Category: Naruto

Genre: Friendship / Hurt/Comfort

Characters: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto

Pairing(s): Implied, vague, NaruSasu.

Rating: T

Summary: ONE-SHOT The chapters that touched everyone's heart, chapters 306 – 310 cover the emotional reunion of Naruto and Sasuke. See the chapters through Naruto's eyes. Implied NaruSasu. R&R!

Warning/Note: This chapter is written from Naruto's point of view. Anything that was not canon in the story is purely my perspective and my opinions. If you do not agree with my interpretations, please do not flame! Thank you.

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The Bonds We Severed

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He looks so beautiful, like a god on Earth. Why Sasuke, why?

"…Sasuke…"

He stares down with impassive eyes. His body holds no tension, unlike my rigid one.

"…Sasuke…kun."

The air around Naruto seems to freeze and chills run up and down his body. Jolts of electricity making his body erect. With dilating eyes that held a passion behind them, he sprints towards Sakura, stumbling a bit on the way.

'I can't lose! Run you stupid legs, run!' Naruto screams to himself. And then his eyes set on a dark, shadowy silhouette. Naruto stares at him.

"And now Naruto…So you came too." That was a statement, not a question. He looked down at us in serenity, peaceful contemplation. No emotions betrayed his face. It's like he doesn't know us! What happened, what happened to that bond between us?

"Does that mean Kakashi is here as well?" Sasuke says. I hear footsteps behind me; I see Sasuke's eyes look past me to the figure coming near. Then, for a brief, almost nonexistent moment, I see a look of surprise on his face as Yamato steps forward.

"Unfortunately, Kakashi-san couldn't be here, but I'm here to fill his place. We, team Kakashi, are going to take you back to Konoha." It's no longer team Kakashi; it's not Team 7 anymore. Sasuke, does this sadden you? Sasuke says nothing, seeming not to take Yamato seriously.

"Team Kakashi, huh…" Sai takes out his weapon; a determined look graced his face. Sakura jumps at Sai's sudden movement, but I am still walking the line between illusion and reality.

"Sai! I knew it!" she yells, raising her fist to attack. At that moment, my body decides it's time to face reality. I think on impulse, turning to face Sai.

"So he's filling in for me then, is he? He was sprouting some kind of nonsense about protecting the bonds between Naruto and me. One more pansy for the group, quiet the fit I'm sure." One of Sasuke's eyebrows is furrowed. Are you angry, Sasuke?

"Huh?" Sakura looks as confused as I do. My mouth is hanging open, still trying to piece together a giant puzzle, the puzzle of our lives. Four lives now intertwined in an intricate puzzle, each piece fitting together perfectly. It's just a matter of figuring out which pieces go where.

"…It is true. My top-secret mission was indeed the assassination of Sasuke…But those orders don't matter anymore. Now I want to think and act for myself. Because of Naruto-kun, I feel like I might be able to remember something…Remember how I used to feel. Something which, I can't help but feeling, was very important to me." Pride swells within me. Thank you, Sai. Protecting those bonds…it is the thing that is most precious to me.

Sai finishes, looking up at Sasuke with a hope in his eyes that he has somehow- miraculously- reached Sasuke. It's the same look I had in my eyes for a long time. I glance at Sasuke's face high above. It is one of deep contemplation. His eyes drop and his eyelids droop. The corners of his mouth are set in a very straight line, maybe even curved downwards towards the ends. His eyebrows are slightly furrowed at the edges, those perfect eyebrows. Sasuke, are you sad? Do you feel regret? I keep staring hoping that maybe if I look hard enough, Sasuke will look at me. At me.

"I may not know you all that well…But there's a reason why Naruto-kun and Sakura-san chase after you with so much passion. In order to prevent the bonds with you from breaking…in order to keep them intact, they're doing everything they can…I still don't have a very good understanding of it myself. But you, Sasuke-kun, you should know why." I stare at him with a great amount of respect and bafflement. Sakura is doing the same.We all wonder whose side was Sai's puzzle piece on.

Sasuke once again stares down at us with a bored expression- like he's already heard this so many times, thought of it so many times. Do you think of it, Sasuke? Do you want to protect those bonds, the moments we shared, Sasuke? Moments, shy, awkward moments, pass before Sasuke finally speaks. His voice was like a thunderbolt waking us up from a hopeless dream.

