"You've come to, huh?"

He hears Sasuke grunt in pain.

"As you can see, we'll bleed out and die."

They remained silent for a moment.

"Why go that far?" asks Sasuke. "Why do all of that just to get in my way? Everyone's tried to cut their ties at some point, except for you."

He blinks at the unspoken question of why. "You're my friend."

"What does that mean?"

He couldn't find the words. He didn't understand it either. "When you take on that stuff and get all messed up, it hurts. It hurts so much, I can't leave it alone."

"Hey, Naruto."

The words barely reach him. The darkness around his vision grew.

"I acknowledge you. This is a type of revolution too. They can undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi after I'm dead by transplanting my eye into Kakashi or someone else."

"Idiot."

"Loser."

He wanted to say more, but he can't remember. He barely has enough energy to listen, let alone think and reply.

The world turned black and silent.

"Regrets?" Did he have any regrets? A lot. None. "One."

He had just gotten through to his best friend.

That he'll never be Hokage bummed him out. His dream dies today, but the world won't end. He had faith in Sakura and Kakashi.

He has accomplished everything he set out to do, right?

Naruto relaxed.

Almost.

"Sasuke."

He had so much more he wanted to say.

Say? Maybe. But not with words. A few at most.

He wanted a fight, a real fight.

Naruto was a simple man. Words aren't simple enough. Limited too. He couldn't put everything he wanted into words. Sasuke wasn't all that talkative either.

So why bother with words?

He thought of only one thing else that allowed people to express themselves better.

Sasuke awoke to the sight of the stars.

Has it been a day or more?

Death was taking its time, but death will come.

He's bleeding out, crushed by some rocks, in the Valley of the End. It felt fitting somehow.

A dim glow flashes. He turns to his left to see Naruto wide awake. The blond idiot had his hand up, wisps of energy almost invisible between his fingertips.

"Idiot, stop wasting chakra." Naruto always recovered quicker than most. He frowns.

With all his remaining strength, he turns himself over. For a moment, the stump of a right arm screamed in agony as it lay beneath him. His right arm lands on Naruto.

The bleeding blond boy doesn't even grunt in pain. He didn't even wince at the impact nor at his body crushing the boy's own bleeding stump.

Naruto's eye remained at his hands.

"Stop whatever you're doing." It was hard to talk with him now facing the ground. "I will give you chakra." The attempt would be dangerous, but things couldn't get any worse.

Naruto glances at him. "Don't kill yourself to save me."

"I will die."

"I'll chase you again and kick your ass."

"Tch." The loudmouth was stubborn.

Instead of trying to argue, he goes ahead and pushes as much chakra into Naruto. Or he tries to. Nothing happens. Chakra is a mix of spiritual and physical energy. Battered, bruised, bleeding and dying, his body can't channel chakra.

Sasuke glances at Naruto once again. Sasuke smiles. Naruto didn't give up on him. He can't give up either.

Sasuke grits his teeth as he tries once more. Energy tugs in his core. Chakra? No. "Fuck it." He doesn't care anymore. He tries to push all the energy he's got into Naruto.

Naruto glances at him, takes a breath, then nods.

He senses Naruto push energy into him. "You idiot. Just let me-"

His words die on his lips when a flood of emotion rushes through him.

"Ninshu."

Ninjutsu came from connecting spiritual energy to one's own physical energy, chakra. Ninjutsu allowed people great power to fight each other.

Ninshu came from connecting spiritual energies with one another. Ninshu allowed people to understand each other without communication.

Time became meaningless as Naruto and Sasuke shared everything; their thoughts, their memories, their pain, and more, so much more.

Sasuke raised a brow at Naruto. The gesture unnecessary through their new link but one Sasuke still wanted to express. What the blond was trying to do was beyond ridiculous. It was a madness he expected from Orochimaru. No. Even Orochimaru is too sane to even consider it.

Naruto grins and grabs his hand.

Sasuke rolls his eyes but takes his lead.

Though their position was awkward, their index and middle fingers crossed with each other's.

They spent the last of their remaining energies and died.

Next Chapter: Resurrection