Hello everyone...

So today, my best friend's girlfriend died from leukemia after a long, hard battle. She left behind a ten month old baby, my best friend, her family and all her friends. She will be greatly missed and never forgotten.

This story is dedicated to her, to my mother who also died from cancer two and a half years ago, and to all those who struggle or have passed on from a terminal illness, as well as all their loved ones. May all the passed on rest in peace.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Note: I have been alerted that using lyrics in a story, even with a disclaimer, is against fanfiction rules. If you want the full effect of the story as it was originally written, listen to "Wherever You Will Go" by the Calling. Thanks!

Goodbye

If he didn't know any better, it would seem as though she were just sleeping.

It had been three months ago that she'd been diagnosed with the worst kind of cancer; the kind that couldn't be cured with chakra. It had started with her having bouts of disorientation, then her coordination started to fail. By the time they'd convinced her to go to Tsunade, she had lost all control of her chakra and it would flare randomly throughout her body—although only he and Kakashi could see it with the sharingan.

It was cancer that had attacked the chakra in her bloodstream. Because it attacked chakra, using the same thing to heal the deadly disease was impossible.

By the second month, she was hardly coherent and spent most of her time asleep or delirious. He and Naruto had stood by her side unwaveringly, as well as the rest of her friends from the academy; Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, Lee, Tenten, and Neji. Her hospital room was decorated with hundreds of flowers courtesy of the Yamanaka flower shop. Even so, the room was dull and lifeless.

She had told him she loved him so often; even in her times of deliria, when she remembered so few of them or was in a different world altogether, she always told him, "Sasuke-kun…I love you."

Even if she didn't recognize him.

Tsunade was hovering over her and the faint beeping of the heart monitor was the only noise in the room. He stood there, gripping her hand. Naruto rested his hand on her shoulder and Ino held her other hand. Hinata stood behind Naruto, hugging him, while the rest of their friends huddled near her bed.

Haruno Sakura had been the one to always stand beside him. Even when he'd defected, she still believed in him. When he'd come back, she'd been the first, along with Naruto, to forgive him. She'd never left his side, even when he pushed her away, rejected her persistent love. And then, just when he'd realized just how precious she was to him, she'd gone and gotten sick.

It was clear that this was it. She wasn't coming back—he knew she would if she could. She'd never leave him, or any of them, voluntarily.

Tsunade spoke, breaking the silence. "She's breathing five breaths a minute. It's time to say goodbye." Her voice cracked and tears flooded her honey-colored eyes.

A ragged sob erupted from Ino's lips. "Forehead-girl…I love you. Please be happy…wherever you go. It's okay…no one will be mad at you. Go rest…go rest!" More heart-wrenching sobs tore from her throat and she gripped Sakura's hand tightly.

Hinata spoke next. "S-Sakura-chan…we all love you. You won't be forgotten." Silent tears cascaded down her cheeks and she hugged Naruto in a vice grip.

Everyone spoke in turn, wishing Sakura well on her journey to the afterlife. Finally, Naruto said, his voice low and devastated, shortly after Tsunade said goodbye.

"I love you, Sakura-chan. You can go. We'll always remember—remember—we'll always remember you!" His voice broke. "Sakura-chan! Just be happy! Please…go. Let go of your pain. No one wants to hold you back."

"Only one breath a minute," Tsunade informed them. "This is it."

The group huddled even closer, everyone touching her in some way or another. Tsunade looked at him expectantly, but he refused to say goodbye to her. He refused to let her go.

He'd lost his whole family. He'd killed Itachi, his last remaining relative. He refused to say goodbye.

Five minutes passed with Sakura barely breathing, almost appearing as though she was already gone. Tsunade checked her pulse constantly, but the pinkette refused to let go.

"Sasuke," Ino said softly. "She's waiting." A shimmering tear fell from her cerulean eyes.

His breath hitched. He couldn't say goodbye—he wouldn't! What if she got better? What if, if he just held on, what if she would recover? He couldn't let her give up like this! And yet, he knew he was lying to himself in his desperation for the pinkette to stay with him.

When he remained silent, Naruto placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"She's gone, teme. She's just waiting for you. You can't make her come back." It was as though he'd read his mind.

He sighed, his breath heavy and he could feel unwanted, undesired tears fill his eyes.

He didn't want them to hear him. He leaned over to her ear, intending to whisper softly to let her know. But his voice was hoarse and it cracked.

"Go on," he whispered. He paused, trying to compose himself. "Go-go on. I…" His chest heaved with the intensity of his withheld sobs. "I…I won't be mad. I…I…I'll always love you. Be-be at p-peace."

A sob escaped him even as he fought for control.

He stood up and ignored the fact that others could see his tear-streaked face. He was breathing harshly, his heart pounding and his palms sweaty from clenching. He could feel his fingernails digging crescents into his skin as he fought the urge to beg her to stay.

The heart monitor stopped and Tsunade checked the pinkette's pulse. She waited, pausing for too long. A minute passed and Sakura was no longer breathing.

"She's gone." Her voice was numb, unfeeling, and the room settled into a hushed silence.

Ino was the first and she let out a horrid cry, collapsing onto the dead girl's body. "Forehead! Forehead! Come back! Please, come back!"

Naruto was the next to let out a howl of pain, turning around and hugging Hinata with all his agony.

The rest of the room was filled with crying and sobbing, but Tsunade finally recovered and said, looking directly at Sasuke, "I think you need a moment alone. Everyone, let's go. We can come back soon."

Ino's sobs quieted and she looked up at the tearstained Uchiha. With her consent, everyone filed out of the room.

He stared down at the young woman who had stolen his heart and taken it to the next life. He felt hot, burning tears streak down his face and he sobbed quietly, at last allowed to feel his pain.

"I love you," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I'll always love you. I'll never leave your side…you'd better not leave mine." He hesitated before leaning down and kissing her gently on the forehead—that large forehead he'd once ridiculed.

He chuckled darkly.

"Your forehead, it's so big…it makes me want to kiss it," he mumbled, and then pressed another kiss to the expanse of skin.

A sob tore from his throat.

"I hate you," he hissed vehemently. "I hate you! Why did you leave me?" He gripped her stiff shoulders and shook her. "Why did you leave me! We could have been happy! It could have been so perfect! Why did you leave me?"

He collapsed onto her body and sobbed into her chest.

"How could you? I love you…I love you so much."

He lay there until the coroner came in and the morticians came to take her away. He gripped her body and refused to let go, forcing Naruto to rip him away from her. He couldn't stop crying; even when the sobs quieted, tears never stopped falling.

"I won't forget you," he whispered as she was carried away, white blanket draped over her peaceful features.

I cried writing this, as it is so reminiscent of my best friend's pain as well as my own. I hope this reaches all of your hearts.

R.I.P. Kristi and Carol