Sasuke and Naruto stared at each other. Sasuke charged and Naruto let Sasuke's sword pierce through his stomach. Sasuke gave him a side glance.

"I didn't take you for the suicidal type."

"Normally, I'm not. But if I fight you anymore I'll lose control of the Kyuubi." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Still caring about those retched Konoha bastards?"

"Yes. And, like I said before, I just want to talk."

"I'm not going back."

"You think I'm stupid enough to think you would?"

"I'll always think of you as an Usuratonkachi."

Naruto smiled. "Can we please talk?"

"We're talking now aren't we?"

"Yeah, but you've got your fucking sword piercing a hole in me right now..."

Sasuke pulled the sword out and Naruto winced as blood poured out. Naruto slumped against a tree. The Kyuubi's chakara began to heal him.

"Sakura isn't hiding somewhere is she?"

"I hope not, she means to kill you."

"And you don't?"

"Well, that depends on how frequently you intend on hitting me with that chidori of yours."

Sasuke didn't smile. He hadn't truly smiled in a long time. But he smirked. "I am doing this on a whim, so don't look into it."

"I won't." Naruto was glad to see Sasuke sit down next to him. He looked at the sky and said, "I wish things were different."

Sasuke glared. "I'm not sitting here so that you could be nostalgic and pathetic. You can blame your fucking village for breaking our bond. You can blame it on their ill-earned peace."

"I didn't come here to be nostalgic. You're right. I'm sorry." They stayed silence for a moment. "I saw your brother before he died." Sasuke looked skeptically at Naruto.

"What did he say?"

"He asked me why I kept following you and trying to bring you back. I gave him a real jerk answer that I did it because I was a better brother to you than he ever was. I didn't know shit at the time and I really believed it. A part of me still believes it." Sasuke could have killed him for saying that.

"Don't compare him to yourself. You and him are nothing alike."

"I know. And I can't say what I would have done in his place. I'd like to think that I could have settled things between the Uchihas and Konoha without a fight, but... I wasn't there and chances are, it was far beyond the point of reconciling."

"Do you think you'll be that much different as Hokage?"

Naruto laughed. "You still think of me like that!" He smiled, but it was sad. "I've given up on that dream. I achieved the real one."

"Real one?"

"To be recognized by the entire village. After I defeated Pein, the whole village recognized me, calling me a hero. That was all I ever wanted..."

"So what now for the hero?" He said it in a mocking tone but he recognized Naruto's worth as well.

"Now the hero has really big shoes to fill." He sighed. "I have been troubled by something since I talked with Pein. I really wanted peace to be achieved, without the sacrifice of freedom or of innocent lives. I wanted to answer that question and I thought that by becoming Hokage I could do it... but I leave that job to Gaara. I have realized my place..."

"And where's that?"

"Right here..." He leaned his head on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke froze. "It's lonely isn't it? Revenge?"

"No one basking in light wants to choose it."

"No but I understood it a little after Pein killed Jiraya. I didn't pursue it. I couldn't forgive him, but I didn't kill him."

"Then how did he die?"

"A change of heart. He sacrificed himself to bring back the villagers."

"You changed his heart."

"Yes."

"You intend on changing mine?"

"No. Whatever light I have to offer you, you'd probably turn it away. Not that the world would accept your change of heart even if you did have one."

"You finally realized that? Good. I hoped you wouldn't tote around that foolish goal your whole life."

"Ah. So caring. I thought you'd forgotten of me."

"Of course I didn't. You have the life that was denied to me. A life in the light."

Naruto sighed. "I'm still mad at Itachi for leading you into the darkness. But you seemed to follow in his pattern. Maybe that's all that brothers are good for."

"Have I?" He asked cautiously, not quite sure where Naruto was going with all this.

"I suppose I have turned toward darkness as well, if only to pursue you."

"And I have led you to it? Assuming that you're idiotic enough to be calling me your brother."

"Is it alright that I call you that?"

"... You'd call me that whether I accepted or not. It doesn't matter." Sasuke's shoulder was beginning to feel warm under Naruto's head.

"Have you gotten your revenge?"

"For the most part. I need to kill the other elders..."

"You don't need to. They will die soon."

"I'm sure they will, asleep in their beds. What a fitting death."

Naruto lifted his head to look at Sasuke. "They'll go to Hell. Let God take care of that. Stop bathing yourself in blood. It won't replace anyone that you've lost!"

"You think I don't know that? I'm just filling my purpose as the avenger of the Uchiha clan."

"Itachi wouldn't have wanted that! He didn't want that for you!"

"Then he shouldn't have left me alone!" Sasuke's face twisted. He hadn't meant to speak out against his brother. He hadn't meant to unearth the secret grudge he still held against his beloved late brother. He stayed silent.

Thankfully, Naruto didn't pry. "Then what will you do after you kill them?"

"..."

"No plan?"

"There's never really been a plan. Just goals."

"Then there are no other goals?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll just kill the remaining villagers of Konoha. How about that?"

