'I tried to be perfect but nothing was worth it i don't believe it makes me real, I thought it'd be easy, but no one believed me…' The words floated through my mind as I walked away. They struck me as perfect for this moment, why? You. You've made me feel flawed in a way that is far past self-consciousness and low self-esteem. You've showed me a perfect person, and then you made me face reality, you showed me me. You held me while I cried because my first, stupid, love had left, then I ran away to find him. It must have hurt you to see me do anything for another man… Because you loved me, I never even thought to love you back until now, now it's too late. When you showed me your perfection, and my imperfections I strived only to be perfect like you but it seems that you were the only person worth it because now you've fallen off a cliff into the darkness and I'm pretty god damn sure you aren't coming back.
Dammit Naruto, why did you have to care? DAMMIT NARUTO! I love you, I really do, Naruto.
"I love you Naruto…" I choked out, burying my face in his stiff, blood-soaked shirt.
It's true, Naruto Uzumaki is dead, dying to be more precise, the Kyuubi holder, the strongest ninja in Konoha, the strongest man in Konoha, the most beautiful boy… My one and only true love… My real love… Is dying. God, I'm so stupid Naruto, you've been by my side all these years and all I ever did was ignore you until it benefitted me, but you were there, you cared when I didn't. Dammit, you even tried to save Sasuke whereas I only wanted to save myself the pain of loosing someone I thought I loved.
A weak arm caressed my cheek gently, "I lo-love you too Sa--" Naruto coughed up some blood and smiled painstakingly at me.
'Even on your death bed you forget yourself for me, oh Naruto, what have I done to you?'
"I'll never leave, u-unde--rstand?" He managed to force out the end of his sentence before lowering his arm and letting it fall limply to his side, "I'm just gonna sleep now, OK Sakura? Just for a little while, and when I wake up we'll be together again."
I sat there, motionless in front of his perfect form as he sank into death, almost welcoming it. Tears fell down my face anew, and my heart hollowed out. I can't stand this, but I'll go on, then one day, I'll fall asleep and join him. I smiled slightly at the thought of being with him again, but grimaced when I thought of the years that we would be separated. It's taken me more than fifteen damn years to see I loved him, but it's too late now. It's too late…
Goodbye Naruto, until we meet again, I will live in this empty shell for you, I'll go on for you, but then we'll see each other again when Kami sees it fit to grace me with death. Because this time I will not run away from pain, I will embrace it and wait patiently for the day to come when that pain ends.
Thank you, Naruto Uzumaki.
