Sasuke wondered just where he went wrong as his eyes trailed after Naruto's figure. He remembers coming back peacefully after the war, too tired to fight back. His knees had hit the ground in front of Tsunade and Naruto was there in a heartbeat, bags under his eyes and protective words flying from his lips. The dobe was exhausted and he still fought for him, still fought for Sasuke's pathetic life.

Sasuke hates himself whenever he sees how fake Naruto's smile is.

Sasuke walked along side Sakura, his mind on a whole other level. Sakura was rattling on about how Rock Lee had sent her flowers and asked her to dinner. Black eyes followed Naruto until Sasuke couldn't see his sun anymore. A pain shot through his head as Sakura landed a blow on it and looked back to see what he was staring at.

He hates the way Sakura's eyes soften whenever she notices him staring at Naruto.

Once he walked into the Uchiha Estate, Sasuke felt like he could still feel the screams of those left to suffer. He wanted those haunting memories to leave. Wanted them to vanish. He unlocked his front door and slipped off his shoes silently, a quiet 'I'm home' passing from his smooth lips.

'Welcome home.' is all he wants to hear. He wouldn't mind an ounce if that hello came from a once-obnoxious blond.

Sasuke sat in silence, his eyes tracing the faded stains of his relatives. He could feel his heart twist painfully in his chest and he shut his eyes in hopes the pain would pass. A rice ball was placed to his lips and he took a small bite. They weren't as good as his mothers, they never would be.

Sometimes Sasuke lays next to his mother's grave behind the house, staring at the sky, wishing she was still here.

Sakura woke him up the next morning, sneaking in through his window and instantly alerting him. Her chakra was familiar but Sasuke was still suspicious; after all, minds can quickly change. She ranted on and on about how her date with Rock Lee went.

He proposed to her with an emerald ring back in the spot where Sasuke fed Naruto some of his lunch once.

They picked flowers that rested in the garden near his grandparents' home. There were enough to send out twenty bouquets, enough people to spend the joyful moment with. Sasuke's fingers caressed a bright orange flower, unwilling to pick it. It was the only orange flower in the sea of pink, blue, yellow, and red.

Sasuke found the flower on one of his old missions, he brought it home and planted it in the middle of all the flowers.

Sakura secretly smiled as she watched Sasuke gently touch the flower before picking the pink flower next to it. She watched as Sasuke waited a few moments, his nimble fingers ready to snap the stem of the orange flower once again. Green eyes filled with despair as she watched Sasuke gently let go of the flower and dribble the rest of his water on it.

Sakura wished Sasuke would stop fearing he'd hurt the blond again.

Once all the bouquets were sent out, Sasuke sat between his parents' grave. He rested his head upon his mother's cold stone and shut his tired eyes. Sakura had left the moment TenTen took off with all the flowers. His fingers traced his mother's name and a single tear streaked down his flawless face.

He dreamed of his mother's bloodied face and how she looked at him with lifeless eyes. On most nights, Naruto would invade his dreams, a hole where his heart should be and his eyes as lifeless as Mikoto's.

Sasuke was walking through the village, Sakura wondering what she should buy Lee. Before he could even see him, Sasuke could feel Naruto's chakra. A small smile formed on his face as he thought of the blond ninja. He pointed to an old necklace, the jewel a bright orange. He asked Sakura if he should get it for Naruto. Sasuke had a plethora of things he's bought in thought of Naruto. He'd never give them to him, no. They were secrets that only Sakura knew about.

The only gift he'd ever allowed Naruto have, was the hourglass clock that used to be his mother's.

Once Sasuke felt Naruto's chakra signature disappear, the smile on his face slowly disappeared. Sakura shook her head no, but Sasuke went in anyways. By the time he reemerged, Naruto's chakra signature had faded and was no longer able to be felt. Sakura shook her head at the tiny box before a sad smile formed on her face.

She stopped asking Sasuke to give them to Naruto when she saw the shoe box in his closet.

A few hours passed before Sasuke and Sakura walked back to their shared apartment. A few people were waiting outside, passing around a bright orange bouquet and giving each other curious looks. Sasuke grabbed the bouquet from Shikamaru and found a purple card in the middle of said flowers. His lips twitched as he identified the chicken scratch as Naruto's. The frown that marred his flawless face was gone the moment Sakura touched his arm, silently asking to read the note.

