The End

Everything hurts, but why can't I feel anything?

I'm struggling to continue walking, my breathing is sharp and I'm gasping for air as dry bark makes contact with my finger tips. I reach, pulling towards a tree, a tombstone. I lean against it and collapse.

Taking in the final scene of my life, it is a blackened forest, dyed with shadows and scarlet ribbons cut from the flesh of the several dead bodies lying in my sight. I could throw up with disgust, but it seems as if there's nothing left inside. My vision is blurred, but there are a few faces still familiar, and others are too messed up, to tangled to identify. My palms are painted red and I remember that I had not taken out a weapon once, but instead ripped throats out with my bear hands. So fingering through my pocket I locate my only blade, still spotless. And it's funny, that it worked out like this, the death of me being a pure wound, as if I were trying to disinfect my body with something clean. So I push in, piercing my skin slowly. The cut begins to seep and there is a stinging in my eyes. I can't feel the pain, so I know it's just the human left in me. But tears don't fall, because I was never capable with being normal. I can taste blood, but I crave warmth. I miss eating with them, and laughing at stupid things. I miss being so carefree and enjoying the things that would one day kill me.

I miss it all.

--

"He's alive."

Sakura clenched her fist and continued stroking the head of her unconscious comrade. She looked down at him and felt tears build up again. His once plastered on smile had been replaced with a serene face, as if that mask he put on for others had been torn off. There were more scratches that adorned his cheeks and bandages covering his torso. Tears escaped her eyes as she looked at her teacher and spoke.

"Will he be okay?" she asked with much worry.

"He is very badly injured, but you did your best. He will make it through, but he's damaged one of his main chakra vessels." Tsunade sighed.

"How did he survive the chakra transfusion with so little energy?"

Tsunade hesitated and then spoke, "It must have been the fox demon, I don't really understand it myself, but I think the fox's chakra vessel must have substituted for his normal one, in order for him to survive."

"The fox needs a host, so it will do anything to survive," Sakura replied gently combing her fingers through his thick blonde hair. "But that means Naruto will have constant exposure to the nine tail."

Tsunade nodded, "It will be hard for him."

There was silence, except for the blondes breathing.

"How many so far?" Sakura's voice trembled.

Tsunade tensed, "They've counted twenty one, six of them directly included in the mission."

She held back a sob.

Tsunade's heart softened and she yearned to to give her pupil a hug; much like a mother would give to a child that needed comfort. She felt herself beginning to break down; the loss of so many haunted her. What kind of kazekage would allow something like this to happen?

Sakura inhaled and collected herself, asking the question Tsunade was ready for the moment the conversation began.

"What about Sasuke?"

With great thought she answered, "The mission was successful, he too is alive."

--

I am sore all over and the light burns through my eyelids. Not thinking, I open my eyes at once; ready to see heaven or even more realistically, hell. My sight's still hazy, but everything is white and clean. It must be heaven then, but it's quite peculiar that heaven resembles a hospital room.

Damn.