A/N: So, i'm kinda new to this whole fanfic stuff. So, wanna flame? go right ahead. At least it's gonna help me improve my writing and stuff. English is not my first language, so I might make a few mistakes.
Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto -sniff sniff-
This… This feeling…
I'm… I'm cold… Why am I cold?
A drop of liquid ran down his nose, the soft patter surrounding his form… his very being… enclosing life itself…
Rain… it's raining…
Natural spikes soaked, heavy from the water; plastered lifelessly onto his face…
The sky is crying… Crying…
Lying down, beaten, in the mud, there was a soul… crying out to be saved…
It's dark…so… so dark…
Crying out to be saved… Saved from the darkness…
"Sakura…"
He swore to himself. He swore to never forget… to never forget that faithful day…
14 February 2000, was the day he lost her… 14 February 2000, was the day she left him alone… it was the day she left him to roam the earth on his own…
14 February 2000… was the day she died… he swore to himself… he swore to never forget… to never forget that faithful day…
And there he was; lying down, beaten, in the mud. Listening, feeling, smelling, tasting her pain.
Her tears…
Yes, it was him that caused her pain. Yes, it was him who made her cry. For he was only laying there in the mud, next to her grave, feeling sorrow and emptiness…
Sorrow and emptiness he created for himself…
14 February 2000. On that faithful day…
Uchiha Sasuke killed Haruno Sakura…
"You know…" spoke a voice. A voice full of sadness. A voice full of hope. A voice that's forgiving. "She'll never forgive you if you keep torturing yourself like this, Sasuke."
The voice was greeted with silence…
"Ja ne, Sasuke…" another voice. This one sounded heavier, yet lighter. "You should go home for a change…"
Again… Silence…
It seemed easier that way. To just stay silent. It was comfortable, but not really as comfortable as he made himself believe…
It's been 6 years since Sakura's death, and it became a daily routine for Uzumaki Naruto and Hatake Kakashi to try and convince Sasuke to accept Sakura's death… to try and make him go home…
"Teme," came the soft words of a broken heart "we already lost Sakura. We don't want to lose you too."
Naruto was thankful for the rain; for he would've looked weak if the rain drops didn't hide his never ending tears. Yes… he was very thankful for the rain. But it didn't wash away his pain… his longing… his love…
"For crying out loud, Sasuke! Stop this!"
He was angry… no, he was tired… tired of trying to save his friend… when he clearly failed to do so.
But he made a promise… a promise to never stop trying. To never stop believing… to never stop… but he failed to keep that promise. He failed to keep his promise to Sakura-chan.
"If… If you're not gonna lift your sorry little icy ass right now, I'll drag you away from this grave with my own two hands! B-believe it!"
He started to sob, not afraid of making his feelings known now… he was going to keep his promise, no matter what. Because it was a life time promise he made to Sakura, a promise he would never break… a promise he'll always keep until he succeeds…
"It's not your fault…" He was sitting next to the beaten body now, his wet blonde hair covering his teary, bright blue eyes… "It's not your fault, damn it!"
He sobbed louder, heavier. Trying to get his friend, his brother, to listen. To get up… and to accept… trying to get his brother to forgive himself…
Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, comforting him in a fatherly way… a single tear escaping his lone eye.
"Naruto." He whispered, mostly to himself, yet, trying to get the blonde to stop. But he knew it was hopeless. He knew Naruto wouldn't stop. And because of that, he placed his other hand on Naruto's other shoulder. Hoping Naruto would understand the unspoken words.
You're not alone…
"Lies…"
Both men froze in what they were doing. It was another voice this time. It was groggy, cracking... a voice that was forgotten…
"All lies…"
Naruto slowly turned his gaze to Sasuke's lips. Eyes wide with disbelieve, his lips slightly parted.
"Lies… All lies… It's my fault. It's mine." Came the raspy voice again.
It was the first time in almost 6 years that Sasuke has spoken a word. Since that day he killed Sakura, he lost his will to live. He had few words at first, but after the funeral, when reality had finally crushed down upon him, he never uttered a word again. Not even once…
Kakashi first thought he had lost his voice with the lack of speech, but he was wrong… he knew Sasuke was a man of very few words, but he learned after a while that Sasuke was comforted with his own silence. Or rather, he learned that Sasuke tried to comfort himself with silence. Because it was his voice that brought tears to leak from her eyes. It was his voice that formed words that pained her. Kakashi learned that Sasuke tried to comfort himself with silence, because it was the only thing that kept him living. It was the only thing he could assure himself with. It was the only thing to do to not make Sakura cry.
