Author's Note: Hi everybody! Here's my first one-shot. I've had the idea in my head for quite some time now, but only recently was able to finish it. I really hope you like it, especially since it has a poem in it too, and I don't really write poetry that often. Well, actually, I don't write poetry at all, but still… Anyway, please read and review!

Ready or not, let's begin!

Disclaimer: The Naruto series is not my creation, nor I ever claim otherwise. But, this plotline is mine, as well as the poem featured in it.

Meant to Be

Konoha High School was your typical high school at eight in the morning. As soon as the bell rang that signaled the start of the school day, students left the hallways in droves and filed into the large classrooms. Several remained chatting to one another as they took their seats to wait for their teacher to begin the day's lesson.

However in one history class, the teacher had yet to make an appearance. Many of the students didn't mind and were used to their teacher's frequent tardiness. They spent their time talking to each other, some louder than others.

Annoyed and waiting for class to begin, Sasuke Uchiha rolled his eyes, "Naruto, will you just shut up already?"

The other boy looked like he was going to argue, but instead he smiled. "Sure, Sasuke. Whatever you say..." Seated behind the Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki tore off a small piece of paper from his incomplete homework assignment. He grinned conspiratorially before popping it into his mouth, chewing it briefly, and taking a straw from his backpack. He put the straw to his mouth...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Sasuke warned him, not turning around as he took his history textbook out of his backpack.

The blond wasn't fazed. He took a quick breath before sending the spitball flying towards the back of the Uchiha's head. However, it didn't hit Sasuke. At that moment, the raven-haired boy had ducked. The spit-covered paper projectile flew forward, landing in bright pink hair.

"Uh-oh..." Naruto said, realizing what was going to happen to him.

The pink-haired girl felt the slight impact and ran her fingers through her hair. She removed the spitball, examining it. Once she realized what it was, she shrieked. "This is so gross!"

A peal of laughter erupted in the full classroom. The girl was anything but happy. Whirling around angrily, she left her desk and marched over to Naruto's.

"Hello, Sakura-chan! You're looking lovely today." Naruto said cheerfully, hoping the girl wouldn't go on the warpath. He wasn't so lucky; Sakura Haruno was far from placated by his words. She glared at the boy, holding out the spitball to him. "What's this, Naruto?"

Naruto looked away. "A spitball."

"Why did it land in my hair?" The girl demanded to know, her hostility clearly evident.

"I shot it." Naruto mumbled, scared. Unwisely, he tried to defend himself, "But I wasn't trying to hit you! I wanted to hit Sasuke!"

Since Sasuke was the girl's crush, this didn't help matters for Naruto. "Oh. Is that so?" Sakura cracked her knuckles...

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Twenty minutes later, Kakashi Hatake entered the room, expecting his students to be waiting patiently for him. "Sorry I'm late, but..." the man trailed off, looking at his students. Sakura had Naruto by the collar, shaking him and berating him about spitballs, hairstyles, and fighting with Sasuke. The blond boy looked dazed, as though his brain had been rattled a bit too hard against his skull.

The teacher scanned the room. All the other students were either talking amongst themselves or watching as Sakura throttled Naruto. The only one who was silent was Sasuke. An irritated look graced his features as he looked at the silver-haired man. "What took you so long?"

"I was helping an old lady on the side of the road whose car broke down," Kakashi replied smoothly. Having heard this excuse before, Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Ignoring the boy's typical gesture, Kakashi cleared his throat. "Sakura," he called. "What are you doing?"

At this, Sakura turned around, finally noticing the man's presence. She let Naruto go and the boy slumped in his seat, dizzy and regretting ever thinking about using spitballs. Sakura smoothed out her grey uniform skirt and smiled. "Nothing, sensei. I was just saying hello to Naruto." The girl looked at Naruto. "Isn't that right, Naruto?" She asked him, her cheery tone hiding her agree-with-me-or-else glare.

Afraid, Naruto just nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure."

With that, Sakura returned to her seat in front of Sasuke, being sure to flash a flirty smile at him on the way. As usual, Sasuke ignored her.

"All right, since that's been settled, we can begin with the attendance." Kakashi said, not at all fazed by Sakura's treatment of Naruto. Knowing Naruto's tendency to behave without thinking and Sakura's short temper, it wasn't difficult for him to guess what had happened.

Kakashi opened a folder on his desk, reading off the names of all the students in his class to take the attendance for the day. Meanwhile, Naruto was grumbling to himself. Damn Sasuke... He's always getting me into trouble with Sakura-chan.

Lost in his grumbling, he failed to notice Kakashi calling him. "Naruto Uzumaki... Naruto, if you don't respond in two seconds, you won't get any credit for showing up on time." Kakashi warned him.

"But Kakashi-sensei, if you already know I'm here, then why don't you just mark me as being here?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi sighed. "It's because you don't listen, Naruto. I'm checking to see if you're paying attention instead of daydreaming." He explained. "Besides, all teachers need to ask the students to confirm their attendance."

"OK." Naruto said, standing up. He took a deep breath, "I, Naruto Uzumaki, do hereby officially state that I am on time for school today." He declared proudly. Around the room, a few students laughed, liking his pseudo-dramatic act.

"Thank you, Naruto. Was that really so much to ask for?" Kakashi said, amused, before resuming the attendance. Once he finished, he put the attendance folder away, ready to begin the day's history lesson. "Now, let's continue. Turn to page one hundred nineteen in your textbooks please..."

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Later That Day...

After lunch, Sasuke was putting his books away in his locker before his next class started; PE. Sasuke didn't mind carrying around the books, but knew he didn't have use for them, so why not put them away? Just as he was about to close his locker and leave, he felt someone's presence nearby and scowled. "What do you want, dobe?"

Next to him, Naruto frowned, leaning against the lockers near Sasuke. "How did you know it was me?"

"I have a sixth sense that allows me to detect the presence of idiots." Sasuke replied dryly. Eyes narrowed, he looked at the other boy. "What do you want, Naruto?"

To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto looked sheepish before replying. "I need a favor, Sasuke."

"No."

Naruto gasped, "But you don't even know what I'm going to ask you!"

"Something stupid, I'm sure."

"It's not stupid, you bastard!" He exclaimed before calmly explaining the favor, "I just needed to borrow your science textbook. I left mine at home and if I don't have it, Anko-sensei will give me a month's worth of detention."

"That's your problem, not mine." Sasuke said dismissively.

"Please, Sasuke!" Naruto begged, grabbing the other boy's shoulders. "I can't ask anyone else because they all have science next. You don't have it until after PE. I swear I'll take good care of your book!"

