Naruto gripped Sasuke as though he was a lover.

He pressed a forceful contact, a physical penance to everything he had failed over and over to accomplish in those years of tracking down what once was. Hoping, against hope, that what once was, had always been and still was existing.

The fleeting insignificant memory of someone who cared. He gripped a memory, hummed the sound of desperation.... and jerked when he felt a motion of the loss he couldn't handle....He was kissing and holding a memory, he was chasing and longing after a memory...

He was fighting, and losing... to a simple memory.

No longer a person.

He grit his teeth and watched as all but every inch of Sasuke faded. He trembled at the missing bonds, his voice wavered....

But you would never know that Sasuke...

You forgot me.

Naruto felt tears sting his eyes, and tried so hard not to have such a sensation of real, true, loss. Tried so hard to forget, yet couldn't...

The pain of the void would never let him forget.

It was not fleeting, it was substantial, something so important that it was an integrated part of WHO he was. Sasuke was HIM Sasuke CREATED so much of WHO HE -=WAS....=-

He was changed for the better, every day, every hour, every minute, every waking day and dreaming night, EVERY SINGLE SHAKING INHALATION.

And so it is that he would chase that memory, find it, and have it once again... if even till his last expiring breath.

-----

Sasuke felt, the longing, the desperation, felt the memories. The memories he'd twisted at the door of power, twisted until they held no more reason to keep the dobe alive than pure power. Held no more proof of his existance in Konoha no more proof of his friendship or his bonds.

There was no proof in what he'd never remember.

It was just Naruto and his memories once again tonight as Sasuke twisted back, and evaporated within his fire of forgetfulness.

Naruto's memories were right, but he would be damned if he would be reminded of anything worthy of stopping him from being all that he could be.

Because... there was nothing more once the dobe left his life but all he could be. Nothing more worthy to give up his vengeance than his bond and his word and those memories.

It was just Sasuke....corrupted by power. He couldn't remember friendship, he didn't remember loyalty, he couldn't remember Naruto for the bonds had been gone too long.

He wasn't a person anymore.

(Picture taken by... random person at Sakura Con.... If you know who you are you should take credit xD)