Authors Notes: This is a gift two shot fict for the darling Amanda(IWUSkittles). It is a Naru/Sasu fict, but not yaoi, and told through Sakura's eyes. And yes... there is character death, sorry. I have had this idea plaguing me for days now, and with the help of the songs "Cry" by Kelly Clarkson and "Guren" from Naruto Shippuden's second OST, it came to life for me. I would honest love to see artwork done for this, but I have not the talent. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy it somewhat. Part two will be up later tonight. By the way, this is my first attempt at a Naruto fict, so I apologize for an OCC-ness. I tried my best to keep them in character, but matured a bit.

Disclaimer: *looks at Sakura's fist and shakes head* Nope.. she says I don't own them. and I think I'll believe her. Naruto and his world belongs to the immortal Masashi Kishimoto. I don't own the song "Cry" either. It belongs to Jason Halbert and Kelly Clarkson.


-1- Promises

Is it over yet?

Can I open my eyes?

Is this as hard as it gets?

Is this what it feels like to really

Cry?

She had heard the whispers floating around town all lat week. The rumors of her friend's obsession with a certain missing-nin were the talk of anyone who would listen. As was the outcome of his continued absence. Well aware that every time she passed by someone in the streets, they would shut up and look the other way, she tried her best to not seem affected.

Tried. And to the unobserving eye, one who didn't know the pink haired medical-nin, they would assume she was somewhat succeeding. Even she, in the forefront of her mind, believed it was working. And yet, given some time, and space alone, she could feel her mask begin to crack. It was only a matter of time before it shattered completely, leaving her bleeding heart exposed for all to see.

That day had not yet come. So she pressed on, with her empty smile and her shuttered eyes. Work was hard, but not as hard as it could be. She used to enjoy helping others come back to health. She was good at it, efficient when needed, kind and gentle always. Not that it mattered much to these two.

Nothing mattered to them anymore. But that reality had yet to sink into her muddled mind. Staring down at the intertwined bodies of the two boys, she almost felt a smile tug at her lips. They looked so peaceful, so perfect.

Except for the destruction that surrounded them. The entire area looked leveled, trees snapped like toothpicks in the hands of a giant. Well, those still standing. Some had been ripped completely clean from the earth, their roots a tangled mess, brutally slaughtered victims of the fight that had raged here a short time before. Her jade eyes scanned the area, widening in disbelief as they fell upon the sheer rock cliff off to the side. Or what was left of it. It had stood dominating the horizon only days before, now looked as intimidating as a sand castle in front of a tsunami. Deep scars riddled the ground, ripping the dirt and grass from the ground.

She had seen this type of destruction before, but never to this extent. This… she shook her head suddenly. This was sickening. As if her body agreed with her mental sentiment, she stomach lurched into her throat, causing her to double over for a moment, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as she struggled to keep her meager lunch from painting the ground below her. Sweat broke out upon her brow, and her fist pressed harshly to her trembling lips. She sucked in deep breath after deep breath, trying to keep from choking on the air.

A firm but gentle hand pressed onto her back and she lifted her head to see the concern swimming in the wide eye of her team captain. His uncovered Sharigan was closed, with a deep gash above it, forming a strange "T" as it met with his previous vertical scar. Drying blood created browning trails down the side of his face. She could tell just by looking at it, it was a few hours old, and not too serious. Not like the gash ripping his clothes and skin from his left shoulder to his elbow. That was still oozing red blood.

She straightened, offering her sensei a half smile, while gingerly touching his wound. Her mind clicking back into the medical mode, she felt his muscles twitch at her touch. He would never admit to the pain, but she knew it was acute. Reaching into her pack, she grabbed a roll of bandages and gauze.

Kakashi reached up, ripping the remaining tatters of his sleeve from his shirt, allowing her more access to his injury. Neither said a word as she began to dress his wound. Moments passed, the silence pressing around them, not uncomfortable, but heavy. Sakura finished quickly, dropping the leftovers back into her pack. Kakashi nodded his thanks, then shifted his gaze to the two young men laying a few feet from their position.

"I got here as soon as I could," her voice sounded soft, and guilty. Her unspoken words were clear. 'But not soon enough to stop them.' She looked around, her eyes lighting once again on the destruction around them. Kakashi nodded, a frown marring his face.

