Invictus
By: fruor

Summary: Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Angst

Pairings: SasuNaru, KakaIru

Disclaimer: Naruto is created by Masashi Kishimoto and owns it damn well.

Note: Inspired by William Ernest Henley's Invictus. I'll put the poem in the end. And if my memory is functioning properly, Invictus means Unconquerable. Shounen-ai. SasuNaru. Enjoy.

Prologue

When Sakura came out of the forest, the first thing she saw was Uchiha Sasuke, standing on top of one of the statues at the Valley of the End. She paused, looking with a mix of worry, desperation and relief at him. It had been four years since she last saw the Uchiha and despite the fact that her childhood crush on him had long since developed into something completely platonic, she couldn't help but feel that jolt on her chest that made her breathing rapid and hard. She shook her head furiously and raced towards Sasuke. After all, her worrying was nothing compared to Naruto's. He was the one tracked the Uchiha down. He was the one who worked hard to find him. He was—

"Naruto?" Sakura's voice cracked through the silence, fear taking her mind. "NARUTO!"

Sasuke remained motionless. His eyes and concentration laid at the hitai-ate on his feet. His wounds were forgotten and whatever pain he has was now numb. With a shaking hand, he crouched down and took the metal band, fingering the symbol of Konoha carved on it.

"Sasuke? Sasuke! SASUKE!" The Uchiha turned his head to the voice. His vision was fuzzy. The pink hair and bright green eyes were the only things that made him recognize Sakura. As his eyes regained focus, he noticed the group of four Konoha shinobi emerging from the forest: ANBU.

"Sasuke, where's Naruto?" He felt a hesitating hand tap his chest. He looked at Sakura's eyes. How was he supposed to tell Sakura anything when he himself could not believe what happened?

Sakura noticed Sasuke's mouth open. She knew that those charcoal eyes, despite meeting her eyes, were seeing something completely different. What exactly had happened between Sasuke and Naruto?

As the ANBU approached the two of them, Sakura felt the air around her grow heavy and bland. Eyebrows furrowed in worry and heart pounding, she saw something she never expected in her whole life: Sasuke, eyes closed and lips sealed in a solemn frown, had admitted defeat in his silence.

Ah, a prologue with the two of my most hated characters in Naruto: Sakura (because she's an idiot for fighting such an important friend like Ino over Sasuke) and Sasuke (because he's a bastard). And I made a prologue! (gasp)

BTW, it's SasuNaru so don't you go saying that it's going SasuSaku (I'd die). I happen to like LeeSaku so there's no chance of ever having any other pairing with Sakura other than Lee.

- - -

INVICTUS
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud,
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

- - -

Now, all of you be kind people and FEED ME reviews.