And yet, as Kami would have it, it rained that day. The day Sasuke chose to finally speak. How ironic.
"Bullshit!" It was Naruto that muttered in a raspy voice this time.
He was frowning, wiping the never ending tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. Gritting down on his teeth like there was no tomorrow.
"It's not your fault!" he suddenly stood up, grapping onto Sasuke's feet, starting to drag the beaten body. "It's not! It's not your fault! It's NOT!"
Kakashi just stood there with a lowered head, too afraid to watch. Too afraid to see how his broken blonde-haired student crumbled more. He just stood there, too afraid.
"I made a promise! I made a promise!"
Sasuke didn't fight back. He just kept his eyes closed, too afraid to open them. Too afraid to see the rain. Too afraid to watch Sakura cry, all because he made her cry again today. All because he spoke again, paining her with his words. He just kept his eyes closed, letting the tears flow freely from closed lids, too afraid.
"Teme, please! Please!"
And Naruto just begged, too afraid to give up. Too afraid to break the promise he made to Sakura. Too afraid to lose Sasuke. Naruto just begged, too afraid.
"Why?! Why, you bastard?! Tell me!"
Naruto stumbled to a stop, his legs caving in on him. His sobs turned into screams of sadness, pain, love and loss. Kakashi let out a soft sob himself, covering his eyes with his hand, lowering to the ground next to his two students…
"Because," Sasuke spoke, softly. Breaking down more with each word. Reality hitting him twice as hard, as he remembered that faithful day…
"Sakura! Run! I… I can't control it!"
"No, Sasuke-kun! I won't leave your side! Believe in yourself, believe!"
"Sakura!"
It happened. The transformation took over, and Sasuke lost consciousness. He lost the little piece of sanity he had left…
The beast took over his mind, and he was lost. Lost in eternal darkness, unable to control the dark chakra of the enemy… he failed his mission… he failed Sakura…
"Sasuke-kun!"
.
.
.
After the war, Sasuke returned to Konoha. Team Kakashi were able to save Sasuke from execution, and thus, Team 7 was back. Sakura and Sasuke ended up making ANBU 3 years after his return, and Naruto went away on training.
No one knew when he would return, but he kept them updated by sending letters. Sakura was proud of her two boys, and even prouder that she had finally melted a piece of Sasuke's heart.
It was true; the feared pink-haired kunoici had surpassed her shisho, and had finally worked her way into Uchiha Sasuke's heart, getting engaged to her childhood crush, and now fiancée she loved even more than before. Konoha was proud to say that she was a kunoici from the Hidden Leaf; one of their strongest nins. And an excellent medic-nin as well. She blossomed into a beautiful cherry blossom. A beautiful Sakura…
But being as feared and loved as much as she was, everyone also depended on her… on Team 7. Thus, with Naruto on a journey away from the village for training, Kakashi on a 7 month mission, she and Sasuke had to protect the village, she and Sasuke had to stop the enemy before it was too late. Before the beast destroyed the village…
But events took a disturbing turn that night of horror…
.
.
.
There she stood, bloody and most of her bones broken… but still smiling… she stood before the beast that devoured Sasuke's body and took over his mind… but she knew, she knew the beast would never take over his soul. So she believed, she believed…
"Sasuke-kun… Remember! Remember who you are! Believe!"
She stood there, with tears in her eyes, out of chakra and a broken body. But she still smiled. She still smiled at him, believing…
"Sasuke-kun… I love you!"
And with those last words spoken, the beast roared and swept her across the night sky with its claw, crushing her further…
She tumbled a few times, before coming to a stop in the dirt. Sasuke managed to free himself from the beast, destroying it with a final blow of his chidori.
"Sakura!"
Running to her side, he scooped her into his lap, lightly tapping her cheek to wake her up.
"Sakura! No, no, no, no! Please, don't do this to me! Sakura!"
He started to sob uncontrollably, holding her lifeless form in his arms… and yet, she still smiled… smiled in her last moments…
Haruno Sakura died with a smile on her face. Because she was proud… proud to be a kunoici that's not useless, proud of her boys, and most of all, proud of Sasuke. Because she at least kept her promise to Naruto, and she kept her promise to Sasuke.
Haruno Sakura was proud to have seen Team 7 reunited before she closed her eyes.
Forever.
"Because," Sasuke spoke, breaking down more with each word, reality hitting him twice as hard, "Because, baka… I never had the chance to tell her… to tell her…"
Naruto became quiet, Kakashi lifted his head, and Sasuke opened his eyes…
"To tell her… that I love her…"