A/N: Hey Loves, thanks a bunch for the reviews! And I'm really greatful for you all really stating your opinions, it helps me out a lot. It's like giving a rapper a beat so that he can come up with lyrics..makes it so much easier. Fo sho.

Alright so..everybody has their own opinion on Itachi and yada yada. Of course what Itachi did was horrible and makes ya wanna hate him. But I think there's something else behind the whole clan killing thing. I really don't think he's evil - even if it's almost without a doubt that he took part in the Uchiha clan execution. And in my story I guess I kind of wanted to dig deeper into it. So in my story, we actually haven't found out if he really killed the clan or not, and the reasons behind why, but for me,I'm still debating what exactly happens to Itachi in the end of the my story.

I'll give the troubled man a bit of sunshine.

Warning: A somewhat no so much warning .

Again, this is a fanfiction..the way things are written and expressed in this story may not necessarily represent the author's thoughts and opinions for certain aspects of the Naruto series. Or views on life. Or views on why nearly 70 of the American population is FAT. If you have any problems or are confused about any information displayed in this story, consult the author via review and/or message and state the question or opinion clearly…other than that…enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: If I owned the Naruto series…and Naruto ever had to die WHICH HE WOULDN'T..but if he ever did..he would probably die by choking on ramen..yep..what a way to go out..but that would be to lame right? At least he wouldn't die by a chopstick logding itself in his throat…I dunno this was just inspired by the whole crocodile hunter thing…it's really horrible that he died and all…but if he really had to go out, as in not by old age..couldn't he at least go out by a croc? CROCODILE hunter. Ya know?

Enjoy!

Behind the Smile

Chapter 29: Beautiful Disaster

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Her emerald orbs slightly wavered as they continued to hold the Uchiha clan symbol in their depths, as they watched the back of the man that was escorting her back to Konoha. They hadn't spoken a word to eachother. He didn't even take one glance towards her to make sure she was alright - though she new that he was well aware of where she was. Though he didn't know how hard it was just trying to maintain the distance between them right now, not fall back any further - it was unspeakable to try and catch up to him. She was weak from blood loss, exhausted from overwhelming emotions, fatigued from overexertion.

What was left of her chakra she was trying to save for him. Like his older brother he didn't allow nor want her medical expertise; she knew all to well his stubborness resulted from his unconscious act not to endanger her. It still frustrated her.

It was that same stubborness that made it seem as though he had not a scratch on him; though , she knew he was injured, wounds far from minor with the type of people he had been fighting only moments before. He seemed fine, though with him everything was about the unknown, and it was from that knowledge that worry clouded her thoughts.

She let out a shakey breath as she rubbed her arms, simultaneous to stepping over the huge tree root slightly protruding from the earth.

It was also cold, there was a biting chill to the air, adding the the stinging of her skin - the pouring rain earlier also created a mist to the forest, the wetness to the surface of everything. It was early morning, meaning they still had a whole day ahead of them, and most likely wouldn't take too long a time to rest. She figured it was going to be like this the whole way ..

Cold.

Silent.

Exhausting.

Yeah , it was everything she had hoped for in this journey alone with him.

She cast her eyes downward at the thought.

It was then that she caught sight of the patches of red that would occur every few feet apart.

Blood.

Emerald shot up to Sasuke, examining, analyzing, observing. His movement was fine, his breathing appearing unlabored, his countenance tall. It seemed as though nothing was wrong, he always held his composure unless unable to. It was why she continued watching him, seeing a pattern in his graceful movement, noticing that he hardly used his left arm as if necessary - it didn't even sway with his walking, it was deathly still, hanging limply, almost like a burden at his side.

A stream of blood had penetrated the already blood-soaked peice of shirt that had been wrapped around it - the line of blood swirled around the column of his arm, steadily dropping to the earth beneath him.

Flashback

Sakura let out a scream as blood spurted on her face. It wasn't the blood that upset her, it was the owner of the blood.

