Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything in the Naruto universe.
AN:……………I was sad that not many people read my chapter 5 in 'Fourth Ninja War' and this came out.
The breeze blew lightly, making the leaves rustle. The Rokudaime's cloak whipped silently as did his long blond hair. He used his hand to gently pull it back, as he continued his trek. His destination, at the forefront of his mind. Today was the day. The day he had avoided for ages. Today ……………he was finally going to visit her.
He closed his eyes as he continued on the deserted path. He thought to himself, at how long it had been since he had visited her last. 'Since that day,' he thought wistfully.
He thought about how much he wanted to before. How many days he would tell himself he was going to see her, but couldn't because it was too hard. Every time he wanted to see her, he would quickly lose his nerve and find something to make him busy. This was due to the fact, that…………..he was still angry at her.
Naruto finally stopped walking and surveyed his surroundings quietly. As he looked around he saw things that were there since his earliest memories. As he saw these things he couldn't help the wave of nostalgia that filled his chest.
He closed his eyes again and inhaled deeply, breathing in the ambience while remembering how long it had been.
'Four years………………and nothing's changed.'
Slowly, he opened his eyes and lowered his gaze to the small gate in front of him. His hand trembled as it made its way to the gate at snail's pace. This was it. She was waiting for him beyond this gate………. This was the last chance to turn around, walk away, and pretend he was never here.
He swallowed. Regret filled his being, and a voice told him to run away while there was still time. Fear, anxiety, sadness, they all made one unexplainable feeling that pounded in his chest.
He shook his head, and breathed in.
'You can do this……," he thought.
"….If you can deal with S ranked criminals and paper work from Shizune nee-chan…………then you can do this………"
Some of his resolve returned but it was still heavily outweighed by feeling to leave.
'Haha….oh please Naruto. You would never run away from anything. It's what makes you Naruto!'
His eyes widened and his eyes watered as he remembered the angelic voice praising him for never running away. The initial shock, lasted only a few seconds, before it was filed with regret and pain for what he had been doing all this time. Running away. He chuckled darkly at the thought. 'I guess I went against my nindo huh?' he asked himself.
He let out one more snort, before a thought came to his head. It was like another voice, telling him something.
'You owe her that much.'
When he heard it, he stood still. His eyes, fluttered around with no real purpose. But, after a while Naruto's eyes went to the steel gate. He looked at it as though scrutinizing it. He looked long and hard, but eventually Naruto's eyes steeled. 'You owe her that much…………'
He grasped the gate's latch in his hand and lifted off. The little gate squeaked as it was opened. Naruto made his way through and it made a loud clang as he closed it and walked off briskly.
It was not a long walk he took before he reached his destination. Finally ……………….. he made it to the place he had avoided for all these years.
There was no fanfare, no drums and the skies did not turn black and end the world. Nothing happened. It was all silent.
He stood there, watching. It had been so long, but finally, he saw.
He gazed at where she lay, and walked to the side. He brought his hand up slowly, as it was the heaviest thing in the world to lift, and rested it on her bed head. He stared blankly ahead, with an unreadable expression on his face. He blew out some air, and his mouth opened.
"I……"
He stopped. He kept staring ahead, but said nothing. He remained silent even after a solid minute had passed and his blank stare was, as a minute ago, dead ahead. He sighed and looked up in the air, shaking his head silently. Then, he brought his head back down to a bow, closing his eyes.
His free hand……..went to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"I'm sorry."
It sounded pathetic, he knew. Saying sorry didn't change the fact that he stayed away this long. How could he really say she was one of his precious people? Guilt filled his being and it hurt. It was not a feeling he was accustomed to. After all, Naruto was not in the practice of abandoning his precious people now was he?
He opened his eyes, and looked forlornly at the bed.
"I-…………..I wanted to come sooner………but……………………."
He swallowed again. His throat was now beginning to redden. And his eyes... were getting glassy. He held it in, and pushed forward.
"It's just been so hard……..."
He closed his eyes and the hand that was on bed rest curled into a fist.
His teeth clenched and a growl escaped as his body shook with anger.
"Why?!" he gritted out.
His anger was caused by the flashes in his mind. The memories. Memories of her…….memories of them.
Her laugh…… her grin when he did something idiotic to cheer her up……..her touch………her caress…….the way her eyes danced when they were in bed.
"Why did you leave me?!" he screamed.
"And of all the things! Of all the people! You let that bastard Sas-!" he cut himself off.
His chest burned as did his eyes and nose. She still didn't answer him. This made him even angrier.
"You said forever!" he screamed while a tear rolled down his face. Everything burned now. His chest, his eyes and nose. But his anger overpowered it.
