A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for all the reviews and support! I actually was not aware that the last chapter I wrote was the actual ending to the series...I'm a new Naruto fan so I haven't gotten around to finishing the series. Heh but anyway here is another chapter. I will promise that I will do my best to keep this story alive and entertaining. Much love to all Naruto fans:)

Redemption of the Heart

Sakura stood there a mess. Had this really just happened? For once in her life, she had been utterly floored. She had given her honest heart to Sasuke and she was crushed by his icy demeanor. She warily wiped the tears from her cheek. Look at yourself, you have tear stained cheeks, your heartbeat is erratic and to top it off you probably have boogers all over the place from crying. Get a hold of yourself Sakura! This would not impress Sasuke! Sakura smiled sadly, laughing lightly to herself in the darkness of the night. What am I saying? Like he said...he's rejected me one too many times. He's never coming back for me. She took a deep breath and pushed the stray hairs out of her eyes. Tomorrow is always a promise of a new start, and from now on, she'll just have to learn to cope without him. Sasuke would stop being her world.

Sakura groaned as warm sunlight beamed through her curtains and into her room. She barely got sleep after last night. She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face into her soft pillow. chirpchirpchirp Sakura growled loudly. "Why are birds always so damn happy! What is there to be happy about!" Sakura shouted throwing her pillow across the room. She grasped her head from the throbbing headache that was threatening to get worse. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and grabbed her towel. Yes, a nice hot shower should put her right back into gear. Today would be a long day as usual, tending to injured ninja and citizens of Konoha.

After showering and getting dressed, Sakura stopped by Naruto's ramen shop. She entered through the nicely decorated doorway. "Naruto!" Sakura shouted happily. Naruto looked up from his busy chopping of assorted vegetables.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing here? You want some ramen?" Naruto chirped.

"Oh no, I was just stopping by to see what you were doing." Sakura said idly pulling out a chair and sitting down at a table.

"I'm just prepping some vegetables before Hinata gets here cause I'm leaving to the academy right away." Naruto replied chopping some onions frantically as they made his eyes water. Sakura smirked at his usual hyper composure.

"So Naruto, when are you going to pop the big question to Hinata?" Sakura asked.

"Actually I was thinking today..." Naruto stopped chopping the onions and shoved his hand in his pocket. He pulled out a black velvet pouch and walked over to Sakura. He pulled the strings and poured the content out into his palm. "Do you think she'll like it?" Sakura gasped.

"Naruto it's beautiful!" The ring was actually quite simple in design but it held so much meaning. It was a plain silver band with the words "Forever mine" engraved into it in calligraphy. Naruto smiled and shined the ring with his sleeve as if was going to lose its luster.

Sakura left the ramen shop before Hinata got there but she knew that she would defintely say yes to Naruto's proposal. Sakura sighed sadly. Everyone was happy and getting settled, making the families they never had and just finding comfort in their loved ones. Why couldn't she do the same? Doesn't she deserve a chance to start a family? Doesn't Sasuke deserve to have a family again and to be happy? She shook the thoughts out of her head. Why does every thought lead to him?

Sakura's feet led her to the medical facility found in the heart of the town. Her whole walk there was filled with more contemplations about Sasuke and more sadness. Sakura took off her sweater and hung it on her chair in her office and proceeded into the emergency rooms. "Good-morning Suiren" Sakura greeted throught he door as Suiren bandaged up a ninja.

"Oh Sakura! Good morning! Oh my...are you alright? You look so tired and your eyes are red!" Suiren said assisting the patient out to the exit. She turned back around to see Sakura shuffling her feet. "It was Sasuke wasn't it?" Suiren said gently taking Sakura by the arm and leading her out to the walkway around the building. They took a slow, leisurely walk around the grounds, watching the colored leaves sway in the autumn sun. "Sakura, I know you love him..."

"I know, I know, it's time to let go. He made it very clear that it's the only option left for me." Sakura said still keeping her gaze to her feet.