"Don't beg, Naruto. It just makes you look pathetic."

"I'll stop begging if you loan me your book. Please, please, please, Sasuke!" Naruto's blue eyes were wide and pleading, his fingers digging into Sasuke, revealing his desperation in getting that book.

Sasuke sighed. "Fine, just get off of me."

A big smile appeared on Naruto's face. "Thank you, Sasuke! You're the best." Before Sasuke could say anything, Naruto hugged him tightly.

"Damn it, Naruto! Get off!" Sasuke ordered him, a pink tinge on his cheeks as he pushed him away. Sasuke quickly turned away, grabbing his book
from the locker and slamming it shut. He gave the science book to Naruto, practically shoving into his hands. "Here, take it and don't ruin it!"

With that, Sasuke strode away to his next class, hoping the warmth on his cheeks wasn't visible to anyone and not even sure why it was there at all.

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That Evening...

At home, Sasuke yawned, putting away his notebook after mentally checking off yet another finished task. He was almost finished with his homework and needed only one more assignment to complete. Sasuke dug through his backpack and removed his science textbook. He studied the outside of the book carefully, making sure Naruto hadn't ruined it. Sasuke was relieved; the cover was as flawless as ever.

After settling on his bed, Sasuke opened the book on his lap, reading about the structure and function of birds' wings in flight. It wasn't particularly difficult to understand for him, but then again, nothing really was. The Uchiha had perfect grades in all classes and always had since he had begun school when he was little. Even as a small child, Sasuke had shown academic excellence. As he got older, he still showed that same talent. Perhaps it was a family trait. Sasuke's older brother, Itachi, also had marvelous grades and had graduated at the top of his class.

Just as Sasuke was reading about the unique hollow bones of birds capable of flight, something on the page caught his eye. Beneath the all the key terms were underlines. His annoyance increased as he saw notes scribbled into the margins written in pencil in a familiar handwriting and realized that Naruto had written inside his book.

Mentally cursing at himself for being stupid enough to help Naruto, Sasuke grabbed an eraser and doggedly began to erase all the stray marks and words. As the eraser faded the print, Sasuke couldn't help but think this was a typical Naruto thing. The blond always did stuff like this and had for as long as Sasuke could remember. In fact, that's how they had met each other.

In kindergarten, five-year-old Sasuke had a picture book that he was reading. He was sitting alone when suddenly a blond boy had approached, wanting to see it. Being very shy and surprised, Sasuke handed it over, not noticing the crayons that the other little boy had. Before long, the blond had begun coloring the inside of the book, saying he didn't like the original pictures as well as introducing himself. Sasuke had thought Naruto was weird, but nice. The two of them worked together editing the book with the crayons until their teacher finally caught them. Needless to say, she had been unhappy with their impromptu bout of creativity. She punished both boys by sending each of them to a separate corner of the classroom for a fifteen minute time-out. On that day, it was clear to Sasuke that Naruto was probably going to get them both into more trouble and decided not to hang out with him at all anymore. In addition, that day was also the first time Sasuke had called Naruto a dobe.

Despite Sasuke's decision to avoid Naruto, his plans didn't come to fruition and he remained in contact with the blond. Over the next twelve years, the two had established a friendship of sorts based on a rivalry perceived by Naruto. They continued to talk to each other but mostly spent their time fighting in some form or another. As of late, Naruto had taken up playing pranks on Sasuke, hence the spitball incident of that morning. However, like that morning, Sasuke managed to avoid the pranks and Naruto ended up getting someone else angry. Today had been Sakura, and she clearly wasn't entertained with his antics.

Now that he thought about it, Sasuke realized that he shouldn't have been at all surprised to see the writing in the book. If Naruto had done it as a kid, why would he stop as a seventeen-year-old? Technically, he should have matured enough to know not to do it, but with Naruto, that was perhaps expecting a little too much.

After a few minutes of erasing, Sasuke was pleased to see all the stray marks gone completely. He brushed off the eraser particles off and even shook the textbook, making sure they were all gone and managed to liberate a loose scrap of paper hidden between the pages. The paper floated to the carpeted floor, waiting to be examined. Sasuke reached down and picked up the paper, noticing how wrinkled the back was, as though it had been crumpled and uncrumpled repeatedly. He flipped it over and read a fragment of a poem.

...

I'm glad you finally see,
That I will love you forever more,
Because we are meant to be.

Sasuke's onyx eyes widened. Why was this love poem in his book? He definitely didn't put it in there! What the hell was going on? Thoughts racing, Sasuke remembered Naruto had borrowed his book. Maybe Naruto had put it in there as a weird little prank. Yeah, that was it. He didn't mean any of it because it was just a prank... right? Right?

Realizing he was freaking out over something so trivial, Sasuke raked a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. There was no sense in acting this way. After all, it was just a poem, not a monster or anything. Plus, it wasn't even a whole poem. Who knows, it could have been there for years, written by some random person who used the book and liked writing poetry. With one last look at the paper fragment, he crumpled it up and tossed it in the small trash can in his room before getting back to work on his assignment.

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The two shinobi faced each other, angry crimson eyes challenging calmer, almost sad, cerulean ones. The rushed towards each other and their attacks clashed, the energy of their jutsu burning hotly in the cold night air. One of the fighters, a raven-haired man, jumped backwards, drawing his katana. The other fighter's blue eyes narrowed, analyzing the situation before drawing a kunai.

The raven-haired man smirked, his Sharingan gleaming like blood. "Don't be so stupid, Naruto. What makes you think a little kunai will help you defeat me?"

"It's the only thing I have to fend off your blade, Sasuke." The man called Naruto said, carefully watching his enemy and former best friend.

Sasuke laughed without mirth. "Don't tell me you still want me back in Konoha after all these years! Wasn't killing your precious teammates enough of an objection?"

A pained expression flashed across the blond's face as he recalled the deaths of several jounin and friends who were now dead because of Sasuke's attack on Konoha's shinobi. "No, Sasuke. I'm not here to persuade you to come back to Konoha," Naruto said, sorrow biting painfully at his heart with every word. "I'm here to kill you, and end the suffering your life has caused so many people."

There was a silence, then an almost approving reply, "Hn... it's about time, Naruto."

With that, the two resumed their battle, the blade of Naruto's kunai flashing under the moonlight as he parried Sasuke's sword. The sound of metal clashing over and over rang through the desolate field, amplified by the silence and deadly seriousness of the match. All of Sasuke's slashes were either blocked or countered quickly, adding to his anger. Since when was Naruto that good? It was impossible!

