A/N: I apologize for pretty much disappearing off the face of the planet; I've been extremely busy with school, soccer, and my band (I am now in a Christian rock band! Go Alyx-chan!) So anyway, it was raining, I was going through a kind of dark mood, and had been reading depressing "Naruto" fiction. So this is what I came up with. I might write a Neji/Sakura/Sasuke too; I have to see how much time I have. (My latest obsession is Neji/Sakura)

Summary: "Sakura, I've done nothing but wrong to you your entire life, but you stood with me until the very end… why…?" Emerald eyes glittered with tears as she gently cradled his bloody face. "Sasuke-kun, how could I do anything else?"

Until the End

If he hadn't known better, he would've said there were two, viridian moons swimming in and out of focus above his head. Trying to clear his throat, he let out a hacking cough, feeling more of his life's liquid dripping down his chin. Sasuke felt sloppy, broken, and dirty. Not the way he wanted things to end; he had wanted to emerge victorious and unbeaten by his older brother. Cuts and bruises were a given, but victorious had been an essential element he had overlooked. Blood was pouring unbridled from his mouth and stomach, and Sasuke Uchiha knew it was only a matter of time before too much of that crimson was carried away.

But right now, he was wondering just why there were two moons. Green ones, nonetheless.

And what was that sweet, gentle voice carried on the air, and the soft, hesitant touch on his sore jaw?

"…S-Sasuke-kun?" Blinking wearily, Sasuke realized his two (fantasized green-cheese) moons were actually a pair of dull, jade eyes looking concernedly into his own. The young Uchiha's surprise was so great that he found himself gagging out more globs of sticky wet blood.

"How did you get here!?" he rasped harshly. Fixing a heated glare on the pale girl, he continued, "Didn't I tell you to stay in Konoha?" Her eyes watered, but her gaze didn't waver.

"I couldn't do that, Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered. Slowly, she knelt down in the soft dirt, overturned by the previous scuffle with Itachi. "You know I couldn't." And Sasuke let out a deep sigh as his old teammate gently placed her cool palm against his hot face. He spat out thick saliva and blood, pressing a heavy arm over his stomach.

"You shouldn't have come here. What if he comes back…?" And hurts you? The unspoken words hung over them.

"Please don't worry," she replied softly. "I wouldn't have followed you here if I didn't know the risks. I… love is stronger than you think, Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura—I'm dying." The words escaped bluntly from his lips, and he turned dark eyes up towards her sweet face. "…I'm…"

"Afraid?" she asked quietly. "Reluctant to lose what is so very precious to you? Scared of what's to come? Worried about the pain?" Sasuke gazed blankly at her.

"How… you described it so adequately," he said dryly, coughing again. Shrugging, the Godaime's apprentice bit her lip.

"It's how I felt when you left." An awkward silence passed between them. Sakura placed her fingers over Sasuke's wound, and her lips tightened to a thin line.

"I can't heal you; it's too deep."

"…I understand."

She frowned, her eyes softening. "I wish I could. I really do." She leaned forward, her watery eyes filled with pain and longing. She hovered her lips gently over Sasuke's, but moved them upwards and gently kissed his forehead. He turned his head to the side to avoid spraying her face with blood.

"I don't understand. Sakura, I've done nothing but wrong to you your entire life, but you stood with me until the very end… why…?" Pain seemed to be working its way through his entire body.

Emerald eyes glittered with tears as she gently cradled his bloody face. "Sasuke-kun, how could I do anything else?"

More time slipped by quietly, and Sasuke felt his breathing slow. Fear bubbled up inside of him, but he forced it to stay in a burning sensation in his chest. Every time he coughed, he fought back tears; every time a jolt of pain went through him, he clutched Sakura's hand tighter. Through his haze of agony and anxiety, he dimly realized the sacrifice his cherry-haired friend was making to stay with him. It was no small comfort to know, that even though he was a broken, bloody, decaying shell, she was still here. Still solid. Still living…

Morning was fast approaching, and the temperature had reached a bone-chilling level. Cold seeped through his aching limbs and sent tremors through torn muscles and tired nerves.

"Are you all right?" Sakura's voice was weary. He felt himself nod stiffly, but both of them knew that this was the final leg of the Uchiha's journey of life.

"Will—Will you stay?" his voice cracked, and now he couldn't stop the tears. "Stay until the…the end…?" He could see tears trailing silently over her white face too, but she nodded firmly.

"A-always, Sasuke-kun." And he felt her soft, full lips meet his in a gentle kiss, full of tender care and sweet sunbursts. Sasuke didn't have enough strength to deepen it, but he curved his mouth into a pleased and grateful smile. His breath hitched as Sakura sifted his black locks through her slender fingers, and he felt her tears drop lightly onto his exposed throat.

The sensation of traveling through a long tunnel hit him, and Sakura's presence began to fade. But he felt her tears, her soft fingers, her gentle breath, and her lingering strawberry kiss on him until blackness finally dimmed out everything.

Itachi stared with dark crimson eyes at the frail girl cradling his younger brother in her arms. Silky black hair tickled his cheeks as he noted her impressive stamina. He could've killed her easily, but somewhere deep inside the cold Akatsuki member, a spark of compassion kept him from destroying such pure, innocent devotion.

After all, she had braved the cold, kept Sasuke alive as long as she could with her chakra, pushed herself to the very limit, just to keep her promise. And she had succeeded.

She had stayed with him until the very end.

OWARI.

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