Author's note: So last year I wrote a fic for Naruto's birthday, titled The Big Day. This fic is in honour of Sasuke's birthday and tells his side of the story. I started working on it this weekend and finished it on Sunday and it became a tad longer than I anticipated LOL

You don't have to read The Big Day to understand this, but if you do/did, you'll notice that some dialogue in this fic is the same as in Naruto's story.

This was also supposed to have been posted on the 23rd, but the site was acting up and wouldn't allow me to post it.

Warnings: Sasuke's pov; some angst; slash; set a bit after The Last

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.

I hope you'll like it!

The Last Chance

He received the note when he was travelling through the Land of Lightning, having just left the Hidden Cloud Village.

Before he had left on his journey of atonement, they had devised a way to keep in contact with each other. Throughout the world there were various places where they could leave notes for each other. Sometimes that place was in the hollow of a tree; sometimes the note could be found in a chest in the attic of an abandoned building. No matter what kind of hiding place it was, it was always inconspicuous and unlikely to attract the attention of someone else.

It had been raining the whole day and true to the name of the country, lightning had started cleaving the sky as the darkness of the night steadily approached. The curtain of rain was also growing thicker with each hour that passed and he decided to retreat for the night and seek shelter somewhere.

He found shelter in the form of a small cave, almost completely hidden behind some overgrown bushes. He pushed those aside, some of the thorns snagging at his cloak, and slipped inside the cave; his remaining hand trailing along the ragged edges of the rock. He followed the narrow path, keeping his head bent to avoid slamming it against the ceiling, and then stood in the one chamber the cave was gifted with.

Idly he looked around, but the rapidly approaching darkness made it difficult for him to distinguish anything inside. Sweeping his hand across the right wall, he hummed when his fingers brushed across the rough surface of tree branches hacked into smaller pieces. He had been here last year and had had the presence of mind to leave a stock of firewood behind. That didn't mean the stock would have necessarily remained here, because he was certain he wasn't the only one who knew of the existence of the cave. If there had been any other people here in after his visit they had at least left his stock of firewood untouched.

Some blocks were placed in the middle of the cave, near the only exit so that the smoke would drift outside. Rapidly he formed the signs for a minor fire jutsu he had been taught first and a couple of seconds later the wood caught fire; the flames crackling and burning wildly for a moment before they calmed down.

Now that the cave was filled with the golden reddish glow of the fire, he rose up and cast a look around. At the back of the cave some rock had been carved out, creating a small hole in the wall – just big enough to stick one's hand inside. It was also one of the places they had agreed on to stick notes inside for each other.

Not expecting anything as he hadn't caught rumours of an immediate threat so far, he nonetheless went to check the hole just in case. He blinked surprised when he caught sight of a folded note pressed near the back and reached inside to grab it. Furrowing his eyebrows in bemusement, he opened the note, noticing instantly that it was written by his friend. Curiosity piquing even more now, he read the short note.

Sasuke,

First of all, relax, there's no immediate threat that we need your help with – not that even with a threat we would need your help, because I'm perfectly capable of handling any danger that appears.

He rolled his eyes; the corners of his mouth curling up in vague amusement. Trust that idiot to even ramble in a short note.

Anyway, now that I have reassured you, I can tell you the real news! Hinata-chan and I are getting married this spring and I want you to …

Sasuke didn't read the rest. Ringing filled his ears and he stared at the scribbled writing without taking in what was being said. A brief flash of purple and the note was nothing more than ash in his hand now. He blinked, the sight of the small grey heap of ash and the scent of it shaking him out of his stupor and he violently flung his hand away, scattering the ashes onto the ground.

He took a step back, suddenly feeling quite disorientated. Naruto was getting married? To the Hyuuga heiress? Since when were they together? How long had they been dating? He racked his brain, trying to recall whether Naruto had ever mentioned her before in that capacity.

