Disclaimer: I's FanFiction. Why are we required to write this?

Full Summary: "Honestly, I think that I'm afraid of being happy." she stared into my eyes. "Because whenever I'm happy, there's always something in my heart that shatters." she smiled that beautiful tragic smile of hers. "I think it's the knowledge that in the end, I'll be the one left broken."

Pairings: MinatoxSakura

"I always cherished them, you know."

A large gash covered her abdomen, the red liquid coloring the silky grass she was laying on. Her evergreen eyes stood pained and pleading as she looked up at me. Her disheveled, hastily cut pink hair stuck to the sides of her beautiful heart-shaped face. Blood dripped down her mouth, standing out against her pale skin.

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a hoarse voice. The war we just ended drained me to the core. I've never felt so tired as now. I didn't even have the strength to fully open my eyes.

Her smile was forced and sad. I knew she was remembering the past.

The past where we didn't bathe in blood.

The past where we didn't lie, broken, muddy and sweaty, on an abandoned battlefield.

The past where we still had the strength to smile naturally.

Where we didn't have to force ourselves to feel.

Closing my eyes, I tried to remember her before this. When she was happily walking down the street, back in Konoha, just to greet me. When she talked with the villagers, asking them how they are. When she laughed at my lame jokes. It kept me from breaking down.

She started speaking and I opened my eyes again.

"Every moment with the Rookie Nine. With Team 7. With you." she pointedly looked at me. "I enjoyed every second. They were the ones who kept me going on. They were the ones who comforted me when I felt lonely." She paused and breathed heavily.

Why didn't I dare touch her? Why didn't I grab her hand and squeeze? I was kneeling next to her, just a foot apart. Yet, my hands remained on my knees, clenched into tight fists.

I bit my lip to prevent me from crying. I had to be strong. For her. For my precious teammate. My best friend. My first crush. My love.

My everything.

"Sakura..." I hesitated but decided not to add the suffix -Chan. Not before what I was going to say.

Her eyes watered and I felt guilty. It's been a while since I called her name. It always had been Haruno or Secret, as was her code-name in the Anbu. Besides, in war, a Hokage wasn't allowed to show his emotions nor his relations.

"I love you."

She laughed but it ended in coughing fit. She coughed blood. When it stopped, she was gasping for air. It sounded like gurgling, like she was suffocating. It was sickening how I just knelt there, next to her tortured form, and didn't -couldn't- do anything.

"I love you too, baka."

The old nickname brought a small smile to my face and a tear slid down my cheek.

"But it's too late for us, now. It's better if you forget me, 'kay?"

She was speaking rapidly, now. As if afraid she didn't have enough time to finish what she was going to say. Her breath was short. Fast. Tears flowed freely and decorated her dirty face. But she still looked beautiful to me.

Still, her words made more tears slip down my face.

"Hinata is waiting for you and besides-" she coughed. "Besides, I don't deserve you. Love someone who doesn't punch you every time she sees you. Someone who doesn't insult you. Someone who wouldn't die so soon. That's for me to do..."

Another coughing fit.

She looked up at the dark sky, filled with shining stars. Her emerald green eyes suddenly flashed in realization.

"I'm dying."

She said it so disbelievingly, as if she had never thought she would be the first to die. In fact everyone assumed that I or any other member of Team 7 would be the first to go. Even Hinata and Ino and Tenten were considered another young dead.

Anyone, except Sakura. She wasn't reckless or strong like any of us. In our eyes, she was just a weak if not standard kunoichi. Besides, we always protected her, so no wonder neither of us could believe it.

And she those amazing healing abilities. Abilities that rivaled the Kyuubi's.

"You're not going to die!" I said, resolute to not give up. "You're...You're going to sleep. Yeah, you're going to sleep and wake up tomorrow. And when you open your eyes, I'll be right here. Believe it!"

I suddenly realized that I had gone back to my old self. The loud, determined, knucklehead of an Uzumaki Naruto. I was happy. Happy that I didn't lose my humanity yet. Because the cold, apathetic and merciless Namikaze Naruto frightened me.

"Naruto?" My hands trembled. It was now or never. Just extend my arm and touch her soft skin. Nothing more, nothing less. I just wanted her to know, I was real. I wasn't her illusion. I was really next to her, crying for her and lying to her.

