Last Chapter! I hope all of you enjoy it!

Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story.

Forever and Always

Sitting in his room, Sasuke looked out his window at the scenery contemplating how he should proceed this evening. Sakura was a woman of great passion and a wicked left hook, and needed to be persuaded properly to get what he wanted. He figured it would take some time for her to come around to his way of thinking. Until then, her chakra would have to be suppressed to avoid any unpleasantries. He stood and looked himself over in the mirror making sure that he looked his best for Sakura. Finding everything acceptable, he made is way out the door to start his courtship of his future wife.

As he walked down the corridor, he was passed by Karin. She moved quickly hardly acknowledging him, which was fine by Sasuke. Under normal circumstances, he would have given her a chance to make him happy, but with Sakura so near, the red haired woman didn't have a chance. He stopped suddenly and turned to see where she had vanished, not sensing her chakra any more. Karin had disappeared from the hallway, most likely leaving the villa due to his rendezvous with Sakura. Smiling to himself, he resumed his march to Sakura's door. Without Karin in the villa, he didn't have to worry about her barging in unwittingly while he tried to impress Sakura and persuade her to his line of thinking.

Kakashi ran full speed behind his ninken with his two teams following behind. He was glad that the ninken had picked up the scent of the unknown woman that brought Obito back near the village because her path intermingled with Sasuke's weak scent. Knowing who he was dealing with, he hoped this wasn't a trap.

Life without Sakura would be unbearable, there was no room for error in this mission. He had impressed on the two ANBU teams the urgency of this operation. They were to secure the perimeter while he took care of Sasuke and rescue Sakura. Until he gave the signal, they were not to enter the interior for any reason. Kakashi didn't want any interference from anyone when he engaged Sasuke. He would make sure that the Uchiha heir would never hurt his family again. His only hope was that Sasuke had not done anything to his precious blossom. His pace quickened as his anger surged.

Finally reaching the door, Sasuke gently knocked to see if Sakura was ready for him. He heard a soft "come in" and opened the door. Sakura was standing near the balcony with his back to him. She looked breathtaking in the finery that he had sent for her to dress in. The houmongi (see note) had been his mother's. It was a dark blue with the Uchiha crests tastefully embroidered on the shoulders. On the bottom edges, there were finely embroidered pine trees with hawks flying majestically overhead, which the Uchiha family was well known for. The obi was a medium blue with an elaborate calm stream pattern that was embroidered with silver and iridescent blue thread. His mother had worn it on formal occasions and was one of his favorites in her collection. He could remember all the happy times that they shared when she wore it. Sasuke had looked for any of his mother's furisodoe (see note) to no avail. It was just the two of them tonight so it didn't matter. Soon enough, when he secured her feelings, they would be married.

Sakura's hair was swept up in a beautiful coiffure with his mother's combs tastefully added. He was happy to see that none of the jewelry or the comb that Kakashi had given to her adorned her body. They were a reminder of the man who had taken her virginity from her, which was in his mind, rightfully his. Sakura had promised him that she would wait for his return the fateful night that he had left to pursue his quest for power. At least that's what he remembered the girl pledging her undying love saying to him before he left.

As she turned to greet him, there was a slight blush on her cheeks. He could see that her chakra was off due to the jutsu that he had used to block it, but that was to be expected. Even though he wished her no harm, she must have felt vulnerable without it surging through her body. He couldn't take the chance of her running from him before he was sure he could trust her. Sasuke also didn't want to be on the receiving end of her brute strength which she was well known for. He smiled and greeted her complimenting her beauty. Drawing nearer, he invited the pink haired woman to walk with him in the gardens below so they could enjoy the view together. Taking her hand, he led her out the door.

The two strolled through the garden making their way to the gazebo that was near the pool by the base of the waterfall. The garden was lush with beautiful flowers of all colors and greenery. Sasuke loved coming here with his family when he was small and it was his sanctuary when he needed a break in his hectic life. He had the cook, which he recently hired, prepare dinner for them as they took in the view as evening approached. Sasuke was happy to see that the kunoichi's appetite wasn't affected by his jutsu. They enjoyed the meal together in silence. He hoped that she would be more talkative as the evening wore on.

