Bonds ➳ SasuNaru

Sixteen | My Best Friend

The next day, Sakura told everyone what had happened, and Tsunade sent out a squad to retrieve Sasuke, containing Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba and Choji. Lee wanted to go, but was still injured from the fight against Gaara in the chuunin exams, so he had to stay behind.

One by one, the team fought the Sound ninja four who had Sasuke in a coffin, and most of the team were badly injured. Naruto went on ahead, but another ninja working with Orochimaru got in the way – Kimimaro. His kekkei genkai made him a tough opponent, and eventually, Sasuke woke up from his sleep inside the coffin and took off.

But then Rock Lee came to fight Kimimaro and Naruto chased after Sasuke. Gaara also ended up coming to help Lee.

Sasuke and Naruto clashed. Naruto learned Sasuke's reason for leaving, and he still tried to stop him. He stood across from the Uchiha, atop a statue.

"Sasuke…I thought that you and I were going to be together! You like me a lot, don't you? I like you just as much, believe it! Come back to the Leaf and be with me!"

"Usuratonkachi, you sound just like Sakura. None of that matters to me now. I've made a decision and it isn't you."

Naruto parted his lips. "But… Sasuke… I thought you… I thought you were starting to love me…"

"I don't love you, Naruto. I never have. I was only passing the time. You may have been my best friend, but you were never anything more to me. Your feelings for me are childish."

Naruto's eyes widened. What Sasuke said had hurt. "Then what was last night?!" He shouted angrily, and Sasuke glared at him from atop the statue he was on. "You came over and kissed me for a long time! I fell asleep in your arms, and yet you say you never felt a thing?! We have a bond, Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't say anything, and Naruto just waited.

"Even if I had felt something, nothing would change. I'm still going to sever that bond, and break those ties that bind me to you. I'll do so by killing you. You, Naruto, my best friend."

They collided, fighting and fighting for a long time, but in the end, Naruto had lost. He fell, unconscious and wounded.

However, Sasuke could not bring himself to end his best friend's life. It began to rain, and Sasuke collapsed to his knees above the blond, his slashed leaf headband falling to the ground as he found himself face to face with his best friend.

Staring into Naruto's closed eyelids, Sasuke slowly leaned down and gently brushed his lips against the younger boy's for the last time, kissing him upside down.

"I lied," he whispered when he pulled away. "I do feel something for you. But it would be for the best now if you forgot about me and moved on. Our dreams lie at the ends of very different paths. We must go our separate ways from this point on."

Sasuke sighed out. "Goodbye, Naruto," he said, tapping the blond's forehead with his fingers before standing up, looking at his friend one last time.

And then he left, in search of Orochimaru to be able to gain the power needed to bring Itachi down.

When Naruto came to, he was being carried back to the village on Kakashi's back. He asked about Sasuke, and the copy ninja didn't have an answer for him that was a good one. He did, however, give Naruto Sasuke's headband.

Naruto then was in the hospital, and learned that he had to leave for three years to train with Jiraiya due to the Akatsuki wanting him for the Nine-Tails. He also needed to get strong enough to get Sasuke back before Orochimaru stole his body.

Jiraiya told Naruto to give up on Sasuke, but he refused to. He couldn't give up on him.

And not much later, they left.

—

Orochimaru smiled wickedly in the darkness, so much so that it could be considered menacing. Sasuke stood beside Kabuto, waiting.

"I'm delighted that you have come, Sasuke…" The snakelike man said lowly, hissing slightly, and Sasuke nearly gave a shiver at his tone of voice. "I see that you have been fighting…" Sasuke gave a slight nod at this and Orochimaru's eyes moved to Kabuto. "Take the boy to bathe, but first get ready some new clothes for him."

Kabuto pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and back into place. "Very well," he uttered, turning and leaving the room. Sasuke found himself looking around the dark room which was illuminated only by candlelight.

His mind fell back to Naruto, and he frowned, sighing.

"I need to get as strong as possible to be able to kill my brother…" He murmured, eyes on the ground now. "I need to exact my revenge. I need to kill him and avenge my clan."

'Perhaps then, I'll be able to come back to you…'

"Ah, yes… Itachi Uchiha…" Orochimaru said thoughtfully. "Yes… I can assist you… I can give you all the power you need to kill him… but I need something from you in return later on…"

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, and Orochimaru could only grin.

"You'll find out in due time…"

Before Sasuke could have time to really wonder what he meant, Kabuto returned. "Everything's ready for you to take a bath, Sasuke," he uttered quietly, and quickly ushered Sasuke away.

Later that night, Sasuke lay awake, feeling tired but unable to sleep. His mind wouldn't leave Naruto, and that night, he barely slept at all.

—

I'm definitely not happy with the word count, but writer's block is a bitch and so this was the best I could do ;-; I hope you liked it ♡