from his perch on Naruto’s bed.  Finally, he stopped and started talking, his voice tight with anger.  “Let me get this straight.  It took some chakra-sensing kunoichi for you to realize I was telling the fucking truth?!  You don’t believe me, your own teammate you’ve known longer.  Oh no, you’d rather call me a liar and instead believe someone you’ve only known a matter of weeks!”  He didn’t dare raise his voice, knowing the walls of his apartment were thin.  His neighbors didn’t need to be hearing this conversation.  “What, you just assumed I was prepared to concoct some story to try and bring you home?  I understood why you didn’t want to return after what the council did and yet…you thought that little of me, did you?  That I was just like them.”  Silence met his words head-on.  The blond was beyond pissed and hurt by Sasuke’s confession.  Sinking down into a nearby chair, he was silent for a few moments before he said, “If that was all you wanted to say, Sasuke, then fine.  You’ve had your say, now please leave.  I’m not sure I want to be around you right now.”

Sasuke observed Naruto closely after he finished speaking.  He could tell the blond was deeply hurt by his admission.  Shaking his head, he replied, “I’m not finished, Naruto.  I want to know what you meant when you said you were killing yourself to find me.  Tell me what you mean by that!”

Dimmed, blue eyes lifted to stare at Sasuke.  A bitter smirk played at the corner of his lips as he replied, “You, of all people, should know what I’m referring to, bastard.  After all, you know my “little secret”, correct?  I had to train to get stronger so I could bring you back.  That meant I had to gain control over the fox.  However, the furry bastard doesn’t like it when I have control.  You have no idea what I’ve gone through to get this far.  I’m surprised your snake of a master didn’t tell you all about it.  Then again, that would mean him having to admit that I kicked his fucking ass.”

“What are you talking about?”  Sasuke was beginning to suspect he wouldn’t like where this conversation was heading.

“It was the day when we met again.  Team 7 was to meet up with Sasori’s spy, who turned out to be Kabuto, and get information about the snake bastard’s whereabouts.  I ended up confronting Orochimaru.  He kept goading me by using you as bait and I snapped.  Anger triggers the seal to weaken and allows Kyuubi to come through.  Needless to say, I was in the three-tailed state which soon went to four-tails.  Apparently, the old bastard couldn’t keep up with my rampage, since I ended up making him shed his skin, so to speak.  I learned later from Tsunade-baa-chan and Ero-sennin that every time I use the fox’s chakra, either to heal or in the tailed state, it’s slowly decreasing my lifespan.  To sum it up, my body can’t keep up with the cellular regeneration that happens each time.  Satisfied now that you have your answer, bastard?”

Naruto started laughing then, but there was no joy to his voice, only a bitter, defeated sound.  “It must be nice to know that if I keep this up, I’ll get myself out of your hair sooner than you think.  You won’t have to worry about me anymore.”  And then like lightning, his mood swiftly changed.  “Now get the hell out!”  He shot up from the chair so quickly that it almost fell over as it teetered on its legs.  Yanking the door open with more force than was necessary, he shot Sasuke a glare that made it clear he wanted him gone.  When Sasuke made no move to get up, Naruto’s frustration rose exponentially.  “Fine,” he hissed, “if you won’t leave, then I sure as fuck will!”  He turned to walk out but didn't make it far.  The door closing shut in front of him made him gape momentarily, as he wondered how the bastard had managed to regain his lightning-fast speed.

Sasuke sat there, dumbstruck, as Naruto told him about what he’d been through.  He felt numb as he realized that everything Naruto was doing to save him, was damning his own soul in the process.  Remembered each word and action done against the blond, never knowing it would spur him on to do the unthinkable.  Each battle and words exchanged had engraved their own scar into Naruto.  His personality had changed drastically in the few times Sasuke had seen him since leaving Konoha.  His once joyful personality had dimmed.  Sasuke could see the weariness etched on his face, his shoulders sagging as though he held the weight of the world’s problems on his strong back.  And he was as responsible, if not more so, than anyone else.  He’d been too prideful to admit it before, but he couldn’t imagine his life without Naruto in it.  The sound of a chair clattering shattered the silence like a bullet.  Dark eyes looked up to see Naruto storming towards the door, the hinges creaking in protest at the abusive treatment as he wrenched it open.  Stormy blue eyes speared him to the core, their message coming across quite clearly that he’d overstayed his welcome.  When he heard Naruto’s frustrated outburst, he knew he had to act fast.  He shot across the room, one hand closing the door in front of a startled Naruto.

Naruto could feel the warmth of the other man’s body pressed flush against his back.  The treacherous part of his heart that still felt something for the bastard stuttered a beat at the simple touch.  But, of course, rationality had to rear its ugly head and he found himself pulling away.  He didn’t manage to get too far before he felt bandaged arms wrap themselves around his waist, pulling him back against Sasuke.  Confusion swept through him at Sasuke’s actions.  One minute, he was trying to kill him and yelling at Naruto to stay away, and now…?  It made no sense to the blond.  “Let go of me, Sasuke.  I don’t think I can handle this right now.”  A whispered plea said in a broken voice…that was so unlike Naruto.

