It was a downpour. One like the people of Katniss, Nevada had never seen before. Rain pelted roofs and blaired their roaring song against window-panes and porches alike. All day, all night for two, whole, miserable days. Just the weather for staying indoors. Which was probably why, on this particular, flooded day, people found it especially strange to see a little girl perched upon a slippery ledge.

A slippery ledge on a bridge that hung over the now-screaming-down-the-banks End river.

And if the name in it's self didn't give away the reason for the gnawing terror the towns people felt, here is a little information for you. The river was given its name by a group of explorers that came to claim this land as their own. They decided- and why not, it seemed purely sensable at the tims- to take the winding, watery path all the way back down to the settlement they had ventured from. It was a mistake, but as was said, it seemed perfectly sensible at the time. So they went on their merry, floating way. Untill, at least, the world ended, and those poor chaps were left wondering if ----- had been wrong in his assumption the world was round as the last thought in their poor little minds before they plummeted to their deaths. It was a similar story for many other men who decided to take the river back to their homes, as the first explorers didn't quite make it back to issue a warning. Long story short, the river gained it's name because it ended. You ride that river and the second you reach the calm before the falls you'll see the end of the world.

But, of course, that is only how it appears.

Really your seeing over the edge of Konoha water fall, the tallest of its kind on this violent Earth.

And young Sakura Haruno, clenched teeth and tensed body, lay straddling that slippery ledge on that bridge only two miles of crushing water away from that fatal drop.

As you can imagine, folks had right to panic.

An alarm screamed. People flew out of their houses in a flury of raincoats and calls of 'be careful' from wives and children. In Sakura's case, the close knit, stand together town she lived in was a life saver, as without the shrills and yelling and carring on that was happening outside, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't have wolken from their pleasent slumber to find the state of things…

People were shouting. That was about the first thing I was aware of, seeing as waking up for me is a relativley slow process. I enhailed slowly, and immediately a dangerous, somewhat spicy smell crept into my lungs, statying with me even as I exhailed with a morning-time groan. Why in the world did it smell like Sasuke- but then things clicked in my groggy brain and I remembered that we'd had a sleepover last night and he must have fallen asleep in my bed accidently like he always did. I cracked my eyes open, but just a little, 'cause everyone knows as soon as you open your eyes all the way you can't fall back asleep and I really didn't wanna be awake all that much in the first place. It was still dark out, but an eery light crept through my blinds. Strange. I could still hear the aweful rain, and now the shouts I had heard in what-I-had-thought-was-a-dream dawned on me as real. Pearing a little more widely, still clinging hopefully to sleep, I realised I was looking at Sasuke's abdomen instead of his chest.

This surprised me enough to open my eyes fully- darn it- and lift my head a little from my pillow. Why? Because Sasuke was a cuddler, as I had found out, and almost always seemed to be hugging me when I woke up and as I slept. It was pretty funny, seeing as Sasuke does NOT seem like the kind of guy that cuddles. You know, with his dark hair and so called mysterious eyes. Plus he's got a tatoo. Yep. Right over the pulse point on his neck. It's probably the only thing in the world that he's never told me about. Even when I ask. I know! How crazy is that!?! Calling out to him with my pathetic

'wakey-wakey' voice….

"mmhmn…Sasuke?"

A blue light played across pale skin. Sasuke sat with an elbow resting on his bent knee, head turned and eyes calculating and cold in the faltering moonlight. Surprised slightly by Naruto's voice, he turned his head away from the spattered window to gaze at him. "Hmm?" The raven's chest rumbled in its usual, appealing way, asking without words. But it was far away. And sure enough, before Naruto could even come up with a response, he was looking back at the glass. His eyes grew narrower as he seemed to look for something in the darkness. He tensed as more yelling peirced the thin walls, as though straining to hear what was said. He didn't notice Naruto's silence, nor his confusion filled eyes.

"What is it?"

More silence. Naruto wondered if Sasuke had heard.

"I'm not sure…"

The way Sasuke spoke, that was obviously the problem.

"Sakura-on the bridge—all!"

And there was suddenly such fear on Sasuke's face, he had to have found his answer. Whirling a powerful gaze on the blond, he said "We need to go to the End."

"What? But in this weather-."

"Sakura is out there. We need to go. Now."

I had never been so scared in my life. Stupid cat. Stupid rain! Stupid Sasuke-fucking-Uchiha!! Say I can't keep a pet, will you? Say they'll run away withing the first day, will you! Well in your face, ass-hat, cause it's been at least two days! Hah! But it's hard to sound smug when your this-close to peeing yourself. And I was right there man. Right. There. Kyuubi had huddled himself on the very edge of the very edge of the beam. Other wise known as? Very dificult to get to, that's what. I continued my slow, squeaking path towards him, legs clamped against the steal pole that was basically keeping my from dying. There was no way I was loosing that stupid kitty. Naruto would never forgive me, and Sasuke would never let me live it down. I dunno, though. It was starting to seem a little appealing. Probably just cause I was ABOUT TO DIE though. That does that to you.

I was finally within reach. All I had to do was stretch out my fingers and….

Sasuke and Naruto flew down the steps and into the front yard. Leaping over a fence and into the street, they raced down the road and towards the place they had now confirmed as Sakura's decided place-to-be-an-idiot. The dragging splashed that accompanied their every footfall began to annoy the boys greatly, and only added to their mounting desperation. Finally on the cobblestone –which they were greatful for, as it diverted the water- road that attached to the bridge, they sped on even faster. And for once, Naruto wasn't aggrivated by the fact he could barely keep up with his taller counterpart. They reached the climax of the bridge, already crouded with men and women attempting in vain to coax the girl off of the edge. Sakura gritted her teeth to the point of pain, reached out with straining fingers, and…

I watched as Sakura slipped, watched as both her and Kyuubi plummeted towards the dark waters of the End, and painfully, painfully slowly, watched them explode into the rush of their death. I didn't see Sasuke looke to me, determination those black pools. It wasn't untill he barked my name sharply, that I turned to him, expression dazed and blank. I almost couldn't hear him, through the pounding of my staggering heartbeat. Then he nodded to me, emploring me to understand, and I did. Giving a willing gesture, the two of us took off running. Not down the bank of the river, we'd never catch up to her there, but towards the edge. And I was terrified, but at the last second I caught Sasuke's expression. I figured I'd be ok. No. I knew…

And we lept…