Greetings, my lovely readers! I have returned with the final chapter!

Thank you for all of those who waited patiently. For those who do not follow me on Tumblr or need a reminder, I just started freshman year for college and OMG IT'S BEEN CRAY-CRAY. Like I do in all my stories at the end, I write a letter to my readers about what's been happening in my life and why it makes me thankful to have fanfiction as an outlet. I don't have much to say since it's 4 in the morning right now but if you've been following this since its inception, thank you so much for all the support and kind reviews.

To the story!

Stage 6: Healing

"Promises mean everything. But when broken, sorry means nothing."-Unknown

When Naruto woke up in Sasuke's apartment, slouched against the wall, the first thing he noticed was not how his back ached from the uncomfortable position. Nor the velvet case that he still held onto.

Really, the first thing Naruto noticed that morning was how quickly Sasuke jumped off his bed to hurl in the toilet.

"That's what you get for downing all that sake, idiot," Naruto groaned, standing up to stretch.

Naruto filled a glass with water, and then walked to the bathroom, where Sasuke slouched against the wall. Sasuke was a terrible mess, his skin a sickening, pale color and eyes reddened by the alcohol. Sasuke mumbled a quiet 'hn' as he grabbed the glass from Naruto's hand and gulped it all in one go.

Sasuke dropped the glass on the marbled floor, breathing deeply. One of his hands reached into his right, and Naruto swore those dark eyes flashed open in panic.

Hoping to reassure Sasuke, Naruto showed the box to him. "Hey, hey, it's fine. See?"

"Give that back," Sasuke growled, immediately reaching forward. Naruto withdrew his hand farther.

"Explain."

"No."

"Suit yourself. Lee and I have this theory that overpriced rocks can survive the Rasengan and his gates-"

"Something was wrong with Sakura, okay?" Naruto heard a strange mix of bitterness and desperation in Sasuke's voice that didn't blend right. It sounded like Sasuke held a terrible grudge against Sakura for their breakup, but an even worse longing for her to return. "She didn't talk as much anymore. She wasn't smiling like she used to. I hated coming back from missions to her like that. She didn't tell me what was wrong with her, so I assumed I messed up somehow. During one mission in Earth Country, I found the best diamond they had and asked a blacksmith to carve it, got it? I didn't know what else to do and…"

Sasuke halted so suddenly that Naruto wasn't aware of how fast his friend was talking until then. As if Sasuke was talking to himself, trying to pinpoint what went wrong with their relationship.

"It was the easiest way to make Sakura happy."

If Naruto was being his immature self, he would have said "Well, obviously it didn't. Who's the idiot now?"

Easiest. Naruto didn't like how Sasuke used that word. Especially when it concerned something as heavy as marriage.

"Does Sakura know about this?"

"Not in that sense," Sasuke replied grudgingly.

"What do you mean?" He was met with silence. Curse Sasuke for his broodiness.

"You know, Kiba developed this hurricane combo-"

Sasuke scowled. If it weren't for their dark situation, Naruto would have done a victory pose.

"Sakura and I fought before the breakup. I can't remember why. It was over something stupid, but we were having a so many stupid arguments that they just accumulate. She kept asking me to tell her things I didn't want to tell. I got so annoyed that I…I screamed if marrying her would shut her up."

That last sentence stung Naruto. He wasn't sure how to react to those words. He hated how Sasuke didn't take the proposal seriously. You propose because you want to spend the rest of your life with Sakura. You propose because you have truly reached your happiest and desire to keep it that way. You do not propose as a last resort to fix the impossible. Naruto wanted to scream all that to Sasuke's face. Make Sasuke feel so horrible for even thinking about marriage during this dark time.

He didn't say any of that. Slowly, Naruto handed the ring box back into Sasuke, whose fingers quickly wrapped around it, seeking its security. It was strange not saying anything to Sasuke. Maybe it was because Naruto felt so tired from all the shouting and yelling and lecturing that he had to do the last few weeks to Sasuke and Sakura. Maybe those two didn't need a reminder of what they let go. They needed something else.

Naruto walked away from the bathroom, pausing briefly before the front door. He wanted to ask a lot of things from Sasuke and Sakura. There were still many missing pieces that Naruto had yet to uncover. But then, he thought that those shouldn't matter anymore.

He heard enough. He said enough. He could help his best friend so much before Naruto had to throw the towel. He could tell Sasuke many things, what to do and what to say to take Sakura back.

