'What Hurts the Most'
A/N: Yet another boredom project in keyboarding… I type pretty fast from extensive 4 years of experience in web design so… yeah… I finish my work really quickly. I figured I'd do this as a fan fiction. Lina and I did this as an RP on my site, she made a Sims AMV with it, and I wanted to make it into a fan fiction.
- READ TO AVOID CONFUSION! -
This is based on a Role playing game between LinaSparklingBlossom and myself. The plot is fairly simple. Sakura and Sasuke got married and are around 20 or so. They have two children. Shai (male) and Amai (female). Read the Summary Below for full details. There is a happy ending!
Flashback are headed and closed and are in italics. The song is centered. And normal text is present day.
Summary: -- Sasuke dies in his fight with Itachi; Jin, Sakura's cousin forced her away from the fight. She now blames Jin for Sasuke's death. She tries as hard as she can to cope with the pain of losing him once and for all. Her body aches, pain goes through her heart, and not to long afterwards, she starts throwing up. Temari and everyone else in the village are starting to fear that she may hurt herself, leaving both of her children without parents.
A friend/enemy named Xerion comes to Sasuke's funeral after hearing about Sakura's pain from his sister. He wrote a song for Sakura, to try ease her pain of losing Sasuke. He started the fight between Itachi and Sasuke and guilt makes him perform one of his ultimate jutsu's….
--
Disclaimer: Rascal Flatts owns "What Hurts the Most" And has complete rights to it. Xerion was said to be the writer because he is a musician. Also, I do not own Naruto.
However, the plot and story line is the property of Lina and I. Xerion, Shai and, Amai are also the property of Lina and I.
- Flashback -
A shirt flew a few feet across the room into a the open top draw of a mahogany dresser. A pink haired girl with tears streaming down her porcelain face was the one who threw it. She had been crying for almost two days for the loss of someone remarkably close to her.
She was starting to put her cloths back in her room in parent's house.
She was for the most part alone in the Uchiha Estate and without Sasuke, she couldn't live there anymore. She had lived there with him for almost four years, and in which time, she had two of his children.
She loved that house. She had lived there with Sasuke. She had slept in his bed. She loved that bed. It was soft, comfortable and better than any bed Sakura had ever been in.
She was very partial to that bed. She had gotten pregnant in that bed. Twice.
But now? With him gone? The house was so empty. And Amai and Shai laughing, running around, and playing, made it seemed so much more horrible.
Then came the incessant questions...
Questions they asked every now and then asking where Daddy was. When was he going to come back? And why was he gone?
These questions hurt Sakura so much inside. Her heart was shattering more and more with each rising of every sun that made it another day that Sasuke was taken form her.
It was so hard, so different... She and Sasuke had almost always watched the sun rise together. It was the first thing they did together as a couple; and Sakura could never let herself forget it.
She could never forget Sasuke, their love, or their children.
She had decided to come back and stay with her parents to help her cope with the pain.
When she was in the Uchiha estate all she could think fo was Sasuke. All she could see was Sasuke. All she could do was hear Sasuke's voice, feel the touch of his warm hands.
She sighed and shook the thoughts of Sasuke's touch and voice out of her head. She didn't want to remember them. Not now. Not anymore. Not ever
Her parents could help right? She sighed to herself as more tears started to stream down her face in large amounts.
She was in so much pain... Her body ached, her heart stung, her eyes were blood shot, her hair was a mess, her hands where shaky, and to top it all off, she was tired.
Her whole body felt like it was shutting down. She loved Sasuke since she was small, a child, about the age of eight or so, and she finally got him to love her, and now...?
He was dead! He was dead, gone, never coming back.
She would never feel his soft touch on her face in the morning. He would never wrap his arms around her waist as she cooked breakfast. Never again would she feel his soft lips kiss her neck, her cheek, forehead and most importantly, her own lips.
Why?
Why did Sasuke have to die? And why did he have to leave her alone with his children?
She yelled those questions in her head over and over as she cried, leaning over her dresser, stuffing the cloths in it with such force she broke one of the drawers.
She didn't seem to care and just backed up slightly, away from the drawer, holding her hair about to rip it out. It lack of knowing what she should do.
He had hurt so much. Her heart had broken, her life was over.
Sakura's mother was sitting on her bed, her face in her hands. It seemed like a few days back that a pair of teenagers came before her telling her and her husband that they were sorry; and that Sakura was pregnant with Sauske's child. She remembered how mature they were, and how well they had raised Shai despite their ages.
