Log: Complete

[relimited.livejournal.com]

When; May 30th (First day curse)
Rating; PG
Characters; Uzumaki Naruto relimited and Uchiha Sasuke cursed_ninja
Summary; It's their first day again. So what better way than to meet up with an old friend...or a current rival?
Log;

Sasuke headed towards the forest where Naruto had asked to meet him. As he arrived a few moments later, he waited for the other to arrive. With all the things Naruto was saying to him and accused him of earlier, hopefully they could settle things once they actually met.

He'd been torn, stuck between the choice of meeting the Yondaime; his father, or following through with the promise he'd made all those years ago. In the end, the second choice had won out. His father wasn't going to go anywhere, but Sasuke on the other hand...

In truth, he'd been surprised that the other had agreed to meet in the first place. Afterall, he'd been the one to abandon them. So why was he giving him the chance to talk? With a sigh, Naruto glanced up to the trees ahead of him. Well, he'd find out soon enough.

Sasuke stood there, caught up in his thoughts for a moment, he sensed the other approaching him. He looked up, the surprise was clear on his face as he saw Naruto seemed older than him...and just different from when he last saw.


Stopping in his tracks, Naruto's eyes widened in shock. Sasuke was so...small! Another few steps forward and Naruto's glare slowly morphed its way into a smirk. So maybe his father had been telling the truth. "Sasuke?" Unable to hold it in for much longer, he let out a laugh. "You're tiny!"

Sasuke scowled "I am not! Just...how did you get taller than me now?"

He did his best to try and hold back his laughter, but it took a few minutes before he managed to speak again. "I haven't seen you that small in years." Stopping a few feet away from Sasuke, he grinned. "The Yondaime said you were from the past. I didn't believe him till I saw you."

"Years?... How long, Naruto?" Sasuke said, confused "Wait...I'm from the past? So what you were saying to me before, that's stuff that happens in the future, then?"

"...yeah." Well that worked to cut back his amusement in no time. "I haven't seen you looking like that since..." Before he'd left. "...a long time ago." Smiling slightly, Naruto shrugged. He had no reason to be on guard around him now. Afterall, he wasn't the same Sasuke who'd... "How is this even possible though?"

"Idiot. You already said that. That still doesn't explain anything" Sasuke turned and looked up at the other, before he shrugged "I don't know, must be something about this place..."

"I guess so. I mean, the other said the same things. This is another world. And if it managed to bring the Yondaime back to life, then I guess bringing you forward isn't impossible either." Of course, that didn't help matters much. "What do you remember last?"

"The last thing I remember was we were in the middle of the Chuunin exams..." Sasuke said.

"That long ago?!" It explained why Sasuke had honestly sounded so confused about half of the things he'd said. "That was about three years ago for me."

"...Three years?" Sasuke shook his head, "No wonder I didn't know what you were talking about earlier"

"...a lot happened since then." Turning his gaze toward the trees, Naruto frowned. If this Sasuke was from the past, did that mean that the Sasuke he knew had also turned up here? But, he hadn't ever mentioned it before. So maybe... Looking back suddenly, Naruto's expression turned serious. Maybe there was a change to make things better. "You make a big mistake soon. ...you can't do it again."

"A mistake? Yeah, right" Sasuke laughed, in disbelief, "As if I'd made a mistake"

A growl of frustration and he continued. "You did. Do. Whatever. You don't need him. You never did. But you still left. You abandoned all of us for that snake. For your stupid revenge."

Sasuke listened to the other speak, not really what to say in response to that, especially since he didn't even what would lead him to do something like that. "My revenge isn't stupid. If I do what you say I will do, then I'm sure I had my reasons, and it shouldn't be of any concern to you"

"You left us for the snake-bastard. Because you thought he could do something that we couldn't. But we're your friends. We were. Not him. You had us to rely on." His voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "You still do."

Sasuke frowned "Well even if that's the case, who says I even wanted to rely on any of you?"