Focusing his chakra in left hand, a flash of electricity lit up the darkness as Sasuke channeled the energy into his katana, hoping to at least stun Naruto. However, it was Naruto who stunned Sasuke by negating the lighting element attack with a wind-chakra infused swipe of the kunai, knocking the weapon from the Uchiha. In that split second, Naruto lunged at him, feeling as his kunai stabbed deeply into Sasuke's right arm, blood falling to the earth.

Sasuke kicked Naruto, his injured arm going numb. Naruto staggered back, gasping for air as a freshly broken rib stabbed into his lung. Sasuke wasted no time. He attacked once again, delivering a powerful series of blows that broke bones and caused more internal bleeding for Naruto, as evidenced by the blood leaking from his mouth and nose. Sasuke smirked, enjoying the amount of damage he inflicted. "I guess you're not as good as you think you are, huh?" He asked mockingly.

Naruto didn't reply. Instead, coated with the Kyuubi's burning vermillion chakra, he roared. His roar reflected both his physical pain as well as a deep mental anguish from within. His wounds healed as the chakra repaired the damage to his body, which would allow him to strike back at his former friend. Sasuke tried to get some distance from the rampaging jinchuuriki by using his fireball technique, but it did little good. Naruto roared again, dissipating the inferno before slashing Sasuke with his sharp claws, ripping into his flesh.

Although the Sharingan wielder could see all of Naruto's attacks, he was unable to defend himself. In addition to giving him claws, the Kyuubi's chakra greatly increased Naruto's speed, making his movements little more than a red blur. Sasuke felt both the pain of Naruto's punches and kicks as well as being burnt from the demonic chakra as each impact occurred. Before he knew it, Sasuke was sent flying several feet through the air as a particularly strong right hook connected with his jaw.

A trail of crimson highlighted Sasuke's path as he rolled to a stop. He stood, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan to fight. To his horror, Naruto dashed forward, attacking once again with a kunai, this time aiming for Sasuke's eyes. He made contact with one red orb and Sasuke screamed as his left eye was rendered useless, blood pouring down his face. At the pain-caused screech, Naruto's red demon eyes flashed blue, and he felt a stab of immense sadness.

With nothing left to lose, Sasuke focused all his chakra into a final, powerful Chidori. Blinded in one eye, he didn't see the slowly fading vermillion chakra around Naruto, nor the spiraling Rasengan in the blond's hand. Sasuke rushed Naruto, ready to make the final blow. As he did, he felt his attack collide into Naruto's stomach, and Naruto's Rasengan collide into his own chest.

For a moment, two shinobi stared at each other, connected by the final, fatal wounds they had inflicted upon one another. Sasuke's remaining scarlet eye turned onyx as he met Naruto's familiar blue eyes. "I guess the timing was never right for us," he whispered, his left hand sticking out of Naruto's back.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we'll have better luck next time." A faint grin appeared on his face as he looked at his right hand inside of Sasuke's chest. "After all these years, I finally found your heart, Sasuke."

His eyes growing dim, Sasuke coughed, blood leaking from his mouth. Despite that, he managed the tiniest of smiles. "Yes, but I think you've always known where to look for it... Thank you for finding it, Naruto."

"You're welcome." At last, Naruto ripped his hand away from Sasuke, who did the same. Free from Naruto, the Uchiha fell backwards. By the time he hit the grass, he was already dead. Staring at him, Naruto could feel Kyuubi's panicked voice in his head growing fainter and fainter until he heard nothing at all. The blond staggered forward, and after falling next to Sasuke, died by his side.

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The Next Day...

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay? You look very pale today." Sakura said to the silent boy seated next to her, worry evident in her green eyes. She looked around the crowded cafeteria, checking to see if anyone else looked ill when
she spotted Naruto. She waved at him to come over. "Hey, Naruto!"

Naruto grinned at Sakura, but she could tell he was faking it. Sakura also noticed that he wouldn't look at Sasuke, and Sasuke wouldn't look at him. "Hi, Sakura-chan. What's up?" He asked, arriving at their table.

Sakura smiled, hoping to diffuse the sudden wave of tension present. "I was just wondering if you wanted to join Sasuke-kun and me for lunch."

To her surprise, Naruto shook his head, focusing solely on the girl. "No, I'm not hungry right now. Maybe some other time." He smiled apologetically before swiftly leaving the crowded cafeteria.

Sakura blinked, "I wonder what's wrong with him..."

"He's Naruto. That's what's wrong with him," Sasuke muttered.

"Are you two in a fight or something?" She asked, concerned. Normally, Sasuke and Naruto always spoke to each. It was usually to insult or taunt each other, but it was still a method of communication. Today, however, they hadn't spoken once and it was as though they were trying to avoid each other completely.

Irritated, Sasuke grit his teeth, "No, Sakura. I just don't feel like dealing with a dobe right now."

"Oh. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Sasuke replied tersely, grabbing his backpack and leaving abruptly. Sakura watched him go, wondering what was bothering him so much.

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In the back of the school library, Sasuke slouched against a shelf, his thoughts driving him crazy. To be more accurate, it wasn't his thoughts; it was remembering that strange dream he had last night. Why did he dream about two ninjas fighting, and why did they have the names of Sasuke and Naruto? And more importantly, why did the dream feel so real? It was almost as if it wasn't a dream, but a distant memory from long ago. Perhaps something he had experienced in another life...

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Yeah, reincarnation. That's definitely it. He thought sarcastically. If such a thing actually did exist, then why the hell would I keep running into Naruto? That encounter with him obviously didn't end well for either of us and we still don't get along. You would think that fate, destiny - or whatever the hell all that crap is called - would know that by now...

A familiar voice from across the room interrupted Sasuke's thoughts. "Do you have books full of poems and stuff like that here?"

That sounds like Naruto, Sasuke realized. He moved closer to the person talking so he could hear better, but still remained hidden between the tall book shelves.

"Well, this is a library..." a woman replied, a smile evident in her tone. "I'm sure the book you want is here. Do you know the title of the book?"

"No." Naruto admitted.

The librarian nodded. "That's okay. Do you know what type of poetry it has?"

"Love poems..." Naruto mumbled, embarrassed.

The woman smiled at him, understanding his feelings of being uncomfortable. It wasn't every day that a boy asked for something like that. "Is it for an assignment?" She inquired gently, hoping to make him feel a bit better.

"Yeah, that's it! I need it for an assignment!" Naruto eagerly agreed, but judging from his anxious tone, it was clear he was lying.