"Sasuke..." She muttered hearing the door opening in background beihnd her. She didn't care. It wasn't Sasuke so whoever it was didn't matter to her. They couldn't bring him back, and it made her want to die.
She really was lost without him.
Jin had walked in her bedroom door and stood behind her; his ANBU mask on the side of his face, leaving it visible.
He watched her and sighed, looking away as Sakura started to cry louder, muttering Sasuke's name as she cried in front of him.
It was his only choice to make sure she didn't go near the fight. If he hadn't than she would have been killed by Itachi along with Sasuke and Shai and Amai would be parentless.
Something told him he was wrong, and that together they could have killed Itachi; but... He couldn't let himself think that. If he did, then Sasuke's death was all his fault; and Sakura was alone because of him.
Truth be told, he never did like Sasuke. He always made her cry, hurt her repeatedly, and pushed her away.
He hated that about Sasuke, but he'd seen her with Sakura recently and he was so sweet. He did anything for her and he admired that about him. He took responsibility for what he and Sakura did and took care of Shai when she got pregnant years before.
He respected him for that in a big way and that meant a lot to him. Sakura wasn't by herself with a baby she had Sasuke and someone to support her through everything. That in and of itself made Jin trust Sasuke with Sakura; and it wasn't just that. He loved Amai and Shai more than anything. They were just like what he thought Sakura's kids would be.
"Sasuke..." Sakura muttered once more, putting her hand up to her face and running it back through her pink hair. "Sasuke..." She said again, more and more tears spilling from her vibrant green eyes.
She turned to face Jin and her expression changed to hatred. "You did this! You let him fight Itachi all on his own!" She screamed, punching him.
Jin grabbed onto her and wrapped his arms around her tightly and then sighed and tried to hold her still. He tried to shush her and calm her down, but failed because she continued to punch him.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" She screamed, punching, trying to pull away from him and struggling to get out of his arms.
Jin hit the wall and held onto her, sinking down to the ground. He sighed and rubbed her back as she leaned into him and cried.
"You did this! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" She screamed louder and louder, her voice starting to crack and become high pitched.
"Say IT! SAY YOU HATE HIM!" She screamed hitting him in the face. Her voice became muffled in his shoulder. She struggled a bit more, but stopped screaming and just cried into it.
Her tears trickled down her face and started to soak the sleeve and shoulder padding of Jin's ANBU uniform. He tried hold her still as she cried. He felt so bad... This was his fault. She was alone... All because of him.
She hit him in the stomach once more and then just cried into his shoulder, knowing he would never admit to hating Sasuke.
- End Flashback -
The dark sky of the midnight light, mid-point into the spring months was clouded by blacked vapors, letting fall from them hard drops of water. The weeping sky showed it sorrow for the death of a ninja. This ninja was special however. He was once the last of a clan, a father, a husband, and warrior.
His death seemed so pointless, but at the equivalent time, it wasn't. Both his life-long goals had been for filled; the restoration of his clan with both a male and female heir, and to kill a certain man. This certain man was his elder brother, the once strongest of the clan.
Both Itachi and Sasuke died fighting one another. Taking the last two pure blooded members of the Uchiha clan with them.
Now, there were only two half-blooded members. Two young children ages four and two, brother and sister, Shai and Amai.
The rain beat down harder and harder on the village of Konoha, as if to show its anger and hatred for the death of one of their own. Seemingly, every time a great ninja was killed, the rain came down hard with the ferocity of the great demons, scattered around the world.
Along side the falling rain from the hole in the sky was the tears of a wife. Her only husband had died in completing his life long goal. It killed him, and was now killing her.
She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep, and she couldn't stop crying.
And most importantly, she couldn't go on. Without Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sakura was unable to go on. She had gone three years without him, and that made her almost want to die. And even then, she was searching for him.
But now?
Now he was gone forever. There was no chance of him coming back, or her seeing him smile at her once more.
Hands rested on the lap of a thin young woman, they pushed against one another, messing up the cuticles that over lapped the slightly long nails, which where painted a light pink. The hands stopped moving to rise to eyes blood shot and red from crying continuously for the loss of a loved one.
Sakura leaned against the wooden headboard of the large bed that she used to share with Sasuke. Her eyes spilled salt water tears as she heard the rain beat down on the roof. She was so tired, having not slept in what seemed like months, but in reality, was only a matter of two days.
She had been crying since his death and she was shocked that she had water left in her body. She was exhausted, she needs sleep badly, but without strong arms wrapped around her, she wouldn't be able to and she knew it well.
Sakura had put her children to bed with a straight face, no tears, no reddened eyes, a smile was present on her face and she was cheerful.
