The village sat in a tense stillness that was too peaceful for its own good. His footsteps didn't make a single sound to echo into the silence as he made his way through the shadows of every building, taking every precaution to keep himself from being seen by anyone. Although the streets were as desolate and lifeless as the ones he had grown accustomed to, he learned to never trust the emptiness. Sasuke ducked behind another tree with his eyes shut tightly; even when he had come to this solution his heart was still pounding heedlessly, making his hands shake as he became more paranoid of his surroundings. Stop being ridiculous! His mind argued with his body as his eyes opened to reveal his sharingan. This is the only way out.

His eyes panned over the area restlessly, detecting no sign of life that would try and stop him from approaching the gate. He swallowed a deep gulp of air to keep the feeling of nausea down before he began to sprint across the dimly lit street. His footsteps began to echo slightly off the concrete as he increased his speed, eager to make a swift exit before anyone would be able to notice; if anyone cared enough to notice.

"SASUKE!"

A gasp caught in his throat as he reached the other side of the gates, feeling two arms wrap around his waist as the two bodies came crashing down into the hard earth. His eyes closed instinctively, unable to look up at the man he knew came to pursue him. Why did he have to keep doing such things that made him even more confused than before?

"Get off me, usuratonkachi!" He growled as he managed to elbow the man in the ribs, making him cough as he fell. Sasuke looked back at him with a deadly glare as he braced himself to make a full on sprint into the forest. He was positive that he could lose Naruto if he was still as disoriented as before.

"W-why the hell are you out here, Sasuke-kun!" Naruto shouted as he sat up on his knees, their eyes meeting for the first time without that strange haze that clouded the blond's eyes before. Could he have remembered everything? "It's dangerous! Get back inside!"

Sasuke's jaw clenched as every muscle in his body went tense with anger. Like this man had the right to spout orders to him anymore! "Who do you think you're fooling by pretending to care?" He questioned through gritted teeth, his glare never relenting. "You've got some nerve."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto shot back, managing to glare back at the younger boy. "What made you think that I ever stopped caring about you?"

"When did you start?" He spat as he jumped to his feet, the blond in close pursuit. "I don't have time to listen to someone who has been ordered to look after me! Consider yourself relieved of your duty!" His chest was burning with every word he managed to hiss with an uncontrollable resentment. When had he developed this kind of malice? He wasn't sure if he should have been more comforted, or worried.

"Stop assuming things on your own, baka!" Naruto shouted as he threw three kunai that landed directly in Sasuke's path, making him skid to a halt as he felt the invisible strings wrap around his body, bringing him to his knees.. "I've been trying to talk to you all this time but you are just too hasty!"

"You're going to regret getting in my way!"

"What is this about, Sasuke?" Naruto's voice rose higher, his expression became more furrowed and troubled than the Uchiha had ever seen him.

"I can't wait around forever for this village to deem me worthy of becoming stronger! If I am going to achieve my own goals then I need to do it my own way without Konoha!"

"Where will you go?" the jounin argued as he pulled the strings even tighter. "You are so close to having your probation lifted, and once that happens you will move up in the ranks so fast that even I am anticipating it! Why would you ruin that when you are so close?"

"It's not good enough!" he shouted while writhing furiously.

"You are good enough!"

"I can't be here anymore!"

"Why not?"

"I HATE YOU!" He hollered so viciously that the sound made them both shiver with displeasure. He never brought himself to become so enraged, which further proved that as long as Naruto was around, he would never be able to move forward with his own ideals. "Everything is so confusing when you're around! I can't stand you anymore! Just get away from me!"

"You..." Naruto stammered hesitantly with wide eyes. How could he say this after what had happened between them? He thought that, for once, they were on the same level. "You can't mean that!"

"More than you know," he breathed with a scowl as he managed to move his hands into the proper signs. "Katon! Ryuuka no jutsu!"

The blond quickly cut the strings as a large stream of fire ran quickly up the lines, taking him even more by surprise. He never knew that Sasuke had so much chakra in him, yet how did he still believe that he was not progressing fast enough? Why did he still want to? The flames smoldered quickly though distracted the jounin long enough to let the Uchiha escape once more. Damnit!

He followed the sound of creaking branches as the boy became too hasty to make a swift retreat. Sasuke was being careless, but it was his rash sense of judgment that was working in Naruto's favor. Where had all this aggression come from? Had he really been so clueless about what the Uchiha was feeling to notice that he would be pushed to this?

"Sasuke-kun! Wait!" He shouted into the darkness, knowing that his voice could reach the boy. "Let me try to understand!"

He blinked a few times to try and adjust to the darkness before receiving a swift kick to the chest, knocking him off the tree branches and down onto the ground. Naruto wheezed while propping himself up on his elbows, trying his best to focus on Sasuke as he landed just a few feet in front of him.

"Understand?" His voice became a low and threatening growl that was all the more menacing when the sharingan glared at him so hatefully. "I gave you everything I had in order to make you understand, and you still remain a hopeless moron, don't you?"

