Potential

By: Karasu Kyra

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

-o-o-o-

Why is he so obsessed with him? Sai thought as he stared at the shinobi everyone sought after, even the one of the great Sennin.

Sai watched closely as Sasuke Uchiha jumped from atop the ledge to land near Naruto Uzamaki, the two having a quiet conversation. Everyone wanted a piece of the great Sasuke Uchiha, even Orochimaru of the three Sennin. And here this man -- No, he's just a boy -- gives his utter attention to this complete misfit., the boy nobody wanted. But then, Sai thought, isn't that just perfect?

Of course it is, he decided. For the boy who was the center of everyone's attention to have a cult of personality with the boy whom got no one's attention made perfect sense. Though, Sai doubted, no one else seems to realize.

-o-o-o-

The potential of this boy. That is why Orochimaru got him, that is why Tsunade wanted him, and that is why Naruto loved him. He was the one who paid attention. And for one as revered as the great Sasuke Uchiha, the last of the beloved clan, to notice him of all people, well...

Naruto grew angry when Sasuke left the village, when his attention left him, when his affections left him. The Uchiha had told him that he severed his ties, and now he was going to kill the blonde on a whim. Naruto could almost laugh at the irony as he remembered when the Uchiha had told him that he was his closest friend.

Could you kill your closest friend on a whim?

-o-o-o-

Sakura stared at the boy whom she used to love. He was her world. His praise mattered and none else. Not her teachers, her parents, her friends. She'd given up her closest friend for this boy. Only for him to leave her, never aknowledge her.

Her blood boiled just thinking of his treatment of her once she wasn't looking through love stained eyes. She wished to kill him. And then, because of him she knew she couldn't. Someone of his league hadn't noticed her but Naruto, and for Naruto to have unintentionally broken one of his promises to her, well that just told her of the dangerously frightening power of Sasuke Uchiha.

-o-o-o-

Sasuke stared at the boy of which he had proclaimed his closest friend. His insides churned at just thinking the notion of killing him. But he needed power, and to gain it he would need to take the life of him, the one whom he loves.

The one who showed him the power of friendship, teamwork, and most of all love. The one who loved him, for him. Not for the name Uchiha, the looks, the money. He loved Sasuke for all his faults and strengths, Sasuke knew.

And Sasuke loved Naruto also. Loved so much that he couldn't kill him the first time, and now was standing in the exact same position as at the Valley of the End, and had just professed that he was going to kill him on just a whim. His stomach rolled, and his vision wavered for just a moment. How had Itachi killed Shisui, his closest friend? How had he felt as he covered up the murder of his best friend in which the man himself was the murderer?

For a moment his resolve wavered. To kill Itachi, at this moment in time seemed completely irrelevant to the fact of what he had to do to obtain the power to do so. To kill Naruto Uzamaki, his closest friend, only lover and love took precedence to anything else.

The blade slipped from his fingers.

He couldn't do it.

Instead...he embraced the feeling he could not when he had the chance.

He had expected the slap stinging his cheek at the moment and reveled in it.

He reveled in the fact also, that he could make Naruto's mouth betray him and the blonde's feeling become known.

"I love you."

"I love you...too."

-o-o-o-

AN: This is open to interpretation. In fact, I'd really like to know how you took it. Please review. It would mean a very lot to me, because this fic does.