But that was in front of others.
On her own, Sakura wasn't as strong as she pretended to be. She had to be strong for Shai and Amai, but… while alone? She was not that strong. She wasn't able to hold back the tears when she laid in the bed she had twice gotten pregnant in.
Thinking of Sasuke made her stomach churn in both pain and regret. She sniffled and leaned her head back against the top of the headboard, trying to reason with herself to stop and regain the confidence she had around her friends, and family.
"I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a whileEven though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me..."
So far, she had no such luck. She closed her eyes while leaning against her headboard and let her thoughts wander off. Of what did she think of?
- Flashback -
Sakura ran out of the house once the sun had risen. Sasuke hadn't come back the night before, and she knew something was wrong. The fight wouldn't have lasted this long. She loved him, and knew his chakra limit. She knew he should have been back much earlier than this.
She ran out the huge gates of Konoha and went into the woods where she knew Sasuke would take the fight to keep Itachi away from the village and from killing others in it.
She stopped when she heard voices, footsteps of many and the sound of ANBU in the woods.
Her eyes widened as she saw Jin, without his mask, talking into a two way headpiece
This was the thing that had been embedded in her mind since she head the words, 'We found the bodies of both Uchiha's.' There was a pause in which time a muffled and undistinguishable voice came through a headset, then the response made her knees give out. 'No… There's rush on the medical team.'
Once Sakura heard those words she ran over to Jin and grabbed onto him. "You did this!" She screamed, punching him in the gut.
"Sasuke.. Where is he! I need to see him!" She screamed, hitting him once again. "SHOW ME!" She screamed.
The other ANBU members backed away from her, but one took her hand. Jin swore at the woman holding Sakura's hand, but she thought that Sakura had a right to see Sasuke. Everyone knew they where together. She sighed and then turned to Sakura, her mask muffling her voice ever so slightly.
"This is probably going to be very graphic for you." She said, making one of the men who had the black bag that not only held black bodies and brought death but doomed the now dead to go to the coroner.
Sakura nodded, not caring what it is she saw. The young woman leaned over and took the zipper into her thin fingers and pulled it down slowly, trying to ignore the song the zipper played as it went down.
Sakura's hand went up to her face as she saw Sasuke's body. It was beaten, and bruised, cut up, and slashed.
"What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin' to do..."
His face looked like a razor had went over it. Could it have been possible that Itachi got his sword from him and cut him up with it? She shuttered and then shook her head. It wasn't true. Itachi wasn't stronger than Sasuke.
She had seen how strong Sasuke had gotten. He was the stronger brother and she knew it. How did he die? How had Itachi killed him!?
Sasuke had become so much stronger while studying under Orochimaru and then he killed him! That made him perfect to kill Itachi too!
Tears welled up in her eyes and she let them fall freely onto Sasuke's face. The hand on his face wiped away some of the dirt as she leaned over him and cried. "Sasuke?" She muttered, begging that he'd open his eyes.
- End Flashback -
Sakura held her hair and shook her head violently. "No..." She thought herself. NO! NO! NO!" she screamed inside of her head, her voice unable to project the sounds her mind let echo within her.
Her mind screamed, yelled, cried, and talked to her. Inner Sakura had an opinion for all of this, and even Inner Sakura was upset. She too was crying and mourning Sasuke's death.
Normally she'd be the one angry and yelling, but now, she was trying to calm Sakura down, trying to get her to move on and take care of her two children.
Sakura however, did nothing but shoo Inner Sakura away and tell her to get lost. She didn't want to forget him. She wanted him to be here with her.
And on top of that, what could she tell Amai and Shai? Sorry your father died killing someone and you'll never see him again? Sakura was so lost. She wanted to move on but something held her back from it.
Her heart. Her heart was holding her back from forgetting Sasuke; and she knew that she'd never be able to especially with two small reminders that would grow older and stronger everyday.
Her eyes burned as she refused to let more tears fell out. It was almost 7 in the morning. Shai and Amai where always up at this time, and they would be hungry and want breakfast.
Sakura wiped her eyes and stood up, making her knees support her weight. She walked out of her bedroom and slowly started the walk to the kitchen.
She had no idea what to do now. Sasuke's favorite had seemed to have burned into her memory. She smiled weakly. She thought of him again... She wanted to forget that meal.. It would be easier. The only problem was, it was also Shai's favorite and she knew that he would want it for breakfast that morning. She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning against the wall, halfway down the walkway to the kitchen. This was going to be so hard for her...