The last time he had been in the village had been last winter when the threat of Otsutsuki had Naruto fighting on the moon of all places and him protecting Konoha in the blond's place. He didn't care much for Konoha after the things they had done to his family and his brother, but he knew that the village meant a lot to Naruto, so he had taken the defence of it on his own shoulders during the time Naruto had been away. He had stayed long enough to visit Naruto once at the hospital when the blond had returned from his fight, but there had been no talk of a relationship during their conversation.

Granted, it wasn't as if they held emotional conversations all the time and his travels caused him not to talk with the blond for weeks, sometimes months at a time, but he would have thought that a romantic relationship would definitely be something high on Naruto's priority list to blab about. Especially after all those years of him following Sakura like a duckling, trying to capture her attention. He had been chasing Sakura for years – why all of a sudden would he choose the Hyuuga girl?

When had their relationship started? They had to have been dating for a while now, considering they were going to get married this spring, but if that was the case, why hadn't Naruto mentioned anything about it to him when he last saw him?

It bothered Sasuke. Immensely. He knew it shouldn't, but …

He didn't send a reply back.

March found him in the Land of Earth, in a small town a couple of miles from Iwagakure. The people here were mostly farmers, having adapted themselves to the rocky setting in order to produce food. They mostly dealt with breeding animals like pigs and chicken in order to provide themselves with meat. Several patches of soil at the edges of the town ensured they were able to grow some vegetables. Most of their food, however, had to be imported from other countries.

Sasuke took a break of two days here to replenish his own stock of food and fill his bottles with water. There was a cottage at the other end of the town, serving as some sort of motel and he would stay two nights there before he would depart early in the morning on the third day.

There were rumours of a hidden base further in the north where experiments had been done with human cells. How much of that was tied to the Zetsu he didn't know. It could easily be one of Orochimaru's bases, but he figured it would be a good idea to check it out just in case he did find something useful.

Every lead, no matter how small, could help them prevent the threat Kaguya had been raising her army for. He still hadn't found any information regarding the threat she had been expecting, but he wasn't about to give up. He knew she had raised her army for something – he just needed to figure out for what.

Easier said than done of course, but he had the added benefit of his Rinnegan which made looking through possible leads easier.

"Sir, here's your dinner," the waitress, working in the small restaurant part of the motel, announced and smiled at him before placing his plate in front of him.

His eyes flickered up at her and her cheeks deepened in colour before she looked away shyly, clutching her notepad tightly to her stomach.

"Thank you," he murmured and she bowed before leaving him to his dinner.

When he retreated to his room for the night, a messenger hawk was waiting for him on the windowsill, regarding him with patient eyes. As soon as he came nearer, the bird promptly stuck out its leg, offering him the message he was carrying.

"What does Konoha want now?" Sasuke muttered, relieving the hawk from its burden. Briefly his mind flashed back to the note in the cave, to the message written inside of it and …

He shook his head to dispel the memory and turned the message around to the front. He stilled when a seal greeted him boldly and his fingers tightened around the paper.

As a member of a clan, he had been taught at a young age which clan had which symbol; that knowledge had been deemed important in order to recognise allies or potential enemies. While he hadn't thought about that particular piece of knowledge for years now, it was still there in the back of his mind, saved in his long term memory. Therefore it didn't take him long to recognise the symbol etched into the seal as that of belonging to the Hyuuga clan.

What did they want?

His stomach twisted and for a fleeting moment he considered burning the message without ever reading it, certain that he wouldn't like whatever the content was. His fingers crinkled the paper between them, creasing the pristine looking paper, and his gaze went to the lit candle on the nightstand. Paper like this wouldn't take long to burn …

With a sigh he sank down on the bed and after staring at the message for a little while longer, he caved and begrudgingly opened it, knowing his curiosity would nag at him if he didn't read it.

Thick, luxurious paper tumbled out of the message and he picked it up, ignoring the way his hand trembled slightly. It was not a folded letter as he had been expecting, but a single card. Small, silver roses adorned the sides while the edges were coloured a fine gold, gleaming in the light of the candle. Fancy handwriting filled the middle of the card.

You are cordially invited to witness the union of the clans Hyuuga and Uzumaki.