"Y-you can't expect me to comprehend things when you..." Naruto paused for a sharp intake of breath, remembering how he himself had been brought to seduce the boy earlier. "... I'm so confused!"

"Allow me to remove the source of all your troubles then!" Sasuke hissed as he quickly kneeled on top of the blond before grabbing his throat. His grip was unlike anything Naruto believed to be within the capabilities of a child... But Sasuke wasn't a child. He was a fool to ever believe so. He was thrust into a cold and lonely world that outgrew and shattered whatever childlike essence he had left in him.

"Sasu... ke!" He coughed weakly as his vision began to blur. "Pl...ease... I lo—"

For a split second his eyes flashed even darker than they already were, but in that moment there was no anger, but a brief second of uncertainty that flickered across the young boy's features. Naruto's words caught in his throat as the world around them faded into darkness. His body tensed up so tightly that he was unable to move, even when Sasuke's grip on his neck let up. It must have been another jutsu being used through the sharingan, but he couldn't bring himself fight against it. He had the ability to apprehend Sasuke, but with the Uchiha's skill level he would have to hurt him in order to accomplish anything. That wasn't what he wanted.

A shallow breath made its way passed his lips before Sasuke's enveloped his, the younger boy's tongue feeling the crevices of the jounin's mouth that he had become well acquainted with in such a short amount of time.

Naruto's eyes shut tightly as he fought the strange groan that pulled at his throat as his body was washed over with a pleasant numbness. Why had it come to this once again? Perhaps it was the only way that Sasuke could convey what he was feeling. His confusion had somehow tricked his mind into believing that he had to escape what he was feeling. But if this was what he dared to show, then he couldn't deny it any longer.

He had to tell Sasuke too.

Naruto felt some control return to his muscles as a sharp gasp for air reanimated his body as Sasuke parted from him. He stared down at the older ninja catatonically while Naruto tried to take in enough air to form a sentence.

"Stop wasting my time, dobe," he growled, turning his back to the jounin and readying himself to take off once more.

"For the love of God! WAIT!" The plea was more desperate and agonizing than any sound Sasuke had ever heard. It made him halt momentarily allowing Naruto to tackle him to the ground while twisting his arm behind his back; a familiar scene. "Stop thinking that you're alone in this confusion! I'm just as lost and scared as you are! It's not just you!"

"SHUT UP!" He screeched, feeling his nails claw into the ground as he struggled beneath his former teacher futilely. "You've made everything worse for me! You changed everything and just as quickly cast it aside!"

With a threatening snarl, Naruto's other hand weaved through the boy's charcoal locks, forcing his face even further into the ground and earning a strangled cry. "Stop assuming idiotic things! You're supposed to be a genius, so act like one!" He shouted, hearing his voice echo through the trees, fading into the stillness that surrounded them. "I changed everything? It's you who makes decisions for yourself, not me! You decided to start listening to me! You decided to visit Sakura on your own! You..." He swallowed the tight knot in his throat. "kissed me and then ran off before I had the chance to gather my own reaction! YOU!"

Sasuke went still, remaining silent though his fists had yet to relent from clenching.

"I love you, Sasuke!" He declared before the Uchiha had another chance to try and interject with his own insecurities. "So stop trying to make it seem like it's all one-sided!"

He body beneath him went limp, his strength dissipated with a defeated sigh that seemed to relieve some of the tension, though his eyes remained fixated on the darkness ahead of them. "I... don't believe you."

The blond ninja's frown deepened, making him grab the boy's arms and flip him onto his back so they would be forced to stare at each other. "You better start."

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, but was cut short as Naruto's tongue plunged into his mouth, making him attempt to shout in surprise. He could feel the kiss slowly breaking down the Uchiha's barriers as it deepened to an avid fight for dominance. It was understandable, now, why Sasuke would always catch him off guard; it was because it put him in control, and now Naruto had the upper hand.

His hands worked their way up Sasuke's shirt, earning a startled gasp that only excited him more. In a way, he felt strange for doing such things with another guy. Earlier he had Ino, a beautiful ninja who could have anyone she wanted, on top of him and willing to please him, yet he was more moved when he was near his student. Maybe he was crazy, but he finally knew what he wanted and he wasn't about to change for anything.

Naruto's right hand took firm hold of Sasuke's hair as their kiss came to a breathless end, forcing his head to the side to expose his elegant and pale neck. "Now, I can return the favor."

"Wha—ahh!" Sasuke's dizzied question turned to a startled cry as the jounin's teeth sunk into the exposed flesh. "Sto—nnh!" His blood was boiling with desire for the blond to continue as he sucked at the young boy's neck. His body was becoming unbearably hot as his nails dug into Naruto's shoulders, unable to bring himself to do anything other than cling to him. His body was overwhelmed with the sweetness that made him ache with both excitement as well as confusion. Naruto ran his tongue over the bruised flesh before finally sitting up to gauge the Uchiha's reaction.

"Tell me I'm lying," the command was more of a devilish taunt than it was an actual order, but it served to silence Sasuke for a few more moments.

