A/N: I've been so busy I haven't been on here in a long time. Anyways, here's my new story. Tell me what you think! Ignore everything that has happened in the manga recently. There might be mentions of spoilers though.
Set after the Fourth Shinobi War.
"Quit seeking revenge Sasuke. All you'll be left with is emptiness."
"What the hell do you know? Don't talk like you understand."
"I understand how terrible true pain and loss are."
"Why are you so fixated on me?"
"Because you're my friend."
"I love you so much!"
"Thank you."
Fatum
-destiny
...
Naruto struggled to stand upright. Everything was hurting. He glanced at Sasuke and grinned. He hadn't fought this hard since SLuke left. He wasn't lying to Sasuke when he said that they would die together if they fought.
"Is that all you've got?" Sasuke spat out.
"Of course not. But are you sure you can keep up teme? You look like you're about to faint."
Sasuke glared at him in rage. Naruto winced as he laughed. Seeing emotions on Sasuke's face was better than seeing an insane Sasuke. SHIT. It was getting harder to breathe. Sakura screamed at him, but he ignored it.
"Sakura-chan I can handle it."
"Let me go Kakashi!"
"You'll end up distracting Naruto."
"I can't. I won't sit in the sidelines again."
"Sakura. We tried to help him and look at the state we're in."
Naruto flew backwards and Sakura tore herself out of Kakashi's grasp. She flung a kunai at Sasuke as Naruto got up.
"Sakura-chan! Watch out!"
Sakura swore under her breath as she stared into Sasuke's eyes. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his.
"Amaterasu."
"Shit. Sakura!"
Sakura stared wide eyed at the black flames as they approached her. Several kunais whipped through the flames towards her. Kakashi warped them into another dimension as the black flames touched her cloak. Kakashi ripped her cloak off as Sasuke swung his katana down. Kakashi dodged it and spit out a stream of fire balls. Sasuke disappeared and headed towards Naruto. Sakura leaped into his path and punched the ground. Sasuke flew into the air as Kakashi charged his chidori.
"Using the Sharingan when you aren't even an Uchiha. So disgraceful."
Sasuke powered up his own chidori and Kakashi felt like trash.
Promise me you won't use this on your comrades.
They charged at each other and as the two similar techniques collided with each other, a wave of chakra rippled through the air. Sakura and Naruto skidded back a few feet. Smoke filled the area.
Sasuke unleashed a hail of shurikens and wire strings as his clone attacked Kakashi. Having nowhere to dodge, Kakashi was forced to warp them into another dimension. Sasuke charged as his clone exploded into smoke. Kakashi landed on the ground with a grunt. Sasuke stared at him through the Sharingan.
"Sasuke."
"How does it feel to be killed by your former student?"
Sasuke's chidori took the form of a blade and Kakashi swore. The battle with the other Akatsuki members had taken its toll on him. He couldn't dodge this time without the help of his Mangekyō. This time there wouldn't be a Nagato to revive him. Kakashi had failed to protect his team again.
'I'm trash. Right Obito?'
The smoke cleared. Naruto and Sakura watched in horror as Kakashi slumped down. Sasuke looked disappointed as he looked towards them. They ran.
With Sasuke looking away, Kakashi unleashed the shurikens that he had warped away. One impaled Sasuke in his shoulder. His chidori blade veered off course just as Naruto shoved Kakashi away. The blade struck Naruto in the chest, stunning him. Sasuke brought his sword up as Naruto's shadow clone hit him with a rasengan. He was flung into the air as Sakura landed a punch to his left side.
Sakura panted as she clutched her shoulder. Sasuke's blade had struck her before she had landed the punch. Naruto groaned as the lightning chakra numbed his body. He wouldn't be moving for a while.
"Are you really going to interfere Sakura? Don't be a burden to your teammates. But if you want to die..." Sasuke taunted her.
Sakura grinned, "Are you sure you can fight Sasuke? Your left arm seems to be broken. Not so weak now huh?"
Sasuke stopped talking and he looked away. She glanced at his face. He looked the same as he had last time she saw him, except he looked sane. He was still so strong and arrogant. He was the person in all of her dreams and nightmares. Behind her, Naruto struggled to stand. He was bleeding profusely and Kakashi laid unconscious. Sasuke looked at her with disinterest and his chakra was suffocating her. She took a deep breath and resisted the urge to back away.
'Sasuke.'
Naruto was in no shape to fight back. She had to do this before she had any doubts. She grabbed her kunai and got into a defensive stance. Sasuke raised his katana; his Sharingan spinning. She wouldn't let him get to Naruto. She couldn't stand in the sidelines and watch as they killed each other.
"I hate people who lie to themselves."