"You said you would never leave me!"
His head looked left and right as one could hear his teeth grind. "You said you would be mine as long as I lived!"
He looked at where she lay again stared long and hard. He shook his head side to side before looking ahead again.
"I……..Sniff……"
His voice, was no longer filled with anger. Now, it was laced with sorrow, regret, and despair.
More tears streamed down his face as you could hear him keeping the sobs in his throat.
"…….I miss you so much… sob…Sakura-chan………."
His tears, now streamed down his face and his chest was racked by the heavy sobs that denied his lungs oxygen.
He sunk to his knees and put his hands over his eyes. It was slow. The sobs where heard but increased and got heavier until Naruto was bawling. But he didn't care. He didn't care who saw him. He didn't care who heard him or what people said.
After four years of holding it in, it was all coming out.
"…………….Sakura-chan……….sob" he croaked.
He covered his face with his hands and his sobs became muffled. He fell forward, and his elbows hit the ground, propping him up from meeting the floor face first.
And he cried. He cried until he could no longer cry. Until all he could do was just sit there. Staring.
He sniffled every now and then, while thinking of it all. He then spent a couple of minutes, just composing himself. After a while, he finally calmed down.
She realized he needed this it seemed, because she had remained silent throughout his outburst.
He wiped his tears away as a few sniffles were heard.
"I'm sorry about that……I held it in for too long I guess……."
His voice was solemn and his head was bowed but he took his face out of his hands. He looked at the ground, but not because he was on his knees, but out of shame.
"……………I'm sorry Sakura-chan……………..I know I kept you waiting."
He put a shaky foot in front of the other knee. Then put the other foot solidly on the ground as well and slowly, he rose. It was so slow, it was like watching a flower grow in front you eye.
He bent his head back and stood up straight. A new look in his eyes. A fire, that was once lost, had returned.
"You said that what makes me Naruto is that I never run away……."
His voice was now filled with determination and a little pride.
"I'm sorry you've had to wait so long to see that Naruto again……But I promise…………….no matter what Sakura-chan……….. I promise………. I will never make you wait again. It's a promise of a lifetime."
It was a bold statement. Even from his mouth. But it was said with so much determination, that he was SURE she knew that he meant it.
"You finally came to visit…."
Naruto's head spun around and looked at the person who spoke to him. When his eyes met the other man's, he kept his gaze for a second before he slowly turned his head forward to once again stare at the bed.
"Yeah….." he muttered.
Naruto heard footsteps, and knew the man was slowly making his way behind him.
"You haven't been here since four years ago," said the stranger.
At that, Naruto closed his eyes and his mind was filled with flashes of images and sounds.
War, Sasuke, a woman screaming his name, a chidori coming for him……………….then……….pink hair…...
Naruto breathed out, and you could see his shoulders slump.
"It was meant for me…………." Naruto whispered.
He swallowed again as his eyes opened to reveal the sadness. "I thought I failed her………………….."
The stranger looked sadly at the Rokudaime……..and put a hand on his shoulder. He was about to say something comforting no doubt, but was cut off.
"But………."
The stranger kept quiet and listened as Naruto's shoulders rose again and his voice grew strength.
"If she heard me talking like this she would hit me upside the head and say that she would do it over again……………..stubborn woman……."
The stranger chuckled at that. His eyes grew somber as he remembered the woman.
It was not long before his own tears filled his eyes while his throat burned.
He smiled thought, because the memory of her always brought a smile to his face. And though he was crying, his eyes had pride, because he remembered the battle too. And it was not the Hokage who had stopped the war, but Sakura. Because even though Sasuke rammed a Chidori in her, she still crushed his skull with her strength.
The figure swallowed and exhaled a bit, before looking at the back of Naruto's head again.
"I think that's exactly what she would have done."
Naruto chuckled.
"Yeah."
The stranger squeezed Naruto's shoulder slightly.
"Let's go home………………………dad."
Naruto turned his head to stare at the blond Kyuudaime in his green eyes.
He noticed the smile on his son's face and knew he was remembering his mother. Their tears fell against their cheeks, and their throats turned red.
"Hai," Naruto croaked.
He turned quickly and looked at the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow."
And with that, he turned around, put his arm around his son's shoulders and walked off.
Sakura said nothing from her bed, because the writing on her bed head said it all.
"Here lies Uzumaki Sakura,
Loving Wife and Mother.
A hero of Konoha, who sacrificed her life
for the village's future.
You will be sorely missed"
AN: I didn't feel like posting this. I want to cry thinking Sakura-chan may be gone.