She went into the kitchen slowly, her arms around her waist. She closed her eyes and took out everything needed to make breakfast and then started to cook it.
Sakura put a smile on her face and started to move around the kitchen with her usual zest, like she did when Sasuke was still alive. She was starting to get her glide back in her stride, it made her happy, and that was a good thing. She heard feet on the wooden floors and smiled.
"It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I'm doin' it.."
Shai came down stairs minutes later and grabbed onto his mother's leg.
"Mommy!" He said happily, noticing his father's absence immediately.
He had been gone for two days? Did daddy forget about them? Shai wondered to himself. He loved playing with his father, and he spent most of his time with him, and learning from him.
Shai was four and had already learned and mastered the fireball jutsu. This Sasuke had taken much longer to learn and was taught by himself, not his father. Sasuke actually taught Shai how to do it and didn't leave his side until he had leaned it, and praised him for it, saying more than, "As expected of my child." (Author's note: That's all Fugaku (Sasuke's father) said to Sasuke when he mastered the same jutsu.)
"Shai!" Sakura said, smiling down at him. "Are you hungry?" She asked, looking back at the stove to avoid burning anything.
Shai nodded happily at his mother and opened three draws of silverware and climbed onto the counter to watch her cook. Usually Sasuke would put him on the counter while he went to get Amai. And every time Sakura made home fries, Sasuke would always take two from the pan. He'd eat one, and then give Shai the other.
"You're making daddy's favorite!" He said, happily, knowing it was also his own favorite.
Amai walked down stairs with her teddy bear in her small arms and then walked over to the array of drawers Shai had opened.
Shai jumped down a few of them and helped Amai get up onto the counter with him. They sat side by side and smiled at Sakura. Shai reached into the pan and pulled out two home fries and handed one to Amai and ate one himself. The two of them both loved breakfast.
"Mommy?" Amai asked looking around. "Is Daddy still gone? He's going to miss breakfast and it's his favorite too!"
Sakura closed her eyes and looked away form them. "Daddy's not coming back." She said, not know how else to tell them.
- Flashback -
Sasuke came down stairs about 10 minutes after Sakura did. His hands wandered around her waist and then kissed her neck from behind.
He kept his arms around her and smiled as she turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck and then kissed his cheek. "Morning," She said cheerfully, letting him kiss her neck.
"Morning." He muttered back against her warm skin. "I love you..." He muttered once more as he kissed up her jaw-line and came to her lips. He wrapped a strong arm around her back and kissed her, dipping her backwards slightly.
Sakura laughed at him then kissed him back, pushing her lips against his. "You're in a good mood this morning." She said, turning back to what she had been cooking.
Sasuke picked up a home fry from the crackling pan and dropped it in his mouth. "Is that a bad thing?" He asked after swallowing. He walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her again and laughed slightly as he walked around the kitchen with her.
She giggled to herself as he rested his hands on her hips and moved back and forth with her in a loving and caring way. He was teasing her and she was ok with it. She loved how romantic he could be. Sasuke smirked and kissed her neck again.
"Daddy!" Shai said from behind them.
Sasuke smirked and turned around. He picked up Shai and took another home fry from the pan and handed it to him.
Shai took it and popped it in his mouth, and laughed. "Thank you!" he said, hugging his father.
Sasuke smirked and ruffled his hair like he always did. Shai was young, but his hair already resembled Sasuke's. He had dark black hair and Sakura's bright green eyes.
Sasuke put him on the counter beside Sakura, but a good distance away so he couldn't burn or hurt himself. Shai watched as his mother cut up ham, peppers, broccoli, and onions for an omelette.
Sasuke picked up Amai with her teddy bear and put her up on the counter on the other side of Sakura. Amai smiled up at her mother and took the home fry that was handed to her and ate it happily. "Thank you." She said looking over at her father.
Sasuke walked over to Sakura and kissed her cheek. He went over to Shai and Amai and then picked them both up and walked into the other room.
"Shai you go upstairs and get ready for school." he said, putting him down at the foot of the stairs. "Amai you should go with him and make sure he doesn't forget anything alright?"
They both nodded and ran up the stairs into Shai's room.
Sasuke walked back into the kitchen and started to kiss Sakura's neck again. "Mmm..." he muttered, laughing at her slightly. "I love you." He said, letting her go and walking beside her.
"I love you too." She said, stopping what she was doing to wrap her arms around her neck and french kiss him. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and he pushed his tongue back against hers, fighting her.
Sakura broke the kiss about a minute or so later and then kissed her cheek.