After watching the sun set, Sasuke moved closer to the woman he loved. He had never known her to be so quiet and reserved before. Under the circumstances, he understood that she was reluctant to speak to him probably due to her anger towards him. The Uchiha heir had to do something to break the silence, it was killing him not knowing her thoughts right now.

Lifting her chin with his finger, he smiled at her. "I just wanted you to know, that Obito is safe at home. I made sure that he got there unharmed," he reassured Sakura.

"Thank you," she said softly, "That means a lot to me, Sasuke."

He took her hands in his and sat closely to the pink haired medic. Sasuke was thankful that she wasn't pulling away from him and was accepting of his touch. This was going much better than he planned or hoped for. The couple watched as the stars came out. He felt her shiver next to him and asked if it would be okay to hold her to keep her warm. Sakura wordlessly nodded her consent. His spirit soared as he held her close, taking in her intoxicating scent, enjoying every minute with her.

As the evening drew to an end, he escorted her back to the master bedroom. Sasuke's mind raced on how to broach the subject he was most eager to discuss with her all night long. The evening was going much better than he expected, but didn't want to rush into things only to destroy the progress that he had made. As they walked into the room, he asked her to sit on the plush sofa that was near the balcony while he secured the door. Sitting next to her, he took her hands in his. Taking a breath, he carefully started the conversation that he anxiously wanted to discuss.

"Sakura, you know that I love you more than anything, right?"

The pink haired woman looked up at him nervously.

"I've loved you since we were 12, but I was always nervous to tell you because of my past and I didn't want to put you in danger because of my brother. That's why I thanked you before I left. You were the only one who I felt ever loved me for who I was, no matter what."

Sasuke tensely watched Sakura for her reaction. It was awhile before either spoke. She looked like she was processing what he had just revealed to her. Waiting for her response was confounding him. He needed to know what she was thinking.

"Sasuke, having that woman in this room earlier made me realize how jealous I would be if you chose to be with her," she finally said to him. "It made me realize the feelings that I have for you."

Sasuke watched her intently. Watching her chakra patterns, he knew that she wasn't lying to him. He would have to thank Karin later for whatever she did or said while she was helping Sakura dress. "Which was?"

"I love you, Sasuke. I have since I first met you. Forever and always."

He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her deeply. The woman in his arms responded passionately. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Sakura would reply in the way she just did. His spirit soared as she wound her hands into his thick hair. He swept her into his arms and made his way towards the bed to prove to her how much he loved her.

A faint light shown over Sakura as she woke from her stupor. The last thing she remembered was that red haired witch in the room with her telling her that she was there to dress her and the verbal fight that ensued. Looking around her surroundings, she found herself alone in a walk-in closets surrounded by linens and stored kimono. Her arms were bound, but not tightly. The woman must have been in a hurry when she restrained her. After some effort, Sakura wiggled one arm loose. She tried to swear, but found her voice was not functioning. The witch must have placed a jutsu on her causing her vocal cords to paralyze. Without her full chakra, she couldn't undo it. Suddenly, she was aware of the noises coming from the other side of the door. She was shocked to hear her own voice in the throes of passion and Sasuke's voice. 'What the hell is going on?' she thought to herself.

Kakashi waited until the ANBU teams were in position before he broached the room where he heard Sakura's voice. As soon as they gave the signal that they were ready, he stealthily jumped up on the balcony where he had heard her voice. Shock washed over him as he heard Sakura's voice cry out in ecstasy. He burst into the room finding Sasuke and Sakura in bed in a very compromising position. The couple didn't notice him as he stared in disbelief at the scene that was before him. He could tell that Sakura's chakra was compromised and only could think that the Uchiha heir had done something to his love to make her respond in this way. Anger washed over Kakashi as he watched Sasuke take advantage of Sakura after he had made her powerless to defend herself.

As Sasuke came down from his high from making love to the pink haired object of his affection, he noticed a familiar presence in the room. "Kakashi," he swore as he gathered the woman next to him into his arms.

The two men glared at each other, their anger filling the large room.

