Soulmating

A/N: I really can't help myself. I was planning to write this chapter next year (I like how dramatic that sounds, even though it is in two days already xD), but I came home a day earlier than I planned and suddenly there was all of this inspiration laying around, doing nothing. It’s a little bit shorter than I like my chapters to be, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

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Looking down on Konoha felt strange. It had been three years, he had expected a change. Instead, everything was just as he remembered. Finally, he was home.

"Naruto! Stop your daydreaming. Let's go inside."

"Of course, pervert."

Naruto heard Jiraiya grumble as he called him a pervert. The blonde laughed. He had missed his friends more than he had expected. He hadn't even really considered them as good friends, but not seeing people for three years had changed his perspective. Although there really only was one person that he wanted to see.

Sasuke.

The first months had been the hardest. Somehow, he felt empty without Sasuke. Slowly he had gotten used to the feeling, but it never disappeared. He wanted Sasuke to feel the same way, but he was afraid that that wasn't true. Afraid that Sasuke had forgotten about him. The fear was driving him crazy, even though he knew that even the teme wouldn't forget about him that soon. But still, the thought alone hurt him more than any injury ever had. The Kyuubi would heal his injuries, but this... Well, let's just say the Kyuubi had a knack for making cruel jokes that hurt Naruto to the core of his being. It was like the fox had shown him all the kindness he would have shown him in his entire life at once when he told Naruto about his past. But Naruto could endure anything the Kyuubi said. After all, it was nothing compared to the pain he felt because of losing Sasuke.

---

Sasuke felt terrible. He was having the same internal discussion as he had been having every day since he left. He wanted nothing more than deactivating the seal and feeling Naruto's consciousness against his. But he couldn't. If he did, Naruto would come running to him, and as much as that would cheer him up, it would mean the last three years had been a waste of time. And that was unacceptable now that he was so close. His powers had grown to a formidable size. He knew that it wasn't enough just yet, but he was close. So once again, he lost the discussion to himself. He thought about what had happened when he had sealed the connection.

He had entered the depths of his mind, travelling to the root of the connection. But the Sage had been waiting for him there.

"Come walk with me, Uchiha Sasuke. We need to talk."

"Hn."

"Do you know why I am here?"

"To stop me from sealing the connection."

"Wrong. I can see why you expect me to, but even if I held such a power, I would not use it. No, I am here to tell you about this connection. This is my gift to you."

"What do you mean?"

"It is too soon for me to tell Naruto about this, perhaps it is even too soon to tell you. But you need to know if you want to succeed in killing Itachi, and you need to succeed in killing Itachi."

"What could you possibly win if I kill him?"

"Let's just say I need you, and until you brother is dead, I can't use you."

"I won't let you use me."

"Sasuke-kun, it's a little bit more complicated than that. I have no influence whatsoever in what you do, but I trust you to do what I want you to do, because you want to do it yourself."

"Tell me what I need to know. I'm getting tired of you and your secret plans."

"They are no secret, Sasuke. It's just too soon. But indeed, I need to tell you. Or more specifically, I need to show you."

"Show me what?"

"Until now, you and Naruto have used this connection to be a team, a well oiled machine. But you have never risen above what you are. Your combined power was nothing more than the sum of your individual powers. But it can be so much more. Together, you two are unstoppable. However, you are not together. But it is possible for you to achieve about 70% of that power, if you know where to find it."

"Tell me."

---

Although it had looked the same on first glance, life had definitely gone on in Konoha. All of his friends had been promoted to chunin, Shikamaru even to jounin. Konohamaru had passed his academy exam and now was a genin. Naruto felt happy for them, but it also made him feel like he hadn't achieved anything at all the past three years. Sure, he had learned a lot. His powers had grown even more than he had expected, and he had been reading. He never would've thought that reading could be of any use for a shinobi, but it was. He probably didn't know as much as Sakura, but he was closer to her than to his old self. Speaking of Sakura...

"Naruto!" The pink-haired kunoichi came running towards him.

At first Naruto was happy to see her, but then he realized she wasn't stopping. She was pulling back her fist, and then...

"Why didn't you return any of my letters!"

"Ouch!" Naruto said, after he had flown backwards into a wall. "I'm sorry, Sakura, but... I didn't really know what to write."

That was the truth. Before his departure, he had talked to Sakura from his hospital bed. He had told her everything, including the fact that he was in love with Sasuke and that Sasuke was gay. He didn't tell her that Sasuke was in love with him, because he wasn't sure about that. At first she had stared at him blankly. Then she started shouting that he was a liar, and in the end, she had punched him in his face and stormed off. So Naruto really didn't know what to write to her.

"It's okay, Naruto. I've thought about it a long time, and I overreacted. The facts had been lying in front of me for quite a while, and I had chosen to ignore them. You pointing them out for me was a wake-up call I didn't want to have, but I needed it nonetheless."

"Really? You aren't mad?"

"Oh, I am mad. But not because of that. Because." She hit him in his face with every word that followed. "You! Didn't! Write! Me! Back!"

"Sorry, sorry! I really am!"

---

Sasuke was tired from all of his training. His progression today had made him happy, although his face was the same expressionless mask as always. He knew that when the time came, he would be able to kill Itachi, certainly now he knew what the Sage had told him. But that would have to wait. Because at the moment, there was a more urgent matter. The three years were over, and he knew that the day was coming closer. The day that Orochimaru would claim his vessel. What Orochimaru didn't realize, was that during his training, Sasuke had gathered extensive data on the snake's abilities. Now all he needed to do, was come up with a plan. And then, he would wait. Wait until the time was right. He just hoped that Naruto wouldn't come looking for him. Or at least, that he wouldn't find him. Of course, Naruto would go looking for him. But perhaps there was a chance that he would be delayed just a little. Sasuke had heard about Akatsuki, Orochimaru had told him all he knew. After all, Itachi was a member as well, so it was something he needed to know. It sickened him to think what they wanted to do with Naruto. He had no idea what their goal was, but if their means were this dreadful, it couldn't be any good. After he killed Itachi, he would have to find out their true intentions. After all, he couldn't let them take Naruto. Not when he was so close to finally having the blonde for himself. He had never seen himself as a much of a romantic type, but Naruto made him feel... Perhaps romantic wasn't the best word. It covered part of his feelings, but not the strongest one. Possession. Naruto was his, and anybody who would lay a finger on him, would die a fast but painful dead.

---

Naruto was, once again, waiting for Kakashi. The man really never would be anywhere at the time he promised.

"Good afternoon, Naruto."

"I wanted to yell at you for being late again, but I assume it would be pointless?"

"Correct. It seems you have learned at least one thing on your journey."

"Oh, I have learned more. Much more."

"And you wanted to tell me about one of these things?"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto smiled. "I wanted to talk to you about a new way to get a Mangekyou sharingan. It seems to me you are the most knowledgeable person in this area."

"Correct." Kakashi said, a faint smile barely visible through his mask. This would be interesting.

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A/N: The wheels are set in motion :D Soon, Sasuke will go after his brother, but not before Naruto and co defeat Deidara and Sasori of course. The next chapter will be all about the battle with them. Naruto and Kakashi will show them the power of their new eyes! No new information on the connection, though, that will be a bit further down the line...
Replies to reviews:
Madamdragon: Here you are! More :D I'll try to keep on writing as fast as I can, I enjoy writing every single chapter more than the one before it.
Jessica: Yes, you have a good point there. But for my story that's only a nuisance, so I'll speed things up a bit in here. I'm glad you like the story :D