PROLOGUE

She fell to her knees in despair. People turned to stare at the collapsed angel. She began to scream relentlessly. A few offered to help her, but she refused. Everyone wondered the same thing; what was wrong with her? Was she insane?

Out of the crowd came a stranger to none. His name alone was more than often the fear in most. Blood trickled down his face from a reopened wound, causing a few bystanders to take a wary step back. Wordlessly, the newcomer picked up the screaming girl. Immediately her cries softened to that of whispered sobs. And the rain began to fall.

PRESENT DAY

The best friends of a life long gone fought to the bitter end. Even their tai-jutsu attempts were useless on each other, they were so exhausted. They fell to the floor, bloodied and broken. Naruto breathlessly chuckled.

"It's funny."

Coughing up blood, Sasuke asked, "What's funny about this?"

Struggling for words, Naruto replied, "I only fought to keep her from you, to protect her from your endless crusade for misery, and now I'm leaving her without either of us. It was never my intention to leave her alone."

Sasuke was silent. The yellow-haired man closed his eyes. "What Sasuke? Too tired to right back? Well I'm not. I will never stop fighting for her." As he struggled to keep his eyes open, Sasuke responded.

"She's all I was fighting for. She's all I want."

Enraged, Naruto was able to stand once more. "If you really cared for her at all, you would let her go! All you've done for six year now is torture her! Six years! How can you even think of saying it was all for her? Betraying her was you fighting for her?" Naruto's eyes burned bright red as he reached the Kyuubi level.

Sasuke just lay on the ground, staring at the sky. "Not everything. I'm not foolish enough to suggest it was all for her. But this fight? This was for her. I've been fighting you for her since the day I left Konoha."

The red glow dimmed and Naruto fell to the ground once again. His breathing ragged, he glanced to the east where the sun was rising over his home. He knew Sakura would be worried when she realized he wasn't home. I can't give up. She wouldn't want me to. I have to make it past this! We're supposed to be happy. We're supposed to be alright. He knew though, he wasn't giving up, he was defeated.

If Naruto had fought Sasuke with all of his power, all of his will, it would have been an easy victory. However, even though he felt nothing but hatred and a sense of rivalry towards him, he couldn't bring himself to kill
Sasuke even then. He just knew it would break Sakura.

Sasuke closed his eyes, not because he wanted to, but it seemed as if he didn't have a choice. "She's my biggest weakness, my biggest flaw."

"You see, that's where you're wrong. Love isn't a weakness, or a flaw. It makes you stronger, makes you powerful and perfect. There's nothing weak about it."

Sasuke laughed this time. "If that were true, you wouldn't be here today. Face it, all you've thought about this entire fight is Sakura. Because of that, because you weren't thinking of defeating me, you were weak. She was your weakness."

Naruto didn't respond. Sasuke didn't know if it was because he was too tired, or if he had struck a nerve in the exuberant ninja, so he continued. "That's alright though. I've come to terms with it. Sakura is now and will always be my biggest weakness." Naruto was silent but for a moment. "We can't leave her completely alone. One of us has to survive." They both looked over their bleeding wounds. "We have to. For her."

Though neither one said anything, they both knew the odds of making it back alive were slim, however neither one of them were going to sit back and die. They would both hold on until the very end. "Promise me. Make this a pact. Whoever makes it, and one of us will, will take her away from this place. He'll love her, take care of her, make her whole again. Promise."

Sasuke finally allowed his eyes to close when he heard the medic ninja in the distance. "I promise."

Naruto laid back down. "Good. So do I." As they both lost consciousness, a pink-haired woman, told only injured ninja rest in the woods, stumbled into the clearing. She collapsed to the ground and sobbed.

HOSPITAL

He heard alot of voices. There were so many sounds to hear though; he was in the hospital during Chounin exams. But it wasn't the other voices distracting him from sleep; it was the voices speaking about him. He heard Tsunade say there was nothing left she could do through her tears. He heard Sakura begin to sob. "He'll be awake soon, Sakura. You can say goodbye to him."

Naruto blinked his eyes open when he felt a shaking hand hold his. There wasn't a part of him that wasn't hurting, except for that hand. That hand felt absolutely perfect, as if all of the good in the world had touched it. In a way, it had. He knew the touch well. He had held that same hand thousands of times. He knew it like he knew his own. The cold feel of her ring sent chills through him.

