Author's Note:

I am back, guys.

Just a little reminder: this is only a short fic that runs from the climax to the conclusion. I dub this as an "experimental fic" and I'll explain at the end why.

I hope you still enjoy this despite its oddity. :D

Introduction:

A stealth mission was handled by two agents who were Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. The two acquired a needed program that was in a form of a chip. Upon retrieval, the enemies moved to catch them. Being inside the headquarters of the enemies, they were at a disadvantage.

FATALITY

By withered-soup

The strange ringing of the intruder alarm created such panic in Sakura's head as she was being pulled by Sasuke. The Uchiha held her hand as they ran through different corridors, only ending up at dead ends or enemy lines.

"There they are!"

"Shit!" Sasuke roughly pushed Sakura back and then used the wall as cover when a hail of bullets came to their direction.

"I'm out!" Sakura dropped her gun and searched for any alternative weapon.

Sasuke, on the other hand, suddenly slid down against the wall, blood painting it crimson. He gripped his side while he checked the clip of his last gun.

Sakura shouted something like, "you're shot!" when another shower of bullets drowned her next words.

The Uchiha, however, became oblivious to the deafening shots as he tried to focus on the blurred image of the flashing red bulb on the wall across him. It was a signal for alert and yet it seemed to say something else to him. He couldn't breathe well and he was being drained of his blood slowly. His onyx eyes moved to Haruno who tore a strip of her clothing and tied it around his torso.

Sasuke's pale lips smiled. He knew all too well that escape was almost improbable—for him, at least.

"Sakura," he pulled a sheathed dagger from his leg holster, "take this." He gulped as his dirtied hands touched those trembling palms of Haruno. "Run. I'll cover you." He secured the clip of bullets then closed his eyes.

The enemies shouted threats, telling them to surrender but the two remained behind the wall.

Sakura's hold of the dagger tightened. "I-I can't leave you! I still have the explosive, we can use it—" Tears welled from her eyes when the Uchiha's eyes silenced her.

"That is for emergency; you can still use that as last resort to deliver the chip." He said with some difficulty. When the girl didn't reply but shook her head, Sasuke slowly pulled Sakura's shoulder towards him and then he planted a kiss on her lips. Sakura, in turn, embraced him.

"Alright," Sasuke tried to be as focused as possible to the point of repressing his own growing emotions, "at the count of three." He pushed himself up and readied his gun.

Sakura took a last long glance of Sasuke. Dirt, blood and sweat had mixed on his handsome face. A trail of blood was on his lips. His attire was torn and his gloves were ragged, exposing his hands which bore cuts and bruises. And his eyes…she could never keep herself from looking at those black orbs. She feared she'd never see the life in them ever again.

Sasuke's vision was getting vaguer. "Ready!"

Sakura nodded.

"One, two…"

Haruno gulped. Good bye.

"THREE!"

Sasuke moved from his wall cover and fired at the enemies while Sakura ran through another corridor.

Don't look back.

Sakura could hear the exchange of bullets though it grew fainter as she grew more distant.

Just go.

She swiftly hid behind a wall when some soldiers who were looking for her passed.

Please, go.

She bit her lip to keep herself from screaming Sasuke's name in anguish. When they had gone, she ran again.

Go. Just go away.

The red bulbs that lined the walls seemed to flash images of Sasuke bleeding against the wall. There was blood everywhere. There was pain everywhere. There was death everywhere.

She stopped and leaned against a wall. She was trembling and crying as she held the dagger close to her. She was now very far from him and it had been minutes since she left him.

Leave him?

No, she couldn't.

Sakura knew it would be futile but she also knew that she wanted him more than any thing in the world. The mission didn't matter. She needed Sasuke.

She turned around and gazed at the long empty corridor she went through. The red bulbs were still flashing and path seemed to stretch way longer. Sasuke. She darted off; her heart beating as fast as her legs carried her to the fated place. Only his name was in her mind—only the thought of seeing him and hopefully being able to save him. She knew, however, that they were wishful thoughts. A sob hanged in her throat as she thought of what she could possibly find there. And it was in no time that her wondering was answered.

With one final turn, she arrived there only to find that the Uchiha was gone and so were the soldiers. To her terror, she found a long trail of blood leading from where Sasuke stood to somewhere beyond the corridor. Despite the thought of worsening her agony, she cautiously followed the trail, hiding and holding her breath when soldiers came and then proceeding at every possible moment until she halted in front of a room.

