In The Leaves | A 'Naruto' fan story | SasuNaru

Alternate Ending: Valley of the End

(A/N: Okay, I promise this is the last chapter. In my defense, I got this idea and I really, really wanted to write it. You don't have to read it. Just let me get this out of my system. ALSO, some dialogue and scenes might be repeated from various chapters so try not to get confused by them. Thanks! <3)
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"I like you," I said ungrudgingly, my gaze flickering from the side to Sasuke again, a bit nervous to confess to my rival.

Sasuke didn't answer at first but then said in a low voice, "I don't need friends to like me."

"No... like―" I averted his gaze to the tree above me. "―I like you, like you."

"I can't accept your confession." Sasuke said brusquely.

"Wha ― why?"

Sasuke sighed and looked away. "My entire life has been a lie, and to just allow myself to trust someone else is pitiful. I lost people close to me, and I rather not deal with meaningless emotions and let them fool me again. Sorry but I can't return your feelings."

"So you don't... like me back?"

"I never say I didn't." Sasuke looked at me as I kept my eyes up the entire time. "But I'm not going to submit to those feelings, and as much as you want to see me do that. I can't. Sorry."

I was silent for a moment, feeling a painful pang in my heart, and scoffed. "It's fine, it's fine." Naruto waved his hand dismissively and looked at Sasuke with a fake smile planted on his lips. "I'll just fall for Sakura again to erase my attraction towards you."

"That would be better for the both of us."

"Yeah... it will..." 

I expected a lot since that day. I expected to get rejected―

"I can't love you."

I expected to be alone―

"This infatuation is a mere hallucination, Naruto. These past two years, they're nothing but time; nothing more, nothing less. I didn't think about you, yet... I still cherished our former bond. It was a nice change, something valuable to hold in the palm of my hand throughout these years, but you're too good for me. You're not in love with me. I haven't done anything to ignite that kind of love in you."

Sasuke removes my hands from around his waist, briefly shaking his head in disbelief at his own vulnerability against me. "I can't give you my life," he unsheathes his sword and sighs with a shaky breath that only I can hear, "I tried to think about it. I did. But when push comes the shove, my walls are built strong. My view on love is stagnant, yet so transparent in your eyes. I can tell you that you haven't been on my mind, but―" he chuckles, almost in doubt at his words, lowering his voice in a whisper, "―we both know I can't stop lying to myself to hide the pain I burdened."

I expected to be in distress―

"I told him ten days." I trembled, staring at the murdered victims in front of me. "I didn't expect that he would go on a killing spree." 

I expected to be in a fathomless pit of agony―

"Sasuke!" I called out behind him, feeling my heart pang with yearning and hurt. He stared off into nothing, ignoring me. "Sasuke..." I stood behind him, flittering my gaze from the view below us to Sasuke whose jaw was clenched when stepped closer to him. "Sasuke, just listen to me―" 

"Naruto," just the beautiful sound of my name rolling off his tongue made my heart skip a beat, "you need to let go of the idea of us." But his next words immediately made my heart sting again.