But that was assuming Sasuke would be his regular, broody self. This was not the typical Sasuke that Naruto was used to. The Sasuke he saw last night and this morning was a train wreck. Any action he took would not end with the greatest result. And Naruto could not force Sasuke to act out of pain. Just wait until he started thinking straight again.

Yet, Naruto couldn't find it in himself to leave Sasuke without saying something.

"You're an idiot, Sasuke." He wasn't sure if he truly meant it at that moment. Still, Naruto had nothing else to say.

Naruto was happy to be given a two-week mission by Tsunade. It felt like decades passed since he had one. Again he would guard the Daimyo for the opening of some ceremony that apparently held great importance to Fire Country, but Naruto (as always) neglected the details.

"Oh, you're paired with Hinata too?" Sakura asked, her smile too gleeful. They were at clothing store with Sai, looking through the racks of track suits. Sakura had demanded Naruto to buy a new outfit because she was tired of stitching patches on a five-year-old track suit.

"Yep! It's going to be really fun! Last time, it was boring being all alone," Naruto replied. He pulled out an orange jacket, only to return it quickly to the rack upon seeing the weird floral patterns.

"Oh, it will, Naruto. Maybe sneak in some dancing while you're there?" Sakura pressed a jacket to Naruto's chest, observing every detail. She shook her head, and the jacket was back on the rack.

Naruto blushed. "Ah, I dunno. I would like to, but uh-"

"Is that how the courting process starts? By dancing?" Sai asked, again peering over his book.

"Can you not read those books, Sai?" Naruto sighed. "I'm all for you trying to discover your emotions and all, but please don't listen to that."

Sakura laughed, still going through the rack of numerous orange jackets. "Oh, I'm sure Naruto would like to do more than just dancing, hmmm?"

"Hey, at least I'll keep it clean, unlike when you and Sasuke get frisky on mis-" Naruto stopped immediately. Sakura's fingers lingered over the metal rack. Her lips quivered, as if she wanted to say something. But then, she pulled her best (still fake) smile at Naruto.

"Yeah, you'll be fine," she said.

Sakura must be doing everything in her power not to bring up Sasuke again, Naruto thought. He did just see her cry and plead to be back with Sasuke days ago. It startled Naruto how not only was Sakura acting the same way she was when he first found out about their breakup, but the fact that this time…it was for real.

"You know I'm always here for you, Sakura-chan, all of us are," said Naruto. "But Sasuke…he…"

Sakura sighed. "I still love him, Naruto. I always will. But right now, I want to be by myself more than I want to be with him. I'm just really…tired. Sasuke and I need this time apart. He always was the type that prefers to be alone, so I should let him be. "

You have no idea, Naruto scoffed inside his head.

Sakura glanced at her watch, gasping. "Oh shit! I forgot I had a double shift today! Naruto, please just buy something here! A jacket is never too expensive."

"Now you sound like Ino," Naruto scowled, but he knew Sakura was avoiding the topic. As always. But he allowed himself to let it slide, that Sakura needed time to think just as much as Sasuke did.

"No, that's just girl talk."

"Hinata-chan doesn't say stuff like that."

"Well, she's a unique girl, considering she's your type," Sakura teased.

Sighing, Naruto decided to drop talking about Sasuke. Like Sakura said, they needed this time apart. They had done a lot of talking, and going on would change little in the situation.

Fortunately, Naruto spotted an orange and white track jacket that appealed to him. After finding his size, he brought it to the cashier. As he took out his wallet, Naruto watched Sakura walk out of the store, as if she was a brand new woman without Sasuke. The white circle on the back of her shirt was now visible, no longer covered by Sasuke's palm whenever he walked her out of a store.

"Naruto," Sai tapped him on the shoulder. "Isn't that-?"

"Sasuke-kun?"

Cerulean eyes darted outside the shop, then widened.

Sasuke had just stopped walking on the road, blocked by Sakura's sudden exit of the shop. He lifted his head up, gazing. His façade of calmness never wavered. Both unwilling to make the first step to move the other. This was the first time in two weeks that Naruto saw those two together, or even near each other. To meet up like this, unaware of what to do, it must have been so-

"Awk-waaaaard!"

Naruto was a hundred percent certain that it was Kiba howling. He was even surer that Kiba instantly ran from the scene, realizing his terrible mistake of commenting on the love life of the last Uchiha and Tsunade's apprentice. Then again, everybody would agree with Kiba about this situation; he was just the only one dumb enough to scream it.