"I'm going to check on Shai and Amai. Let's hope one of them hasn't thrown the other out of a window.." He joked, walking up the stairs, and turned down the hall walking towards Shai's room.
Naruto walked into the house and over to Sakura. "Hey Sakura-chan." He said smiling at her. He didn't try to hit on Sakura, for a number of reasons. First of all, Sasuke was his best friend, second, he had a girlfriend, and third, he know saw Sakura was one of his best friends, not a potential lover.
Sakura smiled, "Sasuke's upstairs with Shai." She said hitting his hand as he tried to take what she was cooking.
Naruto shook his hand as if it would get rid of the pain and smiled.
"Ok fine." he said, running upstairs. He knew the layout of the house by now and turned around the railing and waked into Shai's room.
"Hey Amai, hey Shai!" He said, picking up Amai and hugging her.
"Uncle Naruto!" Both of them said in unison as Shai ran over and hugged his leg.
Naruto smiled at them and put Amai down and hugged Shai. He put him down and let him finish getting dressed while he and Sasuke bumped knuckles and smirked at one another.
"Hinata's father kick you out this early?" He joked, knowing Hinata's father was not to found of Naruto.
Naruto laughed, "No it's not like that. See, I just wanted to come see how Shai was going to do his first day at the academy."
Shai smiled up at him. "I'll be the smartest one in my class!"
Naruto and Sasuke laughed.
Naruto bent down and ruffled his hair. "That a boy, keep up that attitude and you'll end up being just like Sasuke."
- End Flashback -
Naruto looked at the clock. It was around 9 or so, but no one was at the academy that day. School was called off for a funeral. The funeral of Sasuke.
The father of Shai.
He sighed and got up from the table he was at in the Hyuuga estate sitting in between Neji and Hianta.
"I'll see you at the funeral later." Naruto said, kissing Hinata's cheek and bowing to her father in respect.
"I'm going to go check on Sakura and make sure that she's ok." he told them, taking off and walking into the Uchiha estate. This was the last day that she was going to spend in it. And everyone knew it.
He knocked on the door and hear Sakura yell 'Come in.'
He walked inside and smiled at her and then looked at Shai and Amai who seemed depressed. They where both sitting on the couch while watching whatever show was on t.v. at that time.
He walked over to Sakura, who was washing dishes and hugged her from behind, knowing the pain she was feeling from losing Sasuke.
Sasuke was his best friend and he meant everything to him. And now, seeing Sakura like this?
He felt bad... It crushed him and hurt him inside to see her in pain.
She was dressed in all black, as were Shai and Amai, but they had no idea why. Sakura had tried to explain death to them, but all they understood was 'never coming back.'
Naruto held onto Sakura tightly as she started to shake but held back her tears.
"Naruto.." She said, her arms around his back. "I'm ok." She said, smiling at him and resisting the urge to cry.
She had to move on. She couldn't keep crying over him. It wouldn't get her anywhere, she just.. She needed to be strong. To go on, and to take care of her family.
"It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret..."
- Flashback-
Sakura bit her lip as she held a pregnancy test in her hand. Temari was 19 and had been old enough to buy it for her. Sakura however, was 16 and she was scared.
What is she was pregnant? What would Sasuke say? What would he do? Would he throw her away like she was nothing more than a play toy? Would he think she was a whore? Would he claim it wasn't his? Would he start to date Ino or another girl instead?
Her eyes watered as she ripped open the box, pulled ut the test and threw the box away. She bit her lip and then gulped. She let out a small sigh and took the test.
Her face fell. "OH no!" She thought to herself, tears falling from her eyes and she sniffed, wiping her eyes.
It was blue...
Positive.
She went to find Temari and ran into her arms. "Temari! It's..." She said, not needing to say anymore for Temari to understand.
Temari sighed and sat down with her. "I don't know how this village works Sakura, but in Sand, you're baby would be taken away, you and Sasuke would be kicked off your team, and Kakashi would be held responsible because he is your sensei."
Sakura's eyes watered, "There has to be something that can stop that!"
Temari sighed, "Sakura... I'm not trying to be your mother or anything, but you need to tell Sasuke."
Sakura shook her head. "What if he says it's not his?"
Temari smiled, "Then you tell me and I'll beat his ass, OK?" She asked, picking up her fan. "Promise, me and Shikamaru will gang up on him." She said laughing slightly.
Temari stood up and held out her hand. She pulled Sakura to her feet and then held onto her shoulders. "You'll be fine, I know it." She said, pushing her gently. "Go find Sasuke."
Sakura smiled at her and ran off. "Sasuke!" She said, finally seeing him.