Sasuke heard what Naruto said, but chose to ignore it.  “No, Naruto.  I’m not letting you go.”  He turned the younger male around until he was facing him.  Blue eyes were lowered, unwilling to even gaze at Sasuke.  Feeling slightly vexed, Sasuke raised his right hand and lifted Naruto’s chin up, wanting to see those expressive eyes.  He found that he couldn’t explain the look in Naruto’s eyes, or rather was hesitant to.  Could it be what he thought it was?  There was only one way to find out.  “Naruto, why have you been doing this to yourself?  Why am I so damned important to you that you’d risk your life, hell everything, just to try and get me back?!  And don’t tell me that it’s because we’re friends or that you’d do the same for everyone else!  We both know that’s a lie!”

Feeling as those strong, calloused hands turned him around, Naruto stubbornly refused to look at the other man.  A voiced huff of irritation and then he felt one of those hands reach up to gently cup his chin, forcing him to stare directly at Sasuke’s face.  For once, those dark eyes didn’t seem cold or mocking as he gazed into them.  Not ready to admit his feelings and face possible rejection from the other man, Naruto turned Sasuke’s question back on him.  “Why do you even act like you care what I do to myself, Sasuke?  I thought you’d be jumping for joy to have finally gotten rid of me.  You’ve certainly made no secret of the fact that you hated my guts and wanted nothing to do with my idiotic ass.”

Sasuke wanted to growl angrily at both how stubborn Naruto was being and for his own actions in the past.  He couldn’t blame Naruto, considering that was exactly how he’d acted in the past towards the younger male.  Sighing deeply, he knew he’d have to tell him how he really felt.  He didn’t like leaving himself vulnerable, but Naruto deserved to hear it.  It was bound to shock him since it had taken Sasuke this long to realize it himself.  How else could he rationalize the fact he could never kill Naruto?  While ashamed at the lengths he’d gone to that ended up hurting the blond, he knew now that it would all end here.  This time it would be up to Naruto how things ended.  “Despite what you might think, Naruto, I don’t hate you.  I’ve never told anyone this.  From the moment I first saw you, you’ve always intrigued me.  I didn’t want to admit it to myself even then, but you always reminded me of my family.  The same goes for the rest of Team 7.  When you felt pain, I did as well.  But I was also envious of you because you held a strength that I didn’t possess.  I don’t think I’ve ever hated you, actually.  Time and again, I’ve asked myself why it was that I could never kill you.  And I’ve finally realized why that is.  You might not believe me, and you have every right, but I do care for you.”  Sasuke snorted softly.  “Actually, care’s not the exact word.  I think I’m in love with you, dobe, if you’ll just let me prove it to you.”

Naruto gaped incredulously at Sasuke.  He briefly wondered if he were hearing things because there was no way that he would ever admit that to him.  A joke…that had to be it.  Just one last cruel joke from the bastard to ensure that Naruto stayed away from him once and for all.  When Sasuke heard Naruto’s own confession that he loved him, he’d smile that damned smirk of his and then proceed to rip his heart out by rescinding his confession.  Blue eyes gained a steely tint as the blond reached up and shoved Sasuke away from him.  “Goddamned right I don’t believe you!  It’s all just a lie so that you can break me for good.  If all you’re going to do is continue spewing your hurtful bullshit, then just leave!  I don’t need your shit and I definitely don’t need you!”

Sasuke thought he’d gotten Naruto to listen to him.  But when the blond shoved him away, he knew it hadn’t gone over well.  Naruto was angrier than before.  Navy-colored eyes glared daggers back at him; Naruto’s tone clearly stated that Sasuke had gone too far.  “That’s not fair, Naruto.  You were the one who accused me of not believing you.  Now, when I need you to believe me, you’re not giving me the benefit of the doubt.”  He reached out and grabbed Naruto’s shoulders, pulling the other male against him.  “Don’t lie to yourself, Naruto.  You need me as I need you.”

“You’re wrong,” Naruto muttered softly, “you’ve never needed me.  All you ever did was belittle me, acting like everyone else did when I was younger.  I’m not the same as I was when I was younger.  If you think I’m going to act all happy because you want to stand there and lie to me, then you’re mistaken.”  Pulling away, he walked over and sat down on his bed, his back facing Sasuke.  Hearing nothing but silence, he assumed that Sasuke would leave.  When he felt the bed dip down beside him, his head whipped to the side, seeing the other male sitting beside him.  “Why are you still here?” He cried, the frustration eating him from the inside.  “I already told you that I don’t believe you.  What…”  His words were swallowed as Sasuke leaned forward and sealed his lips over Naruto’s.  Blue eyes widened at first before slipping shut, wanting nothing more than to enjoy this.

I'm so evil to end it here, but it felt like a good place to end this chapter.  Hope everyone's enjoying the story so far!