She looked up to Sasuke who was crouched in front of her, his left side facing Koizumi. He had his right arm around her, and his left forearm held up to their enemy. He had stuck his arm out in the path of the kunai, which was now embedded deep in his arm. Sasuke was still holding his arm stationary, not letting the holder of the kunai push further. He was wincing in pain as the blood flew from his wound in a constant stream.

"Sasuke!" Tears started falling from her eyes at a fast rate.

His eyes burning with a silent fury, Sasuke pushed his injured arm up against Koizumi catching him off guard. He pushed himself off the ground and delivered a chakra filled punch to Koizumi's face, sending him skidding on his feet a few feet back. Sasuke stood his ground, eyes trained on Koizumi. He ignored the blood dripping to the ground below him.

End Flashback

She felt her eyes become alert as her insides jumped with alarm. As guilt vibrated throughout her core.

She continued watching him, noticing that the splotches of blood she would see on the ground weren't from his injured, bleeding arm, but from somwhere else, a wound that was bleeding at a much faster, uncontrolled pace. Sasuke was hurt. He was hurt badly.

She watched as he clenched his fist again, but this time he did not unclench it. The strain caused even more blood to drip from his arm.

They needed to stop, right now. Sasuke had lost too much blood earlier, and now she had just realized he was still losing blood in a steady amount. He had no more to spare . It would only be a matter of time before he collapsed, no matter how strong he or his body was.

Could that also be a reason why he wasn't talking to her? Was he in too much pain?

"Sasuke." She called, her tone serious, worried. It took him a while before he responded, which was also peculiar to her. "We need to stop, Sasuke." She said this loud and clear, making sure he could hear her. This time he didn't answer her, he just kept his even pace. After a while she heard that familiar "Hn" come from his lips, but he still kept walking. Was he even listening to her?

Drawing up most of the energy she could, Sakura increased her pace until she caught up to him. It was then that she noticed his very slight limping. And his slow, quiet, yet irregular breathing. Was this why he put distance between them?

"Sasuke-kun." She called while gently touching him on the shoulder. She didn't know if he recoiled from the contact, or from the added suffix. Or maybe even from pain? But his shoulder shied away from her sharply. The breif moment that she made contact, she noticed how tender his shoulder felt, it was antithetical to the usual stern, toughness that broadened his shoulders. What was worse , he didn't even seem to realize his involuntary action at her touch.

"Let's keep moving." She barely caught the mumble of a command that sounded from Sasuke.

When she felt a peculiar stickiness to her hand, she looked to see Red crimson blotched on - and she immediately flashed back to his shoulder. Her wary eyes watched Sasuke as he continued to walk, lengthening the distance between them again. She had closed her eyes as her own fatigue nearly dizzied her. It was the breif glance to her blood-covered hand that gave her the motivation to run, to make in way in front of him. And when she did, she couldn't stop the huge, grief-stricken gasp that escaped her throat.

"Sasuke, stop." Her voice now portrayed that fact that she was scared. She immediately placed her hands on his completely soaked shirt. Doing her best to keep her wavering, watering emerald gaze on his face - altough adorned with deep cuts, it was a counterbalance to the continue of his torso. His entire shirt was literally soaked with blood , and from the front you could see that his ankle was puffed, blood leaking profusely due to another gash - cause to his limping. She couldn't even begin to determine how many other injuries he had, they weren't visible; However, he had lost all the blood that he could lose . Much more and it would kill him.

She had only placed her hands on his chest, not applied any pressure, so she was forced to walk backwards as Sasuke kept on walking, his somewhat blank gaze focused ahead.

"..Sakura.." She heard him mutter. She could hear that slight annoyance and tone of his voice that was telling her to leave him alone.

She had stopped in her movement, watching him make his way futher away from her.

"Sasuke! Stop, please!" Sakura pleaded as she kept her hands on his chest, this time adding pressure in the other direction, and closing her eyes in a desperation for the pain she knew it would cause him. After a small moment, her pleading gaze looked up to his unfocused gaze.