"The others?" he asked. She looked back over her shoulder, seeing the rest of her party wandering towards them, their faces in shock. And that was just from seeing the devastated area. They had yet to see the cause of it all. Her eyes followed them as they got closer, thinking about events leading up to all of this.

~2 Day Earlier ~

Sakura untied her pink hair, sliding the hair band over her wrist and wiped her hand across her forehead. She let out a breath and smiled down at her patient. The shin obi smiled back, although his was laced with pain from his twisted ankle.

"Take two of these with dinner. It will help with the pain," she said, handing his a small packet of pills. "The swelling will decrease, but you'll need to stay off of it for a few days." The man nodded in understanding and sat back for a moment on the bed. Satisfied her patient would be fine until help arrived to escort him home, she tossed one more bright smile over her shoulder and left the room.

Making her way down the hall, Sakura realized just how late it really was. The sun was dipping down into the hills, painting the walls of the hospital a vibrant red. It was a lovely color, although it reminded her of two very different sets of eyes. She shivered slightly, her mind suddenly flung back into memories she would rather not relive. She stood there for a moment, her eyes on the horizon, the evenings quietness floating around her. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she walked on, stopping to gather her stuff and left the tall hospital building.

The summer breezes swirled around her as soon as she stepped out into the street, kicking up light dust and whipping her hair into her face briefly. She pulled her fingers through her hair, stopping when she heard her name called from behind her. Turning, she saw Rock Lee coming towards her, his hand raised in greeting. She smiled, waiting for him to catch up to her. He returned it, but with less exuberance than he usually possessed.

"Sakura, my lovely friend, how are you on this bright summers night?"

She laughed, shrugging. "A bit tired. My shift just ended," she told him. He just nodded, without his usual 'youthful' comment. Sakura frowned, noticing his eyes dart around as if searching for something. Her senses tingling, she placed a hesitant hand on his arm. He looked back to her, his bushy brows drawn down concern. Seeing his expression, she began to feel her heartbeat pick up. Something was off.

"What's going on, Lee?" she asked, her tone demanding an immediate answer. He sighed.

"Lady Tsunade is waiting for you." This wasn't unusual, as the Hokage was her mentor after all. But the somber, almost sad look to Lee's face led her to believe this would not be a social call. With a nod, she followed him. The short walk was silent, furthering the sickening feeling Sakura had begun to feel in the pit of her stomach. Lee was almost never silent, reminding her of another energetic friend, this one blonde. Thinking of Naruto only increased her trepidation. He had been gone for over two months now, having gotten a lead on the whereabouts of their ex-team mate Sasuke Uchiha.

She pinched the bridge of her nose suddenly, the sting of a slight headache starting to show. She always got one when she thought of her two most important people. Sasuke had been gone for almost 6 years now. At first, Sakura was inconsolable, feeling the loss of her first crush. Somehow, during that ordeal, Naruto swallowed his own sorrow and promised her he would bring their best friend back. It became an obsession with him, driving him to train long and hard with Jiraiya. Reaching for new heights in his power, he too left the village behind for 2 years, pushing himself harder than most would ever think of doing.

And when he came back… Sakura paused in her thoughts. He had changed, although she was lacks to admit it at first. There was a new hard set to his face, the determination in his eyes darkening the bright blue orbs just a bit. She was impressed. During that first mission to save Gaara, she saw just how far he had gone to train. In those reddened eyes, she saw the most beautiful sights- determined loyalty and love. No matter what, Naruto's friends would always come first.

Sasuke, no matter what he had done, or would do, was still the fox's friend, and as such, Naruto refused to give up hope that he could be rescued from himself. Sakura believed that too, perhaps because of Naruto. She couldn't be sure. She found something in Naruto that had been lacking in any of her other friends. He hoped with all his heart, never thinking for once that he would fail. He would bring Sasuke back to her, one way or another. He had promised, and she knew he held his promises to be set in stone. Once he set out on a path, he was hard pressed to leave it.

Something changed, though, during their last encounter with the missing -nin. It had been a fluke for them to catch up with Sasuke, but Naruto planned on using it to his advantage. As always, the two fought, hard and brutally. And it was during that fight that Naruto changed. So much so that Sakura almost wept at the sight of him. His eyes lost a bit of their brightness. He had nodded quickly to his best friend, a brief exchange meant for only them.

