A/N: Well, this is what people voted for, so here it is! I'm opening another poll pretty soon, so keep an eye on my profile ;) There's also a forum up right now that needs role-players, which is great practice for writing; you can find it here: www. hostingphpbb .com /forum/index.php?mforumlethe (without the spaces) please drop by!

So, as the description says, this is set in the future, possibly kind of AU. This is how I imagine it would be if Sasuke and Naruto were kept apart until Akatsuki is destroyed and all the reasons they were fighting are put to rest. Now, finally, they can be together, but both of them have a lot more scars and secrets than they used to.

This time round there's also a few appropriate lyrics dotted around, too, which of course don't belong to me ;)

Chapter One - Dreaming of Each Other

I've got a perfect picture of you this way
And if I got to know you it could all change
…
I'm scared of new love
It's been such a long time

--The Zutons, You've Got a Friend

Uzumaki Naruto took off his mask, and let it drop onto the bed beside him. His last mission had been successful, but not very interesting. It bored him. He had already made up his mind to go ask Tsunade what the hell was up with his missions lately. He never got anything exciting to do any more. It was always, escort this dignitary, or find this herb deep in another village's territory. Herbs, dignitaries, who gives a damn about those? He sighed petulantly. He wanted the real missions. And what happened to 'Operation Bring Sasuke Back', anyway? It was like everyone just gave up now the fighting was over. Even Sakura had stopped going on about it. But Naruto had made a promise, a long time ago, and he always kept his word. That, after all, was his ninja way.

Well, if he really allowed himself to think about it, that wasn't the only reason. Him and Sasuke, well, they were team mates. The years in between didn't change that, nothing could. They were team mates and he had a duty to look after him. If he let his team mate down, well, that just wasn't the Uzumaki way. He was letting himself down, more than anything, by letting Sasuke wander around out there without a friend, probably getting hurt, maybe even dying.

And yet, if he really allowed himself to think about it, that wasn't the reason either. That was just a lie he told himself so he didn't have to think about the truth. The truth was, he missed Sasuke more than he could ever say. Sometimes he dreamed about those days, right before he left, when they were just getting along. That last fight, too, haunted him, when he had admitted he cared, and when they had first gone to rescue him. Seeing Sasuke after those three years had been a shock, but even more so was his stubborn refusal to go with them. He felt like he had been chasing after Sasuke for his whole life. He was always just that little bit too late.

Now, though, he had adopted a different tactic. He had stopped chasing. He knew, somehow, that one day he would find Sasuke. His missions almost always took him to other villages, and he kept his ear to the ground. He got on with his life, but he never stopped hoping, and trying. If he heard a whisper about Sasuke's whereabouts he would follow it. If he heard a murmur about the Sharingan he would chase it. He was the only one left. Sakura had given up, he could see it in her eyes. Tsunade had other things on her mind. Kakashi wasn't even interested any more - he saw Sasuke as his failure, and a source of shame that he could no longer deal with. Well. They could all give up as much as they wanted; Naruto never would. Not even if it cost his life.

He believed in Sasuke.

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only one that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Til then, I walk alone.

-- Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Sasuke stopped for a moment, panting, leaning against a tree. His stamina was shot to pieces. He'd been through worse than this, surely, he could cope. He looked down at his chest, and gingerly touched one of the three long slashes across it. It was still bleeding. His shirt was soaked, not to mention ripped beyond repair. He coughed a little, tasting iron. He took a deep breath, trying to regain power in his limbs, and set off running again. He could feel the blood pulsing out with every step, making him weak. No. He could do this, he could keep going and survive, because no matter what happened he was still Uchiha Sasuke. He was still one of the strongest ninja ever heard of.

He coughed again suddenly, almost tripping as he lost his concentration. His breath was coming ragged now, every lungful rasping against the wounds and forcing even more blood to spill out. He needed help. He wasn't too proud to admit that. But he wasn't going to give up and just die here, in this godforsaken forest. Not a chance in hell. He was going to die in some battle, vanquished by a hero or an army or heroes or just someone like Naruto, and that was the only way he would agree to leaving this world. Naruto. That thought stuck with him, and made him feel a bit stronger. After all, maybe it was the fact that he was so close to Naruto that was making him feel like this, so weak and powerless.

Well, that feeling could just go right to hell. Screw it, he wasn't some pathetic little kid, facing off against Haku and getting kicked into the dirt for his troubles. That was a long time ago, and now he was a man, a strong man who did not give up in the face of difficulties. So he was near Naruto. So what? Any time he wanted he could just turn and run the other way. No one could hold him down or imprison him, least of all some stupid demon-infested idiot. Naruto was probably out on a mission, anyway. He wouldn't even see him.

Actually, that thought made him feel even worse. He knew he needed Naruto right now, because even willpower like his couldn't keep someone alive. He was going to need all he had just to get to the house. After that his life would be in Naruto's hands. He gritted his teeth at the thought. He didn't like it, but he couldn't do anything about it. It was his own fault, getting hurt near Konoha, what was he thinking? He'd been caught completely off his guard. At least the other guy was dead, and what's more his headband had set him out as a sound nin. He wasn't stepping on any toes. That would have been some cheek, killing one of the village's Anbu and then expecting them to help him. No, he was lucky in that aspect.

He stopped again, seeing the house up ahead. He was wary now. On the outskirts of a village was a very bad place to get ambushed, because it meant whoever attacked you had plenty of reinforcements. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but that didn't mean anything. He coughed again, covering his mouth with his hand, and when he saw the blood on his palm he made up his mind. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to go in.

Naruto ruffled his hair in the mirror, which was his version of combing it. It looked well enough. He had just showered, so it was clean at least, and his clothes were clean too. Tsunade couldn't have anything to complain about. He left his uniform on the floor where he had dropped it, figuring he could wash it later. He much preferred a bit of orange anyway. It wasn't fair, being made to dress in black all the time.

He checked his reflection one last time, and froze.

"Naruto." Sasuke said casually, propping himself up against the doorframe with obvious effort. He leaned his head back against the wood and watched the blonde through indifferent eyes, as if he wasn't half-dead. Naruto turned to face him.

"You're bleeding on my floor." He said, trying to match the other's manner.

"I know." Sasuke said, and gave him a half-smile. A moment later he slowly began to fall forwards, and Naruto jumped forward to catch him, and get his shoulder underneath an arm to help him stand.

"What have you got yourself into?" He asked, hiding his concern in an admonishing tone.

"A mess." Sasuke said simply, then looked up at him with, for once, an open and honest expression of need. "Help me? Please?"

"I will." Naruto replied, and although there were thousands of questions swimming through his mind, he led Sasuke through and laid him on the sofa.

A/N: So, there you have it, the first chapter of At The End of The Rainbow. Reviews very much appreciated! I don't know how long this will be, but I can promise a dramatic ride ;)