Valley of the End

(( DISCLAIMER: I most certainly do not own, in whole or in part, any aspect of Naruto, it's series, world, or characters. :3 I also have no idea what Sasuke was actually thinking at the end of the battle at the Valley of the End, but I write it so it gives me the warm and fuzzies. ))

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The Valley of the End
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... And then it started to rain.

Almost poetic. This entire day had been like some ironic poem... One in which I left with people stronger than me, who were then defeated by people weaker than me, and only because those weaker came after me to 'save' me. A battle to decide everything, set on the perfect stage: The Valley of the End.

Naruto lay in front of me, on the ground, prone and completely still, with not even a twitch as I nearly collapsed on him. Even when the rain started, freezing cold against our heated, battleworn bodies. Naruto. I didn't know how strong he'd gotten that day. How much stronger he would get. How strong I was, and how much stronger I had to become.

I watched him. He wasn't dead, I could tell that from the harsh but shallow breathing puffing out agaist my forehead and the way his brow twitched ever so slightly in pain every few seconds.

Every few seconds? How long had I sat there, just looking down at my rival, my best friend, the closest person to me in the entire world? The person who I'd just been trying to kill? Itachi's words still rang through my head, as they always did, but now his voice was louder than ever with me being this close to what he wanted of me.

To kill my closest friend, become as strong as him, and kill off the very last of the Uchiha clan.

And then it hit me.

My brother didn't want me to defeat him. He wanted me to become him. My breath shook, and I still found myself hovering over Naruto, examining every scratch on his face so thoroughly that even now my most vivid image of him is from that day, that moment where I pieced everything together.

...That couldn't happen. I couldn't, I wouldn't become Itachi. I wouldn't kill Naruto.

Breath puffed again up against my forehead, and I blinked once before focusing again on Naruto, breathing in painfully slowly. What had I done... The dobe would hate me now.. My dobe. But maybe it was better that way. I wasn't going back to Konoha. Especially not after what had just happened. Things had changed. I could never have what I used to have with him or anyone again. This battle at the Valley of the End had, indeed, brought an end to one of our lives. There would not be an Uchiha Sasuke of Konoha again. There would no longer be a complete team seven, with Kakashi reading his dirty novels while Sakura fawned over Sasuke, who would be at the time picking on a blonde idiot whom he'd grown to care for so much even in the rather short time they'd been together.

Idiot... Dobe. My dobe. Not that he'd ever know that. Or ever hear me call him that.

...Especially now, I would never get a chance to say it.

Again, I was brought out of my thoughts by the feeling of air against my skin, yet so much closer now. I gave a start as I realized in my reverie, I'd moved and pressed my lips to Naruto's own, in some sort of strange, lonely, confused, apolegetic, upside-down kiss, and yet I didn't move. Instead, I closed my eyes, continuing to kiss the unconscious boy chastely. Even now, I don't know why I started it. A kiss of apology, a kiss of friendship, a kiss of more, now, while it was still in my reach.

Yet I didn't find myself complaining when the dobe ninja reached up and buried his fingers roughly into my soaked hair, keeping me close to him, my lips on his as he returned the gesture. I was surprised, yes, but I didn't complain. I'd thought for certain that he was out cold, so I could get away with one kiss before leaving everything behind. Slowly, painfully slowly, I moved my fingers to tangle in his own short, sun-colored locks, just as wet as my own hair, a mix of sweat and river and rainwater, and he made a noise like a hiccup while I opened my eyes just slightly, letting out a small breath.

Sweat, river, rainwater, and tears.

This was nothing like that accidental bumping of lips that time in the academy. No one was here to see, and this time it was real, so raw and full of emotion that I wanted to cry myself along with the blonde. That I could have had this. That I was leaving this. How, why was I such an idiot? But no, he had to hate me. He had to despise me so I could leave without looking back and get stronger and kill my brother on my own terms. There would be no death today, that was certain, but it would be an end.

When I pulled away, the dobe gave a shuddering breath, and his eyes opened, though barely. His mouth opened, and he hiccuped again before croaking out. "S..Sasuke.. Teme..." The hiccup sounded again, and I couldn't help but lean in to cover his mouth with mine, muffling out the sound of his sobbing. His fingers tightened in my hair, and I wanted to move, to right myself and my position to kiss him properly how I'd always wanted now that I knew he would return it even just right now, and that was all I would need, but at the same time I knew I couldn't. His ribs were broken and his body was in such a shape that I was sure if I moved over him, he would break. Or that I would break.

"...Usuratonkachi..." The word wisped past my lips, and the blonde nin blinked once slowly, shaking, and I still knew he was crying despite the rain matching his tears. "...I told you not to come after me..."

To that, the boy gave a wide, pained smirk, his eyes flickering. "...I made a promise, teme." He croaked again, and for a moment I thought maybe I'd broken his voicebox sometime during the fight. Tan fingers tightened in my hair, tugging me down for one more short, slow kiss before Naruto let go very slowly, returning his arms to his sides. My own fingers played slowly through his hair, and niether of us said anything more, just watching eachother until my dobe let his eyes slip shut, and his breathing evened out, and I finally knew that he'd lost consciousness.

I slid to my feet, shuffling off in the direction I felt I had to go; away from Konoha, away from my team, away from my friends... Away from the blonde idiot that I knew I'd never stop feeling this way for. The boy I'd almost just killed to make some twisted fantasy of my brother's real.

I wouldn't kill Naruto. Not now, not ever.

But I would get stronger.

And I would kill the man who almost made me destroy the most important person in my life.


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(( A/N: Anyways. Haven't written in a while, so be gentle, but definitely feel free to review. :3 And if there are spelling mistakes, I'm sorry, but I've only got Notepad and Wordpad on my computer, here. o_O For some reason Word has slippied off the face of the motherboard. *shrug*

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! :3
-Midii ))