The thoughts that must be running through their heads. Especially after enduring such an emotional breakdown from both Sasuke and Sakura. If only those two could say the same words they did to Naruto.

"Oh my, I don't think I've read of this before. Another confrontation after the cycle ends?" Sai rapidly flipped through his book, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "This does not make any sense. I was so certain that Sasuke and Sakura were successful the 'No Contact Rule,' yet this just proves the flaws of this theory. What is this phenom-"

Naruto yanked Sai's book out of his hands and threw it across the shop.

"Just. Watch. And. Learn." It relieved him so much to see that pathetic book lay ten feet away from Sai.

"I am, but I still cannot comprehend. Will they apologize? If so, who will do it first? Isn't the first step to reconciliation an apology from the one responsible for the breakup?"

Wide-eyed, she stared at Sasuke, whose expression was rigid, no sign of surprise. His black eyes did not stare, but looked beyond her, as if Sakura wasn't there at all.

"It's wrong for Sasuke to keep secrets from Sakura, but it's also wrong for Sakura to force it out of him either when she knows what he's like and been through. Sasuke should have realized Sakura's patience, and Sakura should have known Sasuke shows his love through the smallest gestures. That's why I feel like even if Sasuke proposed before all of this, Sakura would still say 'no.' But why should that matter? That's what I think, not them. Relationships are so personal that you can't judge who's wrong or right. It's up to them to decide how they want it and if they can look past that."

Her lips quivered briefly before she gave him a small smile.

"Hey," the word came out like a lost daily routine.

"Those two need to learn how to love each other again. It's easy to fall in love, but hard to be in a relationship. They forgot to make the other feel loved. They grew too comfortable together, and they took it for granted. If a second chance is worth it, they'll compromise. But they can't get back together now."

Sasuke stood in silence. His blank expression did not change with her reply. He nodded, acknowledging her presence. Still no words from him.

"So you don't think they'll ever get married?"

"Marriage, huh?" Naruto whispered. "To think they almost got there. Now that I think about it, everybody was still so young three years ago…"

Rarely did Sasuke come to visit Naruto's apartment aside from finding a sparring partner. Even rarer when it was early in the morning, before Naruto himself was awake. He remembered yawning loudly, stretching his arms out while Sasuke stood there impatiently. Before Naruto could ask about his friend's intrusion, Sasuke beat him to it.

"I want Sakura to be my girlfriend."

If Naruto felt any sign of falling back to his soft pillow, it disappeared the moment Sasuke said that. Naruto had gasped loudly, falling off his bed in pure shock. He didn't care for the throbbing pain in his shoulder. Sasuke had just announced his desire to be with a girl.

"WHAT?" He slapped himself repeatedly on his cheeks, making sure that he was actually awake and not dreaming.

"I need to know if you're okay with me…" Sasuke looked away sheepishly. Naruto found great satisfaction when Sasuke's cheeks tint pink. "…courting her."

"Hahaha, you said 'courting.' So old-fashioned, teme." He was rewarded with the infamous Uchiha glare.

"Fine, but why do you have to ask me? You know I've been waiting for this day since you returned," Naruto was curious. He always thought that for a relationship to start between his two best friends, Sakura would have to take the initiative. She would have been hesitant to start such a thing, but Sasuke was no better either. He was still in the "Oh I can't get close to anybody because they'll die" noble idiocrisy.

"Hn," Sasuke muttered, but Naruto understood. Even Sasuke knew that it was proper to ask permission for Naruto, being the closest thing to her brother.

"I'm glad that you came to me beforehand, but answer this," Naruto knew exactly what he wanted to ask. This was Haruno Sakura they were talking about. A girl whom Naruto grown to love like a sister to him. He wanted to protect her fragile heart and smiles, especially after the war.

"Why do you want to be with Sakura-chan?"

He didn't expect Sasuke to say those magical, life-altering three words; that wasn't Sasuke. He knew what Sasuke had been through; that it would take more time for the Uchiha to fully open up to the people he cared for.

When he saw Sasuke's dark eyes soften and lift up to meet Naruto's ocean orbs, how his shoulders relaxed, Naruto knew that he would approve of Sasuke. He was more confident of his approval when Sasuke spoke his next words that Naruto took as a promise to Team Seven.

"I want to take care of her." A gut feeling told Naruto to be at the hospital that night. His instincts had been right. Everyday around midnight, Naruto would spy, no observe, Sasuke offer to walk Sakura home, who would reluctantly agree. This had been the routine for nearly two months until one day…Sasuke lingered longer at Sakura's door, cupped Sakura's cheek, and captured her lips with his.

