Alarmed with Sakura's condition, Naruto made his way to her side.
"Sakura-chan! What's wrong?"
"Naruto, I'm out of chakra." She replied, as her body slowly numbed.
"The jutsu I used is suppose to kill me, too. But thankfully, Tsunade-sama taught me a way to buy time."
The atmosphere had changed, the emotions overwhelming... He too, had slowly begun to tear. "Sasuke... You...idiot..."
Sasuke pulled himself up to his feet and turned to run away. He performed the healing jutsu once again to stop the bleeding. Naruto was at a state of a hard decision. He couldn't let Sasuke get away now, but Sakura-chan's condition was... Horrible...
"Sakura-chan, hang in there!" He semi-reluctantly carried her, "I'm getting you to the hospital."
"NO! I'm going to die soon, Naruto. Don't help me! Fight Sasuke! Bring him back. That's my last wish, Naruto-kun."
"Sakura-chan! Not yet, you're still okay!" He clenched his teeth, the tears slightly brimming.
Sakura sniffed, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I guess, I really am weak."
"You're wrong! And You're not going to die on me!"
"All this time, I trained harder just to bring Sasuke back. I'm such a idiot. I can't do anything. Look at me now, I'm near death and Sasuke ran off. Naruto, go find him. Bring him back. Leave me now, okay? I'll be fine."
"Sakura-chan! NO! You're going to Tsunade-ba-chan!" Despite his urgency to bring Sasuke back, Sakura was more important to him at the moment.
"GO!" She commanded.
"No, I won't." He replied.
"DAMN IT! GET GOING!" She screamed at him. "Go now! There's no way to save me!"
He bit his lips, understanding her wish, and his as well, but he dare not lose another friend. "Sakura-chan... Don't... Don't make me run away... I have to save you, there's still time!"
"Please, Naruto, as my last wish, go save Sasuke for me," she begged him earnestly.
Painfully, he sped his way to Hokage's quarters, agaisnt Sakura's will.
"Sakura-chan... you know I promised you, I'm not going to break it. I'll save him after I save you... I promise."
She yelled at him, "Go chase Sasuke or I'll never forgive you!"
He was much too stubborn in his state, as much as he feared her anger, he wouldn't live to see her die.
"Even if you won't forgive me, I can't let things be this way!" He ignored all her pleas, racing to find Tsunade and screamed her name throughout the whole village.
"Naruto! Let go of me!"
"NO!" For the first time, He screamed angrily at Sakura. "I'm not ditching you! I WON'T! So... Shut up... and listen to me.." There was pain showing in his eyes as he clenched his teeth.
".. I'm not leaving you like this.. I'm not letting you die. If I had to choose between saving friends... You'll be the first... before Sasuke... At least you understand, you're sensible... He's too stubborn to come back... But I promised you, didn't I? I won't go back on my words... I promise I will- "
Sakura's vision was getting blurry now. She coughed up more blood.. Her hands and feet were cold.
Suprised by her coughs, he gripped tighter, "Just hold on! We're almost near Tsunade! Please hold on!"
Ican't hear you anymore, Naruto. Where are you? Is this... really the end? Sakura fell limp against Naruto's warm body.
Where is Tsunade?
He stopped in his tracks.
No.. Impossible... Sakura-chan... No...
He looked down at her battered figure...
"How? How did you...?"
He slowly slumped to his knees, her lifeless body gripped close to him.
"Sakura-chan..."
The rain was pouring harder than ever, cloaking the tears that slid down his face.
"Sakura-chan..." He mumbled to himself. He was too devastated to move away, his body numbing in the cold rain.
Have my efforts... gone to waste? ...no... Sakura-chan, you can't die!
He shook his head, quickly getting back up. It was still possible, It has to be! He ran as fast as he could to Tsunade's office, hoping to be able to make it in time. Sakura, He pleaded and prayed, please hang in just a bit longer...
Not to long after, Naruto barged into Tsunade's office, breathless, "Tsunade-ba-chan! Sakura -!"
