Sakura's P.O.V
I was scared. Scared of this happening. From the moment I saw Kakashi, Choji, Neji, Shikamaru, and the Sand siblings walk into the medical wing carrying an unconscious Naruto, I knew something was wrong. Naruto was injured, and poisoned by some unknown toxin that the Kyuubi was unable to flush out and purify. Shizune told me an hour after they arrived that Naruto was losing chakra at a dangerous rate. He may, within a day or so, die. However, a week had passed, and he had fought through. I started to feel hopeful, same went for the other medic-nin who had begun to like Naruto. That was until earlier today when he broke into a fever, and his heart rate spiked up. Tsunade had told me that there was little left that we could do but stay by his bedside and hope for a miracle…or until the end.
"He's…really putting up a fight Hokage-sama." I heard Iruka say. Tsunade muttered a word of agreement.
"He's always been stubborn that way." Kakashi stated sadly.
The heart monitor was beeping at an unusual rate. If not for the Kyuubi, he would probably died days ago.
Apparantly, he killed Sasuke, but not without having some last goodbyes with the Uchiha. Sasuke had apologized, according to Kakashi, and said he had seen what he had missed for these past three years…he died peacefully.
I was shaken from my thoughts by the words of Gai, "His flame still burns, even when facing death." I heard Lee agree with the Taijutsu master.
He's still burning, still fighting.
"You know, he was probably one of my worst students…but he is still one of my best friends." Spoke Iruka.
"Yeah, he has a tendency to leave an impression on you." Neji nodded. He had been quiet until then. He must have been talking about the Chunin exams.
"I second that statement," Gaara added, "he helped me become…a better person…I owe him a lot."
By now, Ino was quietly sobbing into Choji's shoulder while he tried his best to stay composed, Tsunade was fighting tears of her own, and Shikamaru had uttered 'troublesome' at least twenty times while trying to stay calm.
"You remember the time he beat me in the exams by letting one rip to throw off my sense of smell?" Kiba asked. A series of laughs followed, sad, but joyful at the same time.
I was holding Naruto's hand, gently rubbing his palms. I felt hollow, his chances of surviving this were about 11 percent according to Tsunade, even after she tried to mess with the numbers and round things up.
"Naruto…why did it have to happen like this?" I asked myself.
I felt the urge to break down and cry when I felt a weak, ever so slight grip on my hand.
"N…Naruto??" I started to stutter uncontrollably, "N-Naru….Naruto? Are you-?"
A yellow glow emitted from him, and it quickly surrounded us both. I felt my very chakra being pulled towards Naruto…how I don't know, but I felt it being pulled to him.
Then, I found myself being surrounded by darkness. I opened my eyes to find myself in a dark corridor, just randomly as though I was dreaming.
"Where am I?" I spoke to myself.
"Not sure, but whoever did this is going to pay!" said a very familiar voice. I turned to the source to find myself staring at…myself?"
"Gah!!" I jumped back, and hit a wall.
"What are we doing here?!" Inner Sakura asked. I shrugged after calming down a little. We decided to follow the corridor, and eventually we came to a halt at a large cage. The room was giant, and dimly lit. On the cage doors was a small paper with the words 'seal' written on it.
"Oh, good, you two made it through the transfer after all." Spoke a deep voice. I saw a glimmering set of eyes, and two rows of jagged teeth as large as me behind the bars of the cage.
"Cha! Who are you?!" my Inner self asked the giant figure.
"I am the demon sealed within Naruto Uzumaki." Answered the figure.
"Wait, you're the Kyuubi?" I asked, taking a step back.
"That's correct…and you're Sakura Haruno, a kunoichi with great medical skills, and who seems to have held a strong grip on my vessel's heart for quite a few years now." The demon fox grinned.
"Wait, how did we-?"
"Naruto transferred your spirit…er, spirits, here." Replied Kyuuubi.
"Where is he??" asked my Inner self, taking a step forward, a fire visible in her eyes, but concern clear in her voice.
"Right here Sakura-chan and uh…Sakura-chan…" I heard a cheery voice reply. I turned to see a blonde haired shinobi appear out of thin air.
Before I could do anything, I saw my Inner self running full speed and pouncing on the poor Kyuubi vessel.
"NARUTO!! I knew you would make it!! You're too powerful for any poison to kill you! That's my Naruto-kun!" I heard my Inner self say through tears. That's one thing I noticed about Inner Sakura…she not only hid my emotions, but also amplified the feelings I had when it came to such people that I hid them from…like Naruto. Calling him Naruto-kun for example, I never called him that…but it has always been a thought I've had.
"I'm okay Inner Sakura…um…chan….really! I'm okay!" he laughed as she put him in a bear hug. He wasn't complaining though, in fact he had a huge smile on my face. Knowing him, he had probably waited forever for this attention from me…even if it was my Inner self giving it to him. Well, if I let her be, she would have bound and gagged him, then taken him home for later use…oh the horrible thoughts I've had involving Naruto as of lately.