She didn't know if it was from her desperate plea, or the fact that he was to weak to resist the pressure she was putting on his chest, but Sasuke had finally slowed down to a halt. He slowly looked downwards to the trembling hands that were still planted on his chest, and then to Sakura's worried emerald gaze.

It was then that he dropped down to the ground.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura immediately dropped to the ground next to him, carefully helping him as he struggled into a sitting position. HIs face was obscured from view as it hung low, as he continued to try and move into a standing position.

"I'm fine." He muttered. However she could see his body shaking, see the unusual paleness that was his skin.

"No your not!" She lightly pushed him back against the tree, halting his attempts at getting to his feet - and this time he just sat there, not saying anything, his figure slumping from exhaustion. Though she could have sworn she heard him slightly cursing to himself.

Her emerald gaze frantically transitioned around the surrounding forest , her insides wanting to panic. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't help him out here in the cold. And if she didn't do anything, he was going to die.

It was when her memory recognized the surrounding forest that a small ray of hope excited her stressed mind, inititiated adrenaline to her depraved body. They were near that cabin, the one that Sasuke had taken her too before. And she thanked everything good and bad in her life that it wasn't far away. She just had to get them past the tree line and shrubs, she just hoped that in her desperation she wasn't hallucinating.

--

Her labored breaths provided the background noise as they slowly scuffled through the glass. Sasuke's breathing was dangerously quiet, slow, minute, and it only made her worry more agitated.

She had Sasuke's arm around her shoulders, and she was trying to gently grab him at the waist through his blood soaked shirt. She knew it hurt him, but he didn't make a sound, his head had lulled against her chest, remaining obscured from view. His silent breaths, and his growing paleness worried her even more so. Sasuke was walking himself, sure as he had his pride he was still trying to walk, where as anyone else in his position would have long since given up the struggle. She didn't know if it was will for his own life or will to burden her as little as possible. However with each step he seemed to grow weaker, to the point where every other few steps for them was a stumble.

As they brushed through the long line of shrubs and slid past the hanging trees, her eyes widened with relief - the cabin rested in sight's distance. As if he felt her relief, Sasuke's body seemed to slump even more so against her, showing his growing weakness, and she could feel the wetness of blood seeping into her clothing.

"C'mon, Sasuke, we can do this, were not far away." With a look of determination, Sakura readjusted Sasuke's position, pulling him up a little further, her eyes squinting with grief as he was unable to control a large noise of pain. Determined eyes fixated on the cabin as they inched closer. To her surprise, Sasuke's feet seemed to gain a newfound burst, as they moved along with her steps, as he tried his hardest to take some of his weight off of her.

"We're almost there Sasuke, just a little more." He didn't show any sign that he had heard her; however the moment the words escaped her lips, Sasuke completley slumped against her, his weight heavier as his legs gave out from underneath him. She let out a cry of despair as they both collapsed to the ground. She was on her knees as she tried her best to break their fall, letting Sasuke's back rest against her chest.

"Sasuke-kun!" She tried her best to push the hair out of his face, using the back of her hand - her palms had long since been soaked with blood. Her entire body was pretty much covered in his blood, mingling with a bit of hers. Her emerald gaze locked onto his face, noticed the serenity of his face, free from any contorted pain - however the deep, hard lines etched in his face spoke otherwise. His face was ghostly pale, his forehead burning, the rest of his body icy, and sweating profusely.

"C'mon, please..please wake up Sasuke..we're not that far..we're right here!"She couldn't contain the cry in her voice as her eyes transitioned to long for the cabin only a few more feet away.

When Sasuke let out a small moan, her heart fluttered. He was still conscious. And it was then that she wished he wasn't, so that he would be spared from the unbearable pain. She let out a flabbergasted, yet greif-stricken huff as the tried to figure out what to do, fast. He could not walk anymore, she would not let him.

"Alright..we can do this.." She started as she maneuvered herself into a better position. She the moved to put Sasuke's chest against her back, his arms to hang over her shoulders. She then did her best to scoot him over more so that she could get a grab at his legs. She did her best to ignore how tense Sasuke was, as his pride allowed no utterance of pain to escape his lips. Taking a deep breath, Sakura closed her eyes, letting out a groan as she brought their combined weight off the ground.