"I think I can help you. Do you know at least one of the poems? If you do, I may be able to tell you what book it's found in."

"I don't know all of it, but I do remember it had the words 'meant to be' at the end." Naruto answered. For some reason, those last words had stuck out in his mind the most after finding that scrap of paper in Sasuke's book. After quickly reading it during class, Naruto considered throwing the paper away, crumpling it up and smoothing it out again several times as he thought about it. Ultimately, he decided to leave it in the book. Truth be told, he wasn't sure why he made that choice. It was a safe guess to make that Sasuke hadn't put it in there, so it was likely he wouldn't miss it, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to throw it away. In fact, something about the excerpt had caught Naruto's attention and he wanted to learn the rest of it. He knew he couldn't ask Sasuke about it. That would be too weird. That, and the bizarre dream he had about two fighting ninjas made him feel very uncomfortable around Sasuke. Again, he had no idea why he felt like that.

To his surprise, the librarian shook her head. "I'm sorry, but there's no book of poems by that name in this library..."

"Oh."

Seeing his disappointment, the woman's blue-grey eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, "I said there was no poetry book by that name in this library..." She grinned. "However, there is still something by that name here. It's just not what you may be expecting. Follow me."

The woman left from her desk, her high-heeled shoes clicking with each step on the wooden floor. As a result, Sasuke could hear her and Naruto as they approached where he was currently hiding. Despite that, he remained where he was, listening to her speak.

"This book is a bit unique, you could say. It's a bunch of anecdotes about how people keep meeting throughout the years and lifetimes. What you mentioned is actually just an excerpt from it. As I recall, it's a conversation written in a lyrical style. It's not a traditional rhyming poem, but I suppose it's still considered to be one, especially a lyric poem."

"How do you know so much about it?" Naruto asked.

"I read it," she replied. "Anyway, the book is called, 'Bonds'. It's in aisle twelve, at the very back of the library. It's tricky to find, so I'll be getting it for you."

With the librarian and Naruto swiftly approaching, Sasuke looked up and noticed he was in aisle twelve. Before he knew what he was doing, Sasuke quickly scanned the shelves, looking for the mentioned book. Sure enough, he did find it, its spine shining a deep blue color under the lights above. Sasuke grabbed the book without hesitation, and shoved it into his backpack before he silently darted out of the aisle and into the next one to avoid detection.

Naruto and the librarian arrived just as Sasuke left. The woman scanned the shelves. She frowned. "How strange... it's gone. I just saw it here this morning." The woman turned to Naruto. "I guess someone checked the book out. I'm very sorry for getting your hopes up like that."

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault," Naruto said, reassuring her. "Besides, I didn't need the book for anything important."

There was a pause, then, "What about your assignment?"

Understanding what she meant, Naruto grinned, "Don't worry about it. By now, my teachers expect me not to turn in most assignments." Although it seemed that Naruto was just joking, it was actually true to an extent. Naruto wasn't exactly the most thorough student in the school and had a tendency to turn in assignments that were only partially completed.

She laughed, "I can't really condone that, you know. If you like, I can look for the book in my spare time."

"No, it's fine. I'll live without it." Naruto assured her. "Thanks for all your help." With that, the boy left.

Alone in the aisle, the librarian straightened out the books on the shelf, "You know, that wasn't very nice of you to take the book he wanted."

Sasuke froze, realizing she was talking to him. She continued, "I knew you were here because I saw you walk in and come over this way. Since I didn't see you leave, that tells me you must still be in this area." She paused thoughtfully before continuing, "I'm not trying to lecture you, but I do think you should have shared the book with that boy. He seems like a good kid and it's obvious that you know him."

At last Sasuke replied, "It's complicated."

"I don't doubt that. However, have you ever considered that he may be able to help you understand what you're trying to figure out? It seems that you two are more connected than you may think..."

With that cryptic statement, the woman left.

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When Sasuke came from school that day, he rushed straight towards his room. His mother, Mikoto, found it strange that he did that instead of asking for a snack or watching television like he normally did. However, Mikoto didn't question her youngest son. She just thought Sasuke had a lot of homework or a project to do. In a sense, she was correct, but it wasn't a school project Sasuke was working on.

In his bedroom, Sasuke was diligently searching the library book he had taken earlier for the full version of the poem fragment from his textbook. Unfortunately, he was having more trouble than he expected. The book was almost three hundred pages long and there was no index or table of contents to aid in searching. He really didn't feel like reading the entire book and was seriously considering abandoning his quest. Even though quitting was an attractive option, a nagging voice in his mind would remind him that this was important, and just because he didn't know why it was important didn't make it any less so. Because of that, Sasuke didn't give up.

After an hour of reading a particularly strange passage, Sasuke stumbled upon a unique selection that was different from its neighbors. Unlike the others, this was not an actual story. It was more of a description of someone's feelings. At the very end was a conversation, written in a lyrical poem:

I didn't understand you, and I doubted that I ever would.
However, I still wondered about you. I'd wait and wonder
if you knew or even cared what I thought, but I heard nothing.

But you were wrong, my dear, for I felt the same. I believed you to be unreachable, far away, like a star in heaven.
Yet, by thinking that, we did understand each other.
I grew to love you, and didn't know it.

If only you had said so! Our lives could have been different.
We could have had each other, instead of this pain we feel.
I fear it is too late for us now. Too many lives have gone by...

No, my dear. Lifetimes may come and go, but one thing is clear.
Our meetings are no accident of fate.
It was always meant to be.

How do you know? If it was supposed to happen,
It would not have been so difficult for us.
We were always kept apart, no matter what.

Yes, my love, but you are mistaken.
We were apart in body, but never in soul.
Our hearts are one, as they have always been.

Your faith is impressive, but this cannot be so.
Fate wills us to remain separated,
And you know that fate cannot be challenged...

No, I will not hear such things!
The ties of our love are unbreakable.
Those bonds have made us meet again and again!

I want to believe you, truly I do.
But what if you're wrong?
What if this is a mistake?

You are lacking faith.
That is what you need now,
Faith and my eternal love.

I will have faith,
If only to ease your heart and my own.
I must ask, is your love for me that strong?

It always has been, and always shall be.
Like a fine blade, my love has been tempered
To withstand anything. This I vow to you.

At last, it is clear to me what we must do.
We should take this chance together
And begin this life anew.

I'm glad you finally see,
That I will love you forever more,
Because we are meant to be.

After reading the poem, Sasuke felt a dull ache in his head. Dizzy, he closed the book and put it in his backpack before lying down on his bed. He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, fell asleep.

