A/N: Here's a One-shot for Sasusaku fandom! XD Though its kinda tragic, but I've put everything I had into this one. Hope you'll enjoy it.

Any review/comment will be appreciated. :)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto's age is the same as it was in Boruto: Naruto the movie. It happened after gaiden and before Boruto (movie).

IS IT TOO LATE?

She leapt from branch to branch with all the energy she had and as fast as she could.

''What do they think! They won't tell me and I won't come to know!'' She muttered under her breath.

She was working in her afternoon shift in the hospital when she overheard Shizune and the Godaime, Tsunade talking about a certain incident that caught her attention.

''Tsunade-sama, what do you think Naruto will decide?''

''I don't know Shizune, even Kakashi wasn't sure of what to decide for his former student.''

''I can't believe the Feudal lord betrayed us like that! We sent one of our most elite Shinobi to escort him and he paid us back like this!''

''I just hope nothing goes wrong.''

''Would it not be good if they just send some reinforcements?''

''I think not. Even Naruto says that if He was not be able to handle the enemy, no one else would, other than Naruto himself and besides, we don't have any high level ANBU and Jonnin in the village right now.''

''The hokage going as a reinforcement himself! He sure is special to Naruto.''

''What do you expect, Shizune. They are life-long rivals after all.''

''Shouldn't Sakura be informed about it? Tsunade-sama.''

''Well Shizune, if the hokage doesn't want her to know this, we should follow his orders.''

Little did they know that the one who wasn't supposed to know this already had heard them and was going to make the hokage pay for this but only after she completes her now self assigned S-rank mission.

To save her former team-mate, the love of her life and her husband.

She wasn't scared becuase she had faith in him that by the time she'd find him, he would be just fine. For she believed in him more than anyone else could.

She was going to protect him, like he had always protected her.

Her pace quickened and she was even more desperate.

to get to him.

To find him.

To protect him.

Sensing a very familliar chakra somewhere near her, she stopped in her feet and jump to the ground. Moving her emeralds very carefully, She saw birds flying out of the deep forest haphazardly.

Moving closer into the forest, she sensed the presence of his chakra growing stronger and stronger. Her feet shivered but she overcame fear with determination.

fear of losing him.

fear of seeing his blood.

fear of watching him die.

She didn't realize when she started to run all of a sudden. Moving deep into the thick forest and stopping only to swallow the scene in front of her eyes.

She smelled blood. But not his blood. The blood of the enemy.

Hundreds, no thousands of ninjas and even samurais were charging at the one person who had her heart. Many were knocked out and killed, pools of their blood on the ground and hard-to-cure injuries on their bodies but still, hundreds were ready to attack him. Hundreds were ready to kill him.

Blood flowing out of his rinnegan holding eye, she sensed his chakra to be very low. His sharingan was deactivated and his katana was in his right hand.

'Sticking to taijutsu I see.. you must be out of chakra, Sasuke-kun'

In a few seconds, she understood the whole situation. She was about to get into the fight after restoring the chakra she had lost, but her head burned with rage and anger when she saw a ninja charging a him from his back when he wasn't looking.

Without giving a second thought, she jumped into the battle, knocking some sense out of the back-stabbar using her super-human strength.

She punched him in the face, sending him flying into the air.

''Are you sure about this, Naruto?'' The masked man asked his former student.

''You bet, Kaka-sensei!''

Hinata, Tsunade and Kakashi were standing at the gates of Konoha, while Naruto was about to depart.

''N-Naruto-kun... Please take c-care.''

''Don't you worry a bit Hinata!'' He said smiling at his wife.

''Naruto, I put my faith in you. Don't let me down and go save your best friend! I don't want to see Sakura cry, you got it?''

Naruto turned his head towards the blond former-hokage.

''I promise you that! Just don't let Sakura-chan know this or she'll go out on her own to save him.''

Tsunade gave him a smile while Naruto grinned.

''Okay now! I should get going!''

He said before he started running ninja-style.

'Just you wait teme, I'm coming for you.'

Sensing a familiar chakra near him, The dark haired man turned around to see his pink-haired wife standing while her gloved hand was curled into a fist.

''Sakura?'' He asked her in surprise.

''Yeah I'm here now. Lets knock some sense out of these bastards and talk later.''

Giving her a look of acknowledgement, He got ready for a full-fledge fight.

''Ready, Sasuke-kun?!''

