Naruto
Rain.
Rain? Is this rain on my face? Where am I? Why is it so dark? I can't see anything and- wait.
Sakura? Why's Sakura crying on me? What happened?
Pain, now all I feel is pain- my chest...it feels like there's a gaping hole in it. And Kurama- I can't feel Kurama. Is the war over? Did Madara win? Am I dead?
I must be dead and I must be in heaven, because I hear Sakura calling my name as if I were dead. All of these sensations, everything I feel, it's like a cold menacing burn trapping me in limbo- it's dark and I can't see, loud but I can't hear, humid but suffocating and ominous. What is this dark place…and- light?
I can see now. Sasuke. Sakura.
Sasuke- where's Sasuke? Did I defeat him? I remember now…
Sakura
Naruto. Naruto wake up. Naruto, move! You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead.
YOU ARE NOT DEAD.
Naruto, please, NARUTO!
He's not breathing. I better heal—wait. There's- there's a giant hole here. There's no way he survived this, especially not after- not after something like that. Sasuke-kun—what did you do? Naruto, you better live, you dummy, you irresponsible rash dummy!
I'm crying. Crying harder than I ever have. All of these feelings, I finally—I finally sorted them out; I finally wanted to show you. And I was too late—I'm always too late. Why do you always get left with these impossible tasks and impossible choices?
It's my fault. I failed when I tried relieving you of your burden, when I was going to kill Sasuke-kun. My resolve wasn't as strong as I thought. And look what it's done now—just look at what it's done.
Naruto, I wish I were on time, I wish for once I could just tell you everything I've said when you weren't around. I wish that for once things would work out, and that this time you would believe me. But you were right—I was lying to myself then. But not about what you think, not about you—I lied when I said Sasuke-kun meant nothing to me. I loved him once, I did, and he was our teammate, our friend—of course I still cared. But I meant it when I said that I loved you. That was real. And I wish you could've seen that. And now…now you're…
Earlier That Day
The rivals fought the battle of the century; the parallel between Madara Uchiha and Senju Hashirama reincarnated in the form of two teenage boys, bound in brotherhood by their loneliness and suffering. Sasuke stood at one end of the Valley, readying his final Chidori attack—the vengeance in his eyes, and bloodlust on his lips reeked of hatred and darkness. Naruto stood opposite of him, his Rasengan full of light and hope. The eternally bound brothers took their stance, using the last of their chakra to carry out their final assaults—it's just as it was three years ago.
"Sasuke…don't you remember? This is exactly where we were three years ago. Me and you—fighting with everything we had," said Naruto.
"Naruto," replied Sasuke "don't associate me with you. I've told you once and I'll say it again—I want nothing to do with you. Once I kill you here, I'll destroy all of Konoha, AND CLEANSE THE UCHIHA FROM THE RIDICULE THE LEAF BURDENED IT WITH!"
Naruto chuckled.
"You still after all this time- you refuse to see me as your equal. Don't you, Sasuke?" Naruto shifted his stance, his form moving into a more defensive position, Rasengan in hand. Sasuke did the same, only his stance became more offensive, as his Chidori-powered hand moved slightly forward.
"You were never my equal. Three years ago, I held back—I spared you on a whim. Even now, I see you as nothing but an obstacle. I told you I would kill you if you didn't kill me first. You can't kill me because you're still holding onto that foolish idealism called bonds."
"Sasuke—"
"-Naruto. Those bonds were nothing but an illusion. Revenge is the only bond I've ever had, the only bond I've ever known—and it's the only bond I'll ever acknowledge—SO SHUT UP AND DIE YOU BASTARD!"
"SASUKE!"
"NARUTO!"
Naruto and Sasuke leapt from their positions, techniques in hand, ready to strike at one another. Sasuke's chakra was darker than ever before, emitting a darkness that made even Naruto's determination waver for a split-second. But Naruto didn't give up—he kept going with his attack.
They clashed.