Tsunade looked up from her desk, "What on earth–?"
"Sakura needs -"
Tsunade stood up and looked at Sakura's limp body. She walked over to Sakura and touched her heart.
"She used the forbidden jutsu, didn't she?"
He was on all fours, panting heavily as he tried to regain his breath. "Sasuke... he... just left... send someone..." He gasped again.
"Sasuke! Here?" She nodded – though confused – and called for the tenants to send a message to the Anbu squad.
"Naruto, answer me. Did she use the forbidden jutsu?"
"I don't know a damn about any jutsu, just help her!" He screamed desperately.
"Naruto... I... can't, she's... dead." Tsunade almost choked on the words, knowing it would be hard to tell a person his teammate had just died.
No one seemed to matter after Sakura, it didn't matter who he was talking to, he just needed someone to save her, and he felt shattered to know he was unable to save her. Even Tsunade couldn't save her.
"I told her that if she performed the seal of the cat, the results will be devastating. Even so, she used it on Sasuke. Naruto.. I'm sorry... I'll... call for a funeral..."
"NO!" He gripped Tsunade's clothing. "Do something! There are no funerals!" He gripped tighter, "She is not dead!"
Tsunade slapped him, "Naruto! You have to accept it. She is dead! This it the life of ninjas!"
She sighed deeply, a look of sorrow in her eyes. She cleaned the dirt from Sakura's body, now looking as if she were sleeping peacefully.
He looked over at Sakura, her body betraying her real state.
No... you liars...
He fell down to his knees again, punching fiercely at the ground repetitiously.
Tsunade shook him, "Calm down. Explain what happened with Sasuke."
Naruto looked away, tears in his eyes. "Sasuke... returned..." He gulped.
"He returned... and... we battled..." The scenes were rerunning in his head, "Sakura... used a jutsu... They both -." He didn't bother to continue, as Tsunade understood what happened from there.
"Alright. Leave Sakura to me... We'll give her a proper burial... You can go home and rest. You had a long night."
She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, allowing him to grieve. He had lost two of friends now... his only team... He was the only one left of his team... What was he to do? He was losing all his hope, and his dreams of becoming Hokage didn't seem to matter anymore. His mind was blank, as he walked out of the quarters. There were no more friends, no more teammates for him... He was left alone in the dark again. Life seemed to have ended for him. His tears had dried, and he could cry no longer. He wiped them away, his eyes red. Once he reached home, he slumped and laid down on his bed, staring at his pitiful face in the mirror. He could see Sakura's smiling face in his mind, and Sasukes as well... He gripped his bed sheet. Never in his life has he felt so vulnerable... shattered... broken and devastated. He didn't want tomorrow to come. It would only mean Sakura's funeral. His mind wandered to Sasuke, his feelings toward him rapidly changing.
He's my enemy now... He wouldn't come back... He's made everyone suffer... He destroyed team seven... Does he even deserve to live anymore?
He stopped himself from thinking any further, feeling guilty for having such thoughts about Sasuke's death. One friend's death was more than enough.
I lost Sakura... but I won't lose Sasuke as well... If I... He thought again, If I have to... I'll be the one... to kill him... If I have to... He began questioning himself. How could I have these thoughts?
He removed his head protector, pulling it down and held it in his hands and stared. Konoha... leaf... nothing seems to matters anymore... He had never felt such lost of will before.
We were so happy together, so joyful. Yet... Somehow we fell apart...He missed the years before passing the ninja academy... He missed the innocence before the life of being a ninja. He wondered if it was worthwhile to live a life of a ninja. H was questioning himself, filled with doubt about his dreams of the shinobi life.
He cried invisible tears, tired and battered, and slowly drifted to sleep. Dreams about the old days at the academy seemed to taunt him, as if purposefully making him feel nostalgic. Dreams that he wish he could dwell in and re-live. He wanted to stay, trapped forever in his timeless dreams, his painless memories, his dreams of living life with team seven forever.
The faraway dreams that could not be possible in reality...