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"Sasuke, the police are here!" A red-headed woman said, her glasses- covered eyes reflecting her worry as she looked out the museum window to the parking lot.

Sasuke glanced at flashing lights of the police vehicles and smirked when he heard a familiar voice addressing him over the police bullhorn. "Sasuke Uchiha, we've got the place surrounded! Come out now with your team and nobody will get hurt!"

Sasuke's smirked widened. He brought his attention to the woman near him, "Karin, go tell Suigetsu and Juugo to hurry up. Detective Uzumaki isn't going to wait long before he sends his officers to storm the place."

Karin nodded, only too happy to follow the orders of the attractive raven-haired man. "Yes, Sasuke. You know I'd do anything for you..." she said, suggestively brushing against him as she strode past him. Sasuke ignored her completely, preferring to look out the window and at the assembled police force. His onyx eyes fell upon a blond man arguing with a pink-haired woman. Sasuke had seen the sight many times and could guess what was happening. The woman was holding the man back from storming the place himself. The man refused to listen to her. Instead, he turned away from her before he put on a helmet and bulletproof vest and raced around the side of the museum to enter from the back.

Not at all surprised by the reckless move of the detective, Sasuke Uchiha, master thief, decided to visit with his pursuer of ten years. After all, they always did before Sasuke and his team, Taka, disappeared into the night with their stolen prize. Tonight's mission consisted of Taka stealing the Kyuubi, a nine-tailed fox demon statue made of solid diamond that was on display for one night only in Konoha's museum. Sasuke had always liked Konoha Museum heists. Not only did he get to see his hometown, he also enjoyed seeing a certain blond detective whom he eluded time after time.

With a confident swagger in his step, Sasuke left the hallway he was in and headed to the museum lobby to check on his team's progress before meeting with the detective, as he always did. According to his calculations, Suigetsu and Juugo should have been able to 'liberate' Kyuubi from his heavily guarded display case. Sure enough, the master thief was right.

In the darkened room full of expensive and rare artworks on display, only one kept Sasuke's interest. Sparkling magnificently as it was removed from the display case, Kyuubi was certainly a sight to behold. Sasuke held out a hand to the man holding Kyuubi, "Let me see it, Suigetsu."

Suigetsu nodded, handing it over. "Here, Sasuke. After all, this is the result of all your planning."

Examining it with a pleased smirk, Sasuke studied Kyuubi's exquisite details. Every part of the statue sparkled a different color, making it appear to be made of color change material instead of the clear diamond it was hewn from. Even the savage snarl on the Kyuubi's face was as beautiful as it was fearsome. It was truly one of kind... and now it belonged to Sasuke.

Sasuke's moment of triumph was short-lived as he heard a window break. He passed the stolen prize to Juugo, and addressed his team, "You all need to leave now. Follow the escape plan exactly as rehearsed, and I'll catch up after." The Uchiha didn't give them a chance to reply. He raced towards
the fire escape near the back of the building and came face-to-face with Detective Naruto Uzumaki, gun drawn and ready for a fight.

Used to having firearms aimed at him, Sasuke wasn't the least bit scared. "Detective Uzumaki, I was wondering when you'd be making an appearance. Are you here to congratulate me on finally getting the Kyuubi?"

"Shut up, Uchiha!" Naruto growled at him, putting his handgun in its holster and taking off his helmet. "Why the hell can't you be a normal criminal for a change and just run off after the heist is complete?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know. I guess this game of cat-and-mouse we play is just too much fun to stop."

Naruto rolled his blue eyes, annoyed with how calm Sasuke always was. "If that's how you feel, then your fun's going to end tonight."

"Don't tell me you're finally going to arrest me?" Sasuke asked. "And to think I thought we were friends…"

"Damn it, Uchiha! Listen to me!" Naruto swore, grabbing the other man's shoulders, and locking eyes with him. "Chief Danzo Shimura has ordered your death. He has every officer from every unit armed to the teeth outside waiting for you. This whole place is swarmed!"

"Danzo? That old bastard is still alive?" Sasuke asked, surprised. When Sasuke had last seen the police chief, it was right before Juugo had rigged a building to explode with Danzo in it.

"Unfortunately, he's still alive and kicking. The explosion caused him to lose his left arm and the side of his face." Naruto let Sasuke go, speaking slower to emphasize his point. "If you don't leave with me peacefully, you will die tonight."

Unafraid, Sasuke scoffed, "Let them do their worst. They won't catch me."

"I know that." Naruto grinned, "Besides, if anyone is catching you, it's going to be me."

Sasuke smirked, "What are you planning, Detective?"

"Your escape." Naruto removed his bulletproof vest and gave it to Sasuke before handing over his helmet. "Put that on. The special ops unit will storm the place in approximately thirty seconds. If we time it just right, you will be able to sneak past them unnoticed. That helmet and vest are the same type they usually wear."

Quickly, Sasuke put on the helmet and vest. He flipped up the dark visor of the headgear before addressing his supposed enemy, their eyes meeting as the Uchiha spoke. "Naruto, why are you helping me?"

A smile adorned the blond's face, "My life is so much more interesting with you in it. I've never met anyone else like you, Sasuke." He said, "And I don't think I ever will ever again. Because of that, I'm going to get you out of here."

"Hn. You do like our eternal game of cat-and-mouse?"

"Hell, yeah!" Naruto grinned, "You know, I will catch you one day, but only when the fun ends."

Although Naruto couldn't see it, the Uchiha smiled beneath the helmet. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Naruto."

"I'm glad, but it's time to get out of –" A loud bang silenced the detective as a bright red puddle formed on his orange jacket. Naruto placed his hands over the wetness on his chest, realizing he'd just been shot. Blue eyes locked onto the man beside him, "Sasuke…" he murmured once, before falling over.

Shocked, Sasuke knelt beside him, placing the injured man's head on his lap. "Naruto, you can't die, not now!" He grit his teeth and felt his own heart break once he realized that his pleas were in vain; Naruto was already dead.

"Why, Karin?!" Sasuke screamed at the shooter, tightly clutching Naruto's body, "Why did you kill him?!"

Karin dropped her gun, more scared by Sasuke's reaction than what she had just done. "B-but, Sasuke-kun, wasn't he our enemy? He was going to hurt you! I got here just in time to save you!"

Enraged by her pathetic response and his overwhelming sorrow, Sasuke grabbed the handgun in Naruto's holster and aimed at Karin. She didn't even have enough time to scream before he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit her right between the eyes, killing her instantly.

