Never Too Late

Part 4: The Truth Lies Within

6 days left

Sasuke woke a long time before Sakura did. He knew exactly what the curse was doing to her. It was steadily draining her chakara in 5 to 7 days her chakara would be gone depending on the strength of the cursed. He knew Sakura had a great deal of inner strength and for that he was grateful. It would give him time to do what he needed to do. There was a scroll that held all the information about his family's special curse. His mother had once told him that's how she met and fell in love with his father. She too had been under the curse put upon her by his father's uncle. His father had managed to break the curse after that his father and mother married. Somewhere in the recesses of his dark mind he knew he wanted a similar story except being murdered by his own child. Shaking his head softly he looked down at the girl sleeping in his arms. He reached up and gently stroked her hair out of her face. For some reason when he was alone with her he could drop all barriers and show some emotions. Around others he threw back up his facade of annoyance and hatred. Sighing heavily he continued to watch Sakura sleep. She moaned softly and snuggled closer to him. Her shoulder was bared to him showing off the mark that told anyone in his family that she had been cursed. The mark of the curse was clear on the pale skin of her shoulder. The symbol tended to change from person to person. Sakura's mark was that of the cherry blossom petals. Getting up he decided that he needed to start his search before it became too late for her.

"Don't go," she whimpered softly in her sleep.

Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "Don't worry my little blossom soon you'll be my wife."

Sasuke didn't want to leave her but it was necessary for him to do so. He knew Naruto would kill him later for leaving her alone when she was in dire need of him here. When he had the scroll then he'd worry about dobe later. He couldn't send anyone else after it because it was difficult to explain how to get to it. Sasuke left the small apartment and the sleeping pink haired girl to try and find the scroll he needed to save her. Once outside the gates he pushed his power into his legs and sped off towards his old family home.

Sakura's eyes came open as she felt Sasuke's aura vanish from her side and her sensing range. A single tear slipped down her face. She knew what he sought and it was futile to even try. She had watched the older Uchiha heir burn the scroll that Sasuke sought. Bowing her head she rolled over and let her tears fall. She had once told him 'it'd never be too late'. Now she realized how full of bullshit she was. The one dream she had, had been shattered. Sasuke would be back tomorrow and be totally out of it. She wasn't giving up per say but knowing the scroll didn't exist anymore made her hopes of being with Sasuke dwindled. Soon there would be no hope but she'd keep it until she died.

Sasuke soon found himself on familiar grounds. The large now dingy mansion stood before him. He wondered absently if the place would be haunted. Shaking that thought off he leapt up on the large front porch. With a slight hesitation he opened one of the large doors. Taking a deep breath he moved into the house. As he moved deeper into the house he began to search out the hidden place for the scroll. It was in his father's study. Opening the door slowly to the study he walked in. The walls were still splattered with dried blood. This was where his father had been killed. Moving towards the back of the room where a small mat lay tossed aside. Sasuke's heart started to pound the small door was lying wide open. Inside laid a pile of ash in the shape of a scroll. His hands shook as he reached down trying to let his mind catch up with his body. The scroll was ash now. The scroll fell to pieces in his hands. The pieces fell through his fingers back into the hole. Inside with it was a letter. Picking it up, he recognized the writing. Itachi wrote this.

Sasuke,

You've finally found someone to care for only to be the irony that you're loosing her. To make sure you have the same eyes as me then she'll die. The answers are so simple Weakling that you can't see what's before you.

Sasuke felt pain wash over him like a tidal wave. Itachi had gloated over her impending death. That irked Sasuke more than anything. Sighing heavily he turned from the hole in the floor and the dropped letter and moved through the house like a specter that had nothing left to live for. He found himself weakly making familiar hand signs as a cloud of smoke surrounded him and he found himself in Sakura's bedroom again. She was locked in deep meditation. The mark on her shoulder was bared clearly. The petals of the curse mark were steadily becoming lighter. When the petals became blood red that meant her time here was done.

"Don't be so sad Sasuke," she whispered softly.

He watched her glittering emerald eyes come open.

"Sakura, the scroll…"

"Don't worry about it Sasuke."

"But Sakura…"

"Please Sasuke. I don't want to beat your self up over this. Just stay with me, and I'll die happy."

"I don't want you to die."

He knew that he sounded childish again. The fact that he was showing his emotions so clearly wasn't sitting well with his darker side. She held her hand out to him. He found himself reaching out and taking it. With a gentle tug he found himself in her arms.

"Sasuke," she breathed softly against his ear. "Love these last few days like they were our last."

"But Sakura…"

"Live these last days like they are our last together. Is there anything you want to do?"

"Come walk with me," he breathed softly against her neck.

"Of course, Sasuke."

She let him go and they got up. They found themselves walking among the cherry trees. The flowers were blooming now. The two of them admired the beauty together as the petals that were falling swirled around them as if to envelope them in their tranquil world. Sasuke held Sakura's hand and at this point he didn't care who saw them like this. The woman he loved was dying before him. After they ate Sasuke took her out into an open field and they star gazed. Sakura sat in-between his legs as they gazed up at the glittering stars. His body weight was supported on his arms. She leaned against him. He breathed in her scent. One he was addicted to. Looking up just in time Sasuke saw a shooting star and made a wish hoping with everything that he was that it would come true. Once he felt her aura smooth out in sleep he carried her to their shared apartment. Laying her down after taking his and her shoes off, he curled up beside her.