Within a week, the rumor of Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura dating spread like wildfire (courtesy of Ino and Naruto's dual effort). But that didn't mean Naruto was not surprised at this decision. He may have seen them kiss, but it could have stayed just as that. Despite Sasuke's pursuit, Sakura could have rejected him at the spot and Naruto would not be shocked by that either. She had placed a wall around herself when it came to Sasuke. She wanted to be close enough to him as comrades, but far enough so that it would never go beyond that, hoping to prevent another heartbreak.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. You know I'm so happy for you and teme, but," Naruto paused, mentally forming the correct words to use so it didn't come off as rude. "Why did you say 'yes' to him?"

Sakura stared at him blankly. "Seriously, Naruto? Was it not obvious when we were twelve?"

"Well yeah, you had a crush, and now you're madly in love with him, but even you were hesitant to trust Sasuke when he came back. Hell, you didn't want to pursue him. So… what changed?"

Initially, Naruto worried about the lack of progress due to Sakura's denseness and Sasuke's inability to be more romantic than a squid. Until Sasuke grew balls and kissed Sakura.

"I felt that this time, he was truly making an effort not for my forgiveness, but to win me over," Sakura laughed lightly. It must have sounded strange for her to say such things about Sasuke. Her face glowed, and Naruto hoped Sasuke was the reason for that. This natural happiness that Naruto hadn't seen in so long…and all it took was for Sasuke to accept Sakura's love.

"Sasuke doesn't have much consistency in his life. No one knows what will happen to him in the future. We don't know if he'll set out for revenge or leave Konoha again. So I just thought that maybe…I could be his rock. I just want him to know that no matter what happens, he'll always have me. He knows I will always him, and that's one of the few things he can be sure of. I'll always be there for him. While he's still adapting to returning, I can at least be one thing that's familiar to him."

They made promises that they did not keep. Sasuke did not take care of her. Sakura did not stay with him. If they kept their word, then they would still be together.

Sasuke made a long stride forward, walking past Sakura. Naruto did not miss the brief contact of Sasuke's shoulders brushing against Sakura's.

"I accept the fact that they broke up, but not that it's for good. Call me a fool for being too optimistic, but they'll find their way to each other again. It might take weeks, months, maybe years, but Sasuke and Sakura will go back to each other. For now…"

Sighing, Sakura started walking toward the hospital, taking the route where Sasuke came from. She held her head up high, fighting back unsaid words as she bit down on her lips. Hard. The distance between Sasuke and Sakura grew wider as they walked away, farther apart from each other. But still in each other's world.

"They need time to get over all the pain from the breakup…and heal."

Yes, that's what they needed most. To heal was what Naruto should have allowed them to do. They needed that time to think over what wrong, how it got that way, and how to fix it properly. He could have locked Sasuke and Sakura in a room until they resolved their problems (which he and Ino had schemed early on), but it would not last long. Maybe it would work for other couples, but not them.

When emotions are not controlled, people act rashly. Naruto knew that too well. Rushing to the result he dearly wanted was not the best use of his time. Rather, he would leave those two alone to deal with this hardship. He did his part; now, it was up to Sasuke and Sakura to decide what they really wanted. And if they would work for it. If one or the other took the initiative, and not Naruto himself, then it'll be for real.

"Do you know if they'll get back together?" Sai asked.

Just before Sakura turned a corner, Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of her. His right fist clenched tightly inside his pocket. Wrapped around a small box that Naruto knew his best friend had held since the breakup.

"I don't; I just believe." Naruto always did.

The End

Wow, it ends just like that. Hey guys, I did not promise Sasuke and Sakura to be together for a happy ending. Besides, this IS a breakup story. Not a makeup one (I GOT YOU GUYS! Not to abuse these characters' sadness). Not sure how I feel right now. Very happy, considering what's been happening in my own personal life. Anyway, I plan on writing a huge letter a few days after this is posted. I have so much to say despite this short story. For now, I'm thankful for its success because of all you wonderful readers. I hope the wait was worth it, and if not...sorry! But I have a life too! Just know that this last chapter could not have happened if I didn't face one of the worst moments of my life in college, just days before I got back into writing it. That event defined how I wrote this chapter, changing everything completely.

Once again, thank you to those who continue to read this as well as try out my other stories. Until the next story comes along, I hope you found great enjoyment with "Letting Us Go."

Love, Nakoujou