"Sure, I did know. That's why I severed them." I stare up at Sasuke with shaken eyes and a quivering mouth. Though I knew it already, it still hurt to actually hear them, especially from Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke, why the bonds? Aren't they special, Sasuke? I say his name over and over again in my head. I love the way it rolls of my tongue, whether sad or happy, angry or depressed. Sakura looks hurt, like a wound in her heart is now bleeding. "I have other bonds that I carry…" that are more important to me, I add to his unfinished sentence. Anger boils inside of me. Other bonds that is more precious than the ones we shared? Did it mean nothing to you, Sasuke?

I can feel the dark overcast glooming over us today. It strengthens Sasuke's hate, Sasuke's sadness. "Fraternal bonds, forged through hate…All my other bonds cause me to lose focus, and weakened my strongest wish, my greatest desire." He says each word with exact accuracy, pronouncing every syllable with caution. Sasuke chooses his words with carefulness and delicacy unlike before where everything was about competition. What has happened since then, Sasuke? He speaks as though not wanting to anger someone or cause drama. Sasuke is different…and the same.

And in the back of my mind, I replay a scene that has haunted and fascinated me all these years.

"You never had parents; you never had a brother…so what would you know about me anyway? So why the hell would you know what I've been through? Huh?" Sasuke screams. "It's because of the bonds I had that I've suffered! The loss of those bonds is something you can never understand…" Hate is edged in Sasuke's voice. Naruto struggles to find the right words, body shaking with each other that staggers out of his mouth.

"A true parent, or a true brother, like you say, is things I can't understand…"

"…If that's true…" I clench my teeth in disbelief, in anger, in an unexplainable emotion.

"Why…why do you go so far, just for me?

Sasuke gives me a questioning look as if probing me to continue.

"Because to me…you represent bonds I've waited for so long to make." Naruto stares in the sky with clear, sad eyes. Ones full of hope that wraps around years of pain. "That's why I'm going to stop you from going!"

"If that's true, then why…" I can feel myself losing control, something I fought so hard to prevent. I close my eyes to prevent hot tears from pouring down my face.

"In that case, I only need to sever those bonds!"

"Why did you kill me back then? Is that what you call severing bonds, Sasuke?" I scream, rage overcoming me. Rage…rage mixed countless of hours over mourning for you, Sasuke. Rage mixed with despair that this is all that we shall become. Is this what you want Sasuke? Do you call leaving me to live in agony severing your bonds with me? I feel a desperate need inside of me, one that wants to be needed by Sasuke. Why couldn't you just kill me then Sasuke? I would have been happy then! Dying to protect you! But now you leave me to live, chasing after your shadow?

"Naruto…" Sakura calls, but I can barely hear her voice. My vision is whitening until I only see Sasuke, hear only Sasuke's voice.

"The reason is simple…as it isn't that I wasn't able to sever my bonds with you…" Sasuke closes his eyes as if recalling a past event. I wonder what it is. "I simply didn't want to give him the pleasure…of seeing me attain power by submitting to his plans." My world goes black- black and white- where Sasuke and I are the main characters, the only characters. Everything evolves around us as we drift further and further apart. My heart screams for Sasuke's return, but it is a useless call.

"What do you mean by that?"

"There is no need for me to tell you…" I want to say that I deserve to know. It concerns me; it's my right! But we are Shinobis; we don't play by those rules.

"Still, the one thing I can say to you is that back then…I chose to spare your life at nothing more than a whim of mine." I violent forced buried inside of me flows out now as my body freezes into a mere statue. My mind is empty of thoughts, concealed in the back of my mind. And then I feel my body react before my mind can catch up.

Sasuke is besides me now, one arm gently draped over my shoulder. The lightest touch sends tidal waves to my heart. I recognize Sasuke's chakra as soon as it's near, overwhelming, deadly, and silent, but I also notice immediately the change. Now it is even greater, god-like. It is calm but does not loose its powerful force; it is full of simplicity now, no longer raging like before. His chakra signals that he no longer feels the need to compete; only to use enough chakra to be strong enough to do what he must. He has set his mind to one goal, and it's to kill Itachi. I envy you, Sasuke. You know what it is you want, and I don't. It seems like I am so stuck running to catch up to you that my first goal is seeping through my hands, drifting further and farther away. It's ironic how two completely opposite things can come together and make perfect sense. Sasuke is lost but on a path, and I am on a path but getting more and more lost.

