Sasuke Uchiha was not afraid of death. He has always been well acquainted with it. He imagined himself drenched in blood after the battle with Itachi. Perhaps he would die protecting his teammates. It was not uncommon for someone of his profession to die so young. It is the shinobi life. It was what he knew. So why does lying on the cold wet ground with wounds spanning his entire body surprise him?
Sasuke's heart pounded. It was getting hard for him to focus. The tree limbs above him blurred into shapes of green and brown. Everything was slowing down; his breathing shallow almost nonexistent.
Moments before he was dominating the Sound ninjas having come after him after he killed Orochimoru. He doubted many things in his life, like being capable of love, but never his skills as a shinobi. But all it took was a few minutes of ambush and Kabuto's poison, rendering him useless, dying.
The wind shifted causing the leaves to rustle above him. He was nearly blind. Black patches splayed across his vision. In the near distance, shouts emitted from an unknown source. He would be killed if it were hostile ninjas, however even they could not inflict anymore damage already done.
This is the end, Sasuke thought closing his eyes. All he was left to do was wait.
"Sakura-chan!"
Sakura-chan? I really am dead, he thought bitterly.
He felt someone kneel beside him. Sasuke just couldn't tell if it was real or part of his own dying illusion. He suddenly felt warmth. It made him flinch from the source of contact. He blinked once, twice, thrice. His vision was returning albeit slowly. Just then he saw a flash of pink amongst the green, brown and blue of the sky.
Sakura. He tried to speak. It felt like acid being poured down his throat. "Sakura," he croaked out.
She looked down at him. Her face was impassive. Her eyes were hard, however, softened slightly with relief. "Sasuke-kun. Stay still," she choked out.
Sakura poured her chakra into him. She bit her lip to what seemed like concentration to Sasuke. Inside she was burning; burning with concern, relief, and the desire to shed the tears threatening to spill.
"Just a bit more," she whispered.
He stayed still with his eyes on her face. The heaviness in his heart slowly dissipated. He dared to hope. To hope that Sakura and Naruto still cared. To hope that Sakura was healing, mending his wounds, him because she still loved him.
"You're done. Don't move, Naruto will carry you," Sakura said. He watched her stand up, dusting the dirt on her knees. His heart clenched with regret at her indifference.
"Let's go home, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke Uchiha always knew he was going to die. He never questioned it. He didn't think he would feel hope to live again. Today, Sasuke Uchiha, the avenger, the killer finally thought of life.
