Disclaimer: Naruto and Co- not mine. The lyrics to Cry are also not mine.

A/N: Goodness... how long has it been? Over a year. I've had this part sitting on my hard drive, mocking me. So thought I would polish it and send it on its merry way. Still have the final part, which hopefully will be finished up here soon. Enjoy. No flames please.

-2- Understandings

In places no one will find

All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)

It was then that I realized

That forever was in your eyes

The moment I saw you cry

-Cry- Mandy Moore

Strained silence coated the clearing where the teams sat around a glowing fire. Kakashi, after speaking with the other two team leaders, decided it would be best to rest right where they were for the night. At dawn, they would begin the depressing journey home. Not that anyone felt it would be home without the two young men. The lengthy disappearance of Sasuke had been bad enough; even though many had become accustom to it by now. But for the friends sitting there, unable to even look at one another, the village without the sunny Naruto was too much to bear.

No matter how his life had begun, nor the amount of aversion many in the village had held throughout most of his childhood, Naruto had come to be respected and even revered as a hero of the village. His actions time and again proved that he was not the Nine-tails, but rather a man willing and able to put his life on the line for those he held dear.

It was not only their home village that had grown to love the jinchuuriki. The Land of Sand would be hit just as hard. Sakura cringed though her tears at the thought of how Gaara would react once he heard the news. Those two shared a bond no one else could understand. They were as close as brothers, if not closer.

This day, with its tragic events would ripple throughout their known world. Naruto possessed the knack of making friends no matter where he went, and elicited the respect and admiration of so many. Now, each life he had touched, every person he had ever held dear would be left without something special.

Sasuke, despite his defection and years of tumultuous life choices, was still the last remaining Uchiha. With his death, the future and secrets of a great and ancient clan died out with him. That empty complex would forever be left without the smiles and laughter of the generations that could have been brought into the world. More than that, a fearsome warrior and wounded man, with all his complexities was gone from their lives.

The very idea was so unfathomable that the group couldn't begin to comprehend the ramification that would result. They sat in dead silence, only broken by the occasional sniffle and gasping sobs. The women in the group seemed to collectively throw away the shin-obi code. Emotions, usually tucked away and hidden behind their masks, were written starkly across their pale faces.

The men were not much better, although far less vocal about their stunned grief. Even the forever stoic Sai's face held the tracks of silent tears. Naruto had been the first person he had considered a friend, excluding his fellow Root member. And although he had never really like Sasuke, the bond Naruto had with the missing nin was legendary and so great that Sai had deserted his original assignment of assassinating Sasuke in favor of helping the bright golden ninja regain his friend's hand and lead him home. In spite of the failure of both assignments, the purpose still stuck with the emotionally stunted young man. It had opened his eyes to the world outside of his box, where Naruto stood as the sun in his bleak sky. How would he go on without that guidance?

"How did it happen?" Sakura finally asked, knowing the question was on the rest of her silent friends' minds. Only, she had the right to ask it. Kakashi gave her a sidelong look, his uncovered eye blacker than black. The emotions there were almost imperceptible, and yet, anyone could see the horrific guilt and pain the older man was experiencing.

"I don't think…"

"No!" she shouted, stumbling to her feet. "We need to know. I need to know. He wouldn't let me come because he knew this was going to be to outcome, but…" her voice broke, and she pressed a hand to her mouth. "Please, Kakashi."

The copy nin sat quietly a moment, his head tipped down, his hands clinched into white knuckled fists. Casting a look over to the two boys laying together, his hand ran through his hair and he took a deep heartbreaking sigh. Slowly, he lifted his gaze and stared into the green eyes of his ex-student.

"Alright," he breathed.

She nodded in encouragement; a stillness surrounded the group as they awaited Kakashi's tale. Hands were grasped in silent comfort, and the night closed around them. Even the sounds of the forest had dimmed to small crickets and the lapping of the river's waves on the distant shore.

