Part-3.Happy Reading!!

"Maybe Next time..."

It was refreshing. To let the cool evening air caress your face, webbing away all the problems and worries. Tightening her hold on the railing, Hinata took in the alluring coalece of red and orange of the sun. It reminded her of Naruto. And she thinks, anyone who had ever met Uzumaki Naruto, would have the same thoughts as her. He was warm and bright. The light of hope. He was her sun.

The next colour that crosses her mind is pink.

Pink.

Femininity, Kindness, Innocence, Love.

From what she had seen and heard of Sakura, these words defined her easily. And Broken.

Broken. The word was so familiar, yet so rare in the magical world, where souls bond for life. Hinata had never heard of anyone being Broken, let alone see one. Only in the ancient of the scrolls had she ever read 9f this dreadful state.

From the moment the bond is severed, the souls succumb to such a state of agony, it is impossible not to give in to insanity. The pain both mrntal and physical, deteriorates the body, slowly eating away the Life Force. Was anyone aware of this? Was Sakura-san aware of it?

She must be, Hinata thinks, Haruno Sakura was smart, if nothing else. She didn't understand how could the pinkette give away free smiles, despite the anguish burning her insides. Broken at only thirteen, a ideal age where people usually find their Soulmates, carrying on with life. For six long years no less. It was a marvelous fit in itself.

But the catastrophe had befallen on both souls. So somewhere out there, this 'Teme' person is also alive, going through the same suffering. How could someone do this to himself ? To the person, he was supposed to cherish the most ?

Her thoughts trailed off as the door to the roof opened, revealing a familiar pink haired girl. Both the young women looked startled like deers caught in headlights, surprised to find the other. After weeks, they stood face to face, finally encountering each other for the very first time.

Sakura was the first to break the eye contact, a nervous smile slipping onto her face as she walked towards Hinata.

"Hi" she started, "I didn't know anyone was up here, I am not bothering you, am I?"

"O-Of course not!" Hinata sputtered, her face pink with embarrassment for being so nervous. They stood side to side, often glancing at each other from the corner of their eyes. Hinata observed the girl besides her, eyeing her beautifully strange hair that was a perfect shade of cherry blossoms. Sakura-san is really...

"Pretty", Hinata snapped out of her musings at the voice, turning fully towards Sakura who had a amused smile playing on her lips.

"Eh?"

"You are really pretty, Hinata" the pinkette giggled, "No wonder Naruto couldn't stop talking about you."

"Ah... Wha...?" Hinata sputtered, coherent thoughts escaping her, "H-He d-does?"

"Yes! Most of our conversation these days are centered around you. I have really wanted to meet you, but all these duties have been keeping me a little busy."

"Y-yes, me too", Hinata shyly smiled at the other girl.

"You don't have to be nervous with me, Hinata," Sakura squeezed her hand in reassurance, before a troubled look crossed her face. "Hey... about the other day in my room, I don't know what it may have looked to someone, but I swear nothing is going on between me and Naruto."

"S-Sakura-san, please don't," Hinata said nervously fidgeting with her sleeves, "It was I, who had misunderstood. Naruto-kun has cleared it."

"Oh thank goodness!!" exclaimed Sakura, letting out a deep sigh. "I could never live with it, if you guys had any disturbance. He really is like a little brother to me."

Suddenly Hinata was engulfed in tight embrace and the smell of wild flowers filled her norstril. She tensed a bit but soon relaxed into Sakura's hand.

"He was so alone before, that Naruto" Sakura whispered, "I am glad he has you now. Be happy both of you."

"I would like to differ Sakura-san," said Hinata firmly. "He had Iruka-san, Kakashi-san and especially you. He still has all of you." The pinkette withdrew from her, once agai gaze on the tinted sky.

"I won't always be around, you know" Sakura spoke after a moment's silence. The melancholy voice pulled Hinata to her earlier thoughts and before she could think about it, the question had already been served.

"Your bond! What happened?" She let out a small 'eep' as soon as the question had left her mouth.

Sakura's mouth went dry, as she tried her best not to give into the storm of painful memories and emotions. But being pulled into that hurricane of red eyes, hateful words and a agonizing last encounter was inevitable.

~

It was past midnight and the whole village had already fallen into a deep slumber. A starry night, without any hint of cloud was such an irony to the swirling storm inside the thirteen year old girl as her eyes followed every step her soulmate took towards her. 'No. Not towards her. Towards the gate. To the exist.' Sakura reminded herself, still a part of her hoped it wasn't what she was thinking of.

Uchiha Sasuke was now just five steps away from her, his ever present stoick mask shaping his expression. It contraindicated so much with what his obsidian eyes held. His eyes that were empty before now held a very pecuilar heat in them. A crazed look.

"What are you doing here at this time?" His voice was cooler than ever. Harsh. With a rough edge to it. He didn't bother to stop and instead kept walking past her.

