A/N: So tomorrow I will work on Sunagakure Mission! But last night/today I needed inspiration/motivation to write... So I got this prompt on Tumblr. It was really interesting writing this, because it was completely out of character for me xD. It's really terrible because it's morbid and angsty and there's a character death... But it has loads of implied feels, and I guess it's pretty cynical too. Sasuke is bad here, so be prepared for that...

Notes: Italics are thoughts.

Prompt: Sasuke is about to kill Naruto but Sakura jumps in and takes the blow instead (Sakura's death).

Uh... I'm sorry if I break everyone's heart... I broke my own writing this.

Genre: Angst/Tragedy

Created: 03/23/13 - 03/24/13

Disclaimer: Kishimoto-san, yus.

NaruxSaku Oneshot

Bonds Are Meant To Be Broken

By: darkdreamerx

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Uzumaki Naruto had finally encountered him. Uchiha Sasuke was right there—within his reach.

"Sasuke—stop! You know what's going to happen... We're both going to die. I already told you—!" the blonde screamed. He choked on his words as Susanoo's iron-clad hand reached for him. Naruto barely jumped back, Bijuu mode flickering in and out. He was tired; they'd been fighting for an eternity. Kurama warned him—warned him that his chakra was going to run out soon and he'd die.

But I can't die! Naruto grit his teeth and forced chakra back into his veins, pulsing it into his hand to summon a jutsu. He had to save Sasuke, there was no time left. The world was ending, and if he died now...

No! He refused to let his mind wander negatively; Sasuke was coming straight for him, a Chidori blade aimed forward. Naruto was cut, bruised and scarred; Sasuke mirrored the blonde, but those eyes...

They were bloody... Devouring; deadly.

The Uchiha was insane, even worse than the last time the jinchuriki had seen him. He didn't speak, no matter how many times Naruto yelled at him. Something had snapped in him ferociously, and it couldn't have been caused by Itachi's death. Something else...

Naruto coughed, blood spewing. This is it, this is my last move. A Rasenshuriken whirled above his head as he whipped his arm up, the last bit of chakra spurts claiming his legs. This won't kill him, but...

Bijuu mode waned heavily; breath was labored. The two sprinted at each other, the world around them maddening and chaotic. Just as Naruto thrust his arm forward to attack, he felt his chakra completely disperse and, instantaneously, the Rasenshuriken disappeared. Kurama laid down, the cell inside the seal blackening. Sapphire widened in realization—his chakra was depleted. Gone.

He faintly heard chirping as his senses began to fade, a blurring Sasuke mere feet away. The jinchuriki exhaled slowly, an empty feeling swallowing what was left of his shambled insides. The chidori was going to kill him... He couldn't stop it.

"NARUTO!" a voice shrieked, and then timing hit steadily the gravity of the situation.

Crimson splattered everywhere.

A scream; a gurgle; an eradicated breath.

And then...nothing...

Pink hair—for a fleeting moment—before it soiled red. Sharingan dulled to black; the owner's hand held pierced through Sakura's organs. He retracted his arm viciously, a manic laugh flitting through his bloody lips. The limp body collapsed at Naruto's knees; he'd fallen to them just before the final blow.

"She...saved you? You? You? YOU?!" the Uchiha screeched, the shrill voice blaring into the pulsing eardrums of the half dead jinchuriki.

Within a blink, sapphire eyes barely registered the oncoming events. Kakashi appeared, grabbing Sasuke by the throat and slamming the disheveled shinobi down into the earth. The eight tails followed suit; and then Sasuke and Killer Bee were gone.

"Naruto...! Sakura is—!" Kakashi's urgent voice broke the blonde out of his stupor.

"Sa...Sa...Sak...ura...cha...n..?" It came out in disbelief. Naruto felt bile in his throat as he stared down. The girl was completely motionless; her usual fierce emerald now lifeless.

Empty.

Naruto felt his body shake; hands trembled as he crawled beside the kunoichi. "No... No no... Sa...Saku...ra...ch...an..." Her chest had been ripped apart, blood pooling and seeping around them. Naruto turned his head away, painfully emptying his own insides.

"Naruto... I think... I think it's best if you leave," Kakashi said with a sullen tone.

But the blonde didn't listen; he shrugged off his jacket pitifully and covered the gaping wound. Tears began to flow freely from his eyes; a memory of their last encounter replaying over and over in his damaged mind.

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…

...

"Naruto," Sakura said firmly. "If you find him, I'll know. And I'll come running... I promised I'd help. I promised we'd bring him back together."

Naruto shook his head, frowning, eyes intense. "I can get him back by myself Sakura-chan! I don't want you to get hurt... I don't want him near you... Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Of course I remember," Sakura cried. "But I'm not going to let you fight him alone... Naruto, if something happened..." she trailed off, a distant expression collecting on her face. "I would never forgive myself. Naruto... You're the one I want to smile with when the war is over... Remember that."

Naruto chuckled, a big grin replacing his frown. "Of course, Sakura-chan. And then we can get ramen!"

The kunoichi smiled right back, even wider than her teammate. "You better pay for the date then, ne?"

Naruto's grin somehow surpassed hers, and he danced around her laughing, "I bet it'll be free if we save the world!"

And Sakura's smile stayed as she swatted his arm, a laugh breaking through her cords too.

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…

"Y...ou... w...hy...?" he choked, asking her a question she would never be able to answer. He'd...never hear her voice...again.

The blood had soaked through his jacket, her body paler than it was seconds ago. "Why...di..d she...sa...ve me? Why...di...d...Sasuke...ki...l...l...her? Ho...w... How...is...th..is hap...hap..pen...ing?

He swallowed back more burning bile. He was sick, faint; his own insides writhing and feeling as if they'd been ripped to shreds. But they hadn't been... Because of her. And it was his fault; he'd been foolish. He was a fool. He was supposed to have been there, not her... He was the one that deserved to die... Not her. Not her! His Sakura-chan... The girl... The only crush... He ever truly loved.

The battered jinchuriki cradled her torn body against his; wobbling her back and forth mumbling words Kakashi could not understand. His cracked lips were trembling, blood tears leaking out of dull sapphire depths. Lukewarm and cold, cold,blood was entwined...conveying the truth. The heart scalding truth...

Kakashi watched his student; tears down his own face. Then the wails started, and Kakashi let Naruto kiss Sakura's forehead before pulling him away from her body. The jounin nearly carried him as Shizune and others emerged onto the scene. The medical ninja confirmed it; Haruno Sakura was dead.

As for the other Team Seven members...

Uchiha Sasuke was probably dead, or worse.

And Uzumaki Naruto swore to never create bonds again, his heart succumbing to endless stagnation...

A/N: I know... it's horrible T_T. I KNOW! MY OWN EYES ARE FILLED WITH TEARS. AND MY HEART DIED ;(. But please leave a review and let me know what you think; I greatly appreciate everyone's kind words and suggestions!