"We got a heads up about Sasuke and his group's location about nine weeks ago," he began, once again sharing a look with Sakura. He knew Naruto had confided in his friend before they had begun their journey. "It turned out he was headed to the Leaf, but had been derailed in the Sound. An old faction associated with Danzo and Kabuto intercepted them, and while I'm not clear on all the details, apparently they engaged in battle. From there, the trail went cold for a while, and from what I can gather, Sasuke and his band holed up in a cave to heal. Their wounds must have been extensive, because it was a full month later that we found their trail once again. It became a cat and mouse game after that. Sasuke led us on a merry case, and I can only assume that he knew whom it was that was pursuing him. Four days ago, they stopped. Just came to a dead stand still. We ran into them in a clearing not far from here, and we knew they had been waiting for us."

He shook his head with a sigh.

"It was odd, to say the least. None of Sasuke's followers engaged us. It was clear they were under orders to simply stand by. Naruto asked that Sai and I remain back, as well, which we did." He paused, seemingly deep in memories.

Those deep blue eyes held a look of determination, and Kakashi knew there was nothing more they could say. "It's our fight. I don't want to see either of you hurt," Naruto said with steel in his voice. He glanced once over his shoulder, than disappeared into the surrounding trees. Kakashi and Sai followed at a slower pace, stopping several hundred yards away from the two friends.

They seemed to be engaged in a conversation, their quiet voices and bent heads a strange sight. Kakashi had assumed the battle would begin immediately; so it was rather puzzling to see the peaceful atmosphere that now formed around them. He could just make out their words, using his Sharringan.

"What are they saying?" Sai asked, the slightest twinge of genuine curiosity in his tone.

"It's odd," Kakashi responded. "They appear to be having a simple conversation. I can't see even the smallest hint of animosity between them."

"Do you think perhaps this will turn out differently than we supposed?" Sai inquired.

Kakashi shook his head. "Naruto is, and will always be a wild card. I can't begin to presume where this will end."

"He's sick, you know," Sai said quietly.

Stunned silence followed, and Sakura's pretty face took on an expression of confused horror. "Sick?" she asked, drawing everyone's attention back to the present. She cast a glance over to the bodies of her dearest people. Now that the word was out there, she could see the changes in the normally healthy looking man. His eyes were ringed with black, and even in his still and bloodied condition, she could see he had lost a tremendous amount of weight.

How could she have missed it?

"He didn't want you to worry, Sakura," Sai now spoke, his hand resting lightly on top of her own. The trembling of his digits as they grasped hers belied the calmness in his voice. "He's been very sick for a while now. I guess the doctors gave him around six months. He got the news just before we headed out."

She gulped past the lump in her throat. "He was dying then? But the nine-tails…"

"Was killing him," Yamato put in. Shocked gasps came from the gathered friends. "Each time it used its power to heal him, it took some of his life force away. You know why Tsunade forbid him from using his Rasen Shuriken. However, there were times when it became unavoidable. More so as of late. Between his constant need to heal and his chakra being destroyed, it was a wonder he hadn't ended up in the hospital before coming here. I honestly think he had a pact with the old fox."

"But…" Sakura attempted to put into words her confusion. "Sasuke?"

"He was going blind from the Sharringan. It would have eventually claimed his life too," Kakashi said gently. "It was a blessing in some ways that they went like this." There were solemn nods of agreement.

"So it took four days for them to finish each other off?" Neji asked, his pale eyes flickering to his dead friends and then to his living comrades.

Sai shook his head, taking over Kakashi's tale. "No. They simply disappeared for two days."

"Disappeared?" Sakura asked.

Sai nodded. "Yes, it was quite curious. After their conversation, they both left…together." He allowed the implied sentiments to soak into the group.

A faint blush crept across Sakura's cheeks. "So they were…?" She allowed the sentence to drop.

With a shrug of the shoulders, Sai frowned. "I'm unclear on that point. Whatever business they had to take care of beyond their battle, they wanted to do it alone, together. Even their chakra was suppressed to the point that we knew the vicinity of their location, but had no way of pinpointing them."

"They wanted privacy, and made sure they got it," Kakashi spoke up. "I could tell something very important had been settled when they returned on the third day. There was a quiet resolve in both their eyes, not the usual tenseness. Even Sasuke looked comfortable in whatever decision they had made. He sent his group off, telling them they had his thanks and were no long bound to him."

"He thanked them?" Lee questioned with a rise of one of his bushy brows. It was hard to imagine that such a hard-ass like the Uchiha could make such a gesture.

Kakashi nodded. "He did. He also apologized to myself and sent his apologies to you, Sakura." He watched as her eyes widened in understanding, then fluttered with tears.