"I should ask you the same, Sasuke-kun. Where are you going in the middle of the night?" Sakura's voice trembled at the end. He finally stopped but didn't turn around.

"Hn. It's none of your buisness."

Sakura's eyes widened and she hastily turned to face his back, the uchiwa standing proudly on it.

"Of course it's my buisness. We... we are soulmates, Sasuke-kun. Please don't push me away."

"Shut up. You are just a naive little girl. You don't understand anything." Sasuke scoffed.

Tears filled her viridean eyes. Because she didn't know how to make him see that she understands his pain, that she feels his pain.

"Please Sasuke-kun, you can't leave. Don't tell me you have felt nothing for us. Naruto, Kaka-sensei... we all care about you Sasuke-kun. And I... I.. I love you with all my heart!", She exclaims, the tears finally running down her pale face. Maybe she imagines it, but she feels his eyes widen a little in surprise. But it's gone just as quickly.

"So what are you saying? I should enjoy a little romance?" Sasuke snorted. Sakura stepped towards him gripping his navy shirt tightly.

"No. I don't mean that. I am not asking you to love me. I will never ask you to love me." she whispered desperately. "Just let me love you. Let me take care of you. Let me be by your side. I won't ask for anything else."

"Hn." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her actions. "I have no desire to love you or be loved by you." Sakura couldn't take it anymore, her hand went up, gently cupping his cheeks and making him look down into her eyes.

"Please, please, please don't leave, Sasuke-kun" she whimpered, her body shaking with repressed sobs. "I promise. I promise I will make you happy. Just don't leave."

Sasuke grabbed her hands and shoved her off him. Sakura roughly landed on the ground, hurting her knees in the process. She looked up at him in shock. He had never before treated her this way. She flinched as he leaned down to her level, his eyes glowing crimson.

"There is no one I hate more than I hate you, Senju Sakura." She gasped in surprise with how much venom was in his words. "Your family along with village Elders odered my Clan's massacre. They ruined my brother."

Sakura didn't understand what he was talking about. Her family? No. There was no way Aunt Tsunade would have done something like this. Sasuke grabbed her chin leaning even closer to her.

"I should kill you. I should start my revenge on this village by killing the Senju heiress and then destroy Konoha. I will wipe Konoha out of existence." Sakura's eyes were wide with terror. What was happening? He wanted to kill her? Did he really hate her that much?

Sasuke released her and stood up. The sharingan was spinning madly in his eyes and there were little sparks coming from his hand.

"The only reason I am not doing it is because your pathetic life is the anchor to my existence." He shifted his hands and slowly a faint golden chain became visible. It was the Bond. The bond that connected their souls. "From now on, our paths are different, annoying girl."

"N-No... no.. no... NO, Sasuke-kun, don't..." Her pleas fell on deaf ears because he had already snapped the chain in half. The pain following wasn't surprising but nothing in this world could have ever prepared her for that. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH..."

~

Hinata jumped when the blood curdling scream left Sakura's mouth. She stood frozen watching the now covulsing girl. Blood poured out of her mouth as she clutched her shirt right above her heart and trembled violently.

The door to the roof opened with a bang as a dozen people entered the premises with Naruto and Kakashi on lead. Wasting no time, Kakashi scooped the pink haired girl into his arms and rushed out to the medical wing. Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand pulling her through after Kakashi. She noticed everyone looked visibly disturbed but none looked surprised.

They waited outside, strictly ordered by Shizune as she began to stabilise her. Everyone had a grim look on their face. She observed Ino weeping quietly on Sai's shoulder and couldn't help the tears that slid down her own cheeks.

"Don't worry. S-She will be alright." Naruto whispered but it was loud enough for all of them to hear. The statement should be encouraging but it felt like Naruto didn't know if he was assuring himself or the rest of them.

They could only hope and wait for the results.

Fifteen minutes later they were informed about Sakura's condition. Her body was getting worse. She didn't have much time left. It was a contradicting feeling. They didn't want to lose her but perhaps only in dying could she get released from the pain.

~

Weeks and Months passed by after that particular incident, Sakura was back to her form in just one week. She wasn't surprised to find her impending doom, and accepted it quietly.

But there was another threat breathing at the back of their necks. In the past months the war had taken a violent turn. Enemies and friends were scattered throughout the battlefield fighting to achieve the victory.

Uzumaki Naruto had been chosen to fight the opposing leader head on. In reality Naruto had insisted that he wanted to be the one to take down the enemy. That night in their private quarter, Hinata had been drowned in the flood of apologies that he had rained down. He had berated himself, of being selfish and not thinking about her sake. Hinata had continuously reassured him that it didn't matter. Perhaps she would have wanted to live a little more, spending the life with Naruto. But atleast she wouldn't have to live without him.

She always received sympathies and pity stares in the camp. Everybody knew, there was a chance Naruto wouldn't stand victorious in the final fight. Maybe that was why, she spent her time with her friends and families enjoying their presence, incase she would never she them.