Then… then he made that promise. "I understand now, Sasuke. I know, nothing I say will change your mind. You're dead set on this stupid path. You think I'm an idiot, I get it. I'm not going to stop you. There's no point really." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck in true Naruto fashion with a small smile.

Sasuke dropped his hand down to his side, his onyx eyes searching his friend's blue ones. Sakura watched, listening with bated breath. "No, there's not." His voice rolled across the silence, as he shrugged his shoulders in agreement. Naruto nodded quickly, a sharpness hardening his gaze.

"Then there is only one thing left to do. I made a promise to me and Sakura when you left that I'd bring your sorry ass back. I guess that's one I'll have to break." His gaze sought hers for a moment, and then turned back to his friend. "We're destined to do this, you and I. You know that too. And there's only one way it will end."

Sakura's heart pounded loudly in her ears and she wanted to cry out, tell him to stop what he was going to say. But she found herself speechless, helpless to halt his next words.

"We will fight one last time, Sasuke. And we will die, together. I promise you this. When next we meet, that's it. No more damn dodging. We'll be done, for good. Your life has always been mine, like you have mine"

Sasuke said nothing for a moment, and the pink haired girl hoped he would deny the promise. Tell the dobe he was being an idiot. She also wanted him to stop this foolishness and come home. Looking from one to the other, she knew that wasn't going to happen, none of it. Instead, the black haired nin just nodded.

"So be it." With one final nod to each other, the two best friends parted ways, carrying with them the promise of death. For Sakura, the journey home was like a trek to the executioners'. She wasn't sure whom she was angrier with, Sasuke for being stubborn, or Naruto for being even more so. She fought back tears, and refused to speak to the blond fox for the rest of the journey. For once, Naruto didn't seem to mind the silence.

Just before they reached the gates of Konoha, he stopped and turned to her, his eyes determined. She stopped as well, unsure what he was doing, but willing to let him do it. Silently, he pulled her into his chest, hugging her for all he was worth. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. She wasn't sure what he was sorry for, breaking his promise to her, or the one he had just made to Sasuke.

"Idiot," she murmured into his chest, allowing her tears to finally come. She sobbed quietly into his shirt while he held her.

"I won't seek him out, okay? Not unless he gives me reason to." She lifted her head to look up at him. His gaze was focused back down the path they had just traveled. She knew he wouldn't need to. The two of them just gravitated towards each other somehow. It had been that way from the beginning. She was sure, sooner or later, they would find each other once again. She trembled at the thought.

Slowly, her sobs stopped and she pulled back from him, a worried look on her face. He looked down, a sheepish grin on his face. She smiled softly in return and then waved her hand as they went separate ways.

He kept his word for two years. He neither mentioned his promise nor actively sought the Uchiha. Sakura half hoped she was wrong after all, that maybe the two young men had moved on in their respective roles in life. Naruto continued his training, perfecting his techniques and finally achieving the ranks of the ANBU. Sure, it wasn't Hokage, but hey, it was a step up in the right direction. She had never been so proud to see him don his white fox mask for the first time.

He seemed happy. But he wasn't, she could tell. His eyes had lost some of their glow, and often she found him lost in thought. Seemed silly, Naruto lost in thought. But that grim set to his mouth, and the far off look in his eyes showed her more of him than most knew.

It was late one night, two months ago, when his heavy knocking rattled through her peaceful evening. It had become a normal occurrence for him to stop by after a mission. She guessed it was his way of winding down. They never discussed what he did. She had been with him a few times as a medical-nin, and knew the horrors he had seen, and in some cases, did. She honestly didn't want a play by play. So they'd talk about her work instead, finding it a safer subject.

This night was different. She knew the moment she opened the door and saw him standing there, looking like he was about to fall asleep on his feet. Holding the door open, she tugged him inside and led him to her couch. He sat with a sigh, stretching his long legs out in front of him and leaning his head on the back of the couch. She busied herself with making tea for them, waiting until they both had a cup in hand to sit down beside him. At first, he said nothing. That in itself made her worry. Slowly, he took a sip and smiled, the action looking strained.

"Thanks, Sakura," he said. She nodded.

