Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me, thank you very much.

A.N.: This was something that came to mind sort of out of the blue, after I read Naruto Gaiden. I'm pretty sure this ain't canon at all, but hey, isn't it fun to imagine?

Kakashi Hatake sat beside the woman's bed, idly reading one of the many books spawned from the original Icha Icha. In the quiet atmosphere of the afternoon, the passing of each page seemed loud and unwelcome. The only other sound came from the artificial machine that kept her heart working.

A few of her closest friends had been allowed to accompany her in these dire times, and now it was her former sensei's turn. Beside him, Sarada sat down, staring at her lap and failing quite miserably at keeping her cool demeanor.

"What's happening to her?" she ventured to ask, glancing at Kakashi from the corner of her eye. She didn't dare look at her mother. Not while she was like this, so different from her usual confident, severe but kind attitude.

The older man sighed minutely and closed his book, pocketing it in his jacket. He knew this question had been coming, but he hoped it wouldn't fall upon him to tell her. He wasn't good with this kind of stuff. Even Naruto would have done a better job, but of course, he had a last moment issue regarding Suna and left right before things went south.

"Your mother's heart was always… defective," he replied, peeking towards his former student. At least, she wasn't suffering any more. Sarada raised an eyebrow, so he continued: "She was born with a genetic impairment. Under the stress of the shinobi life, it would eventually cause her lifespan to be shortened dramatically."

Sarada's breath came to a sudden halt, her eyes widening. No one… not a single person informed her about this. Her mother fainted yesterday, after an… incident regarding the house loan. She never seemed to have that much money, despite having worked as one of the best medics in the world.

Kakashi sighed, closing his eyes and recalling very distant memories. Just a bit more than a decade in the past. The day those two announced they were dating - Sakura was nearly shivering with excitement, her fiancé merely staring at nothing in particular. From an outsider's point of view, they might seem cold towards each other, but his attentive eyes could find the small gestures denoting care.

"Your father wasn't ready for… well, a family," Kakashi continued, the memory of Sasuke's hidden nervousness, nearly bringing a smirk to his lips. "Regardless of what you think of him, he loves you very much," he added, perceiving Sarada's frown. "Both of you."

"No one told me..." the girl muttered, holding her unconscious mother's hand. "Is she... going to die?" she asked, pursing her lips into a thin line. Too many troubled thoughts coursed through her mind and heart, bringing a grim shadow over her once chill attitude.

Kakashi waited in silence for what felt like an eternity. In all fairness, he wasn't sure. This girl had been living in one of the biggest lies of Konoha - one that only a few people knew about. Sooner or later, she would have to find out.

"It's very likely," he admitted, a sour taste filling his mouth. The ghostly grip on his heart was almost painful. Sakura, the girl that spoke of spring's vivacity and sudden storms, was likely to live for less than a day longer.

The machines connected to her beeped insistently, alerting of something that was out of place. Kakashi had left a while ago, out of words and with the sensation of being an intruder in the scene before him. Now it was just Sarada, tired eyes focused solely on Sakura's pale face. Every passing second, it looked like her life was escaping her body. She was unsure about what to do regarding the new noises, but they lasted only a few seconds, and no one came to check on them.

"Mom… why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, voice quivering with pain. This was supposed to be just a normal faint. After a few hours, it got worse and worse, and now Konoha's medics seemed to be sure that she only had a day left, tops. She had never fainted before... though Shizune did say it happened in the past.

She looked up, finding herself staring at familiar green irises. They were clouded by the effects of painkillers. Sarada would normally have asked a million questions and insisted until she had the answer, but this time, she froze. There was nothing to be said. Sakura's eyes reflected a quiet, hurt understanding, after a few seconds of confusion. She smiled softly. Then, they closed again, as if they had never been open.

Sarada begged to whatever gods ruled this world, that she would be able to see them again.

If there was one person that made Sarada feel comfortable with showing her deepest demons, that was Hinata. Many late nights, she had spent with the Uzumaki, due to her mother's work at the hospital. These times, she had a tendency to feel particularly troubled regarding her own family, presented with full separation and the image of what it should be like.