The days and nights past much the same but every day they did something different that didn't involve her straining her chakara levels. The sixth day dawned and Sasuke's heart was breaking. Sakura sensing his distress woke up, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sasuke?" she asked softly.

"Sakura, I love you."

"Sasuke, I love you too."

The raven haired man turned to face her. There were tears standing in his eyes. That broke the girl's heart as well.

"Sasuke," she breathed.

"Sakura let me love you," he asked softly. "Let me show you how much I love you and allow me to have one night to bear everything that I am to you."

She didn't say a word as she leaned forward and captured his lips in a soft kiss that quickly became passionate. Before to long, both weren't clad in anything but their underwear. Their breath was coming in heavy pants. Each breath, each kiss, placed on the other's body held the passion that they felt for each other. He questioned her in his gaze and she consented. They finally completed each other. During their climaxes they had bitten their partner to the point of drawing blood. Sakura shivered as Sasuke ran his tongue over the bite mark to get rid of the blood. Sasuke smirked against her shoulder. They were both slick with sweat. Sakura's hands ran up and down Sasuke's back in lazy circles. Sakura didn't mind his weight on top of her. This felt so right to here with the other.

Sasuke could feel Sakura's really weak aura even out in sleep. He smiled softly against her neck as he shifted off her body. He pulled her against him her head resting on his chest. His hand caught hers and laced their fingers together. The Uchiha heir fell asleep with his lover beside him praying that he'd be able to wake up like this for the rest of their lives.

(Okay I could be a cruel writer and leave you yet again with a cliff hanger but I've decided that I want this one to be finally over with so here is the rest of the story.)

Sasuke woke. After their little nap from the first time they went a few more rounds before they lay exhausted together. She slept soundly against him. He stayed up this time watching her sleep peacefully against his chest. Looking over at the clock it read 5:30 in the morning. He swallowed hard feeling a lump rise in this throat. Sometime today he'd loose the one precious thing that he held dear to him. It was breaking him slowly. He knew he'd not be the same after he'd put her in the ground. That thought hurt the most. She was his world now. The fact he was showing his emotions completely didn't faze him in the least. An absent minded thought crossed his mind. He wondered if Sakura were to live through this curse if she'd be pregnant. His fingers brushed lightly across her stomach wondering absent what their children would have been like. He envisioned before he began to doze a boy and girl the boy slightly older than the girl. The boy was a carbon copy of himself except for the piercing green eyes. The boy had the same spiky black hair. The girl however was a complete carbon copy of her mother with really deep dark jade eyes. They almost looked black. The darkest green you can get without getting black. Her hair was the same pink as her mother's. It was a pity he decided that he'd never have them.

Sakura woke up not long after Sasuke drifted back to sleep. She carefully got up without disturbing the sleeping Uchiha heir. To the world she was already dead. Well except for Naruto, Tsunade and Sasuke. Those three were her world and she wouldn't trade them for anything. Especially Sasuke, it took him time to come around to loving her but it was here. Going into the bathroom and took a shower. While the warm water washed over her, her vision swam and before she crashed to the ground she cried out Sasuke's name.

Sasuke jerked awake hearing Sakura call out for him. Rushing from the bed to the bathroom he found her unconscious on the floor. Moving forward he checked the mark. It was blood red.

"Damn it Sakura don't leave me!"

Her aura was slowly fading. Quickly he dressed himself and covered her in the rose colored sheets. Pushing his chakara into his legs he bolted for the Hokage tower. Tsunade was expecting them as Sasuke put the girl down on the table.

"Sasuke leave!" she demanded.

Sasuke took one last longing look at his lover and walked out of the room knowing that if he fought with Tsunade over the subject Sakura wouldn't get a chance. He sat down on a bench and waited for news on his lover.

3 Years Later

Sasuke came out of his trance as he wife playfully shoved. He looked at her questionably.

"Sasuke what are you thinking about?"

"The past."

She laughed softly. The woman bounced their son on her knee.

"You know you shouldn't dwindle on the past Sasuke."

"I know I shouldn't, but I can't help but look back. It lead us to where we are now."

"It's all right to look back once in awhile love. Besides, your son wants your attention."

Sasuke laughed softly. He picked up his little boy. He had his father's black spiky hair. Sighing heavily, Sasuke set on playing with his son. The boy laughed happily making Sasuke smile in return. This child always made him smile no matter what, his little boy, Sai. His jade eyes sparkled back at him with laughter. Looking back at his wife he watched her smile softly.

"Come here," he beckoned softly.

His wife approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you Sasuke."

"I love you too Sakura."

That day he learned of the existence of the second copy of the scroll that countered the curse. He had learned it was the love that flowed between them, the sex, and the blood they shared that had saved his wife that day. Shaking his head he smiled down at his wife. They had reversed the curse just in time. The mark was a pale scar now. A few months later he learned that his lover was pregnant. They married soon after finding out the news. Smirking softly he was determined to have another child soon enough.

"Now what are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

"How I'd like more children running around the mansion."

She smiled knowingly. He saw it and asked. "Sakura?"

He watched curiously as his wife leaned over and whispered softly in his ear.

"You'll get your wish I'm pregnant."

Sasuke smirked and kissed her softly. The two sat on the front porch with their son playing with some building blocks in front of them. The thought that life was perfect was running through Sasuke's mind at that moment. He had a loving wife, a son, and another child on the way. Nuzzling gently his wife's shoulder he watched Sai play.