'I'm glad you two are super happy, dattebayo! Baachan sent me on a mission so I can't make it. Party hard and eat some ramen for me! From, Naruto!'

Sasuke had this persistent feeling in his stomach. Almost like someone had stabbed him and was slowly tearing out his insides. The announcement had been made and Tsunade had finally showed up. Everyone was confused when she had angrily declared that, no, she did not send that baka on a mission. It was only when Kiba came in, drenched in sweat, did the feeling become so absolutely unbearable.

Kiba had only gotten out where Naruto's location was by the time Sasuke had taken off running from the house.

For the love of Kami, Sasuke wanted to scream even though his features were blank. He'd been running for so long, his limbs screeching in protest but he would not stop until he'd reached the dobe. A million thoughts were going through his head at that moment and his sharingan was working on overdrive. Naruto could beat Kabuto, of course, and Sasuke knew that in the back of his mind, but that feeling was gnawing at him like he was some rotting piece of meat.

He'd only had that feeling one other time. The day of the Uchiha Massacre.

He could feel Naruto's chakra. The way it ignited his bones and sent his feelings everywhere, but there was something terribly wrong. That chakra was not the blond's, it was too weak, too sickly. Sasuke refused to believe it, even when he burst through the clearing. Uncharacteristically, Sasuke tripped slightly, an unconscious whisper of Naruto falling from his lips. The blond lay face down on the ground, nearly lying on top of the lifeless body known as Kabuto's.

Sasuke's body moved on its own, just like the day when Haku threw the needles.

Onyx eyes held so much distress and pain as they watched familiar pale hands reveal that it was Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke refused to believe it, pulling Naruto into his arms and holding his face. Over and over, the blond man's name fell from trembling lips, begging him to please stay awake. Sasuke didn't want this to be real; he refused to accept that Naruto was dying.

He came back to reality when a cold hand was placed on his face and Naruto was staring into his eyes.

Attempting to stop Naruto from choking on his own blood, Sasuke lifted the other man's head and told him to stay awake. No matter what, stay awake. Sasuke could feel Tsunade's signature approaching and his heart began to race when Naruto's beautiful eyes were no longer able to be seen. Broken pleas lodged in his throat, but his fingers slowly caressed the dead man's cheeks. He quickly began to observe the other, hoping to find out just where the fatal wound was.

He could no longer feel the warm chakra signature that made his heart beat. A single tear fell down his cheek and onto Naruto's pale face.

Tsunade's frantic hands searched Naruto's body, hoping to find a way to bring him back. Hoping to find a way to stop the bleeding. Her hands worked miracles as they glowed over so many fatal wounds. Sakura appeared next, losing her shock in seconds and as a last ditch effort, shoving her hand into Naruto's chest and literally pumping his heart for him. She'd been in this same exact position before and like Hell would she allow him to die.

The dobe was finally gone. Sasuke's last bit of home was no longer in existence. His soul mate had disappeared.

Sakura was barely able to get Naruto's heart started and the moment that happened Sasuke had picked him up and began running to the nearest medical building. They were too far away from Konoha to run there, Sasuke wouldn't risk losing Naruto once again. Once they arrived, the employees recognized both the Hokage and Konoha's Hero, rushing to take the latter. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, Sasuke feeling like this was just a dream and at any moment he'd wake up.

The blood on his hands was all too real and the pain in his chest made him know this wasn't a nightmare like all the other times.

Naruto ripped the mask from his face, a raspy shout of Sasuke's name coming from his throat. Sasuke was to his side in seconds, running along the fast moving bed. Naruto's blunt fingernails dug into his shoulders; Sasuke didn't even notice. Sasuke tried to put the mask back on his beloved, the gasps coming from Naruto were too heartbreaking for everyone.

Sasuke's heart stopped the moment Naruto repeated the words 'I love you teme, I've loved you since the Valley of the End, you're a total bastard but please be happy, please, I love you, dattebayo.'

Naruto flat lined seconds after the mask was put back on his face. Nothing was able to bring him back. Sasuke wanted to go out and destroy, destroy, destroy. Wanted people to feel the way he felt, but that's not what Naruto would want. He'd always keep Naruto in his mind, in his every thought, he'd live for the blond man who lay dead on the bed; a man who still carried the scratched headband in his back pocket. Sasuke would be the man that Naruto knew him to be because that's what soul mates do. They inspire you to be the best that you can be.

Sasuke cleaned out Naruto's apartment, choosing to keep the hourglass clock.