Sarada wasn't stupid - even if all she had was her very loved mother, she knew something was amiss. Sometimes she imagined her father was in some faraway land, keeping peace, thinking about them… others, she realised she didn't know what he sounded like. If he showed up at the door one day, he would be a complete stranger. It wasn't a feeling that could be explained easily, but it hurt.

Hinata's eyes seemed to be able to catch onto the smallest detail, and as such, she soon found out about her inner troubles. She was one of the kindest women Sarada knew, and probably the closest thing to family that she had. Now, the Hyūga sat beside Sakura's bed, the girl's head on her lap, gentle hands caressing Sarada's hair.

She felt like a little kid in need of cooing, but right now, she didn't care all that much. Her mom was dying for Kami's sake. It felt too rushed, too sudden, and she couldn't even think about what would happen. She harbored a distant hope, a desperate wish… but deep down, Sarada knew that time was ticking down. Sooner or later, it would reach the end of the count.

"I hate him," she whispered, in choked words. "I hate him so much."

Hinata's soothing caress didn't change the slightest bit, nor did she say anything. She merely listened.

"He should have been here… with mom. He left her alone and she loved him so much." Her voice was raspy, holding back tears that were the fruit of a whole lifetime of questions and emptiness.

Her hands trembled, grasping the soft silk of Hinata's dress tightly. The mundane memories of all the things she had done in the last days had been eroded away by a feeling of betrayal and pain. Kakashi might not have said it, either, but weak hearts were susceptible to emotional distress. In a way… she caused this. Sarada beat it in her mind over and over. If mom ever woke up, she would never be angry at her again. She would be the best daughter in the world. She would show her love and care every single day. She would….

Sarada looked up, her eyes meeting Hinata's. The woman seemed surprised for a brief moment, though she only smiled slightly. She cupped the girl's chin with her hand and wiped her tears with a thumb.

"Sakura-chan is a very strong woman. None of us knew about what was happening to her… she hid it for years. Until one day… when your father and her were dating, she fainted. He said they were having a very nice moment between them, and she lost consciousness."

The girl listened intently, because so far, none of the visitors had revealed a single detail on the cause of her life's destruction. Hinata sighed quietly, closing her eyes and brushing Sarada's cheek in circular, soothing motions.

"She hid her illness for so long, even from Tsunade-sama. That day, we all realised that the girl we knew was very different from the real one. Naruto-kun asked why she never told us… and she said that it was because she didn't want to be weak anymore. Deep down… she must have felt very lonely."

Hinata carefully picked up Sarada's glasses, putting them on the bedside table. The girl blinked - at some point, she had started crying, so the world was a wet blur in front of her. She looked up at her adopted aunt's gaze, only to find it teary, her expression unfathomably sad.

"She loves you more than anything, Sarada-chan. More than your father and more than her own life," whispered Hinata, seemingly lost in her thoughts. "Tsunade-sama was furious when she found out… but Sakura-chan didn't care. She helped people all around the world, trying to make it a better place, even if it was slowly killing her. The last Great War put a very big toll on her health, yet she didn't give up. Even if she isn't here anymore… remember her as a hero. She might not be the most powerful person in the world, but she made it a better place. She never wanted to tell you, so you would be able to live your time with her without worry. Don't ever forget that."

Sarada nodded a bit too hastily, jumping up to her feet to hug Hinata. Both of their bodies shook with unshed tears, and they remained in a quiet embrace for a very long time. Way after the girl fell asleep, Hinata was still awake, reminiscing the day Sasuke left.

The unsung stories of Sakura's romance with him didn't escape her eyes and ears. Deep down, those two were so similar... that their same mistake ruined their lives. They burdened themselves with weights that should have been shared. Both of them knew these actions would have terrible consequences, but they thought it was for the best, for the other. For years, she regretted the day she didn't say anything. Only Ino had a slight clue about the terrible mistake that was made the day he left.

