Chapter One
Disclaimer: This is my first fanfic, I own nothing of Naruto.
Naruto sighed heavily, feeling the burden on his back grow heavier. The orange and black jumpsuit he had grown accustomed to wearing was now tattered and dyed a crimson red. A mixture of both his own and his package's blood had ensured that he wouldn't be wearing it ever again. He was almost there. Just a few more minutes and he'd have completed his 'Promise of a Lifetime.' Tilting his head backwards, Naruto couldn't help but smile at the sight of his best friend; although it was honestly more appropriate to call him his brother at this point. He wondered if they would be proud of him. Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-baachan, Iruka-sensei…Sakura-chan. Adjusting Sasuke so that he lay more comfortably across his back, Naruto began speaking to himself in order to relieve the tension.
"You know teme-"he cut himself off, unaware of how to voice his thoughts out loud. "Sakura-chan missed you a lot. All this time, she has never stopped looking forward. She's not stopped thinking about you. She really does love."
He looked down at the ground, suddenly finding the dirt between his toes more interesting than anything else at the moment. There wasn't much to look at anyway, the horizon being filled with ominous clouds promising rain. He had to hurry to Konoha, there was no telling if either of them were in condition to survive a storm in their current state. Even with Kurama's help, he was no immortal. His partner was already flooding his system to heal the chidori lacerations near his vitals. He wouldn't be helping him at all if he got an infection on top of that. Sasuke however, had no such luxury. He had no Uzumaki strong life force, or the ability to heal from most wounds due to a nine tailed demon fox. Once again Naruto found himself turning back to the incapacitated man. He needed medical attention if he was going to live, if he was going to return to the girl who loved him.
Naruto breathed through his nose as he stood perfectly still, eyes closed in what would be a serene form if he weren't so broken both mentally and physically. In his weakened state it was tantamount to suicide. He was going to enter Sage Mode for a final push towards Konoha's gates. Were there anymore options? With Kurama healing his wounds, using his chakra to enter his now infamous Jinchuuriki Mode wasn't an option. He had serious doubts that Sasuke would survive that speed at the moment anyway. He expended the rest of his chakra earlier, using it on a clone to send advanced word towards Konoha. He'd end up tearing apart his body even further using this method, but it was the only one left.
Naruto's eyes snapped open, the clearest of blue changing into a dull amber color. Although he felt a surge of strength he knew that it wouldn't last. He only had enough chakra to gather the minimum amount of natural energy for Sage Mode. It would run out just after reaching Konoha, where hopefully his clone had done its job to gather Tsunade-baachan and Sakura-chan for healing. He was sure he'd need it after putting his body through extra stress. A sad smile found its way onto Naruto's face at the thought of the pink haired girl. He knew that he was going to be left behind after finishing his greatest mission.
Just as that thought ended, the world around him became a blur. The speed of natural energy, although quite not as fast as Kurama's own chakra, still performed the job. A fire ignited in his lungs, his body protesting in pain as he carried the burden for two. He focused his thoughts elsewhere; he couldn't allow himself to stop. He found himself thinking of Sakura once more, of the cherry blossom scent that always seemed to encompass her. His mind reeled to the day she embraced him, accepting a hug only after getting punched in true Sakura fashion. Naruto could feel his head spinning, dots blurring his vision as he ran further. Naruto bit the bottom of his lip tightly, actually tearing through it as he struggled to stay conscious. If there was one thing Ero Sennin taught him, it was that guts were more important than any jutsu.
His mind trailed off again, seeing a 12 year old Sakura crying in front of him. The memory played out, Sakura begging for him to bring her Sasuke back to her. Looking back, it was almost foolish to believe he could win her over. How could he, when every action she undertook seemed to be for him. He was starting to black out, darkness encompassing his vision as he finally reached Konoha's gates. Even in an exhausted state, he couldn't help but smile. There, the rest of the rookie nine were waiting for his arrival. Of course with them, was Team Guy, the older nins having become just as much a part of their graduating class as anyone else. With a final burst of energy, he pushed through, Sage Mode running out as he collapsed face first into the dirt below.
He panted heavily, body paralyzed from the pain of further exertion. What happened, what happened to Sasuke? Tilting his head upwards, he could barely make out the sigh of Sakura rushing over to the body of Sasuke, collapsing around it as tears poured down her face. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her that his promise was kept. Luck wasn't on his side as no sound emerged from his throat. His eyes were swiveling around, trying to catch the gaze of his fellow shinobi. Shikamaru and Neji were moving forward to pick him up, doing so hesitantly as if he'll shatter into pieces at the slightest touch. In the other corner of his eye, Ino held a sobbing Hinata with tears in his eyes. He was sure they were crying for his sake, which would comfort him very little however.
In front of him, no less than 4 feet away, Sakura was raining down a barrage of teary kisses across Sasuke's jawline; murmurings of "Thank You's" and "He's back" coming from her nonstop. As Naruto lost conscious, blood pooling around him he had just one final thought. 'Did I ever have a chance, Sakura-chan?'