Our Farewell

by Jasmin Kaiba

In my hands

A legacy of memories

I can hear you say my name

I can almost see your smile

Feel the warmth of your embrace

But there is nothing but silence now

Around the one I loved

Is this our farewell?

When they found him, it looked like they were too late.

He lay there, bloody and beaten and bruised, unmoving and still. They feared the worst.

Naruto was the first one that found his legs again and rushed to his best friend, his brother and crouched down, knees in the blood and dirt, hands trembling as he tried to touch him without breaking down himself.

Sakura couldn't watch. It hurt too much. Sasuke's prone form and her best friend's usually so hopeful and happy face contorted in a visage of pain and grief. She turned her head away and clasped her shaking hand over her gasping mouth. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't. She can't let Naruto bear her pain as well.

She didn't have to. Kakashi's lean form was there beside her, his gloved hand gently guiding her head to his chest, a silent command to let it out. And she did. She buried her face in his scratchy flak west, her hands gripping his waist and she muffled her sobs against his left pectoral, over his strongly beating heart. Crying for her lost friend, for her hopeless first and till then only love, her brother in arms, her comrade and teammate. She cried for herself, for the years spent waiting and hoping and searching, for the tears and sleepless nights, for the smiles that were only half true and the pain that only got stronger and stronger the more time flew by. She cried for the blond boy in a man's body, his endless optimism, his belief in his best friend and his promise that was finally fulfilled in the most gruesome of ways. She cried for the man that had been the catalyst of all this pain and suffering, she cried for his life that was put to an end by the person he loved most in this world. She cried for the man holding her, for the rock she always broke against, who loved and supported and protected them through everything. She cried for the unfairness of this world.

Suddenly a gasp broke the air and Sakura looked up from Kakashi's chest, his hand stilled on her back and they both looked towards the source of the noise.

Naruto looked at them with tear-filled eyes, his cheeks dusted with red beneath the dirt and the tear-streaks. His bloody, dirty hand rested in Sasuke's black and red chest almost clutching the other man's flesh. He spotted her and cried out again.

"Sakura-chan, he's still breathing, his heart is beating! Hurry!"

He didn't even finish the sentence; both Kakashi and Sakura were at Sasuke's side, looking over his broken form, trying to find out how he was still living.

She didn't lose any time, without a word she let her chakra wander through his pathways, assessing the damage to him body, finding the faint, slow heart-beat and barely there breath, Naruto had sensed. It was almost impossible for him to be alive. Medically seen he shouldn't be alive. All his ribs were broken, one of his lungs was completely collapsed, the other partially, his heart was only barely pumping blood, the damaged ribcage limiting its movements. But Sakura wasn't anything if she wasn't one of the best medics in the world. As one of the four legendary kunoichi and the Slug Princess' star apprentice and the rumored second generation of the Legendary Sannin, she had faith in her knowledge and her abnormally perfect chakra control. She wouldn't let him die.

Sweet darling you worry too much, my child

See the sadness in your eyes

You are not alone in life

Although you might think that you are

After two hours of intensive healing, pumping her chakra into Sasuke's body, repairing his lungs and ribs, giving little bursts to the heart to stimulate it to work faster. Her medical senbon helped her get the blood out of Sasuke's lungs and ease his breathing. The most fatal of his wounds were almost healed, but he'd lost a lot of blood and while his brain was still active and alive, Sasuke was unconscious and unresponsive.

She'd try one last thing to get him to wake up, she has to see if he has a concussion, or she could lose him despite everything. Gathering the last of her chakra in her fingers, she lifted his head, touched the back of his skull and sent a small wave of healing chakra to his brain. It didn't need much, and after the second shock, Sasuke started stirring.

They all held their breath, even Sai and Tenzou that were inspecting the corpse of Uchiha Madara that was definitely not going to live anymore.

A tense moment of wait and Sasuke's lashes fluttered open, obsidian eyes focused on glassy, teary emeralds that shone brightly with hope and relief. His voice was soft and broken and barely heard.

"Sakura...."

Naruto and Kakashi found it fitting that she would be the first person he saw after waking up from almost definite death.

Sakura just cried softly and caressed his hair, "Shh... It's gonna be ok, Sasuke-kun. You're going to be alright, I promise."

That was the first time in years she'd called him Sasuke-kun and all of them knew it.

Naruto squeezed Sasuke's arm, Kakashi smiled at him over Sakura's shoulders, but he didn't notice them, he was focused on Sakura alone.