On Saturday the twenty-fourth of April, Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata are to join their hands in marriage.

The wedding will take place in front of the Hyuuga compound.

A list of directions starting from the Hokage Tower was included on the back, together with the hour of the reception and where that would take place.

Black and purple stared at the beautiful written words for a long time. Long enough for night to completely fall, cloaking the room with its darkness with only the weak candlelight cutting through it.

Finally Sasuke stirred when the hawk flapped his wings pointedly as if to remind the dark haired man of his presence.

With a quick snap of his wrist towards the flame, the invitation caught fire, lightning up brighter than the actual candlelight. Impassively he watched how the fire greedily devoured the paper until nothing but dark ash remained with a lingering smoke trail as the only evidence that the card had ever existed.

He lifted his eyes and fixated the hawk with a blank look. "No response," he stated flatly, turning his hand so that the ash fell onto the floor, between the slight openings of the wooden floorboards.

The hawk flapped his wings again and took a few steps to the right – his claws ticking loudly against the windowsill – but when Sasuke remained unmoved, the bird turned around and flew into the night soundlessly.

Sasuke breathed out softly and stood up to close the window, staring into the darkness for a moment. A few houses down the road a dog was barking and there were some people walking through the street, passing the motel, before their footsteps died out, leaving nothing but silence behind.

He turned around, went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit and brush his teeth, avoiding the mirror while he went about changing into his nightwear.

Then he went to bed and dreamt of nothing.

He had never spared a thought about how their lives would go after their fight at the Valley of the End. He would continue his journey, attempt to atone for his sins while searching for any clues that Kaguya or anyone related to her cause might have left behind.

Naruto would bring all the villages together, force them to work to preserve the peace and would eventually become Hokage when Kakashi felt he had done enough. As Hokage he would rule over the village and keep up the peace and cooperation with the other Kage.

And Sasuke would be there in the shadows, helping Naruto, just like how Itachi had helped Konoha from the shadows. Sasuke would never be loyal to the village – not after what they had done – but he would help Naruto any way he could, no questions asked.

Naruto had pulled him out of the darkness, had offered his hand time and time again despite being rejected so many times before, and for that Sasuke would be grateful forever. He had been given a second chance, something he knew not many people would get. He was free to roam the earth, no longer carrying a death sentence.

All thanks to Naruto.

With the quest in his mind and the belief that Naruto would be Hokage one day – there was no doubt about that – he hadn't ever considered what else they would do with their lives. That had been rather naïve of him, he now realised.

Would his quest demand the rest of his life of him? It was possible. Was he ever going to do something else? That, he didn't know the answer to.

He knew Sakura was waiting for him in the village, awaiting the moment he would go back and return her feelings. She had tried to join him on his journey before, but he had gently rebuked her, telling her she had nothing to do with his atonement.

That was true. It was also true that he would never return her feelings, no matter how long she waited for him. He respected her prowess as a kunoichi, admired her skills as a medic nin, but he would never consider her to be more than a friend. Maybe one day she would understand that and allow herself to open her heart for someone else. Someone who deserved her.

Many women – and even some men – had shown interest in Sasuke during these past years. They found him attractive, his aloofness mysterious and appealing and they all wanted to get closer to him. Some of them had been quite obvious in their pursuit, Karin being the best example of that.

He had never been interested in any of them like that. Objectively he had found some of them good looking, but there had never been that spark, that instant connection his mother had often fondly reminisced about when she had talked about Fugaku.

Well, that was a lie. In all those years he had experienced that spark, that connection exactly once.

He hadn't recognised it at first. How could he have when he had been merely six years old? But the pull had been there from the start, no matter how much he had resisted it, no matter how much he had denied being drawn to him.

When he had been thirteen, he had tried to sever that pull, had attempted to destroy that connection so that nothing would stand in his way anymore.

It hadn't worked. Time and time again the other one had been there, holding out his hand, allowing Sasuke to lash out at him, to fight with him, to bruise and scrape his flesh, to leave his marks behind for at least a little while before they would be gone, healed, as if they had never been there in the first place.

