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He needed to get back. Orochimaru probably wouldn’t be pleased that he was outside at all, much less for so long.
He scowled at the thought, pushing off the tree branch. No. Screw him.
The foliage of the trees blurred past, every leaf looking the same. Then a bright orange caught his eyes. Just like… No of course not. What would he be doing here? A tree quickly covered it, blocking his view.
It was probably nothing. And besides, what did it matter if that idiot was there? In fact, if it was him, then Sasuke should keep going, away from there.
It could be your chance to kill him. Another part of him reasoned. And become as strong as Itatchi.
His stomach sank slightly, but he pivoted and dashed for where he saw the color. Odds were it wasn’t even Naruto anyway, so it was of no consequence to just check. The trees parted and among them was…
A bright orange jumpsuit, now littered with streaks of black that wanted to be more classy, but only one person would even consider wearing such an ugly orange with anything in the first place. A head full of bright blonde hair. He was still.
A crucial detail that had slipped past Sasuke’s notice at the first glance. Was he unconscious? He instinctively took a leap back, Sharingan activated. He glanced around for even a hint of movement. Who did this to him? He fought whatever emotion bubbled in his chest, shaking his head. Doesn’t matter. He reminded himself. It made his job easier, anyway.
After a moment, it became clear there was no one else nearby.
The trees were full of gashes, holes, and deep imprints. Cracks riddled the bark, branches and even entire trees knocked over. Naruto slumped on a branch with a violent crack at the base. He would certainly fall to the ground, if let alone.
Who could’ve done this? Sasuke couldn't help but wonder. Who was strong enough to take Naruto out like this? Yet leave him alive? Even if the Akatsuki had somehow gotten him, they wouldn’t have just left him alive.
Naruto slid down the tree branch as it sank lower toward the ground. At this height, the fall would kill him. Sasuke glanced around again, and when all was still silent, lept forward to crouch on the tree beside Naruto. Witness his death and claim your power. His stomach sank as he thought the words, almost in time with the branch that threatened to drop Naruto.
What if our- He shook his head. What if his team comes for him? He couldn’t help but survey the area again, even though if anyone came he would be able to see, or at least hear them. Still no movement among the foliage. Just him, and the body beside him.
A soft moan. His heart jumped in his chest, his muscles tensed, as he looked for the source of the sound. His eyes found the boy close to his demise. Naruto.
It is painful, Sasuke thought, to be on the brink of death.
The branch careened forward, finally. Naruto slipped off and hurtled to the ground. It would only take seconds for him to expire. At this height, he will definitely die . He would die. He would die and Sasuke would see every second of it. His Sharingan would make sure of that.
The wind rippled Naruto’s hair, his eyelids twitching.
They cracked open ever so slightly, a glimpse of his blue eyes peeking through.
The ground crept closer and closer. He would soon make impact and then he would be nothing but a bright red stain, a stain on the dirt and a stain on Sasuke’s life.
Naruto blinked.
A stain that would never wash out, never disappear.
He glanced around blearily, eyes drifting to the left.
A stain that would make Sasuke’s chest stab every time he thought about it, just like it was now.
Naruto glanced to the right.
Sasuke’s heart beat rapidly in his chest. He was choking on his own pulse now, but frozen he remained. Was it excitement?
Naruto’s eyes found Sasuke’s. Even half-lidded, they seemed to widen.
Any second. Any second now, Naruto would hit the ground and Sasuke would be rid of him. And he would be strong. Strong enough to kill his brother and get revenge for his clan-
Naruto’s lips parted, as if to speak.
-his parents, his mother and father. They were killed and he needed to avenge them. So he had to let Naruto-
He jumped. The whipped past his ears as he pushed off of ranch after branch, hurtling toward the ground faster than anyone could. His Sharingan flared, scanning every single branch and twig to find the best one to jump off of. The one that would send him further, faster, closer.
A weight landed in his arms, hard. He grunted as he landed on the ground, before tumbling over with no amount of grace, depositing his catch in the grass beside him.
All was silent. Except for his heart, beating like a drum in his chest. Pounding, pounding, pounding. He took in breath after silent breath, gulping down air to compensate.
The wind blew in the trees lazily, their leaves shifting and rustling as if to tease him with its lack of energy. Not a care in the world they had.
A noise beside him.
He froze.
He turned his head, almost painfully slow, forcing his eyes to see what was beside him.
Naruto stared at him through half-lidded eyes, his gaze unfocused and hazy. Had he hit his head on the way down? Maybe he already had brain damage before the fall. but of course it wouldn’t be permanent, ri-
Did it matter? Naruto shouldn’t be looking at him at all, he should be dead , why was he looking at him? Why had Sasuke caught him? He was supposed to let him die-
“S…Sa-”
Take the life of your best friend.
He needed to be the one to kill him.
Yeah.
He couldn’t just let Naruto die, because he needed to be the one to kill him. The adrenaline cooled in him then. If he had just let him fall, then it would’ve all been for nothing. Yet his horror only increased as he watched Naruto’s lips clumsily form the syllables of his name. It can’t be permanent damage, right?
Why does it matter? He fought a wave of nausea. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. He should be dead.
And he would be.
Sasuke pulled himself into a seated position, ignoring Naruto’s eyes on him. It didn't matter. He was a dead man already, living on borrowed time.
And looking at him.
And saying his name.
Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head again. Just kill him. Kill him now.
He took in a careful breath before opening his eyes again, his expression steeled. His gaze met Naruto’s beautiful blue eyes. They seemed to stare through him. He wasn’t really seeing Sasuke, that much was clear, and yet it still seemed to stab him through the chest. Naruto’s lips were parted, but nothing came out. His eyelids slid nearly shut again, his eyes threatening to roll back into their sockets, before he mumbled, “Sas…uke.”