At that moment, Juugo and Suigetsu rounded the corner. Their horrified eyes fell upon the dead woman on the floor. Sasuke removed the helmet Naruto had given him and tossed it aside, tears gleaming wetly on his cheeks.

"Sasuke, what happened?" Juugo knelt beside Karin, his disbelief clear when he saw the gun still in the Uchiha's hands as he still held on to Naruto. "Did you kill them both?"

Sasuke didn't reply. He shrugged off the body armor he wore, and slowly stood up, placing Naruto gently on the marble floor. Wordlessly, he walked past his remaining teammates. Suigetsu grabbed his arm, "What the fuck is going on?" he screamed, demanding to know.

The raven-haired man remained silent. Instead, he punched Suigetsu in the face, forcing the other man to let him go. Suigetsu swore loudly, blood dripping from his now-fractured nose as he called the Uchiha a traitor. Mind focused elsewhere, Sasuke ignored him as he approached the museum lobby, still carrying Naruto's gun.

The glass doors burst open once he arrived, the special ops unit rushing in with their assault rifles drawn. Their leader addressed the criminal, aiming at him, "Drop your weapon now!"

Sasuke didn't listen. Instead, he fired once, shooting in the direction of the officers before finally letting it fall to the floor. Although the bullet hit only the wall, the gesture had its intended effect. His spirit broken, Sasuke just stood there, waiting for the hail of bullets that would end his life.

He didn't have to wait long.

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The next morning, Sasuke went to school like he always did. He was also on time, like always. Because of that, he arrived earlier than Kakashi and had some free time before class started.

While waiting for the teacher to make his appearance, Sasuke sat at his desk, bored. He looked around the classroom to see the same routine taking place; students talking, copying each other's homework assignments, and even a few girls were putting on makeup. All in all, it was normal. Despite that, Sasuke couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted cheerfully, taking her usual seat in front of him. She turned around, smiling at him. "Are you feeling any better than you were yesterday?"

"Hn... I think I do." Sasuke admitted truthfully.

Even though he had another strange dream with both him and Naruto in it, he was actually looking forward to seeing the annoying blond alive and well. For some reason, that dream made him want to be in Naruto's presence. It was almost as though Sasuke had developed greater appreciation of the other boy...

Sasuke turned around to look for Naruto, but his desk was empty. He returned his attention to the girl seated in front of him, "Sakura, you live down the street from Naruto, right?"

She nodded, "Yeah, normally we walk to school together."

"Normally?"

"I didn't see him on the way." She paused, thinking about it, "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen Naruto all morning. Maybe he's absent today; he did look a little odd yesterday."

After hearing Sakura, Sasuke felt sudden pang of worry. He didn't let it show, "If Naruto is absent today, at least it'll be quiet and less annoying around here."

"I guess so," Sakura agreed. Keeping her voice respectful, she asked a question. "Sasuke-kun, what were you and Naruto fighting about yesterday? Neither of you would even look each other in the eye."

The Uchiha could see the genuine concern in Sakura's eyes. Although she annoyed him, Sasuke still considered Sakura to be a friend and didn't want her to worry about him. "It was nothing, Sakura. I was just mad at Naruto because he scribbled in the textbook I loaned him." He lied, not completely sure she would understand the real reason, which consisted of a dream where he and Naruto killed each other, and Sasuke had felt weird around him because of that.

"Oh, okay. I understand." Sakura said, relieved. "I'm glad nothing serious happened."

"Hn…" was Sasuke's reply. He didn't say anything else because Kakashi had just strolled into the room. The teacher looked around, noticing his students were ready to begin the day. "Sorry I'm late, but on the way, I needed to help a little girl rescue her cat that had gotten stuck in a tree."

Hearing that, Sasuke rolled his eyes. Even though Naruto wasn't here today, it appeared that today would be just another normal day.

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One Week Later…

Naruto didn't return to school for a whole week. During that time, several of the other students had kept asking Sasuke where Naruto was. To Sasuke, it was both very annoying and it served as a constant reminder that Naruto wasn't there. Even though he was unwilling to admit it, Naruto had been on Sasuke's mind very often and the Uchiha was starting to get worried about Naruto's whereabouts. In addition, Kurenai Yuhei, the literature teacher, had just assigned the class to do a project that consisted of picking a poem and researching it before reciting it in front of the class. Normally, this wouldn't have presented any kind of real difficulty for Sasuke, but this project needed to be completed with a partner. As luck would have it, Sasuke ended up with the absent Uzumaki, leaving Sasuke to do all the work. All in all, Sasuke had a bad week. It didn't improve when Naruto finally did make his appearance, one day before the assignment was due.

Sitting next to a very inattentive Naruto, Sasuke scowled, "Damn it, Naruto. Are you going to help me or not? This is due tomorrow and I'm not going to fail because you're being lazy!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Why don't you get someone else to help you? You know that I'm not good with stuff like this."

Sasuke glared, "I didn't ask to be your partner. We were just randomly assigned to work together."

"What difference does that make?"

"Idiot, it means we have to work together. Do you honestly believe that I'd willingly choose to work with you of all people?"

"Fine. If you think I'm really such an idiot, I guess you won't have to work with me at all." Naruto said angrily, grabbing his backpack and storming out of the library. Sasuke watched him go, realizing that he'd just hurt Naruto's feelings with that last remark. Perhaps that was the reason why the Uchiha himself felt bad.

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In the hallway, Naruto walked through the crowds of students gathered at their lockers as the lunch break drew to a close and they grabbed their books in readiness for their next class.

Spotting Naruto, someone called out to him. "Hey, Naruto! Where've you been lately?"

Naruto glanced at the grinning boy. "Hey, Kiba." He greeted without much enthusiasm.

Kiba Inuzuka frowned, "What's the matter with you? First you miss lots of school and when you finally do show up, you act weird." Kiba narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "Are you on drugs or something?"

"No!" Naruto said, emphatically denying it.

Kiba wasn't convinced, "If that's not it, then why did you miss so much school?"

"I just had a lot of stuff on my mind." Naruto replied truthfully.

"Like what?"

"Stuff." Naruto said. He knew his vague answer would annoy his friend, but the truth would have sounded too weird. Even Naruto didn't quite believe it himself. After all, suddenly thinking you might be in love with your sometimes-friend/mostly-rival was a very shocking thing for most people to process. Naruto came to this conclusion about a week ago after having yet another strange dream with Sasuke in it, and feeling as though he did secretly love the Uchiha. After he woke up, Naruto had felt weird, as though he hadn't dreamt anything; it felt more like he had just remembered something he experienced a very long time ago...

