"I'm really glad I got to know you." Said the memory Naruto genuinely. Sasuke was silent for a time.
"Naruto, no matter what you say to me now, I won't change. I'm still going to kill each and every person in the Hidden Leaf, including you! I'll get revenge for the Uchiha clan." Sasuke responded harshly. Naruto's smile faded and was replaced by a pained look.
"But. . . is that really the only way Sasuke?" He insisted almost desperately. Despite his confessions and persuasions Sasuke showed no sign of changing his mind.
"Yes. Your only choices now are to kill me and be the hero who saves the entire village. . . or to be killed by me and be known as a loser." Sasuke's tone was almost calm which only seemed to add to his creepy vibe. Naruto however remained oblivious to the Uchiha's clear insanity, at least that was how it appeared.
"Sasuke, I just don't believe that. I'm not going to be a loser, but I won't be the hero who killed you either. Neither one's going to happen!" He insisted with resolve.
The pastel colors were replaced by huge waves as their jutsus canceled each other out. The water raged far above their heads and it seemed amazing that they were able to keep from falling in, even with their chakra. Kakashi finally broke the Naruto clone's hold and caught the boy as he was thrown back by the force of their chakras.
As Sasuke was thrown back, a strange white thing seemed to almost grow out of him. The creature took on a humanoid shape and caught the Uchiha. Both the Uchiha and Uzumaki were left out of breath from the exchange.
"You. . . when did you?" Sputtered Sasuke to the white thing, he looked almost upset.
"Oh, I've been tagging along for quite awhile now. Tobi told me to observe you and to make sure you didn't see me. However it seems as if you are in a crisis and need my help." The thing said in a soft voice that was slightly irritating. The observers were left to wonder who exactly this Tobi was, they got the feeling that he would be important.
Kakashi set Naruto on his feet as he fixed him with a concerned - if not a little angry - look. "Naruto, I told you to go back to the village." He scolded.
"It's. . . all clear to me now." Naruto said with a distant tone, completely ignoring his sensei's words.
Kakashi's concern amplified at his statement. "It's all clear? What do you mean by that, Naruto?" Naruto didn't get the chance to respond as everyone's attention was drawn to a space beside Sasuke.
The area seemed to swirl in on itself and the air around it was swirling as well. Out of the phenomena came a figure with a long cloak decorated with blood red clouds, and an orange mask that had lines spiraling to a single hole on the right side just were the eye should be. They could have been imagining it, but Sarutobi and Inoichi thought they saw a red glint from behind the mask.
"What's going on Sasuke? I told you to go home and rest." The man said in a low voice. He noticed Naruto standing a few meters away and turned his attention. "The Nine-Tails, huh? It seems that when you two see each other you just can't resist the urge to fight. I'll arrange the proper time and place for you to fight and capture the Nine-Tails, but for now we retreat." He instructed.
The Hokage and the jonin wondered if maybe this was Tobi, they wanted to ask but they didn't want to interrupt. . . again.
"And I'll stay and fight for you. After all we still need to capture the Nine-Tail's jinchuuriki." Offered the white creature and five more replicas of it rose from the water as he spoke.
"No Zetsu, capturing Naruto is beyond you. The Nine-Tails is too tough for a none battle type like you." The cloaked man spoke. Zetsu looked slightly dejected but obeyed none the less.
Naruto who had been silent in watching thus far walked forward with his eyes locked on Sasuke's. The man crouched down to Sasuke's level since the boy was sitting and spoke lowly in his ear. "Let's go Sasuke." But Sasuke's attention was on the approaching blonde.
"Not yet." He insisted and they both looked at Naruto with interest. Naruto stopped when he was still several meters away, far enough that he had to raise his voice just slightly to be heard. "Sasuke, 9do you remember? Do you remember what you said to me long ago at the Final Valley? The thing about high-level shinobi?"
There was a flashback to the two boys as genin as they faced off at said place. Sasuke was saying something. "When two shinobi are powerful enough they are able to read each others thoughts just by an exchange of fists without ever having uttered a single word." The flashback ended.
