A/N: Ooh, when I get my hands on some free time, I will rage SO HARD. In the meantime, I'll just have settle with this.
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Sakura supports Kakashi through the forest as they make their descent toward the Valley of the End.
"There they are!"
She leaps down to see her teammates immobilized, their blood splattered against the stone edifice they rest upon.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cries in relief.
Overcoming her shock, Sakura kneels down, drawing the remainders of her chakra to both hands. As she works to stop the bleeding in both their arms, Sasuke watches her.
A croak escapes his lips. "Sakura... I..."
"Don't," she interrupts, "get the wrong impression. I will not let anyone die if I have the power to save him. That's my duty as medic. That's who I am."
A silence.
"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispers. "For everything."
A sad smile breaks through her lips. "Are you now."
"Yes."
Trembling, Sakura hides behind her bangs. "That's the kindest thing you have ever said to me," she whispers, gently lifting his body up. "... which is really FUCKED UP!"
Without further ado, Sasuke finds his body smashed into Madara's finely chiseled nose.
Sakura cracks her knuckles. "I'm sorry. I'm SORRY? Ha, ha, did you think I would embrace you into my arms once you tell me that?!" she screams, kicking him in the stomach. "Like we would magically become BFFs?"
Naruto cringes at the new crater.
"After all the dangers you put my friends through? My teachers through? My village, my home, my family that you so eagerly wanted to destroy? My mother and father nearly died in that last Akatsuki invasion, but what do they matter as long as you can wear a fancy cloak and go about hating the wold!"
Kakashi shields himself from the explosion of rock.
"And Naruto. You have no idea the pain and suffering he had to endure for your sake!" she spits, driving her fist into his jaw. "But what is his life? Nothing you wouldn't trade for your little dictator game! You think it's fun to mess with our lives?"
Sasuke coughs up a new burst of blood. "I... You're right. I'll atone for my sins."
"Hm, and how do you plan on doing that?" Sakura sneers, lifting him up by the collar. "With love? By your definition, that's probably knocking me up with a kid to take care of by myself while you run away to some journey of self-discovery."
"Then what do you want me to do, Sakura?" he asks quietly.
Sakura stops to think that over. "Well, if this were ten minutes ago, I might ask you to pay with your body and lock you up as my sex slave, but..." She traces a finger down his bruised face. "...you're not so handsome now, are you? In fact, without your looks, you are to me pretty much, well, useless."
When Sakura returns from her rampage, Naruto laughs nervously, glancing at the distant nuclear dust cloud. "Ah, Sakura-chan, you didn't kill him, right? I kind of went through a lot of trouble to-"
Sakura squishes his cheeks. "He's fine. He's back. You brought him back."
Her eyes stare straight into his.
Naruto gives a weak chuckle. "Okay, um." He swallows. "So I guess this means mission complete, right?"
"Yes, you fulfilled your promise."
"That's... great. We finally... team seven..." His rambles stop when he sees her mask crumble, and water floods her eyes.
"You fulfilled your promise, you idiot," she whispers, droplets falling down her chin. "You fulfilled your promise, so say it..."
"S-Sakura-chan...?
"Please say it, Naruto," Sakura cries, "I've been waiting two damn years to hear you say it. And you've earned it now, so say it!"
Naruto's expression softens. His hand cups her face, before he leans in.
The touch of his lips leaves her forehead, and when she reopens her eyes, she is greeted by a smile brighter than the sun.
"I love you, Sakura-chan. Will you go on a date with me?"
Naruto finds himself constricted blue.
"Yes, yes, yes," Sakura laughs through her tears. "Yes, I will."
From on top of the cliff, Kakashi lowers his shoulders, a smile behind his mask. "Well, it's about time."
Yamato wiggles in his confinement. "It's about time!"
Sai closes his sketchbook. "It's about time."
Ino gives a slow clap. "It's about time, billboard brow."
Teuchi and Ayame set down their ramen. "It's about time."
Tsunade slams down her sake cup. "It's about fucking time!"
Gamabunta takes out his pipe, while Gamakichi leaps forward. "It's about time."
Kabuto picks up his glasses. "It's about time."
Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon shout, "It's about time, Naruto-nii-chan!"
Chiyo places a hand on Gaara's shoulder. "It's about time."
Iruka looks up from his instructor manual. "It's about time."
Shizuka, Amaru, and Ryuuzetsu depart ways. "It's about time."
The citizens of the Village Hidden in the Leaf cheer. "It's about time!"
Kurama yawns. "It's about time... brat."
Kushina and Minato fade into the sky. "It's about time."
Sasuke smirks. "It is about time."
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Suigetsu whistles at the paralyzed body on the floor. "How the mighty has fallen." He glances at Karin, who steps forth and proceeds to kick the body into a ditch.
"Eh?! What gives!" Suigetsu asks. "I thought you were still all lovey-dovey for your beloved Sasuke."
Karin places a hand at her hip. "I am. That thing is not him."
Juugo looks to her, alarmed. "What do you mean, Karin?"
Karin adjusts her glasses. "Please, you think Sasuke would concede his ideology, an ideology that he reasons as true and righteous, after a few prissy punches by his idiot best friend? And that he would serve him? Sasuke ain't nobody's bitch."
"I thought that fight was suspicious," Juugo says after much contemplation. "After fifteen years of buildup, Sasuke did not even give more than two chapters of effort against Naruto. And it struck me as uncharacteristically irresponsible of him to abandon his plan to save humanity. He would fight until his dying breath to correct injustice- no, he does."
"Huh, and now that I think about it, like hell Sasuke would let the Uchiha continue to be an underdog to them Senju either. You know he was pretty damn pissed during the First Hokage's story." Suigetsu scratches his head. "But... if that's all true, then who the fuck is that?"
The trio peek into the ditch, just in time to see the corpse burst into a murder of crows.
As the feathers disappear into nothing, Orochimaru chuckles. "Well, I heard his opponent was indeed very genjutsu-inept."
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Itachi gathers his hair to one side, hairtie stretched around his fingers. "Again, Sasuke?"
Sasuke rolls up the forbidden scroll. "Sorry, nii-san, I still need you. Here."
Closing his eyes, Itachi gives a chuckle. "Naruto-kun did not change your mind?"
Sasuke's expression sharpens. "No, he did." He glances at the katana at his side. "He brought up a legitimate point. I alone am not capable of addressing all of the issues of the world. My wisdom does not go that far. At the same time, I will not disperse my power among the people. They have proven themselves incapable as well."
He steps forth and stares into the eyes of his brother. "But I trust you."
"I wouldn't need to resort to stupid plot ideas if you were here, nii-san. You're the strategist. I'm your sword." His grin spirals, their lips a hair away. "Let's rule the world together."
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The world wakes up, strips of cocoon crushed to dust.
The rings of the Tsukuyomi have disappeared from the moon, the tomoe warped away into nothing. The first day, there are cheers and celebration; the following, life goes on.
The only Eye left is the one staring out the page.
Spiraling.
Eternal.
And a promise to fulfill your deepest desires.
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