Yet he still hadn't recognised that pull, hadn't allowed himself to really think about it.

It was after their fight, when they had laid there on the rock, bleeding out from their arms, that he had finally realised what exactly laid between them. What it was that had bound them from the beginning, what had caused Sasuke to be drawn towards him each time even when he fought against it, even when he tried to ignore it.

There was no escaping that connection and he had been a fool to think otherwise.

He had thought that Naruto felt that connection too; it certainly had sounded like that when he had questioned him about his motives in the Valley of the End. It had really seemed like that when dark blue eyes, bruised and fatigued, had stared at him defiantly, demanding he'd stay alive to help the blond shinobi. There had been no lie in those deep blue, raw eyes.

He had been content to let things be between them. After all, he hadn't really thought further than his quest and Naruto inevitably becoming Hokage in the future. They each had their mission and that was that.

He had been fine with the thought of keeping up like this for years to come. Maybe in five years, ten years, someday, they would have solidified their bond in a physical way. He didn't mind waiting.

But now Naruto was going to marry the Hyuuga heiress and leave Sasuke behind. Their bond was disrupted, deformed, and would never be the same again. Not if the younger man went through with the wedding.

It hurt.

Sasuke clenched his teeth together, leaning against the tree with his hand. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the rough bark, feeling the rough edges of it dig into his forehead.

Connections left you vulnerable, open to pain. He had sworn long ago to never form any connections again, to never let anyone have that amount of power of him. Not anymore. His walls had gone up and he had guarded his heart obsessively, never allowing anyone to get close enough to tear through his defences.

Naruto had done that anyway. He had rammed straight through his defences, never stopping to think whether doing so would leave him unguarded against danger. He had torn down Sasuke's walls so effectively, it had left the Uchiha heir reeling, gasping for air.

Uzumaki Naruto was an unstoppable storm and Sasuke had been helpless against him.

Naruto's presence, his warmth and acceptance had become the shield in front of the gaping opening in his defences. Naruto had destroyed his defences, but his warmth had formed a new shield, covering the breach from anyone who might think to attack Sasuke in that manner ever again.

Naruto was the only connection he allowed himself to have, believing that this bond, this link, would never hurt him. Connections were a dangerous thing for an Uchiha to have. When an Uchiha loved, they loved fiercely. When that love was abruptly torn away, they often turned towards the darkness, finding that easier to cover the pain, to numb them against the aching loss they felt.

Connections made you vulnerable and Sasuke despised himself for ever thinking it could be different for him, that the tides could change.

He had lost Naruto. To a girl he had barely talked to before.

A bitter laugh escaped him and he sank down on the ground, feeling the damp soil crumble underneath his grip when he burrowed his fingers into it, needing to feel something else besides the aching pain hollowing his insides.

Who knew losing someone you officially never had could hurt this much?

I shouldn't have left myself open like that, he berated himself, glaring at a bush bearing red berries. It was his own fault for allowing the connection to persevere. If he had just cut it off from the start …

But he couldn't regret it. Despite the pain festering inside of him, he couldn't regret the connection he had with Naruto. It was what had saved him from the darkness, what had unknowingly supported him throughout all these years.

Now he no longer had that connection. Not a complete one anyway. Naruto would go on to marry the Hyuuga girl and Sasuke …

He should have told him, he realised dismayed. After the fight, during their stay in the hospital, the times they saw each other … So many opportunities, but he had never grasped them, had allowed them to slip through his fingers like sand in the belief that he still had another time, later, another moment.

Now it was too late.

Fuck.

But was it really?

He stilled, staring unseeingly in the distance. He wasn't planning on attending the wedding, not interested in witnessing that farce happening in front of his eyes, and his chance appeared to be lost completely.

What if it wasn't, though?

He had one last chance. He had never been one to give up quickly, so why would he do that now?

One last chance. He wasn't going to let that one slip through his fingers. Not again.

Not anymore.