Sakura went in and closed the door. She felt for the switch and turned on the lights and she witnessed such horror.

On a metal bed was the barely recognizable body of Sasuke. He was burnt and bleeding from head to toe—creating red and black patches on his skin. The fingers of his left hand were twisted out of angle. Blood was abundant at his partly opened mouth. At the side of the bed was a rod used for electrocution, which explained what was done to him.

"…Sasuke…" Sakura didn't know what to do other than cry and approach the burnt meat.

Yes. She never saw his onyx eyes anymore. They were also burnt—bleeding and beyond horrific.

Sakura's knees weakened and she dropped to the floor. Her hands gripped the bed railings and she pressed her head against the bed. She felt so weak, so angry, so pained, so sorry but she couldn't do anything. "NOOO!" She pressed herself against the bed, pushing it against the wall abruptly. "NO! NO! NO!" She screamed and held onto the bed like an unsupported child who didn't know how to walk.

"…a…sa…"

Sakura's eyes rounded and she immediately stood up. "Sa…suke…?"

"…augh….ra…"

Sakura covered her mouth with her hand. The Uchiha was still alive. But…

"…wh…sa…" He was making unearthly sounds and heartrending moans of pain. A tear fell from his surviving eye duct as he tried to lift his hand.

"Stop…please, stop…" Sakura fought back a cry. "Oh my god…" She was trembling all over as she listened to Sasuke's uttered pain.

"…a…augh…ma…"

"Stop! Stop it Sasuke!"

"…sa…ra…" He slightly lifted his burnt, dry hand as if to touch Haruno.

"Sasuke! You're…" she gripped the dagger she was holding, "…you're just hurting yourself… please…" Her head dropped as she pressed the sheath against her breast. "…just—"

Sakura suddenly took a look of the dagger in her hands—the dagger that Sasuke gave her for protection. She pulled the sheath off and watched the glimmer of the silver blade. In her mind, the world had collapsed into two things: pain and salvation. Before her, the Uchiha was suffering a slow and excruciating death while in her hands was a blade ready to take lives quick.

She was palpitating; her mind and soul was torn between the two things:

Pain or Salvation.

Will you kill him?

I can't kill him!

Will you kill him?

I can't kill him!

Will you help him?

I can't—

Sakura looked into those blinded eyes; those unrecognizable, suffering and dying eyes…

Will you save him with the dagger that he intended to save you

Sakura wiped her eyes and then held the dagger with both hands. "I love you so much." She whispered as she fought back a sob. "I love you…so much…" She poised the blade above Sasuke. "I'm sorry… but don't worry—" she let out a gasp. "It will over, Sasuke." In a short moment, she saw his crisp lips move into a smile. She knew he wanted to die.

"Good bye, love."

And with one blow she struck his heart. She broke into a pitiful scream as she fell to her knees. She still held the blade with one hand as Sasuke's warm blood dampened her cheek when she laid her head on his body. Her throat was warmed by the constant shouts she expressed while her trembling hands went cold. The silence and the void around her whispered that she was alone and they crooned that she must cry—which she did for she had become the slave of her anguish.

It wasn't long when the door burst open and immediately, guns pointed at her. "You're surrounded!" A soldier yelled to the motionless girl whose back was turned to them. "Give us the chip or you die!"

Emerald eyes focused on the handle of the dagger that killed the Uchiha. Slowly, they blinked before refocusing on the weapon.

"Move it!"

Sakura gradually moved away from Sasuke's corpse and stood up. Her eyes were blank as she dug for the chip in her pocket.

That piece of technology that equated their lives.

"Surrender the chip!"

Sakura smiled as she subtly took out something else and held it together with the chip in one hand.

"Turn around!"

Sakura beamed at Sasuke before facing the soldiers. She held her closed fist before her and said, "I'll be home soon."

Before anyone else moved, Sakura pressed a button on the device she held with the chip with her thumb…

…and from the flames, their souls rose to the stars.

-fin-

End Notes:

As you can observe, it has no real focus. The story just fed on the drama and the emotions of the characters. I didn't focus much on symbolism and plot since those two aspects must grow with the readers to be able to induce real-time emotions from them. Since this is short and it started with the climax, those two aspects weren't able to establish a close bond with the readers.

I call this an experimental fic because I have no real focus and I just wrote this in line with what my imagination dictated.

No flames. Comment all you want. Reviews are very much appreciated. XD

Hopefully, I'll be able to write a full fan fic. :3