Sasuke’s throat felt so dry he thought he might choke on air. It felt like he was. Choking, suffocating, dying. But he wasn’t the one dying today.
Chidori. It would be quick and painless, so unlike how he had-
“Naruto!”
He knew that voice. He couldn’t stop himself from jerking his head towards it, his Sharingan seeing nothing. But he still knew. Sakura.
Now. Kill him. Now. If you don’t, then-
He reached down, grabbing a fistful of the orange jumpsuit and throwing it over his shoulder. The weight felt like almost nothing, with the adrenaline coming back full force through him, the sound of rustling getting closer, closer, closer , no longer from the wind but something much more aggressive. His heart beated faster, faster, faster, like it might jump out of his chest and into Naruto’s arms.
They were moving. Air rushed past his ears as he jumped through the trees. Branches whipped against his face, but he had to keep moving. He craned his neck around the bright orange obscuring his vision to try to see her, try to catch any glimpse of the voice he had heard just seconds prior, and the person it belonged to.
He didn’t know how long passed until he stopped. The volume of his breaths rivalled that of his heartbeat, which hammered in his chest against his ribcage like it wanted to break free. He took in more gulps of air, and the weight on his shoulders seemed to increase.
But it was silent. There was no one around, no one to look for…
Naruto.
Why did he hesitate?
If killed him there, then Sa- she and the others would’ve caught up. It would’ve taken too long, been too messy.
He slid Naruto off of his back again, letting him fall onto the thick branch with a thud .
Kill him.
Kill him.
Kill him.
Kill him.
Another soft noise got his attention. Naruto’s eyes had fallen shut again. He was shivering.
Sasuke wanted to make the shivering go away.
He should be dead.
He wanted him to be warm.
With his own blood, soaked through his clothes-
He wanted…
“S..Sas…”
A shiver went down his own spine. Stop it. Don’t say his name, don’t speak of him, don’t think of him.
“Please…” Naruto’s voice cracked.
As did Sasuke’s heart, it felt like. Why was he still alive? Why was he not dead? Why-
“Don’t…go…”
His breath hitched in his throat. Why? Why? Why was he so…
You’re too weak to face me.
You have to kill your best friend.
Only then will you have the strength to beat me.
He wasn't strong enough.
What’s more important? His fingers twitched, his hands beginning to tremble. He made a fist. Getting revenge for your family or keeping this idiot alive? This idiot…that means nothing. That is nothing. He’s nothing.
But it didn’t feel like nothing as he watched him shiver violently, furrow his eyebrows in pain, another whimper escaping his lips as he saw things Sasuke couldn’t see. Each tremor semed to pull Sasuke’s heart further down.
Kill him.
Kill him now.
He wouldn’t even feel anything. The Chidori would kill him so fast he would never have the chance to open his eyes or scream. It would be quick. Painless. Easy.
Sasuke opened his hand to focus his chakra. One shot. One hit. He could be done with Naruto here and now, and never have to worry about killing him ever again. This opportunity wouldn’t present itself again. And then he would finally be strong enough to take on Itachi. He swallowed.
“Chidori.”
The lightning change in chakra form came to him easily. He poured more chakra into his hand. More. More. More. He needed to make sure it would be strong enough. One hit. It had to be one hit.
The lightning crackled brighter. His target, prone on the floor and shaking, crying in his pathetic state. He would never again be able to cry. Never be able to cry. Never be able to say Sasuke’s name so sweetly as if he was the most precious thing in the world-
“ Sasuke…”
He shook his head.
“You mean nothing, ” he said. “Nothing.”
He took a step forward. Then another.
I’m…
He froze.
I’m sorry.
He pushed his arm forward, unable to to look as the blindingly bright technique tore into the air, screamed into his ears.
A noise.
A voice.
“Naruto!”
They’re here.
Too bad he had already-
“S…Sasuke.”
A shiver went through him again as he slowly turned to face straight again. It couldn’t be.
Bright blue eyes gazed at him through his own outstretched fingers. His hand rested right in front of Naruto’s face. Silence.
“I knew you wouldn’t do it.” Naruto said slowly, his lips cracking into a smile, “I knew you weren’t…like they say about you.”
Like they say about me?
“Tch,” He managed. He straightened, pulling his arm back, “I don’t know what you mean.”
You missed your chance you missed your chance, you messed up, how did you mess up-
Naruto’s bright expression dimmed slightly as he ducked his head, “Right. Of course you don’t.” But his smile didn’t disappear.
Chidori.
He needed to try again. It wouldn’t take longer than a few seconds. And Naruto’s guard was down. Still. Even though he tried to-
“ Naruto!”
They were here. They were here for Naruto and Sasuke still hadn’t…
“You’re probably not here to…come back?”
He couldn’t stop the scowl from appearing on his face. Naruto’s voice was so hopeful, yet so empty. He didn’t want to see the expression Naruto must’ve been wearing. He refused to turn to see.
Come back where? There was nowhere worth returning to. The only thing that might’ve been was right in front of him. “Of course not, idiot.” I‘m here to kill you. But he said nothing more.
“I can sense his chakra signature over there!”
He stole a small glance at Naruto’s expression.
Time to go.
Wordlessly, he jumped off the branch, leaving Naruto alone on the tree.
“Sasuke!” But his voice was already fading behind him. The others wouldn’t follow, they had an injured Naruto to worry about.
Naruto.
You mean…
Nothing.
Maybe if he said it enough times, it would be true.