"Ha," Sasuke spat, "I knew you would come for her, but I didn't expect it would be this soon. But if I was in your position, I guess I wouldn't have waited long either. She's a prize isn't she?" Sasuke drew the pink haired woman's face to his as he kissed her deeply.

Kakashi tensed as he watched Sasuke kiss the woman that he loved. Knowing what he must have done to her to make her respond the way she did right now just enraged him further. He knew that the man was trying to get a response out of him, he steeled his emotions so he could rescue her and take care of Sasuke so he would never bother them again.

"I guess she has made her choice on who she wants to be with, Kakashi, and you aren't it," Sasuke snarled. "I would appreciate if you could leave now, you interrupted a very pleasant evening for the two of us."

"Sorry, I can't do that," Kakashi sneered, "I have a duty to Sakura and Konoha."

Sasuke kissed her forehead as he rose from the bed to ready himself for battle. He donned his pants and faced their intruder.

Sakura sensed Kakashi's presence appear in the other room and heard the men talking. She could hear the pain and anger in Kakashi's voice as he bantered with Sasuke. Wishing that she could let him know that she was not the woman in the bed, she searched frantically for anything to help her try to help subdue Sasuke before Kakashi was hurt. Sakura was more than confident of her lover's abilities, but he was still recuperating from his injuries and wasn't 100% yet. As she searched, she found her comb still in her hair and her bracelet on her wrist. The jewelry was the ones that Kakashi had left her from his mother's inheritance. Undoing the compartments, she readied the poison laced senbons from their cradle and an instrument that was hidden in one of the compartments that could help her unlock the door. Quietly, she opened the closet door and waited for her chance to poison the man who kidnapped her.

The men stared each other down as they waited for the other to make their first move. Both had their sharringans blazing as they sized each other up. Sasuke moved out of the way of the bed so the woman in the bed wouldn't be hurt by their fight. As he moved to the middle of the room he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye. He turned to catch her as she fell behind him. Both men screamed her name as they saw her fall. Cradling her in his arms, he saw two small senbons, one embedded in her chest and one in her neck. She gasped Sasuke's name as she lost consciousness.

Sasuke laid her upon the bed gently and pulled the senbons from her skin. He noted that they were poisoned because of the changing color of her skin was around the puncture sites. Her breathing became labored and her eyes flew wide open as she clutched him desperately.

"Sasuke…remember…I love…you…forever…and…always, forever…and always," she whispered before she stopped breathing.

Karin had seen the glint of light from the closet that she had stashed Sakura in and moved quickly cursing herself for not restraining the kunoichi better. She felt the senbons imbed in her skin and felt the poison start spreading through her body. Knowing that she would be dying shortly, she needed to tell Sasuke how she felt one more time. As she whispered her last words, she was content that she had finally shown him how much she loved him, even if it was disguised as another. The red haired woman could die peacefully knowing that she had saved him from certain death. She knew that her henge would dissipate once she died, and then he would know that she loved him more than life itself by her actions.

The room grew quiet, nothing was heard. Neither man could believe what they had just witnessed. Sasuke became enraged by Kakashi's incompetence by having one of his subordinates putting Sakura in harm's way. Kakashi couldn't figure out who had poisoned her since his team was outside. He had given strict orders for no one to enter this room under no circumstances. His only deduction was that the perpetrator was one of Sasuke's people that had wanted to kill him. In her deluded state, Sakura had thrown her body in front of Sasuke to protect him. Both men were enraged by watching the one they loved most die in front of their eyes.

Sakura didn't know that the woman could move so fast. She had paid the ultimate price for her feelings for the Uchiha heir by dying for him. The tension in the room was stifling as she watched both men witness her own supposed death. Sakura knew that she needed to do something fast. Kakashi was in more danger now than before because of Sasuke's wrath.

Neither man said a word as they circled each other. It was a fight to the death now, no holds barred. Neither had anything to lose since they both had lost the thing most precious in their lives. Kakashi hoped that he had enough energy to take Sasuke down since he was still not at his best due to his injuries.