"So he knew what was going to happen too, didn't he?" she replied, her heart feeling as heavy as lead inside her chest. Sai squeezed her hand, and she returned it.

"It's my belief, yes. They knew, and wanted it this way. I can't really see either one of them continuing on without the other. Their bond was deeper than anything I have ever witnessed."

There were nods and murmurs of approval from their friends. For the longest time, most in the Rookie 9 thought the obsession was one sided. Naruto did everything in his power to become strong enough to bring Sasuke back. No one had really considered the possibility that Sasuke wanted Naruto to be the one to chase him, that the Uchiha lived for his friend's desire to see him and his need to bring him home.

Sasuke could never return to the village that had damned his entire family to death, Itachi included. He would never be at peace in the place that tortured his best friend for much of his childhood. No, Kohana was not in the cards for him.

Naruto, Sakura thought, knew and accepted this in the end. However, he couldn't let his first and deepest bond die, even in light of this. And with his condition, he had to have concluded that his dreams of becoming Hokage were no longer viable. Perhaps Sasuke knew this as well. Hence his taunt when they had met back at Orochimaru's that day. And his continued relentless provoking of Naruto's supposed lack in strength. In actuality, they were more than evenly matched.

"He kept him alive," she whispered.

"What?" Sai asked.

Green eyes looked lovingly down on the two still figures, seeing the beauty beneath the death and blood. "Sasuke. I think, when he went inside Naruto's mind, you know, when we saw him in Sound? I think he knew what was happening to Naruto, or knew what would happen eventually."

Kakashi frowned. "Maybe. But what does that have to do with keeping him alive?"

"He gave Naruto a purpose past the impending death he was facing." She knelt next to the bodies and brushed the hair from first Sasuke's head, then Naruto's stiffing locks. "It's always been the two of them. There has never been anyone who could move into the world they had created. Sure, we were friends with them, Naruto more recently. But…" she wiped her tears with a watery smile. "There was always a part of them that belonged solely to the other. And because of that, they couldn't allow someone else the privilege of ending it." She leaned over and placed soft kisses to their foreheads. "I get it now," she whispered, looking at the beautiful peaceful faces before her.

"So after they came back, what happened?" Neji asked, somewhat anxiously. Sai frowned, not understanding the man's need for details.

"It's closure," Yamato told him quietly. "They need to know to let go." Sai gave a brief nod and turned back to Kakashi.

The copy-nin sighed. "It was like they were dancing at first. Or sparring. They'd give a blow here or there, then drop away. There was never a harsh word between them, though. No taunts, no name calling. Just the fiercest of determination. It was kinda weird."

"They continued without let up for a solid 18 hours. Jab, dodge, hit. They were both bleeding heavily by this point. I could tell they were tiring out, but neither were willing to give an inch. And then…"

It was like a switch had been thrown. The air around the two combatants thickened, and the wind began to pick up. The suffocating feel of the nine-tails chakra licked the air, heating the atmosphere.

Mixed in amidst the choking hot winds was the lightning stroked flashes of Sasuke's Chidori. The charged strikes and skin melting cloak blended together into one deadly shield, blocking off the way of anyone or thing that might have dared to stupidly interfere.

Of course, none did. But it took all of Kakashi and Sai's fortitude and strength to keep themselves within viewing distance. Atop the tallest trees, they stood helplessly as the screams and blood began to fly. It was what the battle in the Valley of the End must have looked like, only on a grander scale. For now, the two young men below were nothing more than animals, running on sheer adrenaline and instinct. It was brutal, and yet, beautiful.

Nartuo by this time had a full seven tails out. It was the first time either one of his comrades had seen him lose it to this extent. Kakashi was…well… dead, the last time during the battle with Pein. Sai, in the village, had remained far enough away from that site to know how far Naruto had gone. It was only afterwards that Yamato revealed his almost complete loss of control to the Nine-Tails.

The roar of the wind was rivaled only by the heartbreaking roar of Naruto, tortured in his demon induced state. They could see that he was still battling with the beast for control, knowing that if he did allow it to take over, it would kill Sasuke and everyone else in its way.

Sasuke struck again and again with his Chidori, successful making it through to Naruto's body, inflicting untold damage. In his demon form, one could not see just what was happening to his human body, but Kakashi knew from experience that it had to be bad.