He didn't inform anyone he would be visiting the village. There was no need for that. He was here for one person only to do only one thing – there was no point in letting other people know he was here again.

Soon he would be gone again anyways.

He entered the village through a hidden opening his brother had shown him once. It was near the Uchiha compound and as far as he was aware, only the Uchiha had been aware of the second entrance. Normally he would have used the gates, but the guards there would think it was necessary to alert Kakashi and he could do without anyone descending upon him.

The left wall of the Uchiha compound – crumbling at some points – doomed up next to him when he crawled through the entrance. He rose up and looked around, noticing how nature slowly seemed to be taking over the place.

Nature could have it as far as he was concerned.

He followed the narrow, weed overgrown path next to the wall until he ended up being on the main road which led towards the centre of the village. He walked past the gate, intent on going to Naruto's place, when he abruptly halted and turned around to face the gate.

A huge chakra source, as familiar to him as his own, was inside the district.

Sasuke frowned and studied the broken gate. What was Naruto doing here?

After a short bout of hesitance he entered the district, memories of his family and other people of the clan assaulting him almost immediately. There was the house in which his grandparents had lived; his grandmother had delighted in giving him cupcakes and other sweets while his grandfather told him all about the fights he had been in his rich, deep voice.

On his left there was the downtrodden home of some of his distant cousins who had just had a baby when Itachi had started his killer spree.

The house nearly covered entirely with ivy had belonged to an old woman, who had spent her days tending her garden and watching children play with an indulging smile.

Sasuke swallowed, his hand unconsciously clutching his old headband, and followed the chakra source deeper into the district, past other downtrodden houses and weed covered roads.

The central house.

The house where Sasuke had grown up, where his brother had played with him. Where his father had taught him all he had to know about the clan and where his mother had cuddled and kissed his pain away.

Why was he here?

He found the Jinchuuriki standing in front of his old childhood home, staring up at the decaying building. Once it had been the most beautiful house of the entire compound, exuding power and filled with love.

Now it was dark and empty; some of the bricks crumbling.

He watched how Naruto raised his foot, as if to step inside, but then he lowered it again and stayed hovering in front of the house. He waited until the blond man would notice his presence, but as the seconds ticked by, he realised that the younger man had no clue he was standing behind him. Exasperatedly he shook his head; one would think Naruto had grown more cautious after years of being hunted down by Akatsuki.

"Of all the places you could be, I find you here," Sasuke broke the silence and had the satisfaction of seeing Naruto start at the sound of his voice. "Well, you've always been full of surprises, right, Naruto?"

Slowly Naruto turned around, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, and faced the dark haired man with wide eyes. His blue eyes glowed when they caught the light of the moon and his hair glistened like gold; still personifying the sun even at night.

"Sa-Sasuke," Naruto stammered, clearly thrown off guard by the man's unexpected appearance. "I – you – what are you doing here?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow; really, Naruto had the gall to ask that of him when he was standing in the Uchiha district? "What am I doing here?" he repeated incredulously. "Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that question? This is rather far from you apartment. Why did you come here?"

"I just …" Naruto trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from the eyes trained on him. "I don't know," he admitted when a short, but quite loaded silence had passed between them. "I left the pub and I didn't realise I was walking in the direction of the district until I was standing right in front of it."

Sasuke couldn't resist. "Still as empty brained as ever, I see," he sneered and his heart skipped a beat when cerulean blue eyes flashed.

"Oh, shut up," the blond shinobi groused, crossing his arms defensively. "It wasn't like I was entering one of the houses."

"I must be blind then, because you looked ready to step inside just now," Sasuke commented sharply.

Whiskered cheeks flushed red, but Naruto went on, "Anyway, what are you doing here? Kaka-sensei didn't tell me you were coming."

Ah yes, because he couldn't set foot in the village without having to alert the Hokage first. They couldn't have him going on an unexpected rampage, now could they?

The spark of warmth that had been lit up inside of him at the sight of Naruto froze and was replaced with simmering anger as he recalled the real reason why he was back here.