"Come to think of it, isn't becoming Hokage one of your dreams? If you have the time to chase me around, you would have been better of training. Don't you think, Naruto?" he whispers into my ear. I can hear the underlying message though. It says why don't you just forget about me? And I respond back saying, because I can't, Sasuke. "And that's why this time…You're going to end up losing your life, all at a whim of mine."

Shock overcomes me. Would you really kill me, Sasuke? He pulls his blade out and I know the answer. But I will not die before I save Sasuke. That is my last 'dying' wish. "Like there's any chance someone who can't save a friend could become Hokage, don't you think, Sasuke?" He responds only with a 'humph'.

Sasuke draws his blade with no hesitation and pain bites my heart. I will not die, Sasuke, before reminding you of those bonds. I stand my ground, ready to feel the katana pierce my body but nothing comes. I look over towards Sasuke, hoping that maybe he remembers the importance of those bonds. But, I am sadly disappointed. Sai has stopped Sasuke's blade.

"You're choice of defense, quite correct," Sasuke says. Is this what this is to you Sasuke? Nothing more than a hurdle standing before the finish line? I can sense the change in him. He doesn't put innocent people's lives in danger, only those that stands in his way. I can sense that. He does not annoy people, like always, in any way. At least not intentionally. He does what needs to be done to accomplish the mission, the goal. Again, I am envious. He is the perfect definition of a Shinobi, but the opposite at the same time. Once again, it is ironic how I, the hero, am the one who is completely lost when Sasuke, the lost soul, has his feet planted firmly in the ground. Two completely opposite ideas make perfect sense.

Quickly, he flips me over, closing his eyes as Yamato attacks. As I fall to the ground, I see red eyes open forth. It scares me. They no longer look like a usable tool, but as a bloodthirsty, raving killer. Is this how the enemy feels when looking into the Sharingan moments before their death? Yamato extends wood from his palm. Suddenly, Sasuke's chakra has changed. I feel is surging from within, pouring into every fiber of his body…and then into mine. It's the oddest sensation. I feel the hairs on my body stand up as electricity floods through me.

"Gwah!" I scream before hitting the ground. Everything goes black, but not before I see Sasuke's face. I swear he wore an almost pitiful look before I closed my eyes to soften the impact. And then…

I can hear a demonic voice ringing inside of my head. It echoes, making everything seem scarier. "This is your chance Naruto," it calls to me. I feel the same destructive flow of chakra enter my body as before. The chakra of the Kyuubi. I crack open my eyes, barely, to see Yamato pinned against a rock, Sasuke's blade to his chest. Sakura is behind him, looking stunned and Sai is on the ground close besides me. Sasuke, will you really kill them? The voice comes back, ringing.

"Show him…make him see how our powers are not to be trifled with," the Kyuubi says. The chakra, clear as steam, rises before me, but I do not reach towards it. I will not give into you, Kyuubi. I tell myself.

"What's wrong? Why the hesitation?" The chakra steam before me, ominous is the first word that comes to mind. "You need my power right? Well then…Who do you want to kill…?" The Kyuubi appears before me, but he holds nothing against Sasuke's devastating chakra.

"Your face…I don't want to see it anymore!" I tell him, but he persists.

"Why is it you grow fearful?"

"Shut up, I don't need your power anymore." You need me.

"Heh…heh. Ghahahaha…" he laughs, showing his cracked and terrible fangs. "And just who was it that up until now came shouting "Lend me your power" every time something came up? You should know quite well you can't do a single thing without me. Remove this seal once and for all! If you do, then I'll entrust you all of my power." I put my hand to his face.

"Get lost," I tell the Kyuubi. Disgust is written all over my face.

"You’re…" he says. I look into his eyes, seeing it change into something almost fearful. Instead of my own hand to the Kyuubi's nose, I see Sasuke's. What? I nearly jump in surprise. "Ah, so you're one of the Uchiha…allow me to congratulate you on making it this far…"

"Why are you here?" I ask Sasuke, venom pouring from my voice despite my true emotions. As much as I hated to admit it, this was my space, my chance to intimidate the Kyuubi.

"Now I am able to see…" His voice is as hard as a rock and his glares towards the Kyuubi as icy as the feeling deep in my heart. "So this was your secret power then. Hard to believe, that something like this existed inside of you…"

I want to scream No! No! My power is my own! I earned my strength! This thing is not apart of me! But my voice remains unheard.