Sakura flinched as Naruto's words resurfaced. Naruto was right. She was lying to herself. Sasuke. She wanted Sasuke back. She wanted the boy that used to reject her and fight with Naruto; the boy on Team 7; the boy that was still in Konoha. She wanted to go back to the time when she was helplessly in love with a boy that she didn't understand; that she didn't know anything about. Back to the time when the only worry she had was impressing him. It was better than seeing him the way he was now. She couldn't let him swoop any lower. She's been lying to herself all this time. She didn't hate him. She still cared about the boy that used to give a shit about them; that thanked her for loving him. She swung the kunai down towards his neck as he brought his katana down.
"I hate people who lie to themselves."
At the last moment, she felt herself hesitate. Something in her died. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill him. The katana struck her as she stopped swinging.
"SAKURA-CHAN! NO!"
He eyed the poison dripping down her kunai.
"Why didn't you take the chance when I was open? You were so intent on killing me before."
The kunai inched towards his neck. He grabbed her wrist with his broken arm.
"In fact, you still could with that strength of yours." He dared to smirk at her.
"…why are you still standing here then? Are you confident that I won't kill you?"
"You won't. You can't kill me."
"Your arm's broken. I could cut you right now. What's stopping me from letting us die together?"
"You wouldn't have hesitated then. Are you still stuck on those worthless bonds?"
"They're not worthless..."
"I severed them long ago. Bonds make you weak, that's why you'll die today."
"SASUKE!"
She smiled weakly, the blood dripping from the corners of her lips, "I'm sorry Naruto. I'm so useless. I can't even kill Sasuke when given the chance."
"Sakura-chan!"
Sakura laughed softly, "I'm still weak huh? After promising that I wouldn't be a burden anymore, I hesitated. Pathetic right? Except this time, you didn't save me in time. I'm … sorry …"
Sasuke pushed the hilt of his katana forward.
She coughed, "I really should have killed you. But I can't bear to live without you."
"I'm not the person that you once knew."
"I know. You've sunk so low. What would your mother say if she could see you now?"
"Don't bring her into this!"
"I'd rather see you dead than see you in this current position. You're disgracing the Uchiha name. Itachi wouldn't have wanted…"
He twisted the katana into her abdomen and she gasped in pain.
"Shut up!"
"SAKURA-CHAN! SASUKE! STOP!" Naruto slammed his fist to the ground. He struggled to get up, but he felt so numb.
Sakura struggled to speak, "You … know that … I'm right … Itachi loved you and Konoha …"
"Don't act like you understand. You never did …"
"You taught me … what loneliness was … you gave Naruto his first bond."
"TEME! Please. JUST FUCKING STOP! Are you listening to me? She loves you! SHE ALWAYS DID! Don't hurt her anymore! You can't …"
Sasuke didn't bother to say anything. The look on his face was enough. The members of Team 7 always had this unique ability of riling him up when one else could.
"Hn."
"Someone told me that … I shouldn't lie to myself. He was right."
"Was he now?"
"Sakura-chan…"
"Thank you … for caring once … about us …"
"…"
"I'll never forget … forget my memories … of Team 7 … you … Naruto … Kakashi-sensei … we were a family. We still are. Don't you ... forget that ..." Sakura breathed out slowly, "I wished that things had turned out differently … we should have tried harder to save you from your pain —"
Sasuke angrily looked at her, "What would you know about my pain? WE WERE NEVER A FAMILY! Who the fuck asked you to care? Why can't you idiots leave me alone?"
Sakura smiled, "Because we saw the cracks … in your mask …"
Naruto smiled. "And we saw that little boy crying from loneliness."
Simultaneously they laughed, "Because those who abandon their friends are worse than trash."
Sasuke tore his katana out and Sakura grunted in pain. Naruto ran towards her as she fell to the ground.
"Sakura-chan! Are you okay? You need to heal yourself."
"Sorry Naruto. My chakra …"
"You can't give up … I'll make Teme see that he's an idiot. I —"
"Naruto. Stop. You've done enough for me, while I just caused you pain. I'm … sorry for being a burden. I won't interfere again. Promise me you'll kill him if you can't save him."
"Enough. Are you going to fight or not?"
"We'll fight to the death if we have to. Believe it."
Sakura watched as her boys charged at each other. This wasn't the reunion that she wanted. They weren't supposed to be so broken. The years had made them all weary. The world was a cruel place. When would the bloodshed ever stop? Naruto had stopped the war, but the fight wasn't over. Not as long as peace existed. You can't know peace without knowing hatred and war. What were the chances that things turned out the way they were? What were the chances? Would history repeat itself? Her vision was getting blurry. Tears dripped down her face. When did it start to rain?
"Sasuke-kun. I never got to say it that night."
Sakura. Thank you.
"You're welcome and —"
If you go, I'll scream and –
"I'll still love you."
...
...
...
...
Perhaps in another lifetime, they would've been happy.
Sakura closed her eyes and smiled.
FIN
Because Team 7 is meant to be together. Hence the title.
One sided SasuSaku.
I hoped you guys liked it. Sorry about the fight scenes. I'm still working on writing them.
Thanks for reading. Leave a review.