"You look beat," she observed. He laughed lightly.

"Yeah, well we didn't stop during the last day." He stopped, his cheeks flushing suddenly. He seemed unsure of his next words, his eyes flickering to hers and then darting away. "I'm leaving at first light tomorrow."

She frowned, leaving deep grooves in her forehead. "What? Why? You just got back. Surely Lady Tsunade would let you have a few days to rest before sending you out on another mission."

He shook his head, reaching a hand out to smooth the wrinkles on her forehead. His hand slipped into her hair briefly before falling to his lap. "It's not a mission, Sakura. It's Sasuke. They've found him. He's heading here, and I'm sure you know he's not coming to repent, or whatever." Without thinking, she reached her hand out, lacing their fingers and pulling his into her lap.

"He might be," she whispered hopefully, although she didn't believe her words either. They both knew why he was coming, and what that meant for them. Naruto smiled sadly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"It's time we finished this, him and me. I'm going to head him off before he can get here."

Sakura bit her lip to keep it from trembling, struck by the anguish in his eyes. "Are you going alone?" she asked.

"No, Sai and Kakashi are coming too. Old Granny suggested more, for back up. But I know they'll just slow us down. Besides, this is a Team 7 matter, really."

"Then let me come with you," she replied, her voice beginning to sound panicked. Naruto held out his hand to stop her suggestion, his eyes hard.

"No, not a chance Sakura. I don't want you near this."

She shot to her feet, dropping his hand in the process, a hurt expression marring her pretty features. The years had been kind to her, maturing her into a quiet beauty. Naruto admired her fiery temper, and her kind heart even more, though. "You just said this was a Team 7 thing. I was and still am part of that team. Sai wasn't. I should be there instead," she shouted.

"No," Naruto repeated firmly.

Sakura wanted to scream in frustration. "Look, I'm not some weak little girl, you know. I can hold my own, as you have seen a million times. This has always been our thing, Naruto. He's our friend. I need to be with you both."

Naruto climbed to his feet, stepping closer to her, but not touching her just yet. "No."

Sakura really did scream this time, a short high sound that hurt his ears. "Why not?!" She was almost to the point of begging, regardless of how immature and undignified that would be.

"Sakura, stop." He leveled his eyes on her, pinning her with his intense stare. "Do you really want to watch us die that badly?" His question brought her tantrum to a violent halt. And there it was again, that promise he had made, flung squarely into her face. She took a step back as if he had visibly struck her. Her fisted hand rose to her lips, and her vision began to swim with tears. Stepping up to her, Naruto wrapped his friend into a tight embrace. She hugged him to her, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. She understood now, his firm stance.

No, she didn't want to be there to see that. Never. She didn't even try to fool herself into thinking she could stop it somehow, or that she would be of help, patching them up. She wasn't delusional in her thinking anymore. She knew when he left, it would be the last time he would walk through those gates. With that final thought blazing hotly through her mind, she crumbled into his arms, crying harder than she had in years. He stayed with her that night, holding her as she slept. And when she awoke in the early morning hours, he was gone.

"Sakura? Sakura?" a questioning voice broke into her thoughts, dispelling her memories. She turned her face to the source, her eyes focusing on Lee, his face etched with concern.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Lee frowned a moment, then looked away. "We're here. The lovely Hokage is awaiting us." She nodded as he pushed open the door and waited for her to enter. Following behind her, he quietly closed the door, the short snapping sound making her jump slightly. Looking around inside, she was surprised to see several of her friends already seated in various places. TenTen and Neji sat with Kiba on the couch, while Shino and Shikamaru stood beside the window, awake for once. Guy and Yamato stood at the corner of Tsunade's desk, turning as Lee and Sakura entered.

The grim expressions on each face in the room caused Sakura's heart to clutch in her chest, and she fought against the urge to run. Tsunade's head shot up, and she nodded to the newcomers. "Good, you're all here. It will make this a bit easier." She took a deep breath, her shoulders drooping slightly as if a heavy weight was settled upon them. "We've received word from Kakashi that his team has located Uchiha Sasuke and are currently trying to detain him. They have requested backup. I know this seems like over kill, but we can't be sure if he has backup as well. So I am dispatching you all in two teams. Kiba, Shikamaru, Shino and Sakura will head out with Yamato. Guy's team will remain unchanged. You leave as soon as you're packed. They are about a day and a half from here."