Just days before, he had held that girls hand when proposing marriage. Days before, his life had been perfect. And then, like a dark storm, Sasuke had returned. And Naruto found himself fighting a battle he knew he could never win. A fight for Sakura.

When his eyes opened, he thought Sakura looked like a broken angel. Her eyes were red, her cheeks were wet. Her clothes were bloodstained. And she was radiant.

He looked down at her shaking hand that still held his. He watched as she brought her other one over, so that now his entire hand was engulfed by hers. That small part of him felt perfect. But Naruto knew nothing was perfect. He knew good things always had to end. His throat hurt when he finally spoke. "I wish I could have married you."

Sakura's entire body shook with her tears. "As far as I'm concerned we are married, so don't you say that. Don't say that."

He continued. "I wish I could have shown the world how much I love you."

She threw her head down and cried. Her moans were muffled by the sheets, but they still broke Naruto's heart. He rested his hand, now fevering up with the rest of him, and laid it on her arm. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. Before he could say anything, Sakura jumped to her feet and ran out of the room. His hand began to hurt.

Feeling defeated and overwhelmed, Naruto looked around the white walled space. He saw an empty blood soaked bed to his right. Enraged, Naruto sat up, ignoring the pain and silencing the scream.
Sakura was back in the room, looking flushed. She followed his angry gaze to the gruesome mattress.

"He disappeared. Upped in the middle of the night; typical Sasuke fashion," she said bitterly. Naruto clenched his fists. "That bastard! He promised!"

Sakura took her spot beside him and held his hand again. "What did he promise?" Naruto thought she sounded eager to know.

"We promised each other that no matter what, one of us would stay. One of us would be here and live and be alive for you."

Sakura looked down, her eyelashes touching her cheek as fresh tears pooled over. For over an hour, she cried over his weakening body. He cried a little too. He cried because she was falling apart and there was nothing he could do. He had tried to ensure her safety, her heart, but Sasuke had abandoned them once again.

There was a knock at the door and Kakashi peaked his head in. "Are you ready Sakura?" Not looking his way, she nodded. "Yes. I am." Confused, Naruto looked towards Kakashi for answers. Instead, all he had were more questions as everyone piled into the tiny room. Tsunade, Neji, Tenten, Lee, Guy, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Kurenai, Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara Konohamaru, Iruka and Sai. Everyone.

"Whats going on?"

Sakura blinked her eyes and forced a smile. "Showing the world how much you love me." "What?" Sakura kissed Naruto's lips. "Marry me, Naruto, in front of our whole world." Naruto shook his head. "I'm not going to make you a widow before the days even over."

Sakura took his face between her hands. "I want to be Mrs. Naruto Uzamaki forever. Let me." Ignoring the crowd of people, Naruto allowed a few tears to slip forth. "Sakura, I wont do that to you." She let her head fall and the tears poured. "Please," she whispered. "Please." Naruto watched as she broke a little more. Without looking away from Sakura, Naruto said, "Tsunade, will you?" The Hokage walked over to the two, her own eyes shimmering with tears unspilt.

"Do you Naruto Uzamaki, take this woman, Sakura Haruno, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?" Tsunade's voice shook at the end of the vows. Still not breaking eye contact with Sakura, Naruto said, "I do."

"And do you Sakura Haruno, take this man Naruto Uzamaki, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" Squeezing his hand tighter, Sakura whispered, "I do."

Doing her best to hold back her sorrow, Tsuande continued, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." A pin drop could have been heard if it had fallen. Sakura leaned down and passionately kissed Naruto. "Mr. and Mrs. Uzamaki," Tsunade said. "More like Mr. and Mrs. Haruno," whispered Lee. He managed to bring a smile to everyone's face, even the "happy couple."

"We'll leave you two alone," Tsunade said understandingly. When everyone had said their congratulations and began to leave the room, Naruto spoke up.

"Kakashi, can I talk to you?" The white haired ninja nodded. Naruto continued speaking. "Sakura, I have to talk to him alone."

Confused, she kissed Naruto once again and stepped outside. Immediately turning serious, Naruto began. "He may come back for her."