One night she had broke down crying, in the arms of Sakura, letting out all her worries about her soulmate.

The pink medic had been silent before she had taken both of Hinata's hand in her own, squeezing it firmly.

"Don't worry Hinata. Nothing would happen to Naruto. I won't let him die." Her own green eyes had been filled with tears. "I promise I won't let anything happen to him. This is my promise of a life time, Shannaro!"

Hinata knew holding onto such a promise wasn't the best thing. But somehow she believed Sakura. She was the best medic. Of course she won't let anything happen to her.

~

The end of the Great War had finally come, Hinata thought, as she watched the opposing leader made his appearance known.

He was terrifying. Ebony locks were barely covering the spinning star in those crimson eyes. He looked every bit ruthless as she had heard. Uchiha. And he was proudly displaying the Sharingan. Her breath stuck in her throat as those murdering gaze suddenly shifted towards her.

No. The heavy gaze was not on her. Hinata realised she felt a sudden fluctuation in the aura surrounding her. The sudden intake of breath made her look at the girl standing besides her.

Those green eyes showed a infinite amount of emotions floating through them. Love was the foremost emotion Hinata dictated in Sakura's eyes. Followed by anger, pain, betrayal, sadness and a bunch more. But two emotions were absent.

Happiness. A emotion expected to be absent from green eyes.

And hate. Also expected to be absent when one's eyes sought his significant other.

When she had first seen Senju Sakura, Hinata had wanted to be like her. But now, no matter how despising it sounds, she wished she never had to go through what Sakura was going thrpugh.

Uchiha Sasuke was Senju Sakura's soulmate.

It was a twisted fate. Binding the black and pink in a horrible encounter.

~

Four hours later the final battle had began. A battle between light and dark. A battle between two brothers, who were swallowed in lonliness. Hinata slowly followed the trembling Sakura near the vicious fight.

She watched in despair and amazement as every wound on Uchiha Sasuke appeared on Sakura's body. But she didn't falter her eyes insanely focused on the two man ahead.

It meant only one thing; even broken their bond was very strong.

Her eyes snapped back to the battle upon hearing a pained noise from Naruto. Her heart raced at an uneven speed as she saw her soulmate on his knees before the dark haired man. Hinata's let out a terrible scream as Sasuke's left hand charged with lightning erupted the chirping of a thousand birds and moved it towards her lover's heart.

"Farewell my only friend."

The red of the blood squirted out into the already messy air but not from where it should have.

The blue lightning vanished as Uchiha Sasuke clutched his stabbed heart, sbuddering in pain. His once red eyes were now a unfathomable black widened in astonishment. Naruto raised his head, equally surprised of what in the world had happened.

A watery choke was the only answer they got as three pair of eyes turned to the fragile girl behind them. The kunai held in one hand, drenched in the crimson liquid was brutally stabbed into the already pierced heart.

One pair of soulmates watched in horror as the other pair coughed out blood, their body now bathed in their own blood. A cry of despair left Naruto as he witnessed the sickening fate of his two closest friend. Hinata caught the blonde as he fell back, her stomach twisted in a knot as she recalled Sakura's words.

"I won't let him die, I promise."

Sakura stumbled through the pain towards Sasuke, falling a hand away from him. Her eyes were scrunched in pain as she took in the sight of her soulmate. He was so near but seemed very far. The tears kept flowing like her bleeding heart.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun," she gasped out, "I'm sorry, I couldn't be enough. Couldn't take your pain away. Maybe in another life..." she trailed off coughing up more blood.

She saw as Sasuke's ever cold face melted into a guilt ridden face, his own eyes now filled in anguish, emotional or physical she didn't know. Maybe both. She felt her life force vanishing and let out a gentle smile full of love for him and reached for his hand.

"I-I still l-love you with all m-my heart..." With that she fell silent her hand halfway to Sasuke's, her green eyes now void.

Naruto sobbed hard at the loss of his sister in everything but blood. His teary eyes moved to Sasuke, mildy surprised to find tears running down his face as he kept staring at the now lifeless girl. Sasuke gently grabbed Sakura's hand meeting it halfway. It was all over for him.

"I'm sorry... for everything...", He knew he didn't deserve it. Her forgiveness. But hopes she will forgive him.

Maybe in another life he won't be drowning in darkness. Maybe in another life he could give her all the happiness she deserves.

"Maybe... Next time..."

As Uchiha Sasuke closes his eyes for the last time, letting out a stream of tears, Naruto realises.

That in his own twisted way, Uchiha Sasuke had loved Senju Sakura.

Naruto and Hinata and possibly every other person present in the battlefield witnessed as the bodies of two tormented soul dissipated into heaven in a swirl of gold and white.

It was a sight to behold.

A Marvelous Phenomena indeed.

Finally the 3rd and Last part was over. Just the epilogue remains.

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