"Kakashi isn't my keeper," he answered coldly; his fingers curling around his old headband.

Naruto had at least the grace to look ashamed and he cringed. "I didn't mean it like that," he mumbled, his cheeks growing even redder.

Sasuke allowed the silence to hang heavily for several long seconds, watching Naruto squirm underneath it. He broke it with a sigh and said wearily, "So you're getting married tomorrow, huh?"

The words coated his mouth with the bitter taste of ash. They felt disgusting and sounded wrong, but he kept his face carefully blank, not yet ready to let his friend know what he really thought about his upcoming nuptials.

Blue eyes glanced at him quickly and then Naruto chuckled nervously, shifting his right foot over the ground, disturbing some of the sand. "Yeah, I'm happy you got the invitation. I wasn't sure that you had, because I didn't get a reply, but I figured you were too busy to - "

He couldn't hear him ramble any longer. "Why are you getting married?" he inquired coldly.

That was the main question which hadn't left him alone no matter how hard he tried his best not to think about it. After years of being infatuated with Sakura, why was he suddenly planning to marry Hyuuga? How long had this relationship been going on and why hadn't Sasuke known about it before? Nothing made sense and he wanted answers once and for all.

Naruto gaped at him, which honestly made him look like the idiot Sasuke had accused him of being time and time again. "Wha-what do you mean, why am I getting married? Because I like Hinata," he replied, taken aback.

Not love, like, a voice in the back of his mind pointed out gleefully. The distinction between the two sentiments wasn't lost on Sasuke and only made him question Naruto's decision to get married even more.

"Really now?" he couldn't stop himself from saying mockingly, raising an eyebrow sardonically. That was the best reason Naruto could come up with?

His mocking tone caused the Jinchuuriki to bristle in anger. "Of course I do! Why the hell else would I – "

"Why do you like her?"

"…What?" Confusion filled his tanned face.

"Why do you like her?" Sasuke repeated his question, cocking his head to the right. A faint sneered lingered across his mouth as he continued, "Surely if you want to marry her, you know what you like about her. So tell me, Naruto, what is it about the Hyuuga girl that you like?"

What was it about her that had made him stop waxing poetry about Sakura? What was so special about that girl that it would make him deny the bond between them? The bond, the link, he had admitted to feeling too, those two years ago at the Valley of the End?

His stomach cramped, but he didn't move an inch.

"What kind of stupid question is that?" Naruto snapped irritated, balling his hands into fists. "Why should I have to tell you - "

He knew it. For several weeks he had thought something was off, wrong about this entire thing, and now he had his confirmation. If Naruto really loved that girl enough to marry her, he wouldn't have any problems informing Sasuke about her good qualities. God knew he had never been able to shut up about Sakura when he had been still infatuated with her. Now he couldn't even tell his best friend about why he wanted to marry his fiancée?

Something definitely was off. Naruto had to realise this too, he wasn't stupid. So why was he lying to himself then?

"You can't, can you?" Sasuke shook his head and chuckled coldly. His friend froze underneath the glare of his Rinnegan and Sharingan. "You're a fucking hypocrite, Naruto!" he spat; anger like a hot flame in his belly.

"Who are you calling a hypocrite, you bastard?!" Naruto bit out; anger flaring up in his eyes.

"You!" Sasuke snarled and Naruto's mouth dropped open. He couldn't be that goddamn stupid or oblivious, right? "You're a goddamn hypocrite! I thought you didn't like lying, huh? So why the fuck are you lying to yourself now?"

Naruto began to protest, "I'm not lying to myself! What are you - "

He had reached his breaking point. "You've never been interested in Hyuuga that way, you bloody idiot! She didn't even register in your mind except as a friend! And now you're trying to tell me you're going to marry her? When you can't even tell me what you like about her? What's the point in marrying someone you don't even love?" He shook his head in disbelief, stunned that he had to be the one to tell Naruto how wrong he was acting now.