There was a strange glint in his red eyes before the raven-haired youth brought his arm up to cover his eyes with a weak shake of his head. Why did he have to do that? Why now? Hadn't he done all he could to push this man away from him? Why did he have to be so persistent?

"Well?"

"I can't... go back... Naruto." The name was dropped so casually, but his voice held no disdain or misplaced aggression. Sasuke was finally being honest with him. "I have to see his face again."

"Itachi's?"

A weak nod was all he received.

"This is not how to do it. Revenge won't bring them back."

"It's not so I can have them back..."

"It isn't the answer!"

"It's the only answer!"

"Stop!" Naruto pleaded, grasping onto Sasuke's shoulders but unable to make the boy look at him. "Come back to the village! I return your feelings for me! Now please, come back."

"Are you worth it?"

"W-what?" He croaked, unable to comprehend what that was supposed to mean.

"Are you worth all of their lives?" Sasuke continued, his arm still blocking view of his eyes. "Are you worth giving up on Itachi and forsaking everyone that he slaughtered?"

Was there an answer to that? What kind of conceited asshole would say yes to that? It wasn't just his feelings for Naruto that Sasuke had been worried about... He was beginning to lose sight of his own ambitions, the reason for his probation in the first place. The blond shook his head as he laid it against the younger boy's chest. His heartbeat was so slow and steady, unlike his which felt so heavy he could have sworn it was made of lead.

"That's not for me to decide, Sasuke..." He whispered, feeling the boy shudder at the sudden breath of warmth. "I would never ask for you to forget them... But I believe that you could find peace without having to kill your brother. Revenge is not the only way..."

"How far are you willing to go to prove that?"

"Huh?" Naruto sat up once more only to be flipped over from a sudden buck of Sasuke's hips. "Wait!" But by the time he recovered Sasuke had already put enough distance between them. The chase would be on again and he had the perfect take off point. "Sasuke! Please!"

"Love me. Follow me to the ends of the Earth or until your heart's content," he stated, the sharingan no longer visible, but the miserable stare of a boy who had been suffering far too long.

"Don't do this... I was finally..." he croaked hoarsely as he fell to his knees "... able to tell you..."

"Tell me again someday and maybe I'll believe it for myself," he explained, letting his eyes drift to a close as he took in the tranquility of the night. "Chase me as I will chase him. If you really believe there is another way then you will stop me..."

"How on earth am I supposed to—"

"Just how far will you go?" He shouted, his voice echoing into the night and ringing in the jounin's ears so painfully that it made him dizzy. The fluttering of wings and sudden squawks of ravens filled the air, turning his vision to black as the genjutsu finally began to wear off. His stomach twisted and his heart felt as if it had literally been shattered as the ground came up to meet him abruptly. He knew that when he woke up he would be alone.

He tightened his headband before locking the apartment door behind him. The day had started off with clear skies and a bright sun that only seemed to warm him up out of spite. He gripped the packet of papers in his right hand with a listless stare. This had been the bane of his entire week, and for some reason he looked forward to having it completed. It was the last thing he needed to do before he set off on a mission of his own.

When he entered Tsunade's office he expected her mildly surprised reaction since it would be his only assignment he would turn in on time.

"Really? Just like that?" She asked, disbelief evident in her tone.

"Just like that," he reiterated with a smile, though his words felt heavy. He tossed the packet onto her desk as the doors opened once again, bringing Shikamaru into the meeting unannounced.

"Hokage-sama, I—Naruto?" He questioned with a puzzled glance to the packet. "You're already done?"

"I even crossed the t's and dotted the i's for you," the blond commented snidely with a smirk.

Tsunade finished flipping through the papers, reaffirming that he actually completed the transfer. "So it's done then. I expected much more of a fight, to be honest."

"So did I," Shikamaru added with a suspicious stare. "What happened?"

"If that's all you need from me," he began with a roll of his eyes. He should have expected their suspicion, but it was becoming more of a tool of sarcasm than shock. "I'd like to be on my way."

"Fine, fine," she groaned with a dismissive wave. "I guess I can't reprimand you for doing something right for once."

"Wait," Shikamaru stopped him as he reached the doors. "Sasuke's no longer your student. And you're okay with this?"

Naruto smiled as he offered his friend a reassuring pat to the back. "He's all yours." And without that obligation of a teacher to hold him back, he walked through the doors free from regulation and protocol.

For once, he wanted something more than anything he had ever desired in his life, and he was determined to bring it back.

A/N: .

So, that was Kataomoi :) I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was great practice.

I did have a funny moment with my friend who was reading this chapter. When she was done she pretty much said, "WTF! Where is my sexy closure? You FAIL!" XD But I'm a bit ahead of her, or those of you who had the same reaction.

There will be a follow-up/sequel type thing. It'll be a oneshot. A long oneshot. And a bit mature...er XD But it will close up the story for good. So check up once in a while to see if it's posted. :) The title will be: Forget to Remember

In the meantime take a look at the other SasuNaru stories I have, if you have the time for some reading X3 hehe

Thank you all for your support and lovely reviews! You've been a wonderful audience! *HUGS ALL OF YOU!*

THE END