"You'd prefer to get help from some guy who just wants to take your body, instead of your friends who actually want to help you?" Glaring at Sasuke, Naruto's arms shook slightly as he did his best to keep himself from hitting the other. "Bastard! No matter what Orochimaru says, he's not going to help you. Not as much as we could."

Sasuke paused. The part about Orochimaru wanting his body, he didn't know that part, but if he still went to him despite all that, then it was a risk he was obviously willing to take. "I don't care. It's not about that. I don't what happened after the Chuunin exam that would made me go to him. However, if I went, it's probably because I didn't want any of you involved, despite how much you want to or could help me"

"You don't get it!" His hand was moving before he could say another word, fist aimed straight for Sasuke's face. Why couldn't he just understand? "You really want to throw away all those years and go running off to Orochimaru for help? The Snake can't help you!"

Sasuke was caught off guard from the sudden movement of Naruto hitting him in the face, only cause him to hit the Naruto right back in the face in return. "Idiot. You're the one who doesn't get it. Whether Orochimaru can or can't help me, I would rather do that get help from any of you. I can't have any of you getting involved in my fight. I just can't..."

"Why?" His voice grew louder as he brought the back of his hand up to scrub his face. Sasuke had no right to hit him. Not after everything he'd done.

...was going to do.

Whatever.

"We're your friends. We care about you. Even after everything you've done. And we would've done whatever we could to help you." A growl. "We were friends."

"That's exactly why...because we're friends. If any of you are involved with my revenge on him, he'll only...it'll be like before" Sasuke shook his head, "That's why it was probably better I leave and have nothing to do with anyone from Konoha"

"I don't get you. Friends make you stronger, not weaker. The snake is only going to help till he can use you for himself. He doesn't care about your revenge." His voice dropped again, though this time it was a mix of both anger and...regret. "...you didn't even give us a chance."

"No, you're wrong. You'll only get in my way if you help" Sasuke shrugged "Sure, he probably doesn't care about my revenge, but what makes you think I'll even let him do that after he's done helping me?"

"Because you already said you didn't care what happened after." Glaring angrily, Naruto forced himself to take a step backward. It meant there was no way he'd be able to attack Sasuke again without warning. "We do. We all do. But you just want to ignore that." ...he wouldn't let him. Not again.

"Maybe I just said that, I don't know...if I do, it's my choice, not yours" Sasuke just let out a sigh, "All I know is that, right now, I'm not really sure what would even cause me to leave like that...what happened, Naruto?"

"Orochimaru offered you a way to get stronger, and you took it. You didn't give us a chance to help." His fists tightened almost painfully, as he looked to the side. "You would've been better off without him. You would've got stronger. You...wouldn't have been classed as a traitor."

"Yeah, I get that part. I just don't get what made would make me go through with it though. Does it happen right after the chuunin exam?" Sasuke shook his head again,"...You don't know that. Maybe it was meant to happen."

"Not right away." Now came certain things he wasn't happy about remembering. "...we fought. A few times. But the last time, just before you left..." Shaking his head, he forced his gaze back to Sasuke, doing his best to keep his voice neutral. "The curse seal. You used it. You were meant to kill me, but you didn't. You just...left."

"So we fought a few times before I left? That doesn't make sense though..." Sasuke looked downwards, with everything he was being told, he felt so confused "I did? Well I know why I would go after you meaning to kill you, but I don't get the rest of it though..."

"Orochimaru gave you a curse seal. It gave you power, but it wasn't you. It was something else. It made you change." Red eyes. Wings. It wasn't Sasuke. "You turned into something else while we fought. And the next thing I knew, Kakashi-sensei was saying that you'd left."

"...Wait. I change? What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, finally looking upwards towards Naruto.

"I mean, you change. You turned into something else. You changed colour. Grew wings. All because of that damned curse seal. What I fought, wasn't you."

Sasuke frowned "Even if that happens, it's because I have that cursed seal that I need to go"

"You'd rather have someone elses power to fight Itachi with? You could get stronger in Konoha. You never needed the snake." Why was it so hard for him to understand? "You never needed to leave."