"Yes, Sakura-Chan?" she smiled. Now or never. Now or never. Now or never. Her eyes glazed over.

Now or never!

"Thank you."

.

.

.

Never.

.

.

.

Peace.

That was what Sakura had imagined death would be. Pure, white with a soft melody. Her floating through the maze of whiteness and slumbering. Not having to think about anything. Not having to care.

Not having to suffer.

She hadn't thought of the possibility of waking up in a dream. With a young Kakashi and two other children peering down at her from behind Naruto, who studied her suspiciously.

Because that was where she was.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, body tense, as if expecting an attack.

Maybe it was Hell.

Sakura knew that she had done many sinful things in her life and, somewhere in the back of her mind, she had expected this possibility but this? This was just too cruel. Especially after what she just had gone through.

Her eyes blurred, mind going hazy and Naruto began disappearing from her view. Fear suddenly engulfed her at the thought she would never see him again in Hell and her eyes widened. Taken by panic, she shot up and hugged him, kissing him fully on his lips.

Naruto's cerulean eyes were wide as he stared into her crying, apple green eyes. After what appeared to be eternity, she broke the kiss and closed her eyes. She appeared to be saying something, but no sound left her mouth.

Just when he opened his lips, she succumbed to darkness.

And Minato was the only one who knew what her lips had mouthed- even if he didn't understand why she had said them.

"You held your promise..."

.

.

.

"Naruto?"

.

"Naruto."

.

"Naruto!"

.

.

.

She was in darkness.

She couldn't move her body, she couldn't speak or even move her eyes.

It terrified her.

She was just there, leaning against something solid. To anyone passing by, she would've looked like a porcelain doll, sitting awkwardly and staring into the distance.

"Little doll."

That voice.

It sounded strangely familiar. Maybe someone from her previous life?

"Do you want to know where you are? Or why you're here?"

She didn't care. She didn't want to know. She already knew. She was in Hell and was going trough her punishment. She wasn't going to break down and plead for forgiveness. She was going to accept it with open arms and wait for it to end.

"You aren't in hell. You're in my room."

It (he) could read her mind. Wonderful.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, little doll."

Like she cared what suited her. A little light went on from above and she immediately could see a pair of feet before her. If her calculations were correct, Sakura assumed she was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and the man (his voice was masculine) before her was sitting on a chair.

"Correct, little doll."

Was he going to call her 'little doll' in every single sentence? She had a name, dammit!

"Sakura."

The way he said her name made her shiver. He chuckled. Who was he?

"Curious, aren't we? But it isn't the time for you to know who I am. Instead, let's talk about your position."

But when someone picked her up and sat her down on his lap, Sakura couldn't help but whimper in fear. Instantly the man began soothing her, his hand stroking her hair as he hugged her.

"Shhh, everything's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." he hushed as he held her tightly to his lean but muscular body. "I would never dare to hurt you."

What did he want from her? What happened? Was she really dead? Was that really Naruto she had kissed back then, or just an illusion? Who was he? Why had Kakashi appeared so young? Who were the other children with him?

The questions made Sakura dizzy.

"They make me dizzy too, Little doll. You're only allowed to ask three questions and have three answers."

Sakura would have huffed in anger if she was able to. It wasn't like she had asked him to read her mind! Stupid mind reader.

"My, my, what a dirty mouth we have there, little one. It doesn't suit someone with your beauty."

She wasn't little, dammit! Neither was she beautiful...

"I didn't know you had such a low view of yourself, dear one. Hopefully, your stay in the past will change that."

She wasn't his dear-! Wait...What did he mean by past?

He chuckled and Sakura noticed that it was deep and alluring yet light and jovial.

Damn, her weakness for men laughter.

But who was he?

"I am Eien." the man said as he relaxed his hold on her. Sakura tired to angle her head so she could see his face but her body still refused to respond. Why couldn't she move her body?

"Because I wanted it to be so. I like it better when you are unable to punch me in the face. Besides, now I can you hug you all I want." he proceeded to hug her, as if proving his point.

Just what did he want?

He leaned closer, his warm breath next to her ear and making butterflies flutter in deepest pits of her stomach.

"I want you."

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