The team captains nodded, waiting for the rest of their team to follow suit. Sakura paused, looking at the strained expression on her mentors face. "There's more, isn't there?" she asked. "Naruto…" Tsunade's head snapped up.

"You need to be prepared for what you might see, Sakura. Kakashi indicated that both Naruto and Saske had pushed beyond their usual limits. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what you will be walking into. So be careful."

Sakura nodded, reading between the lines. "I will, I promise. I'll bring him back to you." Her mentor nodded in return, knowing what she couldn't say.

"Go, and Godspeed."

Mentally, she cursed whatever it was that possessed people to make promises. It never led to something good. Steeling herself, she picked her way through the debris to the two bodies lying in the middle of a grassy knoll, one of the few left with actual grass on it. Her heart slammed to a stop as she knelt before her friends. Her knees buckled and she tumbled down until she sat on her hands and knees, her breath catching rapidly in her throat. She closed her eyes, unwilling to look at the scene before her. If she didn't see it, maybe it wouldn't be real.

Yes, that was it. It was all a bad dream. She'd wake up any minute to the loud knocking of Naruto, proclaiming he was exhausted and flopping onto her couch. She's smile and yell at him for putting his feet up on the couch and he'd just smirk at her, flinging a pillow in her direction. All she had to do was open her eyes, and she'd be back in her house. She was sure of it.

She opened her eyes, and screamed. Screamed until Kakashi knelt next to her, his hand on her back once again, offering silent strength. And then those screams turn into gasp, as her tears streamed hotly down her face, dripping onto the intertwined hands of her best friends.

They were beautiful, laying there together. The fox's body lay underneath the Uchiha's, Sasuke's dark head resting over Naruto's heart, his hair a shocking contrast to the tanned skin he used as a pillow. Naruto's clothes were ripped, the skin beneath looking like a wild animal had gotten a hold of him. She figured that was probably closer to the truth. She could see the deep red of his life force stain Sasuke's clothes, soaking into the ground beneath them. Upon a closer look, she knew it stemmed from a deep and fatal gash across his abdomen, successfully breaking the seal that held the fox demon hostage in his body. She could already tell that the demon was gone as well. Whether it was dead, or simply vanish, she knew not. But its unusual chakra imprint was nowhere to be found.

She also knew the wound was self inflicted. Her fist pressed up to her lips as the tears started up once again. She understood what he had done without being here. He had stopped his transformation from killing Sasuke, choosing to end his life instead of allowing the monster he held within destroy them. Although, from the looks of the area, they had battled in their respective power-upped states before the finale.

Reaching out with a shaky hand, her fingers lightly brushed first the pale cheek, and then the whiskered one. Sasuke, his dark eyes closed, had fisted his hand around his katana, its blade drenched in Naruto's blood. A blast hole from Naruto's Rasengan bored straight through his body. She was pretty sure that had been the cause of his demise. She had to wonder how, though, these two had ended up dying in each other's arms.

"Naruto went first," Kakashi said quietly. "Sasuke managed to crawl over to him. I think, in the end, they made peace with each other. And perhaps, learned how much they meant to one another." His voice dripped in sorrow, his hand trembling just slightly as he ruffled Naruto's hair, as he had so many times before. Blood had turned the blonde strands a brilliant orange. It could have been comical, knowing Naruto's hair was finally his favorite color. Instead it stood as a stark reminder of their loss. Sakura choked. Kakashi's hand moved to Sasuke's hair. "In a way, I'm proud of them. I…" His voice broke and Sakura's heart broke a little more with it. "I loved you all, you know. You were more than my students. You were my family." She glanced at him, seeing the silent tracks of tears pouring from his eyes.

She placed her hands over his, bring them to the intertwined ones of their dead team mates. Bowing her head, she leaned against him. "We still are." Lost in the shared grief of their fallen comrades, they sat there together until the rest of the teams caught up. And then, the cries of first disbelief, anger, and then anguish began again. As the reality of their loss fell upon each one, they were suddenly stuck with the fact that even in death, the two friends were smiling. Whatever had happened between them in life was now resolved, and finally in death, they were as they should have always been- together.