Kakashi nodded. "I will make sure he never sets eyes on her."

Naruto shook his head. "No. He may return because that was our deal. Let her go. She will fight to stay, but let her go. Make her go. It's the only way she will ever smile again."
Kakashi didn't say a word. He knew why Naruto felt the way he did. He knew just how conflicted Sakura really was, even if she didn't know it herself. "Does she know?"
Naruto looked towards the door, wondering if she could hear everything they were saying. "Yes, she knows."

Kakashi dipped his head in understanding.

"Kakashi-sensei? Thank you. Thank you for being a father where I had none. Without you, I would not be myself. I just wanted you to know that."

Kakashi was shocked into silence. He didn't know what to say to such a heartfelt confession. "Naruto-." He cut him off. "It's ok, I know." Kakashi was a bit relieved. Speeches weren't really his specialty; Naruto knew that. Kakashi opened the door to leave and Sakura rushed in. She took her place beside Naruto and took his hand in hers once more. The door closed and they were alone.

"Can I lay down with you?" Naruto almost laughed.

"I never envisioned on my honeymoon my wife would be asking permission to share the bed with me."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean." He smiled at her. "I know."

Sakura crawled into the hospital bed with her new husband. She laid her arm gently across his torso so as not to hurt any of his injuries. "I believe in miracles Naruto."

Naruto allowed himself to keep silent for just a moment; to allow her implication to seep into him. The possibility he would survive had never once crossed his mind; he simply did not believe the world had any miracles left for him.

"So do I. Just look at my life. I'm married to my best friend; that's pretty miraculous to me."

Sakura curled into Naruto's side. "You're my miracle too. I love you Naruto, do you understand that? I love you more than anything in the world."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you too Sakura. I have loved you forever."

"Good. Because I have every intention of keeping you forever." Naruto coughed and Sakura leaned over and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "What if our forever lasts only a day?"

Kissing his lips, Sakura said, "Even then." She closed her eyes and fell asleep in her husbands arms.

THE NEXT MORNING

She blinked her exhausted eyes open. For a moment, she forgot everything. But the hand holding hers was very cold. She began to sob.

Everything after that went by so quickly, Sakura forgot to remember to forget. She would forever remember the sight of her dead husband being pried from beneath her fingertips. Her mind would never allow her to truly forget; she would always be a haunted woman.

As his body was forced away from her, her engagement ring, already apart of her body, flew off and landed into Naruto's lifeless lap. She scrambled out of the bed, reaching for it with all of her will, but the nurses were too quick. Just like that, her life was gone.

She ran out of the room, trying to follow them, but her tears blurred her vision until she eventually lost sight of them altogether. She was too distraught to bring herself down to the morgue. She couldn't even bring herself to the door leading outside; somehow she made it. When she felt the air of the outdoors hit her face, she finally began to scream. Falling to the ground, she held her head in her hands and allowed herself to release all of her sorrow. She sounded like a crazy woman. She could hear people whispering those very words around her. Suddenly, they all stopped and only Sakura's sobs pierced the veil of sudden silence.

Lifting her up despite his very obvious wounds, Sasuke carried her away. Sakura now fell silent, unable to bring forth any emotion in the face of Sasuke.

"I hate you." Sasuke said nothing. "You killed him. You. I will never forgive you." She started hitting him in the chest. "Let me go! I don't want you! Give him back to me! Let me go," she screamed.

"I can't Sakura." She stopped fighting him. "Why not?"

"Because I promised." She began crying again.

"Here." He placed something into her hand. It was her engagement ring. She became quiet again. "Where did you get this?"

"Kakashi gave it to me at the hospital. I never left Sakura; I only left you two alone."

Slipping the ring back on to where it belonged, Sakura took up hitting Sasuke again. "Let me go!" He continued walking. "If I set you down, you'll only run. And if you run, I will follow you. I made a promise."
There was nothing Sakura could think of to say. No words of hatred; nothing. All she did was lay in Sasuke's arms as her pride was torn away piece by piece, step by step. She stared straight ahead, not daring to even attempt eye contact. She wasn't sure what she would do to Sasuke if that happened. As they continued walking through the woods, Sakura watched as a baby fox peeked its head from behind a bush. Intrigued, the fox followed behind the couple. Sakura felt a bit of her broken heart shatter. She finally glanced up at her captor.

