The mission was a failure to them both. There was nothing more for them to do.
They had been defeated and that was that.
Naruto lay on his back on the damp ground and droplet covered blades of grass as the sun set and the moon rose for the glorious night.
Kakashi didn't know where they were. After they went their separate ways he hadn't looked back, only focusing on their mission.
Their job was to protect a village from destruction by a group of rouge revengeful ninja.
Kakashi was still fighting. He hadn't stopped to think to why his team mates weren't in the village fighting with him.
He speculated as to what had happened but he pushed the heavy thoughts away and focused on destroying the blood thirsty ninja as quickly as possible so he could move further ahead.
He didn't know that his team had fallen, that he was the only one left.
Sakura slumped by a tree, unable to hold her legs. She breathed deeply and clutched a hand over her gash to slow the flow of blood seeping from it.
She lifted her heavy head, scanning the area for threats, but instead found Naruto lying on his back on the ground staring up at the darkening sky.
"Naruto" she managed but her voice was a soft whisper in the growing night that he hadn't heard.
Sakura attempted to stand, but couldn't hold her legs and instead landed back on the damp ground on all fours. So she crawled.
She crawled slowly on all fours to her blonde team mate who lay motionless.
Sakura had to pause two or so times while crawling, the pain of her wound was hard to block from her mind. She could have removed the pain easily but wanted to conserve what was left of her chakra in case Naruto needed it more than she.
She was so close to him, when she could crawl no more. She fell to the ground, her stomach feeling the cold moisture from the grass as it soaked through her clothing.
"Naruto" she attempted again but no words escaped her.
She pulled her body across the grass causing her red top to take on a more unappealing colour as the grass bled from her movements.
She reached Naruto's side and just in time for her energy ceased and her body became a weight she struggled to lift.
She now lay with her body beside his. She was at his eye level, but he continued to stare into the purple sky above.
Her body was so close to his that she could feel the warmth coming off his body and she could hear his deep sharp breaths as he struggled to take in enough air.
She was so close that if she shifted her weight off her side and towards him that she would practically land on him so her body would lay over his arm and her head would sit in the curve of his neck.
But she didn't shift her weight to be closer to him.
Instead she lifted a heavy hand and touched his check, feeling him flinch under her warm touch.
"N-Naruto" she said, giving a soft smile when he turned his head weakly to look at her beside him.
"Sakura" he replied in a tired voice.
His eyes were half lidded and a line of blood escaped his mouth and he turned his head again to watch the sky.
Sakura moved her hand from his cheek down to his abdomen and used as little chakra as she could to inspect Naruto's wounds.
His body was damaged.
Damaged beyond her remaining amount of chakra.
The fox had failed him. He too lay in shreds, having given up on trying to repair his hosts body.
The chakra eliminating blow the ninja had hit with destroyed the fox's lines to Naruto, rendering him helpless to heal him.
Naruto had run empty. He had no chakra left at all. The only force he could call upon was that of the fox's but they had been cut off from one another and now both waited silently for the darkness to consume them.
Sakura changed her flow of chakra to a stronger one, using what chakra she had left to, at the least, attempt to heal Naruto.
They both knew it was pointless. Both their bodies were ruined beyond repair.
Naruto lifted a hand and placed it over Sakura's, turning to look at her again.
"Don't Sakura" was all he said in his weak tone.
The look in his eyes said it all.
And Sakura cried for him.
She shifted her weight so half her body laid on Naruto's half.
He lazily shifted his head so her face fitted against his warm, pulsing neck and rested his chin lightly on the top of her head, breathing his uneven breaths down on her hair.
Naruto managed to lift his arm from underneath Sakura so that it lay on her back, comforting her and holding her in a light embrace.
"Please Sakura, don't cry" stated Naruto with his weakening voice.
He stared at the now night sky and watched she stars shine as Sakura leaned into him and wept for the coming darkness.
The night grew cold and every breath that left their bodies remained in the air for a few short moments as a cloud of mist before they vanished into the night.
Sakura had no more tears left to shed in her body and laid close against Naruto as he held her in his weak embrace.
"What are you thinking?" asked Naruto. It was the first thing either of them had spoken since several hours had passed.
Naruto's voice was much weaker than before.
She had enjoyed their hours in silence, focusing on the touch of his pulse through his neck to her nose and the feel of his chest rising and falling as he breathed, but it felt nice to hear his voice once more, even in its weakened state.
"I'm just waiting" Sakura replied, her voice muffled by Naruto's jackets collar and his skin.
"Waiting for what?"
"The darkness"
Naruto tightened his embrace around her. She felt his body shudder with pain as he made the effort to hold his grasp on her.
"As long as I am here I will never let any darkness touch you" stated Naruto weakly, but his tone suggested a small sweet smile.
Sakura felt Naruto shift his head before she felt his soft, slightly chapped lips against her forehead.
His lips were cold from the night air, but it was refreshing and gave her a rush that shot to her toes and back.
He shifted his head back to its original position and watched the black sky above.
Naruto knew the darkness was coming for him soon. And he knew that if someone found them that Sakura would be saved.
Her wound never stopped bleeding. He had felt the warm liquid seep through her clothing and into his.
All it would take was for anyone to take her to the village so she could be mended.
He prayed for Kakashi to find them.
Kakashi had been the one who saved Naruto years ago when he had fought Sasuke. He was the one who carried him to safety.
He prayed that he would appear and do the same for Sakura.
"Naruto" Naruto shifted his head lightly so he could hear her clearer.
He felt her warm lips touch his neck, leaving his neck tingling.
"I love you" finished Sakura pressing her nose closer into Naruto's neck.
Naruto gave a weak smile to the night and kissed Sakura on her forehead again, this time keeping his head there so his breath touched down onto her nose.
"I love you too" replied Naruto, attempting to hold her tighter but with no success as his body shook from the pain.
He turned his head so his eyes met Sakura's.
Sakura leant away so she could see all of Naruto's face. His blue eyes shining like sapphires in the moon light.
Both of them lay against one another in the cool night air as they waited for the darkness to move in.
Sakura lay silent as she felt Naruto's uneven breaths change to slower and deeper breaths and his pulse slow like that of a sleeping man.
As he laid asleep, his embrace on her weakened and she felt the darkness creep in.
It was Naruto the darkness claimed first.
His body was warm no more.
His body lay still and she missed the pulse of his neck against her nose, a constant reminder that she was his.
Naruto was gone. No one was left the keep the darkness at bay like he had said he would. But now he was gone and the darkness was coming for her too.
Sakura leant into Naruto as close as she could and laid her head on his chest and wept till the darkness crept in on her and she felt the coldness consume her.
By morning it was Kakashi who found them both, lying on a patch of red grass.
He bent down and laid a hand on both their bodies and closed his eyes as he said farewell to his team mates.
He was the only one left now and was to return back the Leaf alone.