Dark chakra engulfed the Valley as it had three years ago, leaving a dark cloud to loom overhead. Naruto and Sasuke made eye contact, the blood red Mangyeko Sharingan meeting determined fox-slit eyes. Each brother saw what the others' eyes held.
'I finally understand why I couldn't bring you back…and it's because I didn't understand you. I didn't know what it was like to lose someone I loved so much, to hold so much resentment for one person, until I lost Ero-Sennin…' thought Naruto. 'I thought I understood because we were both always alone, but now I see you weren't always alone from the start like I was. You had bonds…and they were cut down, right in front of you…'
"Sasuke," Naruto looked at Sasuke with more determination in his eyes than ever before. "Sasuke, I understand. I know- I know why you sought revenge. I know why you wanted it so badly that you would sacrifice everything for it!" The blonde ninja cried out, hoping his final words to his friend would hit home. "I understand, Sasuke! And I want to help you! I want to shoulder your pain- because I'm your brother!"
Sasuke's eyes widened—to his horror, something in him struck a chord, and he began to feel the darkness in his heart waver. His brow furrowed as he began pondering the meaning behind Naruto's words.
'Brother. What…why is part of me listening to this bastard's words—they're absolute bullshit. I am an avenger. I will cleanse the Uchiha from this world. But then…why…'
"Naruto. I was never your friend."
'You were my first bond after the incident, but I severed my bond with you. No matter what, my heart seeks revenge, and I will get it. I won't let this slight spike in light set back everything I've worked for!'
"But, I was your brother. And I still am." Sasuke smiled. Naruto smiled back, realizing that his words struck the small good part of Sasuke that remained intact. Both brothers dispelled their jutsu, and landed safely on the rocks below.
"Sasuke. I knew I'd bring you back one day. I just-"
CHIDORI!
Right before using his remaining chakra, Sasuke had made a clone with enough chakra to create one last Chidori for a final blow. Sasuke's eyes glimmered with victory—his eyes held the killing intent of a true avenger.
"Sa…su…ke…" Naruto struggled to say his ex-comrade's name, blood spilling out of his mouth and gaping wound.
"Naruto," Sasuke looked down on Naruto's bleeding body, vengeance and blood in his eyes. "I told you I would not let you get in my way. I told you that I would not hesitate to kill you. Now, I will destroy everything you love; Sakura, Kakashi and Konoha…you will lose everything—if you even live."
Sasuke walked away, triumph on his lips, sinister eyes looking toward his destination, Konoha. But even though he defeated his longtime rival and left him for dead, a distant part of him felt the first signal of remorse and guilt that he had felt in a long time. The expression in his eyes shifted from avenger to long lost comrade and friend.
'Naruto. I vowed to destroy you—and I did. I feel as high as ever, but at the same time, I regret it. For the first time in a long time you showed me light, if even for a brief second—but I'm an avenger. And I will cleanse the Uchiha. That is who I am.'
He was completely depleted of chakra—his battle with Naruto left him completely vulnerable should he run into anyone on the way. He decided to find Madara and recover for a while before pondering his fate- would he destroy Konoha and everything Naruto stood for? Sasuke now questioned whether or not this was the right way to cleanse the plagued Uchiha name.
'Itachi...against your wishes, I killed my best friend. I vowed to destroy Konoha. Are you...are you ashamed of me, Itachi? What are you seeing, big brother?'
Sasuke continued walking through the Valley, making his way through the rocks and boulders. He hated himself for questioning his resolve- but he was an avenger. He was doing the right thing- wasn't he?
'Itachi, answer me you lazy bastard. I know I'm an avenger- but is destroying Konoha the right way? You gave up everything to protect it- you gave up our clan, our family...me. All I know is that somehow, in some way, I have to cleanse our clan's legacy- even if that means killing anyone or anything that gets in my way.'
"Sa…suke…" Naruto thought.