"Trading blows with you just now - I learned a lot about you and what you're thinking. It means we've become high-level shinobi Sasuke. Both you and me. So Sasuke, how 'bout it? Can you tell me what I'm thinking right now? Can you read my mind? And can you understand that if you and I fight each other. . . we'll both die? Sasuke - if you attack the Hidden Leaf I'll have no choice, I will fight you, don't doubt that. Until that day, save your hatred, then you can throw all of it right at me. I'm the only one that can handle all that hate. Do you understand? I'm the only one who can fulfill that duty. Save up your hatred and take it all out on me. I will shoulder your hatred and die with you." Naruto promised.
Inoichi and his Hokage looked at the grown Naruto. They both felt oddly at ease at the thought of the man fighting for their village. It seemed like anything was possible if he was there fighting for it, and they hardly knew him. They could only imagine the faith his comrades from his time had had in him.
"What happened? Did you ever end up fighting?" Asked Sarutobi. Naruto looked at the man like he thought he had gone slightly mad.
"I'm still alive aren't I? Sasuke and I's strength is dead even, even now. . . or until he. . . never mind." He said sadly.
Sasuke was now yelling at Naruto in the memory. "What is it with you, huh? Just what the hell do you want from me?! Why are you so fixated on me?!" He burst angrily.
"Because you are my friend." Sasuke was taken aback by this. "Sasuke, from the moment we met I knew it was going to take a lot of work if I was ever going to understand you." Naruto rose his fist. "And exchanging fists is the way we can understand each other - I know that. Like I said just now - it means both of us have become high level shinobi. Once we really understand each other, your hatred will go away just like mine when I met Iruka-Sensei. I haven't given up on you! Not yet. I πΈπͺππ take you back to the Hidden Leaf Village. I'll never change my mind!" He proclaimed passionately. Sakura had tears in her green eyes. Naruto chuckled slightly. "Alright, I guess I'm done nagging you for now. Damn it, this is ridiculous. I'm not any good with words, I shouldn't try to lecture you." He chuckled again and scratched the back of his head. "Well I guess if the worst does happen and both of us end up dying, you won't be an Uchiha and I won't be the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki anymore - we'll be free of out burdens! And we can understand each other in the afterlife." By now Sakura is full out crying. Even Kakashi closed his one visible eye in attempt to conceal his emotion at the thought of losing his beloved student. All in all everyone was moved by the blonde. Memory Naruto offers a closed eye smile to his corrupted friend.
Sasuke narrows his eyes. "I'm not going to change. I don't want to understand you. I won't die. You are the one who is going to die." He insisted all stubborn like. He was being a typical stick-up-my-ass Uchiha.
"Then we'll die together Sasuke." Naruto concluded.
"Hn." Sasuke smirked. "Fine by me, but at least I'll take you down first."
"No problem since it's clear that you still don't respect me at all." A little of the boys former competitiveness was showing in their exchange.
"Enough Naruto." Kakashi finally spoke. "I'll handle Sasuke. You still have to pursue your dream of becoming Hokage." He reminded.
One of Naruto's clones that was near Kakashi answered him. "But I'm not worthy of becoming Hokage," it said. Then the original Naruto. "If I can't even save one friend." He insisted. "Fine Sasuke - I'll fight you."
All the Zetsus left and the cloaked man said to Sasuke, "We're done here Sasuke." Before they left too leaving only Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura.
Naruto unexpectedly fell to the ground and Sakura panicked. "Naruto! What happened?!" She demanded from her sensei who looked unconcerned - bored even.
"Your poisoned kunai that you tried to kill Sasuke with scratched Naruto it seems." He explained lazily. Sakura looks sheepish and hurries to give him the antidote.
Inoichi couldn't help but laugh at this after the intense scene he had just witnessed. Naruto eyed him as the memory faded before wearing a small smile of his own, even Sarutobi's eyes twinkled with amusement.