Leaving no moment for herself to stop, in fear of collapsing once again, she slowly staggered each step closer to the cabin. As perspiration continued to line her forehead, as determined emerald orbs focused on the cabin, her thoughts were very morbid. She was dissapointed in herself. If this were any normal situation, she could have carried Sasuke easily. But she was stupid, she didn't take any time to rest.

And all of this, was her fault. Every single thing, every circumstance that had led up to this, was all caused by her. She couldn't help it as her emerald orbs finally started to water, her determination start to waver.

She had to hold in a sob, when Sasuke's once limp, motionless arms moved from their hanging position to rest in a slight hug around her chest - his seemed to have sensed her distress, and in his delirium, sought to comfort. She could feel his breath against the side of her neck as he buried his face in it's crook. The moment lasted all too short as the last ounce of energy left him, and he was unable to support the weight of his arms; they fell back to dangle over her shoulders.

She had paused at his sudden stillness, her heart, her gut, every part of her dropping. She hunched over immediately so that she could reach an arm back to check his pulse without setting him to the ground. Relief swept through her body, and she closed her eyes to gain control of her overwhelming emotions before reopening them, making the last steps to the cabin door.

--

Sasuke rested deathly still on the already soaked crimson bed. A fire had just been started in the old fashioned stove and chiminey located on the other side of the room. It's surface was already covered with pots full of water, in the process of reaching a boil.

There was a flash of pink as the kunoichi moved next to him, finding a small area to sit on a part of the bed next to him. She removed his shirt, discarding the soaked heap to the side.

"Oh..Sasuke.." She felt the tears swell up in her throat as she looked at his wounded torso. She couldn't even see the wound, his entire chest was caked and smeared with blood, she had to try and remove some of it to see the actual damage.

She could hear the sound of boiling water in the background. Moving tiredly to the stove, she took the first pot off from the stove and placed it on the ground next to the bed Sasuke lay upon; she did this with the others as well. And it was when the last pot rested on the wooden floor that she noticed the remnants of the blood on the pot handles from her hands. She then remembered she was practically covered in blood. She could not touch that water with how dirty she was.

Without second thought, she ran outside, knowing exactly where the small river was behind the cabin. She took of her clothes, leaving only her undergarments, before taking a deep breath and jumping into the freezing water. She hurriedly tried to scrub herself off, doing her best to ignore the shaking of her body. The dizziness rushing to her head. The stinging of her own wounds. It was slow, when she pulled herself out the water before rushing back into the cabin.

Inside she dug through the drawers, pulling out all the towels. She quickly used one to dry herself off as she huried to the bathroom, finding a first aid kit in the mirrored cabinet. She didn't have the time to stop her wet hair from dripping as she made a grab for the white box, and all the gauze and bandages surrounding.

--

It had been a few hours, and it was nearly nightfall now.

She had finished closing and bandaging the worst of his wounds, unable to use any chakra to close them up her ameliorate the pain. His breathing was still a little ragged and his skin still pale. His face looked to be very taught in pain, glued like that in his unconscious state.

Her own face was near paleness as well, her body weak as she continued to care for him. She reached her hand out to push the hair out of his face, and then unconsciously began moving her hand along his jaw, slowly, but gently massaging the taught located there.

She continued to look at him, awed at how peaceful he looked when he slept. It brought many thoughts to her mind, many hopes, many dissapointments, many acceptances.

Way back when..she had really thought it was possible, that she could change him…but now, now that she had failed miserably over and over again she had lost the hope that he could change for her.

And she realized that after all that, she didn't want him to change. She didn't need him to change. There was only one thing she wanted, needed from this young man.

And she had lost hope for that as well.

"Sakura.." His voice was low, faint. He didn't open his eyes to look at her, however she noticed it was his first time awakening since they had reached the cabin, and she couldn't ignore how he paused as pain invaded all his senses.

