Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Winner Takes It All

- - -

"You suck."

Huh?

"Useless."

What?

"A loser."

?!?

-

The sun was very bright today. Nothing seems to be wrong. I walked out from my apartment toward my office. I waved hello to every villagers waving at me.

…And smiled. I smiled as well.

-

"They're fake, aren't they?"

-

"Hey, how's work?"

I looked up to see the newest Hokage, Naruto. My best-friend. Even bestest than Ino. I looked at how tired he looked and chuckled. He frowned and his blond brows pulled together.

"What's so funny?" he sounded offended.

I smiled at him.

"You're working really hard, my sir." I was impossibly proud of him.

He grinned and nodded.

"Of course!" he held his hand high up in the air. I squinted my eyes so I could see him better.

-

"You're coming?"

-

"Jeez, I'm so tired!" I complained. Ino winced and 'ow'ed dramatically. I hit the back of her head and we laughed.

"You want to get some tea?" she asked. I sighed and shook my head.

"Nah," I replied. "I'm dead tired, need my beauty sleep."

"Oh yes," she nodded, looking serious. "I just remembered, your forehead does need a beauty sleep to shine even more!"

"Shut up!" I threw the closest object I can reach. It hit her head and she yelled. Damn, it was a big book, filled with the names of patients. She grumbled while she knelt down and picked up the book, tidying up the mess I made. I grinned innocently at her deathly glare.

-

"I'm going to help you, help you become somebody stronger."

"I'm strong already."

"I know that,"

"Why are you smiling?"

"I just want you to be strong if by any chance we have to part."

"…"

"Don't cry, I told you, you need to be stronger."

*Sob*

-

"Heck Sakura, can't you be gentler?!"

"You complain too much, Kiba," I sighed. I hit the plaster onto his skin that was bleeding like waterfall.

"Dammit woman!" he yelled. "I'm bleeding to death here!"

"Well you don't look like it," I glared at him. "Look, the blood stops already."

He looked at his wound and at me.

"Of course I'd done something," I answered his look. "I'm one of the best medic in the village remember?"

"Yeah, and you might kill somebody if you keep being such meanie!"

"Oh I'd be glad if I kill you one day," I grinned. He grinned back and we laughed.

-

"Do you love me?"

"…"

"Sa—"

"Yes,"

"Really?"

"Yes."

-

I closed the green door and turned on the lights. I looked around the small space of my apartment and sighed.

I walked to the fridge and took out the bottle of milk. I caught a glance of the tomatoes lying on the bottom part of the fridge, I sighed before I closed the fridge's door.

I really should throw those blasted tomatoes away tomorrow.

I finished the milk and walked to the bathroom; I showered fast and get into my sleeping uniform already. I sat on the bed and looked out at the stars.

No falling star, no wishing star, no nothing.

-

"Am I strong now?"

"We shall see one day."

"Why are you smiling now?"

"I just think you're doing well."

"Am I not a loser anymore then?"

"We shall see one day."

"…"

"Hey, don't be like that; I think you're doing pretty well already."

"Are you hoping we would part one day?"

"…"

"You are, aren't you?"

"You can't stick with me forever."

"I know that."

"Then you should understand."

"That's the thing, I don't want to and I won't."

*Sigh*

-

I opened my eyes, there were tears. I wiped them away furiously but more were coming. I didn't even know what started them, wait… I did know. I just didn't want to remember.

And so I ended up sobbing in my bed all morning.

-

"The winner takes it all."

-

"Heck Sakura, you look like shit!"

"Wow, I wonder why I even bother coming to check your wound." I replied sarcastically. Naruto laughed and messed my hair up, as if I need it, it was messy enough alright.

"Hinata is coming soon, hurry up," he muttered. "She's gonna freak if she sees me like this."

"Sure, sure," I rolled my eyes.

"Have you been falling apart, Sakura-chan?"

I looked at him and he looked back at me, his expression serious. I really don't want to talk about this stuff.

-

"I'm the loser then?"

-

"Sakura-chan…"

"She's going to be here any second now, Naruto," I stood up, took all of my stuffs and hurried out the door.

He caught my hand and jerked me back.

-

"You're not supposed to be one."

-

"Sakura-chan, are you?"

"What do you want me to say, Naruto?" I glared at him. "Don't I look fine already?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts, young man," I looked at him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?" he searched for any signs of lie in my eyes. There was none, of course. Because I promised I'm never going anywhere.

"I promise." I hugged him.

-

"But I turn out to be one, don't I?"

"Sa—"

"Tell me,…"

-

I once again looked at the stars, and they showed no sign of hope for me today again. I sighed and stood up; I took my coat and walked outside. The coat wasn't mine. It was his.

I smelled his scent and it invited back all the tears and I started crying while walking. It was nice at night, no one was around. Only a few ANBUs but they hid themselves well.

I saw someone walking out from the hospital and I stopped, shocked.

-

"Do you love me?"

-

He stopped when he saw me as well. And we both stared at each other's eyes for a long time.

-

"Tell me, Sasuke-kun… Do you?"