Yet only Hinata's eyes were able to perceive that Sakura was pregnant.

A deep, neverending beep sent a jolt of uncontrollable emotions through Sarada, waking her up. Hinata was openly crying now, but the atmosphere of the room was broken soon by the people who were there to confirm the unfathomable.

Sakura Haruno died at three thirty-five in the morning, her heart giving in despite the best efforts of Konoha's medics to find a solution. They had been trying for years, and no miracle happened to save her in the very last second. A chorus of bells rang through the city, marking the end of her life. Everyone had been holding their breaths in quiet expectation, and now it had finally happened.

The woman had been dutiful until the very last moment. Years ago, she had done and signed all the paperwork about what should be done in case of a sudden death. As soon as people started looking for her, Sarada snuck out of the room and away from the hospital. She was certain people would start looking for her, but all she wished was to have a moment of solace to relax.

She stumbled upon the memorial stone on her way to one of the least known training grounds. The monument had been moved years ago, to mark the end of the many wars that tore apart the shinobi world. There had been only a handful of names scribbled on it in the last decade, but she didn't want to think about the dead right now. The place was quiet and peaceful, and so she sat down on the grass, closed her eyes and let time pass.

Everything felt weirdly numb, from her limbs, to her feelings, to her thoughts. As if it was happening to someone else. It had taken less than a day for Sakura to die. The transition was too abrupt and brutal. It felt like at any moment her mother would pop out of the bushes and yell 'surprise!'

But she never would.

He had rushed to the village as soon as he heard the news, but he was late. By the time he got back, she was already gone. Sasuke had also beat him on the race to Konoha. No one had seen him, obviously, but he knew. They met up near his office, and a silent exchange of gazes was enough to understand each other. It had been more than ten years, but their bond hadn't grown any weaker.

The scale of the attacks was massive. They fought for hours upon hours, on one of the abandoned training grounds. The atmosphere was charged with chakra, and their eyes were filled with unspoken emotion. Naruto barely managed to get the upper hand, pinning Sasuke against the ground and holding a Rasenshuriken a few centimeters away from his nose.

He was angry. Furious to the point of having killing intent roll off of him in gigantic waves, but his eyes betrayed him. Naruto was heartbroken.

"I know I promised I would kill you, if you didn't come back soon," he whispered, dissolving the technique and curling his hands into tight fists. "But for once, I'll have to back on my word."

Sasuke's eyes watched him warily, perceiving a deeper meaning to the words that Naruto was holding back. When the blond spoke, he nearly spit out the words. It took a few moments to register, but he'd heard properly. Daughter. Naruto's fist sank in the ground, right next to his head, cracking the ancient stone.

"Yes, that's right, bastard. While you were busy running away, Sakura had a kid. Your kid," he growled. "And she doesn't even know who is her father. Did you know she needs glasses? Karin gifted her a pair a few years ago. I can't believe you never came back," he added, his expression severe and hurt.

"You know why," replied Sasuke, getting up on his feet and returning his gaze with a colder one.

Naruto snickered, as if he found the whole concept insulting to the point of being funny.

"You're a coward. You ran away from her because you didn't think you were good enough," he whispered, though his words were tainted with more sadness than anger. He felt genuinely sad to have to admit this. "And all this time, she worked her ass off at the hospital, taking care of her daughter and putting so much effort and money into making the world a better place. Where were you? You said you would ensure peace, yet I haven't heard a single word from you in nearly five years."

Sasuke sighed, something in his demeanor telling Naruto that whatever he had been doing, it wasn't just running away.

"I tried to search for a cure… in the lands beyond the shinobi world," he replied, evenly. Naruto's eyes widened, mouth agape with surprise. "The world… was just fine without me. You were already doing that. But I knew her time was running out, and I…"

He didn't continue, but it was enough for Naruto to understand. Immediately, he calmed down, perceiving that his friend and rival's emotions were going far beyond grief, even if he didn't show it. Both of them knew it was true that he never felt prepared to start a family - though it went unsaid, Naruto knew that he was afraid of being engulfed by darkness again.