"I figure since I’m stuck with that curse seal, I may as well use it" Sasuke shrugged, "Just as long as it results in his death, then it's fine with me"

"That was three years ago, and Itachi's still alive. Three years! It was a waste. If it took you that long, and you're still not strong enough to beat him."

Sasuke scowled in response "Hn. Well I probably hadn't found him yet or something. My fight with my brother is none of your concern, and neither is how I go about doing it"

Turning back to Sasuke, he smirked, an almost amused laugh escaping him briefly. "You've got no idea." Itachi was his concern, and had been from the moment Akatsuki had formed. Not as long ago as Sasuke's own reasons. Not by a long shot. But that didn't mean he was going to just let the younger Uchiha away with it. "Itachi is after me. If you're going to go off chasing him, why bother disappearing in the first place. He's only going to end up heading back. You're the reason that fight isn't anywhere near Konoha though."

With what Naruto said, it only made him more confused, "After you...why? And what does it matter where I am?"

"Because Itachi wants something I have, and I left Konoha to find you." Or at least, he would be again, as soon as Tsunade and Yamato let him go. "The easiest way to find Itachi is to draw him out."

"Right...and what exactly do you have that he wants?" Sasuke asked, not really sure what Naruto was referring to.

"..." He didn't know what to say. On the one hand, he could just tell Sasuke everything. But then, what if that didn't make a difference? What if it just meant he had an added piece of information to hold over him? But on the other hand, if he didn't explain himself...? "It's none of your business."

"Hn. So you concern yourself with everything I decide to do, and all of a sudden you bring up that my brother wants something from you, and now it's none of my business?" Sasuke said, slightly irritated, but he shrugged it off as he turned away from Naruto "Right, whatever. If the fact that I end up leaving is all you're going to go on about, I'm going to head back then"

"Why does it matter? All you need to know is that he'll be coming after me. So the best way to find him is to stay with me. You need to stay in Konoha!" The gap between them was reclosed in no time, leaving him all but ready to make sure Sasuke didn't leave. He wasn't going to let him go again. "You're not going anywhere."

"Fine, whatever. It doesn't matter then" Sasuke shrugged, "Why do I need to stay? I leave anyway in your time, so what makes you think you can change that?"

"Because last time, I didn't know. This time, I'm not going to let you make the same mistake." Why was it really so hard for him to understand? It all made perfect sense to him that leaving was one of the worst things Sasuke could do. But getting the message across was seeming to be a problem. Deflating a little, he tried again, his eyes on the ground as he spoke. "...I don't want you to disappear on us again."

"You didn't know? What do you mean?" Sasuke paused, looked up towards Naruto, "Why though? I've already left in yours, so it won't make a difference..."

"I didn't know you were going to leave until you tried." If he had, he would've...what? Tried to have this very same conversation? For some reason, he couldn't see that happening. Afterall, it'd taken him three years to finally understand what'd happened in the first place. "Even if it wont change my time, it'll change yours. You'll be safe. And none of the others... Everyone will be safe, and happy. That makes it worth it."

Sasuke shook his head, "Why does it matter to you so much if I decide to leave? If it happens, it happens. You can't change that, Naruto"

"Because I miss how things used to be. I miss training with you and Sakura, going on missions. I miss just...being able to hang out with you two." He frowned to himself, unmoving At that moment, the spot on the floor looked very interesting to him. "If there's a chance to change that, I'm not gonna let it go by."

Even Sasuke wasn't entirely sure of his reasons for choosing to leave at this point in time, but if that's what he'd decided, there was no point in changing things. "Forget it, Naruto. Just because I'm from a time earlier that you, you can't go changing things from how they're supposed to be"

"I can't just forget it! I wont. You gave up everything, just because he promised you power. But he didn't give you anything that we couldn't have helped with." Or at least, that was what he wanted to believe. "I wont let you make the same mistakes again."