As a result, Naruto had decided to see avoid Sasuke as much as possible and hoped that he was just imagining things. Because of that, Naruto had missed school. However, that was not a long-term solution to his problem, as evidenced by the very angry phone call from Principle Tsunade telling him to go to school or else she would go to his house, drag him out, and forcefully make him attend. Not wanting to risk Tsunade acting on her threat, Naruto had reluctantly returned.

As expected, Kiba was irked. "Stuff? What the hell kind of answer is that?"

"Relax, Kiba." Shikamaru Nara said evenly, having heard Naruto and Kiba's conversation. "You're starting to get all worked up."

Kiba snorted, "I'm not worked up! I'm just trying to get a straight answer out of Naruto."

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, noticing the distracted expression on the blond's face. Although Shikamaru was also curious about Naruto's absence, he felt that prying into someone else's business was too troublesome. "Come on, Kiba." He said, folding his arms. "If Naruto doesn't want to talk, just drop the issue. Besides, we don't have time for this. We're going to be late for class and Anko-sensei will give us detention again."

"Oh, shit!" Kiba swore, realizing Shikamaru was right. "If I get one more detention this month, my mom is going to kill me!" Forgetting about Naruto and far more worried about his mother's wrath, the Inuzuka zipped away.

"Thank you, Shikamaru. I didn't know how to get rid of him." Naruto said, sounding relieved.

Shikamaru nodded, "You're welcome. When Kiba gets worked up, he becomes very troublesome." Watching Naruto carefully, Shikamaru asked, "Why did you miss so much school lately? Is it because of Sasuke?"

Naruto turned away and began walking to next his class, "Why would you think that?"

"It's just weird how you suddenly decided to miss nearly all the days that you were assigned to work with him on the assignment for Kurenai-sensei," he explained, walking beside him. Naruto remained silent, which was very uncharacteristic of him.

Shikamaru noticed and sighed. "Look, Naruto, I'm not trying to get involved in your business, but if you have a problem with Sasuke, avoiding him is not the answer. You should just confront him about it and maybe you can work things out. Who knows, maybe he feels the same way as you do and you two can stop fighting."

The two of them entered their classroom as Shikamaru finished speaking. As expected, their teacher, Anko Mitarashi, was impatiently waiting for them.

"You two! Hurry up and sit down." she ordered them, ready to begin the next lesson. The boys took their seats in the back of the class as Anko quickly took attendance. Once she was finished, she gave instructions to the class, informing them what they were going to do and what textbook they would need.

While it appeared that Naruto was paying close attention to what was being said, he really wasn't. Instead, he recalled what Shikamaru had told him. Maybe it was better to talk to Sasuke than avoid him. Who knows, maybe things would start making more sense...

Or maybe, things would just end up worse.

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In literature class the following day, students anxiously entered the classroom and sat next to their partners as they waited to give their presentations. One by one, Kurenai called the teams of two to recite their poems after a brief history. Most of the poems read were very well-known while others were more esoteric. No matter what type of poem was being read, it was clear that standing and speaking in front of the class was the most difficult part of all.

"Well done, Sakura and Ino." Kurenai said, applauding their efforts. "That poem was very lovely!"

Sakura and Ino sighed in relief after hearing their teacher's evaluation. The girls curtsied once in front of the class before returning to their seats and high-fiving each other. Naruto watched them celebrate and was about to congratulate them until he remembered that he and Sasuke were next.

Sure enough, Kurenai called them, "Today's final presentation will be by Sasuke and Naruto."

Naruto groaned and reluctantly trudged up to the front of the class room following Sasuke, who was holding a book and several index cards. Together, they stood before all of their peers and teacher. Naruto was clearly nervous, but Sasuke remained calm and unaffected by their intent gaze.

"You may now begin," Kurenai said.

Not knowing what he was supposed to say, Naruto looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck until Sasuke's smooth voice rang out, clear and confident. "The poem we have selected is called 'Meant to Be'. It was written by an anonymous female author and published in a book called 'Bonds.'" Naruto's eyes widened as he recognized the name of both the poem and the book he had been looking for in the library. Sasuke continued, "The author found inspiration by watching two people interact with each other and wrote what she thought described their situation."

Sasuke gave several index cards to Naruto and kept the book for himself. He leaned in close to Naruto's ear, whispering what he needed to do. Still in shock about the choice of poem, Naruto nodded once before reading the note card given to him.

"Uh..." Naruto began, "This poem is actually a conversation between two people and needs to be read like one. Sasuke and I will alternate between verses, with Sasuke going first." Suddenly he glared at the Uchiha next to him. "Why do you get to go first?"

"Because I did all the work," Sasuke reminded him. Without another look at Naruto, he began.

"I didn't understand you, and doubted that I ever would.
However, I still wondered about you. I'd wait and wonder
if you knew or even cared what I thought, but I heard nothing."

Naruto hesitated before reading the next verse,

"But you were wrong, my dear, for I felt the same.
I believed you to be unreachable, far away, like a star in heaven.
Yet, by thinking that, we did understand each other.
I grew to love you, and didn't know it."

As Sasuke and Naruto took turns reciting the poem, their alternating voices complemented each other. The rise and fall of their words formed a rhythmatic pattern that conjured the story of the two people speaking in the poem. All who listened could both see and feel the story in their mind's eye, but for the two who spoke the words, the story became more than just a tale. It was as though the poem was giving them the opportunity to catch a glimpse of a great truth that lingered in the back of their minds... and perhaps even their hearts and souls.

The last verses were particularly moving, spoken with a confidence that went beyond mere presentation for the school assignment.

Sasuke spoke, briefly glancing at the blond beside him,

"At last, it is clear to me what we must do.
We should take this chance together
And begin this life anew."

Naruto could feel his face heat up slightly, but his certainty was not diminished,

"I'm glad you finally see,
That I will love you forever more,
Because we are meant to be."

The room was silent once Naruto finished, causing him to worry about their reaction to the poem. The silence didn't last long. Soon, the whole class was cheering and clapping.

"That was absolutely wonderful!" Kurenai cheered. "You two did amazing! Perfect score!"

Sasuke smirked, pleased about his grade. Naruto, however, felt anything but joy. Without any of his usual smiles and good mood, he quietly returned to his seat as his classmates congratulated him. Anxious and very on edge, he waited for Kurenai to dismiss the class for the day. After what seemed like forever to Naruto, she finally did excuse them for their next class. As soon as the words left her mouth, Naruto bolted from the classroom.