"We need to talk.." She said nervously, playing with her fingers the way Hinata would normally do.
Sasuke looked away from Naruto and at her. "What's wrong? Tell me, for real." He said, walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her waist.
Sakura smiled weakly at him, "Can it be somewhere private?" She asked him as they walked off.
"Yeah sure." Sasuke said with a nod was he kept his arm around her waist and held onto her hand.
They went somewhere secluded and Sakura told him the truth. The pregnancy, what Temari had warned her of, everything.
Sasuke stared at her, "Sa-Sakura?" He asked, a bit shocked.
"How do.. I ... we..." he stammered, not know what to say to her.
"I.. It's my baby." He said, wrapping an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "I'll help you raise it. I promise." He said, holding her tightly.
Sakura smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "No matter what?" She asked, looking up at him.
"No matter what." He said, kissing her forehead and closing his eyes.
He leaned back against the wall near the bathroom of the Uchiha estate and held onto her as she sat in front of him, between his legs. "I love you, Sakura."
- End Flashback -
"But I know if I could do it over
I would trade, give away, all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken.."
Naruto nodded to Sakura and let her go. "I'll see you at the funeral ok? I need to go and check up on Hianta. She hasn't been feeling to good, she has a fever."
Sakura nodded and waved to him. "Bye Naruto! Tell Hinata is she doesn't get better I can make her an antidote!"
Naruto nodded and was gone.
Sakura put her hand on her stomach and then sighed. She felt dizzy and a bit queasy. She stumbled into the bathroom and leaned over the toilet. And after that she emptied her entire breakfast into it. She held her own hair back, remembering how Sasuke used to do it for her when she got pregnant.
Her eyes widened suddenly as she remembered the last time she had sex with Sasuke. It was a little over a month and a half ago. After she finished emptying her stomach, Sakura got up from the bathroom floor and walked over to her medical bag that she carried incase someone got hurt, needed help, etc. She was a medical ninja after all.
She pulled out a pregnancy test. She carried around two just in case she came across a woman with the symptoms of a pregnancy. She went into the bathroom and closed the door. She took it out of the box and closed her eyes.
She took the test.
"What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away.."
- Flashback -
Sasuke woke up in the middle of the night feeling something come at him. He drew his sword and stabbed Itachi's arm.
Itachi came at him again and Sasuke blocked the attack and got in front of Sakura, who was woken up by the commotion.
Sasuke kicked Itachi out the window; which shattered and glass was sent everywhere. It scattered onto the floor, the ground outside, the windowsill, and went into Itachi's back.
"Sakura run... Take Amai and Shai with you, I can handle him by myself..." Sasuke said, jumping into the windowsill and looking at the ground and glared at Itachi.
Itachi had landed on his feet and was ready for Sasuke's attack. And already had something in mind to counter it. Sasuke was younger than him. He lacked hatred.
Sasuke jumped out the window and raised his sword, going down to fight his brother. All of Sasuke's attacks however seemed to be ineffective, doing nothing but push Itachi back.
They where however for a reason. He pushed Itachi back, stabbed his side and then took off, knowing Itachi would follow.
Sasuke took off into the woods outside of Konoha, to fight Itachi in the dark and to his own advantage. Also, he was away from the village and Itachi could take no hostages, nor could he attack Sasuke's family.
Sakura was about to run after him, to help him in anyway she possibly could when something grabbed her arm. She recognized the ANBU mask; it was her elder cousin, Jin.
"Come on Sakura, he can take care of himself.." he said, pulling her along, a sleeping Shai in his arms.
"Get Amai and I'll get you somewhere safe. Please!" Jin urged, seeing her look out the broken window after Sasuke.
Sakura nodded and then ran into Amai's room picked her up and ran off with her cousin, moving away from her beloved Sasuke.
Jin brought her to her parent's house in the dead of night and woke Sakura's father; a retired shinobi. He went downstairs in his robe and sat down and looked at Sakura. He kissed her forehead and took Amai from her and then put her and Shai in their rooms they stayed in while they visited.
Sakura looked out the window and but her lip. "Sasuke..." She thought, afraid.
She knew he was strong, powerful, and daring. But could he really beat Itachi?
She sighed and closed her eyes; waiting for him to come back. It was after midnight. She wrapped her arms around her waist and for him to return. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep and that's all she could remember about going to her parents house.
- End Flashback -
Sakura rested her head against the doorway into the bathroom, her eyes closed gently, water behind the closed lids. Her eyes brimmed with salt water tears.
She had just finished a test. It wasn't a written one, but it was 100 times more important.