I don't love you anymore. Not after what you did to him. I can't.

"You've broken my heart twice now. I don't think I could survive a third Sasuke."

He said nothing. The sunlight glistened off of her ring as she wiped a drop of blood from Sasuke's forehead. "He could have easily killed you. Why did you survive?" Again, he was quiet. "It was for me, wasn't it. You're alive because I made him doubt my love for him. He's dead because of me."

"No. He is dead because of me. There is no one to blame but me."

"Do not try to protect me Sasuke! I am not yours to protect. I know my selfishness killed him."

Sasuke stopped walking and set her down. He grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look into his dark eyes. "You did notkill him. I did. Me. No one else. I killed my best friend. I killed your fiancé. Me. I did it. And if I ever hear you blame yourself again, I swear-," he had t stop because of his choking.

Sakura pushed him to the ground. "Do not carry me anymore." She summoned what little energy she had and began to do what a medical ninja was trained for. "I can't forget it. I will never be able to. I woke up this morning in my dead husbands arms. You missed it Sasuke; the wedding of the century. They stole his body from me this morning. Dragged him right from under me. How am I supposed to blame you when it was me he spared you for? Naruto always though I still loved you. Even when we married yesterday, I could tell he didn't think I really wanted to. But I did. Even as he lay dying, he thought it was you I wanted. But it wasn't; it hasn't been in 6 years Sasuke," Sakura poured her heart out as she worked to heal Sasuke. Her hands glowed green as she put her medical skills to use.

"I was ready to give up everything for you. My friends, my family, my dignity, but all you said after years of fighting for you, of fighting with you was thank you? Thank you? Nothing else? That was the moment I knew you would betray us. That was the moment I knew you loved me, but you loved the darkness more. That was a bitter day, but it is one I will never regret. That was the day I got Naruto."

The small fox crept up to Sakura and curled up beside her. She moved away from Sasuke after she had done all she could do to fix him. Leaning against a tree, she looked over at him and stared. "I can't."
Blinking back tears, she brought her legs up to her chest and rested her head against her knees. "Everything fell apart yesterday. And now I'm stuck loving the man who killed my husband? I can't do this. I can't love you. I can't."

Sasuke picked her up again. He continued walking until the silhouette of Konoha disappeared and the moon rose. Hours of silence passed; the fox still followed them. His big blue eyes watched Sasuke and Sakura's every move. Sakura never took her eyes off of it. "I have to hate you. I have to. I have to let you go," she said, trying to convince herself. Sasuke only held her closer.

EPILOGUE

Sakura tossed a pinecone back towards the fox and he carried it in his jaws back to her. It had been 4 years since Sakura Uzamaki became widowed. No one in Konoha had seen her or her captor since.

The fox came to her and curled in her lap. She rubbed his fur and closed her eyes. The wind rustled the wind chimes hanging from the door of the house Sasuke had built for them. Sakura heard footsteps coming closer and she opened her eyes. Sasuke walked towards her and she smiled up at him.

"Momma, what's for dinner?"

Standing, Sakura pulled her daughter, Oona from Sasuke's shoulders. "What would you like for dinner sweetheart?"

The little girl brought a finger to her chin and thought. She looked over at Sasuke. "What do you think, Daddy?" He smiled. "Whatever you want baby."

The little girl grinned. "I want ramen mamma!"

Just like her father thought Sakura. She watched as her daughter picked up the small fox, her blonde hair blowing in the wind.

Author's Note: I did the unspeakable; I killed off Naruto. I hate myself for doing it. BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE. And yes, yes, I know everyones just a little OOC, but they are older, and thus will have different personalities. ANYWAY, let me know what you thought please! I love getting reviews! And I feel like I should clarify soemthing: Sakura did not marry Sasuke. He's simply fulfilling a promise he made. Sakura is still in love with Naruto, thus why she kept the last name. She always had feelings for Sasuke; that was the point of this story, how she loved both of the. Also, it would be too confusing for her daughter to Sasuke anything else but Daddy. Clearly though, by reference to the fox, Sakura still loves Naruto.