Naruto stared into his eyes. It felt like he was reading his soul. "You wouldn't actually kill them, would you?"

"They built the system that tore my life apart. Why shouldn't I?"

"Because then you'd have to endure the wails of the children who's families you'd kill and try not to think of how much you cried that day. You are an avenger, but you aren't a cold-blooded killer."

Sasuke turned his head away. "Why are you talking to me?"

"Because I want peace in the world. I think that every generation gets closer. I thought I could solve it, but I can't. So I'm handing it over to the next. But there is a peace I can achieve. That's with you."

Sasuke shook his head. "You think you can make me achieve peace? That's laughable. I really thought you'd grown up a bit."

"Sasuke. I want to die with you."

"What?" Sasuke stood up. "That's what this has all been about? Killing me to rid the world of one less problem? Oh. You are so dead, bastard." He drew his sword.

Naruto looked up. "Sasuke. What are we living for?"

"You want my life? You'll have to take it from me. I'm not sacrificing myself for anyone."

"You did before..."

"That was another time and you know it!"

"Answer my question. What are we living for?"

"I'm an avenger! And I've got more things to do than to talk to some kid who's read to much Shakespeare!"

"Who's left to avenge?! Haven't you killed enough people? Haven't you pushed away enough precious things for a lifetime?!"

Sasuke turned away but Naruto grabbed his kimono. Sasuke whipped around and pierced Naruto in the same spot he had nearly killed Naruto before. It hurt Sasuke at the Falls and it hurt again as he watched the blonde in front of him grab the sword for support.

"Our clans, the Senju and the Uchiha are destined to fight until the end of time. I'm not saying I believe that fate can't be changed, but I can't change it now. It's too late for us. I just wish..." He sighed. His eyes bore into Sasuke's. They looked dull and Naruto's face looked weathered. Life had aged them beyond their years and stolen the brightness in Naruto's eyes. He continued, "I came here, hoping that you were just as tired as I was. I've watched my world fall apart many times, as I know you have. I have tried to gather the pieces and put it back together, but they just don't fit because..... I lost a fundamental piece when you left. You lost so much. I thought that maybe you were searching for a peace too, deep down."

Sasuke pulled the sword from Naruto. Naruto lost his balance and he fell to the ground. Blood poured but he didn't heal. He didn't want to heal.

Sasuke looked down upon his brother. His little brother. Without really knowing what he was doing, he laid beside him. He deactivated his Sharigan and looked at Naruto just as he was on the surface. Naruto's eyes widened. Sasuke, on a whim, decided to partake in some nostalgia himself.

"I remember looking at you at the Valley of the End and thinking about how much I envied you. I really wished that I could have stayed with you at the time. I wished that things were different. I still do. It would have been nice to go on missions believing that we were making a real difference in the world."

"I would have liked that." Naruto smiled sadly. Seeing it made Sasuke upset.

"Why are you bleeding like this? Just heal yourself."

"So you're not coming with me?"

"I told you. I won't give my life. If you want it, take it." He sounded resigned. It was half-hearted now.

Naruto healed himself enough so he could stand. He made a Kage Bushin. The Kage Bushin formed the Rasengan in his hand. Sasuke dropped his sword and let his electric chakra flow into his bare hand. They charged at one another. Neither tried to block the other's blow. Neither missed. They clashed. They fell.

The ground felt hard and cold. The sun shined but there was no warmth from it. The only warmth they felt came from the other. They stared at each other. There was a peace they felt but it was intertwined with regret for the events that practically forced them to lie in the pool of blood.

"Sasuke... do you believe in reincarnation?"

"I haven't thought about the afterlife much. I've been kind of preoccupied with this life." Their breaths were ragged and forced. Trying to cling to the last few moments, if only so they could talk for a little longer.

"...Maybe we can come back. Then... maybe things will be different. We could eat bento and go on missions... like you said..." Naruto smiled.

"I don't... know. B-but... we can dream. Can't we, dobe..." Sasuke's eyes lost their life and his breath stilled.

Naruto watched him die and cried. It was much more difficult for Naruto to die. It was far from the peaceful slipping into death that Sasuke had. But Naruto was glad it was quick for him, Sasuke deserved that, at least. The Kyuubi roared and cursed him. Shoving his chakra onto Naruto. It was a constant fight to keep the Kyuubi from healing him but Naruto closed his eyes and focused on Sasuke's face. As he felt his body starting to whither, his life flashed before his eyes.

He thought of Sasuke offering his bento when they first went up against Kakashi. He thought of Haku's words, of how Sasuke had stood before him, and when he had seemingly died. The image of Haku and Zabuza in the snow came to his mind. Tears slid down his face. Dying beside his most precious person. It hurt but comfort lay in the fact that he would soon join him. Everything in their lives seemed to build up to this moment. He could see why people believed in fate. Everything seemed to fit together so well. But he had chosen this path. They both had. He suddenly felt the surrounded by warmth and he held Sasuke's hand so that whatever came for him in the afterlife to collect him would know to take Sasuke too.