"Of course I like her! I just - "

Again with the like. "You can't even get yourself to say that you love her," Sasuke laughed bitterly and placed his hand on his hip. "You're pathetic, Naruto. You're just making a fool out of yourself and you can't even see - "

"I just want to be normal, okay!" Naruto shouted desperately all of a sudden and Sasuke fell quiet, stunned at the desperation he could detect in the blond's voice. His voice trembled when he continued, "I just … Isn't it … Marrying a girl is normal, right? Starting a family – that's good after the shit we went through during the war, no?"

Normal? Since when were either of them normal? They hadn't been normal from the start: he the heir to a prestigious clan with a highly sought after Kekkei Genkai and Naruto, the Jinchuuriki who chased after his dream to become Hokage. Normal had never been them and would never be them. Sasuke had long since made peace with that; he had thought Naruto had done that too, especially after their fight.

Now he thought he should be normal and he would accomplish that by marrying a girl? It made Sasuke want to kick his teeth in.

"I – when I went to the moon, there was a – some sort of genjutsu," Naruto fumbled, nervously fiddling with the zipper of his orange black jacket. "And I – Hinata really likes me. That genjutsu showed me that. She has liked me from the start and that's – sure, she isn't one of the first bonds I made, but that's okay, no? She likes me and she's nice and cute. She's really sweet and – and it wouldn't be that bad to marry her, right? We – we can be a family and – and that's normal. Is it that bad that I just want a family? I can be normal with this, Sasuke," he said; the pleading edge in his voice begging the older man to understand. "Even if it's just this – I can be normal. I'm sure I'll learn to really love her. I like her, so …"

Sasuke couldn't keep listening to this; it made him sick. So purely because a genjutsu had showed Naruto how much the Hyuuga heiress had pined after him, he felt guilty enough to marry her? The boy who had lectured Zabuza on what love was, now would marry without love in the belief he would come to love his wife eventually?

This wasn't Naruto. Not the Naruto who had chased after him for years, not the Naruto who had fought with him, stood by his side while others had long since abandoned him and who had kept holding his hand out to him. He wasn't the one who had acknowledged the bond between them after their fight.

This couldn't be him. Sasuke refused to believe that.

"You shouldn't have to learn to love the one you're going to marry, you idiot," he sneered, fury tightening every muscle in his body. "And really, a genjutsu? That's your reason for returning her feelings? So you're going to spend the rest of your life with a girl merely because a genjutsu showed you how much she likes you?"

"She loves me and I think - "

"She doesn't know you, Naruto. She loves the one who she thinks you are. Watching you from a distance doesn't mean she knows you. She likes you, yes, but she's the same as Sakura – the both of them love someone who we are not." Sasuke sighed and tapped his fingers against his katana. How low had they fallen that Sasuke of all people had to explain love to Naruto? "You shouldn't marry someone just to feel normal – how much of an idiot can you be? That isn't fair to you or her."

"But I can …"

"You know what I see when I look at you now?"

Naruto opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked stricken, frozen, and yet on the verge of running away as well. My, how things had changed.

"I see someone who's barely alive," Sasuke said flatly. "For someone who claims wants to get married, you don't look happy at all. I've seen real happiness on your face, Naruto, and this isn't it. This isn't you. What happened to the Naruto I spoke to right after our fight? That's the Naruto I want to see – not this mediocre substitute."

"People change, Sasuke," Naruto mumbled flatly.

Yes, they did. But normally not as badly as Naruto had done.

"True. I changed," he mused aloud. "Thanks to you. You knocked some sense into me, remember? You were even willing to do it again even though we were on the brick of dying. I'd say I knock some sense into you now, but I'm not sure whether it's really worth the effort."

Naruto flinched harshly, clearly hit hard by Sasuke's words, but Sasuke couldn't find it in him to be satisfied about that. He just felt empty now, hollow and raw. Maybe it had been a mistake to come here.

"You do what you want, Naruto," Sasuke paused, the silence between them heavier than it had ever been. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked and an owl who flew away caused the leaves of a nearby tree to rustle. The bird hooted softly as it swooped over them.