"So…Naruto…how long can that Shadow clone technique of yours work?" she asked him randomly.
"Oookayy….that's enough Inner Sakura…s-sorry Naruto, she's very…clingy when it comes to you." I cut in before she went further with what I suspected involved her and three Naruto clones at my house.
"I see, well, if you want, I can have Kyuubi fuse you two back together." Naruto suggested. Kyuubi growled to confirm Naruto's statement.
It was Inner Sakura's turn to speak, "Sure…I guess that would be the…safest…option. I hope to see you again soon…Naruto-kun." she stated with a wink and a rather seductive smile. I swear, if he didn't know about my Inner self, Naruto would think that he was hallucinating with all the hitting on him that she was doing…yes, I admit it, I did have those emotions for him.
Kyuubi then sent his chakra through the cage, and it intertwined me and my Inner self. After a few seconds, I was one being again. The voice of Inner Sakura was giggling hysterically and saying that she planned on taking over my body for awhile…I reminded her that I was the dominant personality…she whined a little at that statement.
Naruto walked up to me…a slight weakness in his gait. He had a tired grin on his face, but his eyes still sparkled, "How are you doing Sakura?"
I suddenly realized something. He wasn't recovering. I began crying, and wrapped my arms around him. I was frustrated and sad at the same time, "Darn it Naruto, just stop worrying about me for five minutes and realize that you should be worried about yourself…"
"Sakura…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."
"See? Just…stop being so…so thoughtful when your own well being is at risk…please?" I said, staring up at him. He smiled and sighed.
"Sakura…I could never do that to you. You are my well being…if you're safe, then I'm happy." he then paused, and frowned. I knew what he was about to say, so I spoke first.
"Don't die on me Naruto….don't you dare die on me. I lost one team member three years ago, I don't want to lose you too. Especially since I love you." I cried into his shoulder again.
Naruto froze for a second, probably because I said I loved him. Kyuubi let a relaxed growl escape from him. I felt Naruto's hold on me tighten a little. He picked me up and carried me to a small dry spot on the otherwise wet ground, and then he spoke to me, "Sakura, I can't stand to see you cry…please stop…for me?" he said wiping away a tear from my cheek. I hiccupped a little, and nodded.
"You're really dying…?" I asked.
He surprised me by laughing, "Heh, I know! Who thought it would be me to die at an age of fifteen, eh? My birthday's only a few months from now, too!" he turned to me and his grin faded a bit, "I really wish this all didn't have to happen…Sasuke…the Akatsuki…I…I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologize Naruto. You have no reason to. If this is about Sasuke, I already know. We buried him, but he received no honors," I took a deep breath, "Let's just worry about us for now…why am I here anyway?" I replied.
"To say that I love you, that you're more beautiful every day I see you, that you're the best medic-nin ever, that I wish I could take you out for dinner…you know, stuff like that…" he replied with a deep blush.
"Really? Well…thank you…no one has ever said stuff like that to me…ever…"
"Except for me…and maybe Lee…." Naruto added. I laughed. He then went on, "Hey…Sakura, this may sound weird, but do you want to see the visions I had of what our future might be like?"
"Huh?" I asked.
"Do you want to see the visions of what I thought our future together might be like?" he said, his blush getting redder.
"I…I don't get it…" I was lost.
"Here, I'll show you." He said, holding me closer. His breathing had become weaker, and there was a slight wheeze in it. I was scared. He seemed to want to show me this, so I said nothing.
Suddenly, an image appeared in a cloud like form before us. I saw Naruto and me, probably not much older than what we were right now, eating at a restaurant, a fancy one might I add. A candle flickered, and we were staring at each other. We slowly inched closer until our lips meet.
"That's how I imagined our first kiss…" Naruto whispered. I smiled, it was indeed something I would have imagined as well.
The image changed. Now we appeared older, maybe around nineteen or twenty. Now, these were Naruto's thoughts…he had surprising detail put into how I would look, I felt flattered. I seemed to look only more beautiful than before. Naruto had some short, stubby hair on his chin, and he himself looked only better than now. We were sitting on top of the Hokage monument, and it must have been late. Naruto went on one knee, and began digging for something in his pockets. He finally pulled out a box, held my older self's hand, and smiled. My older self seemed to be at a loss of words.
"Sakura?" the older Naruto asked.
"Y…Yes…N-Naruto?" she stuttered.
"Will you…marry me?" he finished, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. My older self began to cry with a smile, and I too found myself shedding tears. She tackled the older Naruto into a hug.
"Yes, Naruto Uzumaki! I will!" she said through tears. The older Naruto was crying as well, but he was laughing at my older self too.
I looked over to Naruto, "So…you think I'll be that beautiful in a few years?" I asked.
Naruto laughed, "Haha, of course! I only show the truth, and you are by far the most beautiful kunoichi ever. Believe it!"