The test she had taken. The pregnancy test. The thing that determined her next course of action...
It was positive. She was pregnant once again.
Sakura was about to have Sasuke's third child. It seemed that they didn't use protection the last time they made love.
Sakura would have been so much happier to have been pregnant if Sasuke was still alive. The two of them agreed to have a lot of kids because Sasuke wanted to restore the Uchiha clan.
They had agreed on five, but Sasuke laughed and said he liked even numbers, so Sakura let him go up one to six. She smiled, remembering their conversation.
- Flashback -
"Come on Sakura, everyone knows even numbers are better!" He urged laughing. "Come on, because you love me?" he teased, holding onto her hips.
"I don't mean right now." He said, seeing the look on her face. "I mean eventually. We can wait a few years in between each one, right?" He offered, kissing her forehead.
Sakura smiled up at him and kissed his lips and started to fight him for the dominance of one of their tongues.
Sasuke won the fight and Sakura sighed and gave into him. "Fine we can have six, but not all at once!" She warned, kissing his cheek.
- End Flashback -
Sakura finally let her tears fall and her hands held onto her stomach tightly, knowing that inside of it was growing another Uchiha.
Sasuke's third child, she wondered if it was a boy of a girl. Whether or not if it would have sharingan.
Sharingan! Who would teach it to them? With Sasuke gone, the last full blooded Uchiha was gone. Who would teach, Shai, and Amai and now this child?
Sakura started sobbing, her tears coming down more and more. She fell into a fit of coughs and then started to throw up once more into the toilet.
She remembered this feeling and kept one hand on her stomach and the other holding back her pink hair.
She stopped vomiting and then leaned against the wall, holding her mildly bulging stomach. She was in ten... no one hundred times more pain now.
She wasn't just pregnant. She was pregnant without a husband with a baby that would never know their father.
"And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do..."
Sakura cleaned herself up and went downstairs to get Shai and Amai. She took Shai's hand and carried Amai to the center of the village where the funeral was.
She put Amai and Shai down in two small seat beside her and stood there, her hands in front of her, clasped together, wishing Sasuke was still there and that they weren't here for the reason they were.
She sighed and stood in the center of the commotion. Everyone walked by her muttered their apologies and how good of a ninja and father Sasuke was.
She closed her eyes and nodded to everyone else, acknowledging their apologies. Some of them tried to comfort Shai and Amai but they where just looking at the ground, not understanding the commotion. All they understood was Daddy wasn't coming back.
For everyone's sake, Shai and Amai in particular, it was a closed casket funeral. Sasuke's body was ripped up enough, no one needed to see that.
Sakura's eyes watered and she knew once she saw the casket why it was closed. She remembered seeing Sasuke's body a few days back. When he was still partially warm, and had just died.
Sasuke's cause of death was multiple stab wounds which bled out until he died. She sighed. If she had been there she could have saved him.
She had asked Tsuande is she could have made a difference, and she said "No.. Sasuke's wounds where too extreme for any amount of medical jutsu... He would have died regardless."
Sakura sighed. She didn't believe it. Not at all. She didn't even believe her mentor. She knew she could have saved Sasuke had she been by his side. Tsuande had just said that to make Sakura feel better and to comfort her and she knew it well.
Sakura smiled as Hinata, Neji and Hinata all walked by her at the same time.
Hinata and Tenten hugged her, and said that they knew how much Sasuke loved her, and no matter what all the guys said that Sasuke was the best father. They both urged her to ask them for any help they needed.
Neji on the other hand just bowed to her slightly and did what he did best, which was staying silent. All he did was mutter a quick "I'm Sorry." And then was back by Tenten's side.
Lee had hugged her, and muttered that if she needed anything he'd do it instantly. He still cared for her immensely, and would help with Shai and Amai in anyway possible. She just had to say the word.
Sakura smiled at him and thanked him for his concern.
Shikamaru didn't seem as bored as usual. He actually seemed regretful; because Temari and Sakura got along really well he had gotten to know Sasuke well and they where pretty good friends now. He hugged her and then looked to the side. "I'm sorry Sakura.." he said earnestly. He sighed and then walked off.
Temari hugged her tightly and closed her eyes. Temari was tall for a girl and was a ways taller than Sakura. She sighed and looked at Sakura's red face.
"Hey are you going to be ok?" She asked, holding her hands.
"If you need anything, you tell me, I'll do anything to help you out..." She said, as she kissed her cheek and walked off.
Naruto hugged Sakura and sighed. "I'll do anything for you.." He said, knowing that she was in pain even though she tried to hide it.