"Just remember this: being normal isn't worth shit if it takes away everything that makes you, you."

Sasuke left before Naruto could look up or say anything. He had said what he had wanted to say.

He didn't feel better. Only worse.

He hadn't planned on staying near the village on the day of the wedding. After his less than spectacular meeting with Naruto last night, he had planned on leaving straight away, not able to bear lingering in the village as the other half of his bond signed his life away to a girl he didn't even really knew.

Something, however, compelled him to stay in the woods, a mile outside Konoha. There was nothing for him here anymore, not like it had been before, so why did his body refuse to listen to him and remained here?

Because he was still waiting, he realised. He would wait forever if that was what it took, no matter how pathetic that made him.

He would wait as long as needed because he lo-…

Loud shouting erupted from within the village and his head shot up, his hand already going to his katana. An attack? Who would attack today of all days?

He took a step forwards, but paused when his senses caught the presence of rapidly approaching chakra. Chakra he had thought he would never feel again.

He didn't … But he had, hadn't he?

His laughter was carried away by the wind and he leant against a large tree, content to wait for the other man to appear in his view. It didn't take long for Naruto to show up, clad in nothing but grey trousers and a white shirt, looking like he had run for dear life.

He had fled his own wedding.

"Always making a scene, huh? It's like you can't live without those," he spoke amused, announcing his presence.

Naruto spun around and a large grin spread across his face when he caught sight of Sasuke. "Well, you know me, right? I like being unpredictable," he retorted lightly and drew slowly nearer, his hair catching the sunlight and his eyes glittering brightly.

Unpredictable indeed. That was one way to describe the man in front of him. Putting a stop to his wedding was one thing – but what did it mean exactly? He didn't dare to allow himself to hope, especially not after their conversation last night, but the fact that Naruto was here and not inside the village awaiting the moment to say "I do." to Hyuuga … That had to mean something, right?

He locked gazes with his best friend. "What do you want to do, Naruto?" His heart started beating louder, quicker, and every cell in his body sang with anticipation.

"What I should have done at least a year ago." Naruto halted right in front of Sasuke and licked his lips. Something akin to insecurity flashed across his face. "I didn't fight you only to see you once a year, you know. I spent so many years chasing you down … You mind some companionship on your travels?"

What an inane question.

Dark eyes rolled and Sasuke cuffed him upside his head, fondness for this unbelievable idiot warming him. "Usuratonkachi," he scoffed.

How could Naruto ever think he would mind his presence?

Naruto grinned even wider, clearly pleased by Sasuke's response. "Sorry for taking so long," he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the bridge of his nose bashfully.

"Well, you've always been slow on the uptake." Sasuke shrugged and smirked when the younger man squawked with indignation.

This was it. This was what Sasuke had been waiting for all those years, both consciously and unconsciously. Now it was within his grasp and he felt like he would burst any moment now. No longer able to hold himself back – no longer needing to hold himself back, not anymore – he moved forwards quickly, bringing their lips together in a kiss of which they would share many of in the future.

A kiss that held a promise for a future together.

When he pulled back, Naruto stared back at him dazed; his lips reddened. Sasuke had caused that look on his face. He alone had done that.

Giddiness and exhilaration filled him to the brim, leaving him breathless. "Come on, let's go," he smirked, stepping away from the tree, onto the road. The warm rays of the sunlight filtered through his clothes, warming his skin.

Naruto blinked rapidly and shook his head; his eyes gaining more awareness. A goofy smile coloured reddened lips as he questioned, "Go where?"

"Wherever we want. It's our life after all," Sasuke answered and his smirk softened into a smile.

A smile only Naruto could ever force into existence.

Naruto smiled back, the edges equally as soft as those of Sasuke, and he took a step forwards, joining Sasuke on the road.

Today was the first day of the rest of their lives together. Whatever the future would bring, Sasuke couldn't wait to find out.

He had Naruto by his side now. That was all he would ever need.

The End

AN2: Sasuke's side was a tad more difficult to write, but I managed it somehow LOL

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Cuddles

Melissa

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