Another image appeared, and this time we appeared older, maybe our mid-thirties. Naruto was wearing the Hokage robes, minus the hat, and I was wearing a red and black kimono. We were walking down a road in Konoha when I saw some kids running a little ways ahead of us.
"Daddy, Mommy, when can I become a ninja?!" I heard a boy's voice ask.
My older self answered, "As soon as you're as old as your sister you can start going to the academy."
The image showed us three kids, one boy, and two girls. The boy was practically a mirror image of Naruto, except he had bright green eyes like mine. One of the girls, the younger one I guessed, had short, pale pink hair, and charming blue eyes. The third, who must have been around twelve, had long blonde hair and two deep sapphire eyes. She looked strangely like Naruto's Sexy Jutsu…but not as….revealing and seductive. I let out a laugh.
"Yeah, I only hope they don't get my attitude." Naruto joked to me as we watched the image.
The oldest girl had a Konoha headband around her neck, and she seemed to be looking for someone. She spotted someone, then waved.
"Hey! Iruka-sensei!!" she called to the person, which happened to be none other then my old academy teacher. He had grey hair showing now, but still had that bright grin as he saw our daughter running towards him. He then looked up to see our older selves wave as well. He waved back and we all began to talk.
The cloud disappeared, and Naruto suddenly groaned. Then Kyuubi spoke, directing to Naruto, "Kit, I can't do anything to slow the flow of the toxin anymore…I'm sorry. Sakura…we need to get you out of here before we're unable to do anything at all. Otherwise, you're body will be separated from your spirit, and that won't be good."
I got up, "Naruto, no, don't do this to me! I-I need you!"
"Sakura…I love you….never…forget that…." Naruto smiled, coughing. Then, I saw myself become enveloped in the yellow glow again. I felt myself be pulled away from Naruto, and into darkness.
"NARUUTOOO!!!"
I opened my eyes, and saw Naruto still lying on the hospital bed. In the background I heard some sobs, but one sound struck me the hardest…
…beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
A long, electronic beep. No pause, just a single note.
The heart monitor cried out as though it was mocking me. I looked to see Iruka crouching against a wall, face buried in his hands. His body convulsed a little. Hinata was crying into the shirt of Kiba, who was trying his best to be strong, and failing miserably. Tsuanade looked empty, and she had tears form in her eyes. Kankuro had one of his hands on Gaara's shoulders. Gaara was unreadable, aside from his closed eyes and slight trembling. He was saying something I couldn't hear. Kankuro nodded to his brother, then he turned to Tsunade. He spoke, tears in his eys as well.
"Hokage-sama…my brother wishes to make a monument in honor of Naruto and place it Konohagakure.
Tsunade nodded, not saying a word.
Kakashi was, to my surprise, shedding tears. He didn't make a sound, but he continued to cry silently. He looked to me, "…Sakura…I'm-"
"It's not your fault sensei…you're not to blame…" I answered, my voice shaking.
An hour had passed, but I remained in the room with Naruto's body. He was dead…the number one hyper-active knuckle-headed ninja…dead…
…and he loved me…
Kakashi said before he left that if I ever needed someone to talk to, he would be more than willing to talk with me. He said that being the only student he had left, he considered me a part of his family…of what little he had left that is. I nodded saying that I would remember that.
"Naruto…why did you have to die? You still had so much left to do…and we never had our first kiss…or date…or…" I broke down crying, "Naruto! This isn't fair!! Naruto!!!" My Inner self was bawling just as hard, if not worse.
"Naruto-kun!!! Please, don't leave!!! I need you!!! I love you!!! Don't leave…me…"
I cried myself to the point where I couldn't cry anymore. I looked at his peaceful face, the whisker marks…the stray bangs of blonde hair. Even in death, he made me feel safe.
"Thank (sniff) you…Naruto. I'll always…love you…" I said, and leaned down to kiss him. I held it for a few seconds…even in death, he still had some warmth to him.
Suddenly, I felt a wave of chakra around me, and it felt…so…familiar.
Beep!
I jumped, and looked to see the heart monitor, which had automatically stopped it's long beeping after three minutes. Why was it going off?
Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…
A steady heart rate?
"No…it can't…"
Naruto heaved in air, it was a strangled breath, but he shot up from his bed and his eyes opened. He was heaving in air and shaking. He was alive.
"Naruto??!!!"
He blinked, then rubbed his head, "Ugh…hey Sakura-chan." He smiled.
My Inner self was screaming, "QUICK, BEFORE HE'S OUT AGAIN!!!"
I smiled in agreement with her, and pinned Naruto to the bed, and then kissed him deeply.
He was back!!
End of chap.9- Wow…this officially is my longest chapter in this story…and the scary thing is I shortened it up a bit! One more chapter on the way…and if you faithful reviewers would like…an alternate ending. I apologize to those who cried during the chapter hear. I had to drag it on and torment everyone, because I'm a horrible person that way. Chapter 10 will be the 'official ending chapter', but if you all would like, I might put in an alternate ending in…it's up to you. Please R&R!