Shino came over to her and said nothing. Sakura didn't expect him to because she didn't know him well enough for him to.
Kiba was a lot like Shino, but he hugged her and then sighed. "Sasuke was a good man, you were lucky." He said, walking off in the other direction with Shino.
Ino hugged Sakura tightly and then wiped her eyes. "You made a good big sister." She said, referring to the way she had taught her medical ninjutsu. "And you deserved Sasuke so much more than I did." She said, her eyes watering from crying. "I'm so sorry Sakura..."
Sakura smiled at her and kissed her cheek, "Thanks Ino, that means a lot."
Chouji came over to her and hugged her slightly and then bowed his head. "I'm sorry Sakura. Sasuke was a good man and it wasn't right that he left you..."
Sakura smiled at him and hugged him back. "Thank you Chouji."
Kakashi walked over to Sakura and hugged her as well. "As bad as the two of you could be, I'm glad you ended up together." he said, smiling at her.
Sakura smiled back at him. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."
Sakura suddenly saw someone she never expected to see; guitar on his back, tapping against it, Xerion...?
Yes that's who it was, she was sure of it. She took a few steps towards him. He hugged her and looked upset.
"Sakura... I have something for you." He said, jumping onto the small stage that was made for Sasuke's casket.
"I'm sorry..." He said, his deep voice echoing in her mind. Why was he apologizing?
Xerion didn't need a microphone when he sang. He was called Konoha's strumming voice. The reason was simple; he would strum his guitar as he sang and because of this, he could beat anyone. If anyone saw him in a fight they where told to run away if he at any point started to sing.
He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then started to sing to Sakura.
"What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been..."
Once Sakura had heard this much of the song her body froze and a vison went through her head.
"Sakura.." Came Sasuke's voice as his strong arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed her neck just like before. "I love you..." He said, sweetly, not releasing her. "Don't do anything to hurt yourself.. I'll always love you, You'll always be with me and we'll always be together." He whispered into her ear.
He got in front of her and kissed his cheek, then her lips lightly, continuing on as Xerion sang to her, trying to ease her pain.
He was failing. Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears she shook her head and ran off as fast as she could.
Everyone in Konoha looked up at Xerion and then glared at him. He smirked at them. "You don't know what I just did for her." he said, as he jumped off the stage.
Shikamaru trapped him in Shadow possession Jutsu. "Xerion why would you make her cry like that?" He demanded.
Xerion laughed, "Shikamaru, trust me for once alright?" he asked smiling at him. "Please." He said, as Shikamaru let him go.
"I have powers no one else has. My clan deserted Konoha, but I didn't do so by choice. I am loyal to this village, just wait a while for it. It will come to pass a great event." He smiled and then vanished.
Sakura ran all the way to Konoha's gates and then ran outside of them and to where Sasuke's body was found. She closed her eyes and sat down in front of the cross that was placed over the place where Sasuke was found. This was placed here in memory of Sasuke. It was the idea of the Konoha council, the twelve members of which elected Tsuande and the ones she had to answer to.
Her eyes watered and her hands rested on the ground over one of the bloodstains. She rested her head on her hands and started to weep for him. She missed him. She loved him.
He was now a part of her. She was a part of him. And the two of them had to be together for Sakura to go on.
Sakura picked her head, and her eyes filled with the tears that were now streaming down her face. She cried out and started to cry harder.
"I saw you..." She said, pleadingly. "Sasuke, I saw you."
"And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do
Not seeing that loving you
That's what I was trying to do..."
"Sakura..." Came the voice that she had come to know so well. She wiped around, tears still in her eyes.
"Sasuke?" She asked, walking towards him. "Oh my god! Sasuke!" She screamed running into his arms around and hugging him.
"You're alive! After everything you're alive?" She yelled, she leaned up to his face and kissed him harder than she ever had before.
She backed up away from him and then closed her eyes, and opened them once more, after clearing them of tears.
Sasuke cupped her chin, "I don't know and I don't care. We're together again and that's all that matters." He whispered as his wiped away the tears from her beautiful green eyes.
"I love you Sakura, more than anything..." He said, kissing her once more. "You and I will always be together."
Sakura smiled up at him. "Xerion..." She muttered hugging Sasuke as tightly as she could.
"Xerion brought you back with his music..." She smiled at him and then kissing his cheek.
"And I'll always be here beside you." Sasuke leaning down towards her and kissing her once more.
"You mean everything to me Sakura..." Sasuke said once he broke the kiss.
---
A/n: Hey Everyone! Hope you enjoyed that, don't forget to review!!