'How did I lose? I told myself…I told myself I'd keep my promise…that I'd save a friend…before I became Hokage…'
Naruto tried to move, but to no avail. His wounds were too grave—only intense medical attention would help him now.
Sakura raced through the thicket of trees faster than she ever had before. Her wounds were minor thanks to her evasive training from Tsunade, but her chakra reserves were moderately low due to high volumes of wounded shinobi on the battlefield. Still, she continued speeding to the one location where she knew Naruto and Sasuke would be.
Hours earlier, she'd run into Naruto battling Uchiha Madara. Naruto managed to hold him off and forced him to retreat, but shortly after, Sasuke appeared on the battlefield. Her first instinct was to help Naruto defeat Sasuke, as much of his chakra and Kurama's had been used up defeating Madara.
"Naruto! Let me help you! I can help you fight Sasuke-kun-" Sakura pleaded.
"Sakura-chan, heal the others! Don't worry about me—help them! I can handle Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.
"Naruto, you're always trying to handle everything on your own—but baka, when will you accept that sometimes you need some help? I don't want to be a burden anymore—and I want to be with-"
"Sakura-chan," Naruto suddenly appeared right in front of her, his face unusually close to hers, his eyes glowing with hope and resolve. "Do you trust me?" He looked at her straight in the eyes, and Sakura looked straight back, her cheeks flushing bright pink.
"More than anyone I know," she replied without hesitation.
"Then you know I'm the only one that can do this. Don't worry—I'll be back, and I'll bring Sasuke back with me for you—just like I promised I would. That's my ninja way!" Naruto disappeared in a yellow blur, reappearing next to Sasuke in the distance.
'Baka Naruto, it's not Sasuke-kun I'm worried about…it's…'
Sakura continued her rapid pace.
'He hasn't come back yet—he should have been back by now. I should have at least crossed him if he were coming back. Something's wrong. Something's very wrong.'
Sakura finally cleared the forest and was in the Valley of the End. Only there was no battle ensuing—and all she could make out in the distance was a red and orange bundle. The closer she was, the more she could see that the motionless orange object on the ground could be none other than her Naruto Uzumaki—and he wasn't moving.
'No. No. No no no no no. No. No!'
Sakura knelt down beside Naruto's motionless form. She could see a huge gaping hole in his chest. From the explosive pattern and nature of the wound, she knew the cause—Sasuke's chidori. She could tell that Naruto had been hit from behind—Sasuke must have double-crossed him or made him let his guard down.
She focused her chakra on her palms, and started the first steps in the healing process. Her hands pressed against what was left of his chest firmly; she didn't feel the same radiating body heat that she usually felt when healing him.
'Why isn't he healing? Where's the fox's chakra?'
Sakura continued channeling her chakra into the wound—the progress was painstakingly slow, and she didn't have that much chakra left in her reserves. She reached into her side pouch and pulled out a bundle of soldier pills.
'I did say I would save them for a rainy day…these shorten my life span a bit, but they're worth it if I can save his life. Naruto…'
She took one of the soldier pills and immediately felt a spur of chakra replenishing itself in the blink of an eye. She focused it more intensely on the wound, and while it began to heal slightly faster, it wasn't near the speed she was hoping for. Her eyes began watering, her lips quivering—she couldn't bear the denial any longer. For one last time, she placed her head against what was left of his chest to feel for a heartbeat.
Nothing.
Sakura cried in despair. Naruto was dead. Sasuke, the murderer. How had her team become so twisted? How had everything taken a turn for the worst? One minute she's standing with Naruto on the battlefield, nearly touching, faces so close, and the next she's crying over his motionless body. She didn't know how to deal with this—because she trusted Naruto with all her heart. She didn't prepare for this because she knew he would always come through, that he'd always be safe. He was Naruto—the idiot that defied the odds even when they were stacked against him. The idiot that made her feel safe and warm. The idiot that she loved with all her heart. And here he was, dead. She was sick. She needed to vomit, but she held it back. She wanted to punch him for betraying her trust—but this time there'd be no 'Sakura-chaaan!' to follow that punch. No, this time it'd be a lifeless thud—a soundless noise, an action with no meaning.