''You bet.''

With that stated, they charged at the enemy and a war started.

'Just like old times.' She thought, smiling to herself.

Sakura broke the ribs and ankles of whoever she aimed to attack while Sasuke stuck to defense using his Katana.

They fought and fought and fought and Sasuke's chakra almost drained off. He used all of his remaining strength to use chidori stream and many ninjas wiped out in one blow.

He kneeled on the ground and breathed heavily.

Sakura turned to him, wanting to say something, only to find him breathless and a ninja aiming at him with a kunai in his hand, she warned Sasuke by yelling his name.

''BEHIND YOU, SASUKE-KUN!''

Sasuke quickly turned around, but he was too late. He was already stabbed in the shoulder and blood was flowing out of his wound.

blood.

his blood.

This provoked Sakura and she attacked the foolish man with more than necessary strength. The others who charged at her from behind, were to taste the flavor of her rage.

'they are foolish enough to dare to harm my husband. my husband.'

In the matter of seconds, she punched into the ground tearing the ground beneath them, killing more than enough in one blow. With a fast speed, she confronted the remaining ones and knocked out almost half of them.

Sasuke smirked at his wife but was worried for her at the same time. He was out of energy and felt useless at that time.

how could her protect her?

how could he ensure her safety?

how could he defend her?

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he sensed her low chakra. He saw her silhouette with his eyes blurred in vision- as she fell on her knees and her fingers dug deep into the soft ground.

He watched his breathless wife trying to stand up and fight even in a condition like that. His heart ached seeing her like that and knowing he couldn't do anything for her hurt even more.

She stared at the ground and sensed a few ninja and samurai still standing. Still alive. Still trying to hurt her beloved.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she turned around to look at him.

She couldn't even stand properly but, determined, she stood up and ran to where he was kneeling, barely concious.

'I will protect you no matter what.' She thought while eyeing the magnet-user ninja who was daring to attack him.

Sensing her presence, he looked up to her only to see a hand penetrating her chest and blood pooling out of her body.

her blood.

''SAKURA-CHAN!'' tears fell out of Naruto's eyes as he called out his first love and bestfriend's name.

Sasuke didn't notice another familiar presence near him while he was shocked at that woman's action.

his woman's foolish action.

Her body fell onto his lap and her blood decorated his hand. He saw the painful smile on her face and her half-lided eyes.

And she did it again. Why didn't she care about herself. Why did she always do that for me. Why would she always do this for me?

He was reminded of the day when she did the exact same thing for him as a genin. That time she got suffocated but this time it was different, it cost her her life.

Tears fell from his eyes as he focused his eyes on the pale face of his wife. Tears mixing with the blood in his eyes, seemed as if he was crying tears of blood.

Flasbacks of all the memories they shared, all the moments they lived in, pained the broken pieces of his heart.

They sat infront of the burning fire, Sasuke's lone hand wrapped around her, saving her from the cold air.

''Sasuke-kun?'' she looked at him with sparkling eyes.

The look those eyes held, melted his heart as he looked deeply into them. They held life. They held reasons. Reasons for him to live. Reasons from him to survive. Reasons for him to stay happy.

''hm?''

''Umm.. I was wondering what should we name her.. Its been five months already and we haven't decided a name yet..'' the look she held in her cat like eyes was childish and how he loved it when she looked at him with those eyes.

''I don't know. You should decide it since you are her mother.'' She blushed at his statement looking at her rounded belly.

''...What about .. Sarada?''

''Uchiha Sarada.''

''So you approve it?!'' The look in her eyes was joy. Happiness.

''hn.'' He said kissing her forehead while she wrapped her arms around his torso, feeling her warmth, he felt complete. There was still someone who loved him after all he did. After all the pain he had caused and he was eternally thankful to his wife, the reason of his new found happiness.

Another tear fell from his eyes as he looked at her life-less eyes. His body was frozen and he could not figure out anything. Everything was over.

He was over.

The tears continued to fall from his eyes, refusing to fall while her blood kept flowing out of her body.

Naruto, on the other hand, had wiped out every single remaining pest while thinking about the favors she had given him.

Her smile, to him, was the cutest of all. She was there for him whenever he needed her. He had Hinata because of her and eventually, he had a loving family, because of her. He could never pay her back for everytime she had healed him and saved his life. For everytime she cared for him. For everytime she cried for him.