"You didn't let me finish. I know you love him and that he's hurting you, but you know him well. If he's the Sasuke that you've had faith in all these years, and the Sasuke that you've loved for so long, don't give up on him. Love does wonders, it really does. Love can turn the coldest of people into warm beings. He's just taking a little long to discover what love is." Suiren said squeezing Sakura's arm comfortingly. Sakura stopped walking.

"You know, Suiren, you're the only one who has told me never to give up on him."

"I never let Kakashi go, and look how far we've come." Suiren said rubbing her swollen belly. "You just can't stop love."

Sakura's day ended with Naruto coming into the emergency room with a "severe" burn from boiling too much ramen noodles at once. She sighed loudly as she found herself at the bridge, again. She had seen Hinata come in with Naruto and noticed that she was wearing the band that Naruto had bought as an engagement ring. They were finally going to get married and with Naruto as a father, they'll probably raise a fleet of ninja offspring. She smiled a genuine smile for the first time all day. Sakura crouched down watching the koi fish silently listening to the rustling leaves. Funny, she felt no breeze. She froze in place. Her stomach had butterflies fluttering about. She knew he was here. Great, another confrontation.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Sakura questioned.

"You don't own this bridge you know. I enjoy being here just as much as you do," Sasuke replied cooly. Sakura ignored him and continued watching koi fish as they suddenly hurriedly swam to the safety of the shadow of the old bridge. Funny, why are they suddenly scared?

"You didn't have to be so harsh yesterday. I just wanted to let you know right now that I'm not..." Sakura was cut off by Sasuke's sudden outburst.

"Sakura MOVE!" Sasuke screamed as he lunged towards her. The sound of metal hitting flesh echoed across the forest of beautiful colors.

Her breaths were becoming ragged with every inhale. God she was in so much pain. Sakura grasped her side, feeling her fingers go slick with blood. It felt like a whole eternity before she felt a pair of strong arms hoist her up. Her vision was too blurry to see exactly where they were going but she felt cool air hitting her face and the leaves that hang above her became a whirlwind of earthy tones.

"Sakura hang tight." Sasuke said sternly. Was that concern in his voice? It was more of a command more than words of comfort but Sakura accepted it gratefully. Sasuke continued moving as fast as he could among the tree branches. Sakura's head was pressed against his chest and she could hear his fast heartbeat. Sasuke grasped onto Sakura tighter as he jumped for a higher branch. His tight hold oh her caused her to gasp as his hands gripped tightly onto her body close to her fresh wound. Sasuke cringed at the sound of her in pain.

Finally he stopped and leaned against the tree. He rested her on his lap and they both sat breathing in a shallow, fast pace. He glanced down at her and there was a kunai sticking out of her side. Sakura's face had gone pale from the loss of blood and her hair was matted down with dirt. He didn't know what to do. He just sat there with his teammate on his lap bleeding like she had been stabbed several times. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed the skin around the wound tightly. She then yanked the kunai from her side with a loud cry of pain. Sasuke watched in silent awe as this girl whom he thought to be such a weak nussance pulled a large weapon from her side. She then took the long scarf like hair tie out of her hair and tied it around her wound, sealing it tightly to make sure no more blood was lost. Sasuke still sat in silent awe. How could this have happened? It was out of nowhere that he felt the pressence of such a strong chakra, but it was so sudden. He wasn't even quick enough to evade the attack on Sakura. Who the hell had done this? Sakura shifted in his arms and he snapped back to reality before mentally reprimanding himself for poorly protecting Sakura. She was really pale now, dangerously pale.

"We'll get you back as soon as this pressence of chakra leaves," Sasuke said barely audiable. Sakura swallowed dryly before proceeding to finish what she had begun to say before.

"Sasuke-kun, I never got to finish what I was saying. I just wanted to say that, I'm not giving up on you." with that Sakura's eyes slowly shut before going limp in his arms.

His breath seemed to have quickened and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Relief washed over him but he couldn't tell why. Was it because she was calling him Sasuke-kun, or that she was still going to love him no matter what? She never ceases to surprise him.

How was it? Please Read and Review! Thanks:)