"Impressive that you've become able to see me, here inside Naruto. Such would be the power of that accursed Sharingan…and your forsaken ancestry." Confusion overtook me and I looked to Sasuke for an answer.

"Well it would appear this isn't the first time you've gazed into eyes such as these. Which would make you…the Kyuubi, no doubt?" Sasuke's face was one I had never seen before, a combination of fascination and hesitation. Sasuke knows of the Kyuubi?

"Eyes with such power and chakra even more sinister than my own…Not at all unlike what I once saw in a certain Uchiha Madara." I supposed my face wore a look of pain since that was what I felt on the insides. Sasuke must have felt something, for an angry, impatient look washes over him. His eyes focused and his hand moved slightly. Before I knew it, a gust of wind so foul smelling I wanted to gag threw me back. Sasuke…has suppressed the Kyuubi? How?

"And you expect me to know that person why now?"

"Unbelievable to think you'd even be able to suppress mypower…I may not see you again, but I warn you, don't kill Naruto…" I was surprised to say the least. Why would the Kyuubi say that? Wouldn't he want me dead to be free? "…you'll end up regretting it…" was the Kyuubi's last words. Sasuke said nothing.

And then sunlight, bright, white light, greets me as I open my eyes, pushing my aching body off the ground. I groan, clutching my sides. "Guh…" I moan before I hear Sasuke's katana ripping from Yamato's flesh. Sasuke then jumps back, out of my view. I see that Sai has also awoken. Despite the quivering, I call to Sasuke.

"Sasuke…" He gives me a sad look. Don't look at me like that, Sasuke. Please, please don't look at me like that, Sasuke. I feel a tremble shake my core as my body responds to the shaking. My whole body goes into a violent spasm as I yell to Sasuke. "Why don't you get it? Your body's going to be stolen by Orochimaru anytime now!" I scream with a deep passion. Underneath the words, I was pleading with Sasuke. Don't leave me Sasuke! Please come back to us, to me! We can be Team 7 once again! Please, Sasuke! For a moment, Sasuke looked taken aback, but it was gone in an instant.

"If that happens…then it happens." I assume I expected that, but Sasuke's tone somehow infuriates me. Why don't you understand? Don’t you care about yourself at all, Sasuke? I want to shout. "You're still quite the kid, Naruto. Revenge means everything to me, as long as I can have my revenge, I could care less what happens to me or the whole world for that matter. Let me make it clear for you, for both me and Orochimaru right now, killing Itachi would be impossible…" he pauses for a second before continuing. "But if I am able to accomplish my goals, through nothing more than offering Orochimaru this body of mine, then he can have my life, and my afterlife for that matter."

My heart throbbs with unexplainable ache. Sasuke…I could think of nothing else but his name after that. Because the name Sasuke is tied with so many bonds that even for him, it would be impossible to sever them all. And I feel, though he denies it, that the bond between Sasuke and I, me and Sasuke, would be the hardest to sever. Because no matter if the string is mangled and dirty, ripped and tangled, I will always connect myself to Sasuke. Our bond is made out of the thickest string, one that has suffered through all in life and yet remains intact. Sasuke, you shall never sever our bonds. I will chase you to the afterlife and beyond. You can be sure of that.

"That's enough talk," I hear Yamato say. "Naruto and Sakura, with you two here, I had hoped not to have to resort to any of my cruder methods, but unfortunately, it's time to end this." Yamato's voice is serious, and though I knew deep within me Yamato couldn't hurt Sasuke because I wouldn't allow it, I feared for Sasuke. What is he going to do?

"Captain Yamato!" Sakura exclaims, clearly as anxious as I am.

"Konoha indeed, I am through with you," Sasuke says as he forms seals with his hands. As he lifts his right hand into the air to execute his final attack, another hand, the hand of Orochimaru, holds his down.

"Now, now, there's no need to use that jutsu, Sasuke-kun," he slithers. Orochimaru! And then my eyes shifted to the slimy hand that rested upon Sasuke's. Get your hands off him bastard! He is not yours! Not surprisingly, Sasuke disregards any respect for Orochimaru.

"Remove your hand." Orochimaru says nothing, only wore a coy smile. One that aggravates me as much as it must have annoyed Sasuke.

"There you go again, forgetting exactly who it is you're talking to…" Kabuto said. I jump back with surprise. When did Kabuto escape?

"I have no reason to stop," Sasuke simple states. Their faces are blurred by the setting sun that casts a red glow over all of us now.