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On the school's rooftop, Naruto panted, tired after sprinting through the school as quickly as he did. His heart beat painfully in his chest, but he knew it wasn't from the running. It was reading that poem. Why had Sasuke even picked it? Was he completely insane? Naruto didn't know. He had just felt strange reading it, especially that last part...

"Naruto, what are you doing here?"

The blond jumped, startled. He glared when he saw who it was. "What the hell do you want now, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was unaffected by Naruto's apparent wrath. "Why are you here?"

"If you must know, it's because I'm trying to get away from you!" Naruto snapped at him. "Everywhere I go, I see you and I'm tired of always being around you!"

"Why?" Sasuke inquired calmly.

Naruto faced him, eyes full of emotion. "Don't you get it, Sasuke? I can't stand you!" He paused, and turned away, furiously wiping away the tears that had suddenly gathered in his eyes. "I can't stand you, but it always seems like we're being forced together, no matter where we are or what life we have!"

"I know." Sasuke whispered. Naruto looked at him, blue eyes full of confusion. The Uchiha continued, "I feel the same way. No matter where we are or what we're doing, at some point or another, I run into you."

"And it always ends badly for me... for us." Naruto said, recalling the dreams he had, fully convinced they were memories from other lives. "Why, Sasuke? Why does this keep happening? Even now, we still don't get along and fight all the time!"

"I don't know." Sasuke admitted. He approached the other boy, meeting his eyes. "Do you really hate me, Naruto?"

"No. I should, but I just can't do it. There's something special about you." He smiled faintly at Sasuke, "Even when we had just met as kids, I could feel that you were different from anyone else I would ever meet. If I could, I would have spent all my time with you. I know it doesn't make any sense, but I've always felt drawn to you..."

"Do you still feel that way?" Sasuke whispered, surprised by Naruto's complete honesty.

"Yes, and I don't know why." Naruto sighed, lowering his gaze to the floor before he continued "You must hate me more than ever, huh?"

"Sometimes you annoy me to no end, but you've always kept things interesting for me." Sasuke slid his hand under Naruto's chin and tilted his head up, once again meeting his eyes. "No matter what's happened in this life or any other, I've never hated you, Naruto."

"If you've never hated me, then why have we always had so many problems?'' Naruto asked him, referring to their former lives.

Sasuke didn't reply immediately. Instead, he turned away from Naruto before he walked to the edge of the rooftop and leaned against the railing, watching the students run laps in the field below. Still waiting for an answer, Naruto joined him soon after and began alternately watching the runners and Sasuke.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's eyes on him and finally spoke, "I guess that's just how things are with us. We fight one minute and act almost like friends the next, but we're always together, even if we don't know why."

Naruto hesitated a minute before commenting, "Well, I guess it's just meant to be."

At this, Sasuke brought his gaze back to Naruto's. "Us? Meant to be?" he questioned, heart pounding wildly in his chest.

"How else can you explain it?" Naruto asked, a bit embarrassed and hopeful. "Nothing else even begins to explain it..."

"But if it was meant to be, then wouldn't it have already happened?"

Naruto lowered his head, dispirited. "Yeah, you're probably right about that. It was a dumb thing to say..."

"No, I wouldn't say that," Sasuke began, his eyes on Naruto, who was no longer meeting his gaze. "Maybe... maybe the timing and circumstances were never right for us."

At last Naruto brought his eyes back to Sasuke's. He bit his lip before asking, "Do you think the timing is finally right... now?"

There was a silence before Sasuke finally replied, "Maybe."

For a time, they looked at each other, searching one another's eyes and faces for an answer, a course of action to take that would finally decide what they should do. Despite Sasuke's best efforts, the only thing he saw in Naruto's blue eyes was his own reflection. And for Naruto, all he could see was his own mirror image in the Uchiha's onyx eyes.

All they could see was each other... and that was the answer.

As one, they leaned forward, their heads tilted slightly. Their eyes closed before their lips met easily, perfectly. A small jolt of electricity zipped through each teen at the contact. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's body as they kissed, lips moving together in harmony while the blond tangled his fingers in Sasuke's blue-black hair.

It is likely they would have stayed like that for quite some time, but the sound of feet running up the flight of stairs that lead to the rooftop broke the spell of their kiss. They pulled apart just as the door swung open, revealing Sakura.

"There you two are!" She exclaimed, relieved. "Asuma-sensei sent me to find you when you didn't show up for class. I've been looking all over the school for you. I can't tell you how worried I was... I thought you had gotten into a fight or something!"

"Everything is fine, Sakura." Sasuke said evenly, hiding his irritation at her interruption.

"Yeah," Naruto chimed in agreement.

"That's good to hear," Sakura said, smiling. "I'm glad you guys worked everything out, but you're both still late for math class."

"Uh-oh..." Naruto had forgotten all about it, "How mad is Asuma-sensei?"

"He's not that mad, but I think it would be better if you got to class ASAP," Sakura replied, but glanced at Sasuke. The raven-haired boy seemed distracted. "Sasuke-kun?" she called. He looked at her. She continued a bit hesitantly, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened up here?"

"Nothing," Sasuke replied tersely. Naruto frowned at his response. Had the kiss been nothing to Sasuke?

"Oh, okay." Sakura said, and beckoned the boys to follow her, "We better get going before we all get into trouble." She turned away and disappeared down the stair well.

Naruto followed her. As he passed by Sasuke, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Naruto was about to open his mouth to ask why, but instead Sasuke smiled warmly at him. Naruto felt his face heat up at the look. He got redder when Sasuke intertwined his fingers with Naruto's. "Sasuke, what are you...?" he tried to ask, but trailed off, blushing.

"Let's go, Naruto," Sasuke said, a new sense of understanding evident in his eyes.

After a moment, the comprehension was shared by Naruto as well. He smiled back, "Yeah, let's go."

Together, they left the rooftop of their school and descended down the steps leading to the maze of hallways and classrooms, hands linked. Only when they got to Asuma's class did they let go, and that's only because they sat on opposite sides of the room. As expected, Asuma Sarutobi did lecture them both about the necessity of being on time, but they hardly listened. Naruto and Sasuke had other things on their minds...

After all, it's not every day you discover something incredibly, amazingly important about the person you originally thought was just put on the earth to annoy you in some form or another. After two difficult lifetimes, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki had at last found out the truth about their one of a kind bond. With that one perfect kiss on the rooftop, everything suddenly became clear for the very first time, and at long last, they finally know without a doubt that they are meant to be.

THE END