"Sakura.... Don't go...."

She cried harder, but nodded and bent down to press a kiss to his bloody, dirty cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sasuke-kun. You're not alone, we're all here... We're going to be here for you. You'll see..."

And Sasuke smiled before closing his eyes again, "Thank you, Sakura.... I'm sorry..."

Never thought

This day would come so soon

We had no time to say goodbye

How can the world just carry on?

I feel so lost when you are not by my side

But there's nothing but silence now

Around the one I loved

Is this our farewell?

They ended up carrying Sasuke and Sakura both back to Konoha. She exhausted all her chakra healing him and Sasuke had slipped back into unconsciousness the same minute she's collapsed into Kakashi's arms.

Naruto had carried his brother on his back the whole way and had refused to let Sai help him, Kakashi had lovingly cradled Sakura in his arms and neither had let go till they were in Konoha Hospital and Tsunade and Shizune were taking care of them.

Sakura had woken up that same day, her chakra had stabilized itself and she'd spend the next two days by Sasuke's bedside, keeping her promise along side Kakashi and Naruto.

On the second day Sasuke woke up again.

"Naruto..."

The blond was immediately by his brother's side, smiling down on him.

"Hey teme. Feeling better?"

Sasuke smirked a little at him and looked around the room. Sakura was on the other side of the bed, holding his hand, Kakashi beside her and for once without the usual orange porn book. They both smiled encouragingly at him.

"You're all here..." he whispered, somewhat in awe, gazing at his former sensei and teammates.

"Of course we are," Kakashi's smooth voice soothed. "We're keeping our promise. You just have to concentrate on getting better, Sasuke."

Sakura smiled up at their aloof team leader and the older man laid a gentle hand on her pink hair. Sasuke saw this too and smiled faintly. He turned back to Naruto.

"Hey dobe, when I get out of here, I'll kick your ass, just so you know it."

The future Hokage suppressed his tears and smirked at his best friend. "Ha! Dream on! You'll never be able to beat me now!"

Sasuke returned the same heart-breaking smirk and muttered, "Yeah, right," before gazing at Sakura again. "Sakura..."

She squeezed his hand and tried to smile a bit brighter for him.

"Sakura, when Itachi died I figured something out..."

She just couldn't stop crying. "What did you figure out, Sasuke-kun?" Her voice broke and the tears came faster and harder and she didn't know why.

"I figured that I haven't only been an ass, but a blind one. Sakura, I have loved you, and I still do."

That made Sakura sob and she pressed his hand to her face, desperately trying to calm herself down.

"Sakura, I want you to be happy, always. I'm sorry that you've suffered because of my stupidity. But now you can be happy."

She nodded, kissing his hand, believing that he meant they'd be happy when he woke up and not wanting to say anything that might hurt him.

But Sasuke knew better and smiled at Kakashi before his fingers ghosted over her cheek. Over her sobs, she didn't hear him whisper, "He's a good man," before he blacked out again.

So sorry your world is tumbling down

I will watch you through these nights

Rest your head and go to sleep

Because my child, this not our farewell.

This is not our farewell.

He didn't wake up again. The next day his heart stopped beating and they couldn't do anything for him anymore.

In the end they couldn't say goodbye to him, but they all knew that with his words the day prior he's said farewell to them.

Rain was falling on Konoha as Team 7 lit up the pyre for their lost friend and brother. Naruto cried silently, tears slipping down his pale cheeks as he threw a white lily at the burning body of his best friend. Beside him Hinata sobbed silently into a handkerchief, behind her Ino squeezing Shikamaru's hand, but holding tears at bay.

Sakura couldn't stand on her own. Neither could she stop crying. She clutched Kakashi tightly and cried one last time for her lost love in the arms of the man she'd found the deepest love with two years ago.

Kakashi held his former student and the girl he loved as she cried over lost chances and slipped away farewells. Looking at the weeping sky, he smiled lightly and muttered, "Thank you, Sasuke," before kissing Sakura's head through his mask.

It wouldn't be their farewell, he knew. All fallen heroes saw each other again at the other side. One day he'll join his favorite student beyond that bridge, but not before making sure that Sakura had gotten as much happiness as possible in this world.

Farewell, Sasuke. For now...

AN: Blame the song, it just inspired me. I love Within Temptation, but sometimes their songs just depress me.

Well I don't exactly know what came over me, but I hope you liked it either way.

Please leave a review if you will, I'd be very happy.

Jas