"Well you have to forget it, because I don't need your help" Sasuke scowled, "And if it was a mistake then I wouldn't have gone through with it in the first place. It doesn't make it one, just because you say it is"

"You didn't know it was a mistake though. You couldn't. He didn't tell you everything before you left. He lied to you, Sasuke. And I'm not letting my best friend disappear again."

Sasuke shook his head, trying to ignore Naruto's words " Just shut up. I don't care. That's not your decision to make, Naruto"

There had to be something he could do. Some way to change Sasuke's mind. If it meant that things could be different, then he wasn't going to ignore it, just because Sasuke told him to. "I know. It's not my decision. It never was, and it never will be. It's yours." Looking seriously at Sasuke, his voice turned low once again. "I just want you to make the right one. The one that means you don't end up dead."

Sasuke momentarily glanced back towards Naruto "Yeah, but it doesn't matter. I already told you that I don't care about that"

"But why? Why don't you care? Why are you so willing to give up everything for that bastard?" A glare, and Naruto had to practically restrain himself from attacking the other. "Sasuke. You're not going to be able to beat Itachi with his help."

"Because nothing else matters, it's as simple as that. I'm stuck with this curse seal of his, so I might as well know how to use it" Sasuke shrugged, "Hn. Think what you want, but there's really nothing you can say to make me change my mind about this"

"You'd prefer to rely on his power to fight Itachi? Instead of your own. You've changed more than I thought." He smirked, one devoid of all humour, as he stepped away. "I suppose I should just go and kill Itachi myself, if you're really that set on having something else beat him."

Sasuke clenched his fist, trying to hold in his anger towards the other, but at Naruto's words, he suddenly moved forward to grab ahold of Naruto with one hand, while he aimed for Naruto's face with his fist. "You bastard. It's not like I have a choice with the matter since I'm stuck with the cursed seal. Itachi is mine to kill, not yours"

A snide laugh escaped him as he lifted a hand to his jaw, scrubbing it slightly. Turning back to look to Sasuke again, his smirk remained, despite the punch. "You've always got a choice, no matter what happens. And if you wont make the right one, I'll make my own decision too. And that happens to be taking your kill from you."

"Hn. Well I don't. You don't know what it's like, having that seal...you just don't get it" Sasuke glared at Naruto, angrily "You...I'll kill you first if you even try to do that"

"I don't, huh? I don't know what it's like having something forced on me that I don't want? I don't know how it feels to know that there's a monster inside me, just waiting to get out?" Dropping a hand to his stomach, he grit his teeth, his other hand coming up to grip the collar of Sasuke's shirt as he ducked to his level. "We're more alike then you'd think. The only difference is, I refuse to just give up like you. I'm not a coward."

"Yeah, right. You don't know anything, Naruto," Sasuke shook his head, before he pushed the other away, rather roughly. "Idiot. We're nothing alike. And who says I'm giving up? I'm not one either"

"If you don't understand, maybe you should go ask the Yondaime. I know a lot more about what it's like than you think. For both of us." Stumbling back a few paces, he shrugged his shoulders, still unable to shift his expression. Sasuke just wasn't getting it. "Going to Orochimaru is the same as giving up. You're running away, trying to find the easy way out."

"Ask the Yondaime? What does he have to do with it?" Sasuke looked up towards Naruto, then let out a sigh "No it's not. Besides, it's not like I'll get any stronger by staying in Konoha either, you know"

"Is it really that hard to work out? 16 years ago, I got a seal of my own. He was the one who put it there. And that seal is the reason I know how you feel." At Sasuke's next words, he was quick to scowl, yet again forced to restrain himself. He was now complaining about Konoha? "It worked for the rest of us. You're no more special than the rest of us."

