"So, you really plan on dying?" asked Naruto from across the hospital room. It was then that the Uchiha's eyes snapped open. They were immediately greeted by his blonde, shiny blue-eyed comrade. He sat with his arms folded, gazing at the Uchiha with a furtive smirk drawn on his face.

"Hey" the Uchiha managed to choke out.

Sasuke arose from his bed and said bluntly, "Sakura said she'll do what ever it takes to save me"

But I can't count on that too much"

Naruto nodded, "After all these years you still don't believe in her abilities?" his eyes accused Sasuke sharply.

"It's not that I don't believe in her–" he said. He then cast Naruto a stern stare. "There's a very likely possibility that I will die. I don't want to get my hopes up"

"You know, you told me once when we were fifteen that you didn't give a damn about your afterlife" Naruto announced. "And now I know for sure that you've fallen hard for Sakura-chan." A crafty smile formed his lips. "If you ask me, I'm glad. She's someone to give you a reason to live"

After a countless seconds of muteness, Sasuke muttered, "I guess so. Tsk" The 'Tsk' was added for his arrogant edge.

"So, if you don't care about your life, then just live for her" he suggested "She'll be devastated if you walk away now"

Just live for her.

Don't do it for yourself.

Just live for her.

Uchiha Manor

"Sakura, Sasuke knew that he was going to die right?" Ino wished to clarify. "If you ask me, I'm guessing that Sasuke didn't want to die alone. He wanted to die with you as near as possible. But, you guys weren't even talking way back when..."

Sakura's knees trembled, unable to assist her balance any longer. She collapses once more.

THUD

She harbored heavy breaths, weeping, allowing tears to trail down her face at a fast rate.

Ino's eyes widened as she stood there witnessing the Hokage break down in tears. Her eyes softened once Sakura looked above.

"Sakura, I think...Sasuke...He really loves you"

Perhaps that's why she felt her heart shatter. Simply because she knew he did.

Back at the Hospital

Sasuke spotted a feminine figure move her way toward his infirmary from his blinded window. Expecting a nurse, he released a sigh of annoyance.

Here we go again.

Momentarily, Sakura appears. Her steps halted by the door, her left side leaning on the door.

Sasuke cast a gentle gaze from his bed. The edges of Sakura's lips crumpled feebly.

"Hey" the tender voice called out.

"So, you saw?"

"Yeah"

Their glances altered as they both pretended to suddenly catch interest in unimportant objects in the room. Sadly the two failed to deceive the other.

Sasuke was first to pulverize the peacefulness. "So, how's my surgery gonna go?" he asked to know. "How bad is it?"

Sakura announced truthfully, "I evacuated the whole third floor" Sasuke looked at Sakura strangely.

"What for?"

Her lips parted slightly as if she hesitated to speak of the procedure. "The medic ninjutsu that I will use is forbidden" she explained. "Even Tsunade warned me not to use this–even if its between a life and death situation. If I make the slightest flaw, you'll die...and possibly blow up this room."

Sasuke's eyes held tension...anticipating to explode at any given moment. He then shouted angrily, "Why the hell would you risk the whole hospital like that?!"

Sasuke protested, "I don't want to be responsible for other people's deaths!"

"For your information, no one needed operation on this floor today" Sakura hissed. "And there are things far worse than death!"

"And what would that be?!" Sasuke questioned scornfully, challenging the medic.

Sakura sarcistally clapped her hands together as her lips tightened. "SEEING THE ONES YOU LOVE MOST DIE!" she boomed, her eyes now her filled with tears, yet possessing that scary sharpness.

Sasuke had backed off, failing to fight with her statement. She was right. Losing a loved one was simply more hurtful than dying yourself. He had experienced that feeling so strongly before, when he discovered his entire clan dead that one afternoon...

And then it was suddenly hard to breath. He gasped and gasped, turning his head to Sakura.

A brief minute later, the machines rattled uneven beeping sounds in rapid paces. Sakura panicked, terror constricting in her chest. The moment was nothing like she imagined or planned. The Uchiha laid there struggling to breath or speak.

NO! NO! NO!

"SASUKE-KUN! SASUKE-KUN!" she yelled. She sensed Sasuke's eyes lose anger but were slowly locking themselves now.

"SASUKE-KUN! SASUKE-KUN!"

NO! NO! NO!

The room became hotter as he watches the medic lose her nerve, searching for answers for problems she wasn't too familiar with. Sasuke struggled to whisper in a dry voice, "Sakura...Marry me"

Then his eyes finally shut completely as she heard of what could be his final request.

A/N

He's dead for sure...or is he? Don't worry about it for now. I will update as soon as I can.

P.S. I finished this like around 1am. So, you may point out an error or ask for any misunderstandings. K? Love you guys!

Manga Spoiler chapter 348:

Okay, I usually don't do this little discussion crap about the manga, but this time, I have to. WHOA. This chapter was very very interesting. We are officially introduced to Karin. She's this chick with glasses (but she can rock them) and shorts and this belly top. Apparently Orochimaru experimented on her. Now that part doesn't really interest me. But then she tries seducing Sasuke. Don't worry though. Sasuke, being the arrogant motherfucker that he is, tells her to back off. But Sasuke needs her in his new team or whatever. The point is that I am terrified that "Karin" will one day hook up with Sasuke.