The eight tale came out, and again the tide shifted.

"Naruto came to a full stop, and I could hear a more human tone come into his screams. His tales had formed a blade and he had aimed it straight for Sasuke's heart. Would have hit him dead on if he hadn't stopped. Sasuke saw it too late and his Chidori infused blade struck home. Naruto somehow managed to slam one of his Rasen Shuriken into Sasuke's body, and with the power of the Nine-tails behind it…" Kakashi's words died off. All heads turned to the boys' bodies, understanding the damage for themselves.

"And the cut on Naruto's stomach?" Lee inquired quietly.

"Naruto had gained enough consciousness to regain some control over his body. Because of this, he refused to allow Kyuubi the chance to kill Sasuke. And while the beast's cloak was still enfolding him, he called out to Sasuke, bringing him back to his own consciousness. I think it was then that he realized what he had done, and what Naruto meant to do, because he stopped and screamed for Naruto to wait." Kakashi paled, remembering the horrific events with such clarity.

Sai, knowing his leader couldn't continue, picked up the tale again, his usually emotion-less voice darkened into a husky rasp of misery.

"It was like everything slowed down. Naruto had a kunai in his hand, the skin cracked and red from the cloak. And Sasuke just walked right up to him, like the chakra wasn't even there."

The blood was flowing in gushes from his many wounds and the hole in his chest was gaping. A gruesome sight. But he didn't even seem to notice. All that mattered now was Naruto. Naruto whose battle had been far harder than his own. Naruto sank to his knees, his legs unable to hold him up anymore. The blade gleamed in his hand. He looked up at Sasuke and received a nod in return. Sasuke bent down so that they were face to face, his hands wrapped around Naruto's fist. Together, they dragged the blade quickly across the seal, before plunging it in as deep as it could go. Naruto screamed and immediately the fearsome red chakra shot out of his body, disappearing into the air.

The blast knocked Sasuke back several feet from his friend. He laid there dazed for a few seconds, trying to gather the strength to move back over to Naruto's side.

Naruto wasn't so lucky. With that final blast, his body gave itself over to his massive injuries and he completely collapsed into the sodden ground. The dirt and grass was stained crimson with the combinations of his and Sasuke's blood. His eyes turned to his friend, his comrade, his most precious person. Sasuke summoned every last bit of his strength and dragged his mangled body over. Up on his elbows, he looked down on his smiling friend's face.

"We…" he gasped out with wet breaths, blood dripping out of his mouth. "We've been here before you know."

Naruto dragged his heavy eyes open, the usually brilliant blue now dark and dim. "Y…ye?"

"Yeah," Sasuke whispered. "When I left you at the Valley of the End. You were unconscious by then. It was strange." He was struggling with each breath now. "There was this shaft… of light that shine down on you. Just… this single patch. Like you were an angel… or something."

Naruto coughed, his breath wheezing out of his lungs. He blinked his eyes slowly, the motion taking an immense amount of effort. "Calling…a demon… an angel…"

"You were." Sasuke leaned down, just like that day. Pressing his blood stained lips to Naruto's forehead. "Mine."

A strangled sound came from the blond and his hand twitched as he tried to lift it. Sasuke took it in his own, intertwining their fingers. "Sa..suke…" Naruto gurgled out. "Stay."

Those deep eyes looked into the person he loved the most. "Always, dobe."

Naruto smiled. A whisper came from his lips and his eyes slipped closed. Sasuke stayed still for a moment longer before angling his body around and laying his head on his friend's chest, where his blade had pierced through.

"By the time we got here, they were both gone," Sai concluded among the quietly made sobs.

Sakura, who had sat beside her teammates during his tale, leaned over, laying her pink head atop Sasuke's chest. She closed her eyes, trying to contain her tears, wishing there was some warmth, some life in the bodies below her. In a way, she was angry at them both. Why did they have to go and leave her all alone? Weren't they a team?

Gentle arms wrapped around her waist and a head leaned upon her shoulder. She looked up into the brown eyes of TenTen, clouded over with her own grief. "It's not fair, huh?"

Sakura shook her head. "We were a team."

"You still are, Sakura. They will wait for you, you know," the girl replied, trying to comfort her friend. A pale hand clutched at hers, holding on for dear life.

"I hope so."