'Why…why must things always be this way? Everything I do…it's always so insignificant…'
She rigorously continued for almost an hour, stopping only for mere seconds to catch her breath. Then, the impossible happened—a hand touched her face. Sakura must have been dreaming, because there was no way that hand could belong to—
"Sakura…chan?" Sakura broke from her daze in rapid shock, followed by an instinctual sigh and smile of relief. The hole in his chest healed.
"NARUTO!" Sakura quickly pulled him in an embrace, forgetting all his other injuries. She hugged him tighter than she ever hugged anyone, never wanting to let him go again.
"Sa-Sakura-chan, I'm okay," he replied. The expression on his face was one of shock and then one of happiness. And then he remembered the events that preceded what was happening now—he remembered Sasuke seeing the light for a brief second, and snapping into darkness the next. Sakura pulled away from the hug and saw his sorrowful expression.
"Naruto. You—you did everything you could. But Sasuke-kun- Sasuke-kun is a different person now. I'm not saying I don't believe in you—because I'll always believe in you, no matter the odds, no matter what anyone says. I'm saying that maybe, well, maybe it's just time to let go."
Naruto's sorrowful expression lingered. His eyes were full of melancholy, his lips pressed in a grim line, his eyebrows furrowed and his fists clenched.
And suddenly he broke into a grin. Sakura found this puzzling, and had no idea where this grin was coming from, but she was glad that he could still smile. The silence that followed was not as heavy as before, and instead, was more lighthearted and cheerful.
"Sakura-chan," he broke the silence. "Sakura-chan, I didn't fail." He chuckled. Sakura pondered for a moment, and finally realized what he meant.
"Ah, Naruto. You didn't fail. You finally fought Sasuke-kun—and I'm sure he acknowledges you now."
"Hehe, that's not all Sakura-chan. When I spoke to him, when we were both in that bubble of darkness, I told him that I understood. And I finally do understand. It's like I told you in the Land of Iron—I didn't understand until I lost Ero-Sennin."
Sakura listened intently, taking in every single one of Naruto's words as if they were jewels from a lost treasure chest. She was always in awe at how great he was with words—she knew he would make a great Hokage.
"Anyway—I said what I wanted to say. And I saw it. Sasuke, I saw the old Sasuke!" exclaimed Naruto with pride. "I saw the same Sasuke from Team 7—even if it was brief. I think I got to him. It's too bad that it didn't last too long and he ended up turning back to the darkness before I realized it. But I saw him see the light. I saw his eyes."
Sakura smiled. Seeing Naruto this happy made her even happier. His expression—it read of relief and happiness. His burden was finally relieved. He did bring Sasuke back—even if it wasn't physically, he brought him back, if even for a brief moment in time.
"You know Sakura-chan," Naruto chuckled, "it's only a matter of time before Sasuke comes back to the village on his own. I can't tell you if he'll come back to actually return, or to destroy it- but either way, I'll kick that bastard's ass! He told me...he told me that he wanted to destroy everything I stood for, before he left me for dead. But I don't think he meant it. His eyes told me something different. That look in his eyes—it was longing, Sakura-chan. He wants to come back- he just doesn't know it yet! And when he does, you two can finally be together!"
Sakura jumped at the realization of what he was saying—he didn't know that she had moved on from Sasuke, had he? In his mind, he still held the image of the twelve-year-old girl that was obsessed with earning Sasuke's love and acknowledgement at the expense of everyone else. And here he was now, still harboring that image engraved in his mind, selflessly putting her happiness before his own. Sakura realized this, and did the only thing she could do.
"Sasuke-kun is our friend, Naruto. Sasuke-kun's our comrade. But he isn't who I want to be with." Sakura's firm eyes were unwavering.
