A/N: Next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews!

"How is he?" Sakura asked worriedly, "Is he going to be okay?"

"He's definitely calmed down," Naruto said on a sigh, running a finger along the rim of his teacup, "But we're not sure yet whether is just him trying to trick us into believing he's better so that the hospital will let him go or if he's actually improving, so we have him under constant supervision, just in case. Any way we look at it, though, we have to admit that, although he does seem very depressed, we're able to allow him to be conscious without him either going into a tantrum or trying to kill himself."

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded her understanding. It had been almost unbearably difficult for her to force a smile while in the presence of others after she had come to terms with what she needed to do and so she could understand how Sasuke was feeling. They had both lost somebody very precious to them.

"He wants to see you."

"Me?" she asked incredulously.

Naruto nodded. "He told me that he wanted to talk to you in private, that it was very important. I asked Baa-chan and she said that, as long as I escort you to and from the hospital, it'll be fine."

"... Right now?"

The blond nodded. "He's waiting."

Don't go, the nicer side of Exodus whispered softly, This can only lead to problems. Don't go see him yet. Not yet.

Sakura bit her lower lip and stood, reluctantly allowing Naruto to lead her to the hospital and then to the room Sasuke was in. Once there, he left her to take her time.

Her hand reached out to take the doorknob, but she paused before she could come in contact with the cold metal. She hadn't seen Sasuke at all since before he'd left for battle and she was scared of finding out how seeing his only brother killed had changed him.

Eventually, she took a deep breath in and let it out on an inaudible sigh. She walked into the room and closed the door behind herself.

Sasuke was in hospital-issued clothing, lying over the white bed linen, his eyes gazing sightlessly up at the ceiling. By the dazed look in his eyes, Sakura assumed he was in the room in body, but not in mind.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" she called tentatively, slowly walking further into the room and sitting down in the chair beside the bed.

His eyes moved to look at her through his peripherals, but the rest of him remained motionless. He gave no other indication that he had acknowledged her presence.

"Naruto said... you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," he whispered softly, his eyes moving back to study the ceiling.

She nodded. "Okay."

They stayed in silence for a long time, Sakura sitting in her chair, going between examining Sasuke to studying the room while Sasuke continued to stare above him.

Just as Sakura was beginning to believe that nothing was going to be said, Sasuke opened his mouth and spoke. "We just got him back," he told her, "And they took him from us."

She closed her eyed in a feeble, yet somehow successful, attempt at blocking the tears' escape. "I know."

"He was the only family I had left in this world... but now he's gone. He was your one and only lover... but now he's gone."

This isn't making things any easier.

"And now we're all alone in the world."

Sakura opened her eyes and, even though she'd been thinking that herself not long before, shook her head. "No, you have Naruto. You have—"

"Yes, I do have Naruto, but for how long? How long will the Akatsuki let me have him? Seeing Itachi die made me realize something, if the Akatsuki could take Itachi down so easily, Naruto doesn't stand a chance. Soon, they'll come here, take Naruto and kill him... and there isn't a single thing he'll be able to do about it. And then I'll be completely alone."

"What's your point? Why are you telling me all this?"

Sasuke remained silent a moment, then asked, "You want it, don't you? Revenge?"

Sakura's heart skipped a beat and that odd feeling she had come to know as Exodus kicked up, pounding furiously in her head. She knew that it wanted her to say no, she even felt compelled to do so, but she only winced from the pain and gave her true answer, "Yes."

"I want it, too. I also want to keep Naruto safe. So I see no other option. You and me, brother and sister, together we have to destroy the Akatsuki. Even if it costs us our lives, the Akatsuki will fall."

"Yes," Sakura agreed, "You and me, brother and sister."

"We will leave tomorrow night."

"Alright."

"And Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"If we should die and you find Itachi in the afterlife, tell him that I'm sorry for breaking the promise I made him, okay? Will you tell him that for me?"

Sakura was a bit confused by this, wondering what sort of promise Itachi had asked of Sasuke, but she nodded anyway and said, "Okay."

The sole-remaining Uchiha nodded in return and said sadly, "He... he deserved a girl like you."

At that, Sakura could no longer keep back the tears. They rolled down her cheeks like small rivers, but she didn't mind in the least... because Sasuke was crying, too.

A/N: Let's all pretend Madara doesn't exist for right now so that Sasuke can be the only Uchiha left, okay? I prefer Tobi much more that Madara, anyway! X3 The next chapter is going to mainly focus on some other people and then have a little bit of Sasuke and Sakura going off on their own closer to the end. So, please review and Ill update when I can!