Yet, he promised he would be back. And in turn, Naruto said that if he didn't before Sakura's death, he would kill him. But that was before he knew about Sarada.

"She didn't listen to the advice, did she?" Sasuke asked. Naruto shook his head. "I could feel her tug in my soul, but I never thought… Our seal should have given her enough energy to stay alive for at least a few decades."

Naruto shook his head once more, a sad smile forming on his lips.

"You should've been there, teme. She tried to be strong, but everyday we could tell she missed you a little bit more, even after all these years."

This time, Sasuke nodded quietly, his gaze wandering over the landscape.

"It doesn't matter now, I guess," muttered Naruto, scratching the back of his head and looking down. "There will be a ceremony in a few days. You're invited if you want, but Ino might try to kill you. She wouldn't be the only one… everyone loved Sakura. She was so full of life, so…"

He went quiet, unable to speak anymore.

"I know. I'm sorry."

A shade of crimson was seeping into her vision, Sarada noticed. Everything felt sharper, more detailed than it ever was. She pushed her glasses up, but they weren't there. They had been forgotten back in… that room. She closed her eyes for a while, her back leaning against a rock. The girl knew she would have to return to Konoha, eventually, but she felt no need to. Her thoughts were detached, and if she died, she probably wouldn't have noticed.

Dawn was nearing by the time she sensed the presence near her. When Sarada's eyes fell upon the dark-haired man, she wondered for a few seconds if it was an hallucination. The sight, however, filled her with a burning rage that woke up her numb limbs. She was up on her feet in an instant, her eyes focused solely on his. She knew who this person was. The one who ruined her life. If not for him, none of this would have happened. Mom would be alive and well and happy.

She noticed the density of the tears when they rolled down her cheeks, the dizziness that overcame her whole body. When she wiped them with her hand, it came back red. She looked down for a moment, her entire figure shaking and weaker by the second, until Sarada had lost consciousness.

Mangekyō. A rush of images and emotions filled his head just for a split second, the attack catching him entirely off-guard. He wanted to reject the invasion, it should have been easy, but the things that appeared in the visions made him unable to react.

It was his life. Or what should have been his life, beside Sakura and Sarada. All the times the pinkette felt lonely and broken, and his daughter felt an aching emptiness in her heart. It was a direct attack to his deepest emotions, and when the spell broke because of the girl fainting, he found a few tears trickling down his face.

He hadn't cried in years, but now… for a few brief instants, he felt all the things he had missed, and all they had missed because of his absence. The words of doing it for the greater good, of staying away for Sakura to avoid interference with the seal that gave her his own life, of thinking he wasn't ready… it all fell apart when he realised, a decade too late, that his family would have loved him anyway.

And after so long, Sakura had given up on him. How stupid, he thought. Both of them considered themselves unworthy, their fear and excuses keeping them apart. They wanted to be strong - so he left the only person he loved, with his whole heart, despite the ache it gave him; so she renounced to a normal life and years in this world in exchange of using her energy to save other people's lives.

Her chakra had never flown properly. Even after Tsunade taught her how to channel it properly and avoid holding stress within her, to avoid internal damage, it was only a matter of time that it would cause a malfunction. His seal was like a second heart to her - in a way, he had given Sakura a part of his soul. It was a bond that told him she was alright… and so, he stalled for years, in an attempt to find a cure to his darkness and her heart. He felt it when she died. The exact moment the bond broke, he knew. But it was too late.

He would never see her smile again, never hear her voice or feel the warmth of her skin. They had sacrificed too much for the greater good, and Sarada had showed him just how much he had lost. That, apparently, was her Mangekyō ability. It would be the way for him to atone for the greatest of his sins, so he would never forget.

As he picked the unconscious girl up, close to his chest, as if she was going to disappear with the slightest breeze, Sasuke Uchiha promised to himself he wouldn't allow himself to forget. The last words he ever said to Sakura echoed in his head.

I love you, and I always will.