Tears fell from his eyes once again and he fell on his knees. He cried even harder after watching the scene infront of his eyes.

He watched his rival holding her in his arms while tears of blood streamed down his face. Unable to speak, Sasuke just stared at her.

A nearly dead Sakura.

A paralyzed Sasuke.

Naruto crawled towards them on his knees, unable to stand due to the shock. With shaking hands, he checked Sakura's pulse only to find it still weakly present.

She was still alive. But barely.

Naruto was never the man to give up and a new found hope enlightened his shattered heart.

'Even if we don't have enough time to reach Konoha and even if she's still barely alive, I'm never going to give up. Not now. Not while she's still alive. Not when Sakura-chan's still alive.'

''Sasuke?'' He shook his shoulder.

He didn't seem to respond, let alone- feel. His skin was growing pale and it was as if his life was being sucked out of him along with the pinkette's.

This pained Naruto's heart more than ever and yet another tear fell from his eyes.

''SASUKE! DAMMIT! SNAP OUT OF IT ALREADY! SHE'S STILL ALIVE! Sakura-chan's... still alive.'' He yelled shaking both his shoulders with more than enough force, feeling his frozen body but at the same time gaining his attention.

Sasuke stayed still while swallowing his words.

'Still... alive?'

Sasuke looked at his rival with shocked and painful eyes, tears never stopped flowing.

''Alive?'' He asked in a voice than broke Naruto's already shattered heart.

''Barely. We can still save her if we hurry back to the village.'' He told him looking down at the girl in his rival's arms.

Just before Sasuke was about to get on his feet, Sakura grabbed his hand weakly, opening her eyes, half-lided, she looked at her husband and her bestfriend. She could tell just by studying the look on their faces that she was dying. She was actually dying.

Opening her mouth to say something, she muttered some inaudible words, but due the long-prevailed silence in the forest it didn't go unheard by the two of them.

''So.. i-it ends here.'' She said in weak voice.

''Sakura-chan... It.. isn't over... I haven't given up on you yet.'' Naruto whispered, tears falling from his water-filled eyes.

''D-Don't do anything.. I-I can't make it..'' She continued looking at a crying Sasuke.

''Sakura..'' was all he could say in his now completely paralyzed state.

''Don't cry Sasuke-kun... J-Just take care of Sarada..'' She cried.

He could not hold back his pain-filled tears anymore.

''Don't go.. like this..'' He said, sobbing.

''I-I don't.. want to go.. either.. I-I...I don't want to.. leave you... alone.''

''Don't die, Sakura. Don't die...'' He whispered the last part, tears running down uncontrollably.

''I-I know you will make it, Sasuke-kun.'' She smiled with all her remaining strength.

She turned her gaze to Naruto who was facing the ground, crying.

''Now Naruto.. D-Don't cry like this.. I love it when you smile... K-Keep smiling and t-take care of the village... and the new generation.'' She told him with a saddened expression.

''S-Sakura-chan...''

Naruto could feel his body paralyzing. He was letting her die. He felt a kind pain which he had never experienced before, burning his chest, mercilessly.

May be this is what its like to lose someone you hold dear.

Someone you love.

Someone you care for.

''Why did you do it Sakura? Why did you.. SAVE ME?'' Sasuke said shaking her.

''...I-I don't know.. I just did. M-My body .. moved on its own.'' She smiled at him.

She coughed blood making Sasuke tremble with pain.

''Don't go.'' He repeated, holding her firmly.

''I-I will always... love you, Sasuke-kun.''

Was all she said before darkness blinded her vision. She could see some sort of light, calling out for her before she found her soul leaving her now dead body.

'I will always love you, Sasuke-kun.'

His aching body fell to the floor. He felt a burden on his aching heart. Her body felt cold and her eyes were closed. It was enough for him to be drowned in a sea of pain.

Pain of seeing her life-less.

Pain of feeling her dead.

Suddenly, this world seemed of no importance to him. Everything was blurred. Everything was pitch dark. Nothing made sense to him anymore. Nothing could be felt by him anymore.

What was she to him?

His World.

His light.

His life.

Tears fell from his mismatched eyes as he held her cold body close to his chest tightly.

While, the tears didn't stop to flow.

He was alone, yet again.

THE END.

A/N: It was quite difficult for me to write this story, seriously. Too much feels.

Thanks for reading. :)