-

A small figure came running from inside the hospital, the figure was a boy; he hugged his leg and looked at me. His eyes were his, his face was his. But his hair certainly wasn't his, as well as his nose.

-

"Do you?"

-

Another figure came out. And she gave the boy what he didn't give. I looked at them for another minute, he stared at me. The woman pretended she didn't see me, but she did and she smiled. She was nice,… I suppose.

She just wasn't me.

-

"I don't know."

*Smile*

"Well then, I suppose you don't."

"Sakura…"

"Listen Sasuke-kun," I smiled as I walked away from him and the woman following him closely. "I had no idea why you brought her here, but I guess this is the big test you told me."

"Sakura…"

"I promise you I'm going to be strong and I always keep my promises," I told him. "So let me make another promise to you."

He looked at me, his expression unreadable. I thought I saw the pain, but I must be dreaming.

-

My attention was taken away by the one object moving in the sky. I saw his head moved up as well. I smiled as I saw the shooting star shot its way across the glittery darkness.

And then I looked at him. His expression was, again, unreadable as he looked back at me.

-

"I won't let you go," I told him. "But the day I see a shooting star in the sky, I will, then, let you go. The day I see the star with you, will be the day I close the memory of you forever in my heart. I will pretend like we never met before and address you formally. Fair enough for you right?"

"Sakura…"

"I don't play dirty, Sasuke-kun." *Smile*

"Why… are you…"

I looked at the girl, she looked snobby but I ignored her arrogant look. I smiled at her and she backed away one step in shock.

"I won't hurt you even though I am stronger than you physically."

She looked at me and smiled then, looking relieved.

"Why are you willing to?" she asked me.

"Your name is Karin, right?" I smiled at her. "Like I said, I don't play dirty. I won't take him away from you because he might love you better than me. I really think this promise is fair enough, don't you?"

"But…"

"Well I guess you can spend your time with him." *Smile*

-

I bowed in front of him and cried. The tears flowed, I can't stop them. I heard the shuffling of foot moving, and footsteps coming nearer.

And then a pair of hands hugged me. Small hands. I looked up and saw their son hugged me.

"Sakura-chan shouldn't cry," he smiled. "You saved my life for many times, you saw impossibly scary cuts and so many bloods, why are you crying now?"

I looked at him and smiled.

I saw his father winced.

"Because I saw the shooting star, Kei-chan," I replied. "D'you see it too?"

"I did," he laughed. "And it's so cool!"

"It is, isn't it?"

"Come on Kei," Karin called. I waved at him and smiled at her. She smiled back; she looked as if a big heavy burden had just been taken off her shoulders. And she walked away, leaving us for a moment.

-

"Oh," my eyes felt like it would pop out off its sockets. "Your baby…"

The boy looked so fragile. I could just kill him, but I won't. He's so cute and so like him to kill.

"Congratulations," I smiled. Karin hugged me and I smiled at her. He winced.

-

I looked at him and bowed.

"I'm keeping my promise," I told him. I looked up and everything was blurry. I don't want to leave him, but the day has come. Why did I even make that promise? Was I thinking it would be impossible to ever see a shooting star?

He nodded.

"It was fake, wasn't it?"

"Excuse me?" I looked at him, confused, I wiped the tears away.

"The smile just now."

I shrugged.

"Yeah," I said. "You know me."

"When will you ever smile sincerely, Sakura?"

"I don't know," I told him, I wasn't lying.

"I should go," he said after a while. I nodded and the tears came back. I bowed once again; after all, he was an Uchiha… one of the noble clan. And I was just a Haruno, a medic.

I looked up and tried to see his face through my blurred vision.

"I'll see you around, Uchiha Sasuke-sama," I said and he nodded, his expression looked pained but maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me.

He winced and ran to me, he hugged me and I cried on his shoulder. I held on to him tight, not wanting to let go. But I had to. Because he had a wife and a son waiting for him at the end of this road, he looked at me, he looked sad… It took him awhile to let go when I did already. But he finally did.

I smiled at him and he gasped.

Because the smile this time wasn't a fake one. He looked at me as if he had made a big mistake. But it doesn't matter now.

He's an Uchiha Sasuke-sama now. And I'm Haruno Sakura-san now. We're back to level zero with more pain to start with.

I watched him disappear into the darkness of the street.

-

"Sakura,"

"Yeah?"

"You're no longer a loser."

"Why? I lost to her."

"You're a winner, because you're strong now."

"Doesn't make sense," I sighed. "I don't get you."

"True," he said. "But I won't be the only person out there for you."

I looked at him and smiled.

"True." I said. He sighed and muttered 'fake' and we laughed together.

-

The winner takes it all. I'm not even sure whether I win or not.

Maybe you could help me find out.

Did I win?

Or did I lose?

- - -

My goodness, this is awesome randomness. It made me tear up though, I rarely cry when I wrote a story but I did for this one. So I guess it should be sad enough.

I get the idea after watching Mamma Mia! today, when Meryl Streep was singing "The winner takes it all" 

Reviews are appreciated.

ButterCan'tFly.