"You know quiet well that Akatsuki is up to. We want to have our guests here from Konoha take care of as many of them as possible. Even just one would be fine," Kabuto remarks. Akatsuki? What do they have against the Akatsuki? "If the other Akatsuki members get in your way, your plans for revenge could hit a snag, correct?"

"…that's quite the pathetic excuse," Sasuke retorts. I strain my ears to listen closer.

"But surely you'd allow it if it meant increasing the chances of your revenge succeeding by even 1 percent, right?" Kabuto's voice is cocky, but with the same elegance as when Sasuke says it. Orochimaru lets go of Sasuke's hand before parting us.

"Time we leave, my darlings," he says. I shiver at his voice. It's slimy and insinuating. I look up at Sasuke, daring him to leave. Will you really leave, Sasuke? Will you really throw away everything once again to pursue a destructive dream? I already know the answer, but I refuse to believe it. I can't believe it. Sasuke and I stare at each other. His eyes holds malice though it fades before I could analyze it. Don't leave, Sasuke! Don't leave!

But disappointment- no depression- overcomes me once again as I see Sasuke disappear into a puff of smoke. Just like that, he's gone…I couldn't stop him. I failed, I failed again. I'm a failure. I stare at the space where Sasuke had once stood. Sasuke, come back. I goad the space, praying that Sasuke's figure, Sasuke's face, will once again come into view. But it doesn't, and this time, I fall sadly to my knees.

Hot tears tickle the edges of my eyes as my lips quiver. I bite down on them, trying to stop the shaking, but I only draw blood. I couldn't stop him…again. I hug my chest with my trembling arms. Burying my face into my body, I try to shrink from the world. Icy tears line the rims of my eyes, a few escaping to contrast my flushed face. I'm so…

Weak.

My world seems to collapse onto my shoulders. I can feel myself getting smaller and smaller and the dark space around me continues to grow, larger and large it grows. The emptiness of this void that I can not escape is driving me crazy. My thoughts haunt me, repeating my words. I'm so weak. I couldn't bring him back. Sasuke is gone! And before I know it, I am breaking down into loud sobs and vicious tremors. I can't control my body as my heart is telling me to cry. Faintly, I hear Sakura's sad, sad voice over my rapid breathing and my heaving chest.

"You know…crying isn't going to bring Sasuke-kun back!" she says. But I can hear her crying too. I can feel them as shivers sweep over me. "I'm here too! We'll get stronger, together!" I pull my pulsating hands away from my chest and close my eyes as I sooth my tears. I smile though no one could see. I smile half heartedly; half of me believes her and the other half is too grief stricken to expect anything. Sasuke isn't going to come back by will. Not unless I can save him. But can I? Sakura is telling me I can, but I feel doubt plaguing my thoughts. What if I can't get strong enough? What if I'm just not enough?

"There's almost another half year left and three's better than two, obviously. Besides, I'm pretty strong myself, you know." I can tell Sai is smiling. I can always tell when someone is smiling, even when I'm not. I listen to Sai's encouragement and the old me, the real me, comes back. Crying isn't what will bring Sasuke back. I need to work harder. I'll prove myself to Sasuke; I'll bring him back. I reassured myself. Letting one last tear drop from my face, I take a deep breath and wipe away the sadness. I'm wiping it all away. Half a year to bring Sasuke back, half a year to keep the threads connected.

I allow myself a moment to gather my fragmented thoughts. We have half a year to retrieve Sasuke from Orochimaru's grip and half a year to stop the Akatsuki from chasing after me. I have half a year to improve myself. I have half a year to put together the pieces of this puzzle. I have half a year to keep the bonds Sasuke severed tied. I have half a year to fix the bonds we severed.

"Heh…thanks guys," I yell, gathering myself up before removing the talons that gripped my heart. It looks like we still have a lot of work to do. Wait for me, Sasuke!

End

.N A R U T O C H A P T E R 3 0 6 – 3 1 0.

Credits:

Translations/Translators: ShannaroNMT & Shannaro.

Direct translations taken from: onemanga (dot) com

References: Naruto chapters 306 – 310

Thank you all so much for reading! I really appreciate you all for sticking through this shaky ONE-SHOT as I tried to interpret Naruto chapters 306 – 310 from Naruto's point of view. I'm not sure if I did the chapters justice, but I sure appreciate good reviews! Feel free to write constructive criticism, but no flames! Thank you! Please review!

-Kristine X3-

7. 13. 07.