Naruto looked puzzled. "But…Sakura-chan, I thought—"
"Baka. I listened to you in the Land of Iron but did you listen to me? No!" Sakura punched him hard enough to knock him back a few feet, his face buried in the ground as he groaned. She walked over to him, and tried getting him on his feet, but his chakra was too far depleted and they both tumbled to the ground. Naruto landed on the bottom while Sakura landed on one of his legs, her face very close to his. Both pairs of cheeks flushed.
"Naruto. I—I meant what I said."
Again, Naruto looked puzzled—she said she meant what she said…
"Ah! You meant that a girl's heart is as changeable as the autumn sky! Which means…" Naruto's expression changed from one of realization to one of horror. "Wh- what? You mean you like Fuzzy-Brows now?"
Twitch.
Twitch, twitch.
PUNCH.
'How could he be such an idiot. I guess some things just never change…"
"Sa-Sakura-chan, that hurt a lot! And I still don't get what you were trying to say—" Naruto's sentence was cut short as a pair of lips swiftly but softly pressed against his. Sakura held the kiss for a few more seconds before finally pulling away. A wave of emotions flooded Naruto's system, resulting in a wide eyes, and a gush of blood rushing to his cheeks.
"Baka. Now do you understand what I mean?"
'Did Sakura-chan just—did she just kiss me? Does this mean- well, only one way to find out for sure…'
Naruto hoped for the best—to not be on the receiving end of another Sakura punch, but instead, another Sakura kiss. He put his hand around her neck and pulled her in for another kiss. Sakura cupped his face with her hands, and deepened the kiss. Her lips tasted just like the freshness of spring, when the cherry blossoms bloomed, and the wind carried them around in a beautiful melodic swirling motion. They stayed that way for a little over two minutes before the two reluctantly pulled away for air.
"Ah, so you do understand what I meant now, eh Naruto?" Sakura smirked, a playful expression on her face as a sudden gush of wind danced with her hair. Naruto looked in awe at how beautiful she was—how beautiful she looked even with all the battle scars and wounds. He realized that this was the best day of his life so far—he'd made Sasuke see the light, and finally had the girl of his dreams, his only one. He was the luckiest shinobi on the planet, and nothing could tear him away from this moment.
"Sakura-chan. You did mean what you said, didn't you? I just thought you always loved Sasuke. I wanted to tell you but- I didn't think I could after I failed you—" Sakura silenced him with another brief peck on the lips.
"Naruto, you never failed me. If anything, I'm the one that failed—for not realizing how much of a baka you are and not kissing you then to show you how I felt, and for not kissing you before all of this happened! Do you know how much panic you've caused me? You practically gave me a heart attack when I thought you were dead—"Naruto interrupted her with a kiss.
Racing thoughts plagued his restless mind—when did Sakura's feelings for him change, and why didn't he see it sooner? He always held onto that image of Sakura pining over Sasuke—he always held onto the pain he felt when he realized he wasn't the one she wanted. And now it was all so different—she wanted him. She wanted to be with him, just the two of them, together. And it was suddenly so clear now—every small action and gesture that he overlooked, every moment of worrying that she thought was for Sasuke or other people—it was all for him. He had faced formidable enemies, conquered the odds, mastered the Senjutsu arts in a matter of days, and created a technique that not even his father, the Fourth Hokage, could complete—but nothing could prepare him for the words and feelings he was about to express for the first time.
"Sakura-chan…I love you." Naruto's eyes pierced her like a sharp whirlwind just as a flood of emotions took over. In that moment, the wind picked up and danced with her pink hair and his blonde locks, both moving in harmonious rhythm and grace. It was the moment that he'd gathered all of his guts and courage for—the moment that he'd never thought could possibly happen. It would only be complete if one more thing happened…
"I love you too, baka."
Author's Note:
So this was actually supposed to be a one-shot NaruSaku, but, if I get enough reviews saying to continue, I'll happily continue our mysterious arc for at least a few good chapters! Hope you enjoyed it!