Chapter One: Always

Everything hurt. That was all I could comprehend. I wasn't me anymore, whoever "me" was. I wasn't human. I wasn't alive. I was simply pain; just a rolling, screaming, burning pain. I don't know how long I existed in that state or when my screams stopped. Somewhere in that inferno I realized screaming wouldn't help.

After what felt like an eternity, I started gaining feeling again in my fingers. Well, a feeling other than torturous agony. The new sensation spread from my fingers to the rest of my body in an unbearably slow way. When every last inch of my skin stopped burning, I bobbed up and down in a cooling numbness. Now, I was nothing.

In that moment, I thought, "I must be dead."

With that last clear thought plastered across the blank canvas of my mind, I was thrust awake by something worse than death. I heard her scream. Everything was painted red and the nothingness was replaced with the horrible realization that I wasn't alone in this hellhole.

She followed me.

"S-Sakura…" I didn't recognize my voice. I'm not even sure if I was speaking out loud or in my head. "Sa-Sakura…"

She screamed again, louder, more desperate.

I have to get up. I have to move. Move. Move. MOVE.

"Sakura!" My eyes flashed open to darkness only a fraction lighter than before. I stared up at a sky empty of stars, only lit with the eerie glow of a crescent-moon. I tried to sit up, but the strength I once had bleed out of me. Very literally, I'm sure. All I could do now was yell out her name and even that seemed to take more out of me than I had. "Sakura! Sakura!"

"Please…" I whispered desperately. "Sakura…" I silenced myself to listen for anything. The forest was quiet.

"Naruto!"

My heart skipped a beat. She was screaming my name. "Sakura!" I bellowed. Suddenly, I felt a pressure around my arms and legs. I was gaining sensation back into my body, but that did me no good. It only made me realize that I was tied up. "Damn it. Sakura! Where are you!"

"Naruto? I found Naruto!" Suddenly, I saw Kiba Inuzuka standing over me. He looked pale and frightened. Not to mention, he looked like he went through a branch shredder.

"Kiba!" I cried. "Where's Sakura?"

"She ran ahead, looking for you." Kiba answered shakily as he bent down to start gnawing on the ropes. I wondered where all of his kunai went, but realized how stupid a thought that was. It took him a good four minutes to chew through my bonds. I would have been impressed if it was anyone other than Kiba. Shikamaru showed up when Kiba threw me on his back. My entire body protested ever movement with quick shots of pain and the view I didn't appreciate. My face being an inch above Kiba's ass was far from even slightly comfortable.

"Kiba, you found—" Shikamaru stopped short at the sight of me. I guess I looked like hell. Shikamaru walked over to my limp body and pressed his forehead against Kiba's shoulder blade. I didn't have the strength to lift up my head to greet him. "Naruto…I'm so—so sorry." He murmured as he gripped my shirt. Man. He was shivering like a leaf.

"There's no time for all that. We have to find Sakura." Kiba said.

Suddenly, a terrible shriek pierced the night. Sakura.

"Sakura!" I screamed and found the strength to push myself off of Kiba's back and to my feet. My head swooned and I stumbled to my knees, before completely collapsing to the forest floor.

"Naruto," Shika came to my side and helped me onto my knees. "Kiba, go ahead, get Sakura. We'll catch up."

"Right." Kiba nodded and disappeared into the night. I couldn't help but wonder where Akamaru was. That giant mutt never left Kiba's side.

"I-I need to save her." I groaned and used Shika's shoulder to push myself onto my feet. The blood drained out of me instantly and bile rose in my throat.

"Naruto," Shika began gently. I knew what he was about to tell me before he even said it. "Stay here and rest. I'll catch up with Kiba and-"

"No." I said sternly. That was it. No fighting about it. Shikamaru knew I was going even if I was missing a few pints of blood.

"Then get up and let's go." Shika grabbed my arm, slung it over his shoulder, and dragged me up right. Before I could even register how much that hurt he was hauling me into a steady jog. My legs moved, surprisingly, despite the fact that I couldn't feel them. I just kept looking ahead, focused on a dark horizon.

Time passed. Maybe minutes, maybe seconds as Shika and I trudged through the black. I could already hear the struggle ahead. Metal against metal. Fist against fist. Grunting. Growling. Cursing. Familiar voices. My name being called. Naruto. Naruto...I'm almost there. I'm so close.

I didn't realize my eyes had closed until I opened them to see a clearing showered with an eerie, unnatural light. Blurry figures where moving back and forth across the field. Clashing. Shinning. Sparking as they collided. It was like a strange dream.

Suddenly, time blacked out and I was on the ground, lying on my side. Shika was gone. I could see him sprinting towards the figures until he faded into one himself. I was so cold. Ice was flowing throw my veins instead of blood. But somehow I knew I wasn't alone. Cold. But not alone.

"Naruto…" she whispered softly. She was so close. I could feel her pressing herself against my back, her hand buried into my shirt, trying to stop my wounds from bleeding out. "Stay with me." She demanded. I could feel her breath against my ear. "Stay with me."

Always, I thought. Always.

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Author notes: Assume nothing. I am simply using Masashi Kishimoto's characters and universe. Some points to this story coincide with the true cannon series. Some other points completely derail from it. Thank you for reading.

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