Sasuke swore and told the man that was his ex-sensei that he wished that his underlings had finished the job they were charged to do so many years ago when he had assigned the men to take Kakashi prisoner and torture him. He admitted to his plan to dispose of the silver haired ninja so he could have the now dead woman and her son all for himself. Spewing how all his plans were laid to waste because of Kakashi surviving, Sasuke promised that he would make Kakashi pay for ruining his chance to be with Sakura forever. Sasuke charged up his chakra and stepped forward to make the man in front of him to make him pay fully for his loss.

Sakura saw her chance and crept from the closet, where she was hidden, with two more poison laced senbons in hand. Having only two more senbon left after that, she had to make these count. She was counting on the element of surprise to kill Sasuke.

Sasuke felt a presence behind him. Knowing that Kakashi had help, he spun around to take on the unknown intruder only to be shocked at the sight of Sakura standing in front of him. He felt Kakashi's raikiri tear through his chest as he stood awestruck by her presence. Sasuke looked over to the bed where he now saw Karin displayed in the position where he thought Sakura had died. He smiled at Sakura as his life ebbed from him knowing now that he had been tricked by one that professed her undying love to him earlier in the day. It was a fitting ending to his cursed plan. He wouldn't have to watch the object of his desire be in the arms of his enemy. His body crumpled to the floor as he took his last breath.

The couple stared at each other as Sasuke died beneath them. Kakashi took a tentative step forward, hoping that the image before him was real, not knowing what he would do if it wasn't.

"Please tell me that it's really you Sakura," he said in a pained voice.

Tears ran down her face as she mouthed that it was really her and that she could not talk. She couldn't take the pained expression on his face any more. Running into his arms, she clutched him tightly. Her scent assaulted his senses and he knew that it was his Sakura in his arms, not an illusion. He embraced her tightly not wanting to let go of her just in case this was a deception. Watching the image of her dying earlier was the worst experience he ever experienced in his life and Kakashi didn't want to ever repeat it again. He had lost many comrades in his life, but the idea of losing the one he loved more than life itself was something that would break him. Holding her in his arms, he let out a huge sigh of relief. Kakashi was also thankful that the image of Sakura being intimate with Sasuke was a false one. Lifting her face to his, he kissed her deeply.

The couple was soon interrupted by Pakuun, who was clearing his throat to get his master's attention. The small pug was glad that Kakashi had found Sakura, but the team outside was getting antsy waiting for Kakashi to give the signal that he had eliminated his target. There would be time to do all of this human mushy stuff once their mission was completed. Kakashi laughed as he told the pug to give the signal to summon the team lead outside, and the small dog walked off muttering about over emotional humans.

Kakashi gave the ANBU team leader instructions to take care of the villa and the loose ends while he took Sakura back to Konoha. Sweeping Sakura up into his arms, he sped back to the village so she could be looked over medically to release the jutsu she was still suffering from. Sakura nestled close to his chest savoring his strong arms around her, weaving her arms around his neck. She felt safe and secure as he flew through the forest towards the village. It seemed like years had passed since he held her close this way, even though it was just a few days. Sakura drifted off to sleep as he ran, lulled by his movements. As he looked down at her sleeping form, he pulled her closer thanking the gods above for sparing her from death. He hoped that this broke his long curse of losing every person he ever loved. Kissing her forehead, he picked up his pace so he could get her home where she belonged.

It took a couple of weeks for Sakura to regain her strength and voice after her harrowing ordeal. Obito was overjoyed to see his mother again when she finally was back. The boy was clingy the first few days after she arrived home. Both Kakashi and Sakura reassured him that all was well and that he was safe. Kakashi was back to his old self again but had a new appreciation of his family. He vowed that he would do everything in his power so they would be never separated again. Soon after Sakura arrived home, he asked her to marry him so they could be the family that they all craved. In a small ceremony, surrounded by friends, the couple was joined together as man and wife. Even though they had many challenges ahead of them, they knew they could weather it all with knowledge that they always had each other by their side.

Notes:

Furisodoe – formal kimono that is worn by an unmarried woman.

Houmongi – formal kimono that is worn by a married woman.

Hopefully, you all enjoyed the ending. Thanks for all of you that have commented and supported this story! I will try to get next story posted as soon as I'm able. Thanks again for your patience and support!