Sasuke paused just as Naruto's words registered in his mind. "Wait. You mean the kyuubi? ...And just how is that the same?" He shook his head again before continuing, "Hn. Whatever. While I don't know the exact reason why I go through with it at this point in time, I now know that I do, and there is no point in changing things. I have two people I need to kill, and I can't do that if I stay in Konoha"

"Because unlike you, I'm not running off to get help from some guy who's only planning to kill me. I'm actually doing something about it. With the people I trust. You do remember that word, don't you? Trust." Two people? Was he still planning to-- "Konoha. No, friends can help more than anyone else."

"Trust? Hn. Of course I remember, it's nothing other than another meaningless word" Sasuke glanced away for a moment, "Friends? Right. And just how could you help me?"

"Meaningless? No, you want to know what's 'meaningless'? It's throwing away everything for some stupid idea of revenge when your best chances are right in front of you. We know you. Better than you do. We can actually do something."

"Stupid, huh? So you're saying that the fact I want to get revenge on my brother for killing my parents...my entire clan, is stupid?" Sasuke scowled, trying his hardest to prevent himself from hitting the other again. "Idiot. You don't know anything, or know me at all. What could you possibly do to help me? Tell me, Naruto."

"No. Your idea is. You're wanting to throw away everything to chase him, when your best shot comes with staying with us. You're the stupid one, not your revenge. If you knew what happens, you'd know that you need us. We can help you get stronger than the snake ever could. And we wouldn't be doing it to use you. We'd be helping because we actually gave a damn about you. You're our friend. My best friend! I'm not letting you abandon us when we're your best chance at beating him."

"Hn. Its not just that. It's also about the second person I have to kill too. Staying in Konoha...it'll only prevent me from doing that too. I don't see how you could help me with that" Sasuke said, looking downwards to the ground, "You'd only get in the way"

"If this is about killing me again, then just forget it. You tried that, and for some reason, you didn't do it. Even after you left, you didn't do it." Not for a lack of trying, of course. It was one of the few times he was glad to see his 'enemy' retreat. "We got you this far. Why would it make a difference now?"

"Well I'll have to eventually. Though now that I know that, who knows, maybe I might go through with it, afterall and just kill you right then" Sasuke smirked, "Why? Because nothing you do would help me, especially not with that seal still there"

"Then fine, go ahead. Or maybe I'll kill you now and stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life." He'd threatened it countless times before. If it'd stop things from going the same way, then maybe a fresh threat was needed. "You didn't give us enough time to find a way around it."

"Hn. You want to kill me? Go ahead" Sasuke just looked at Naruto, clearly unfazed by the other's threat. Of course he didn't want to die, but Naruto was all talk. He doubted the other would actually go through with it. "Enough time to find a way around it? There isn't one."

"If that's what it takes. I'm not gonna let you go to the snake bastard. Not again." He needed something to buy time. anything. At least long enough for him to think up a plan of some form. "How would you know?"

"Well I'm not going to stop you if you do. Besides, if I do say that I will stay, who knows if I'll even remember any of this if we get out of this place?" Sasuke looked up at Naruto, "Well it's a part of me now, I doubt there's a way to get rid of it"

Now that came as a shock to him, and his loss of words were proof enough. "...why?" Did that mean he wanted to be killed? Why wouldn't he stop him? "There's a way to change anything. You just have to find it."

From Naruto's reaction, Sasuke knew that the other was shocked by his words, but he expected that, since he was he only said that to see how far Naruto would take the idea of wanting killing him.

"What do you mean why? Shouldn't it be obvious?" he said, expression remained unchanged "Hn. And just why do you think there is?"

"No." Naruto was clueless as to why Sasuke would simply let him kill him. After all their previous fights, it was a completely foreign idea to him. Especially seeing as Sasuke had always been so adamant to beat him in the most insulting ways he could manage. "Because I've seen it happen, to people who've tried. It's only the ones who give up that fail."