"Are you thirsty? I-I'll get you some water." As she moved from the bedside, she was stopped as his hand shackled around her wrist. The sudden, unexpected jolt caused her to lose her balance, and twirl around, leaving her upper body to fall upon him. She heard him release his breath through his nostrils, encompassed by the pain from impact, he had breifly closed his eyes, and when they opened, they still glimmered with surge of agitation to his weak body - however no grunt escaped his lips.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Sasuke!" She tried her best to ignore the feel of her skin against his. She was in the motion of pushing herself off him, but paused when he didn't release her wrist; he held it so that she was forced to stay atop him.

She held her breath as she looked into Sasuke's glazed onyx orbs.

Her heart was pounding.

"..Sakura.." He said again. This time his voice held a slight tone of chastisement. She knew he could feel her body shaking terribly. Her skin must have felt cold to the touch. And she couldn't deny how warm his body felt against hers, just as his warm breath tickled her face. His eyes were slightly open, his discomfort reflecting through them, but they seemed to burn into her with such intensity. It was new to her, and unsettling.

"Why?" He finally said. His tone was completely questioning, as if he was confused.

There was a pause.

As she looked at his troubled face, she could tell he was struggling to stay conscious. She also knew that his irritability was most likely at it's highest peak. He was Sasuke. He hated being immobile and having to depend on someone. But she doubted Sasuke was very much conscious of his actions right now. He was probably delirious.

"I'm not afraid to die, Sakura." His voice was still low, weak, showing even more how his condition was.

Sakura continued to look into his eyes, trying to read his expression. It was hard trying to stay calm with their close proximity. They were touching, skin to skin, their faces not even an inch apart.

"I know." She whispered, her words coming out in one shaky breath.

"I.. I didn't ask you to do anything for me." He said.

"I know." She repeated again, a sad smile making it's way to her lips.

"Then why?" His question was absolutley genuine; and as it seemed her were about to further his inquiry, his energy had been completley spent, and he released her wrist from his grasp. Taking the opportunity, she slowly picked herself off of him. Their gazes met once more for a somewhat long, intense moment. It ended when he turned his head away from her, letting sleep shut down his movement.

She watched him sleep for a breif time, before slowly lowering her head to rest on her forearm against the bed. As she sat like this, she found her face contorting weirdly and her nose wrinkling. She then abruptly sat up, looking to the ceiling with a sigh. She managed to blink the tears away.Letting out a shaky breath, she looked to Sasuke before covering him with all the blankets she could find. She then made her way over to the wall opposite the bed, close to the fire. With a sigh she slid down to the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest.

Her adrenaline rush had long since expired, and she was shaking badly. She was exhausted and freezing, still only in her undergarments, having nothing to change into. She was sure she could have dug around and found something, but she was just too tired.

She was tired of everything. This horrible feeling in her gut, this unrequited feeling. This hopelessness that shadowed her every move. This voice in her head that screamed at her and her heart, telling her she was wrong, telling her that everything she had done was wrong. That everything she felt was wrong.

Her emerald eyes looked at the S-class criminal lying in the bed. The reflection of the fire flickered within their depths, along with something else. Something clear and uncontrollable.

Because I love you, Sasuke…

She brought her knees up further to her chest and buried her face into her arms. She had tried to stop them, she really did. But this time her heart was right. She needed to cry. And so she did.


Thanks For reading!!

aaaaaaaah!

Lame Ending, yea i know. Actually lame chapter. It took me longer to finish this chapter than i thought, Jeez i suck at life..fo sho..well i hopers it wasn't too bad! Yea i was trying to be realistic but it kinda interfered with all the ideas that were NOT running in my head, so yea i dunno. Man why am i having so many brain farts? I have a feeling I'll come out with the new brain disease that slowly kills it's writers. Sad fate.

But i'm pretty sure that about 2 or 3 chapters from now, the story finale will take place, or at least start to. I'm planning on making the last chapter extra super long, ya know like one of those series that goes out with a bang? A very prolonged bang. Fo sho. Until next time!