I held in my hands the last piece of Sasuke I physically had. Kakashi said he found it beside me on the ground, and he offered it to me. It was his headband. His scratched headband. I sat somewhat upright in the hospital bed, with the headband in my lap. I ran my hands back and forth across the steel, feeling the familiar indent of the leaf village symbol, and - more carefully - the sharp, jagged line across it.

"I'm sorry." I managed in a small voice, my first round of breakdown over.

"You really should stop saying that," Sakura said with a small smile. She was sitting on the bench across from me in the hospital room. "It's fine. Just forget it." She was so good at fake smiling. I knew she didn't mean it. If any of Sakura's child crush on Sasuke had faded, it had only given way to more mature feelings. She loved him, and I knew this hit her hard, just as it did me.

"I won't forget about it," I answered. "I can't, I-" I started - or more like tried - to grin at her.

"I really don't want to see you get hurt over this. I'm telling you it doesn't matter." My grin faded. Sakura had to know. She had to understand. It was only fair. I loved her, she was my best friend, and if I told her later, it would only be worse.

"I know it matters to you. That's why I won't break my promise. And not just for you-" I paused. "For me."

"I know Sasuke means a lot to you. But he could-"

"Sasuke and I were together." It was the most direct way I could think of, without making her question it anymore. She stared at me for a moment, opened her mouth like she would say something, then shut it again. Her expression was blank, but she was forcing it to be that way. My fingers traced the line from my slash, deep in the metal.

"Kakashi," She began quietly. "Hinted something like that." Her voice broke, just a tiny bit at the end. If she hated me now, I wouldn't have anyone.

"I'm sor - "

"I told you to stop saying that!" She grinned at me placidly, suddenly. Like everything was alright, and she just needed a moment to get over it. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"But you - "

"I know." She answered, only slightly quieter. "But you aren't giving up are you?"
"Nope! I'll chase that sadistic bastard to the ends of the earth!" I tried to move my arm too fast to give her a thumbs up, but it ended in a cringe and a whimper of "Ouch!"

She smiled. "Then I'll be with you every step of the way, and support you however I can."

The pink haired annoyance is being kind.

Shut up, Kyubbi. She is not.

Either way, brat.

With the help of Sakura, Kakashi - And a few others I haven't even met yet, I knew this would work. It had to work.

I love Sasuke too much for it not to work.