"Well you want to, right? I mean since you don't like my decision, or do you really want me to go through with killing you? I mean, I'd already be dead if my brother wanted hadn't left me alive for whatever reason, so go ahead, kill me if that's what you want to do and finish whatever he started" Sasuke shrugged, still acting like the threat didn't faze him "Well they were probably in different situations, it doesn't mean there is a way"

"You actually think I want to kill you?" His eyes were wide, before he was forcing his gaze away. "I've never wanted that. Not once. But you...you left us with no choice. If it means it'd stop you, then I...I'd do it." He couldn't help it anymore. Sasuke really seemed to be both confusing him, and annoying him at the same time. How was that even possible, after everything? "...please don't make me have to." A sigh, and he finally managed to look back up again. "What makes you think you're so different?"

"I don't know what to think anymore, Naruto. The fact you would, just because I leave? I don't get why it matters to you so much that stay" Sasuke sighed, "I don't. It's just the situation that is"

"Because you're my best friend. Even now, after everything. I don't want to lose another person to them." Sasuke. The Sandaime. Gaara. Just a few of the many who'd been lost, thanks to Orochimaru and Akatsuki. "Then why do you think this is really any different? We can help."

"Me...your best friend? Hn. Since when?" Sasuke frowned, "Because it just is. I don't want your help, I told you that already"

"...you were the one who called us that. You said we were best friends. You... I was...glad about it." Had things really changed that much over those few months? "But you want Orochimaru's?"

"Hn. Well that's because it has to do with why I have to kill you" Sasuke shifted his gaze away from the other, "It's not that I need or want his help either, I guess it's more like I use him for that curse seal of his, so that it doesn't go out of control on me, like it did before"

"Then why leave? If we're friends, why did you just go? You don't even want his help. So why bother abandoning us and going off to the snake for help? Kakashi-sensei was able to do something to the seal before, right? So maybe the Yondaime could do something too." In truth, he just needed...something. Some sign that Sasuke would at least give them a second chance. He wouldn't let Sasuke leave again.

"I don't know that yet, all I know about it, is what you're telling me" Sasuke shook his head, "Yeah, Kakashi tried, it didn't work...it's just better if I just go ahead and leave like I'm supposed to"

"But you're not supposed to. Just..." Things just seemed to be going from worse to worse. But somewhere, there had to be a way to explain himself better. Or at least a way to buy more time. "...give us a chance. Please? Just a bit longer. We'll find a way to help you."

Sasuke was tired of trying to explain himself to the other, especially when Naruto didn't seem to want to listen to his reasons. In response to the other, he just nodded, "Fine, whatever. I doubt my answer will change though"

"So you'll...give us a chance then?" An opportunity for extra time, and he was glad to have it. If what his father had told him was true, then that time may be longer than Sasuke expected. Either way... "You'll have to come and see the others though, alright?"

"Yeah, if it'll get you to shut up" Sasuke looked towards Naruto, "The others? Fine....who else is here?"

The grin came automatically, no matter how much he tried to hide it. Instead, he had to duck his head. No point in annoying Sasuke more than he apparently had already. "I only know about Kakashi-sensei and the Yondaime. I'm pretty sure there are others here too though. It feels like it."

"Yeah, okay. If they are here I'll go see them too" Sasuke sighed.

"...thank you." The only thing he could say just then, but it was meant in more ways than the obvious. If things went to plan, then maybe, just maybe... "Can we go there, now?"

"Sure...why do you want to do that now though?" Sasuke asked the other.

"Because I don't know who else is here right now." Or perhaps it was more of a case of her knew exactly who was here. And wasting time standing around wasn't going to get him there any quicker.

Sasuke frowned "We can do that later though, there's no rush"

"It's not like there's anything else to do right now though." Glancing back toward the buildings in the distance, Naruto sighed. "Can we just head back. For now at least?"

Sasuke nodded "Okay, fine we can go see them now if you want"

His relief was clear as he turned back again. "Great!" He took a step backward, away from the forest, before pausing. "I bet the others will be glad to see you around too."

Sasuke doubted the others would be glad to see him, but he didn't say that "Yeah, sure"

Giving, what he hoped was, a reassuring smile, Naruto finally turned his back to Sasuke, slowly starting to make his way toward the City. That was one problem averted for the time being. Now to find the rest.