Tsunade, Gaara and Matsuri neared the battle scene; they could sense the chakras coming from the Bijuu.
Not long now... I can heal the more serious injuries...
But someone blocked their way.
"That cloak..." Matsuri gasped, readying herself for a fight.
"Akatsuki." Gaara confirmed.
Tsunade stared at the mask covering this man's face. "Why are you familiar?"
Sasuke's kunai clashed with that of his brother, the clanging noise was loud in the still night air. His teammates stood in a ring around the warring brothers, keeping at bay due to Sasuke's instructions.
Something was nagging at his mind, however, and he could ignore it no longer.
"Karin! Suigetsu! Juugo!" He shouted, as he ducked a fist aimed at his head. Both of them were bleeding now. "Go and help Konoha!"
"Sasuke-kun?" Karin's mouth hung open in shock. Help Konoha?
Suigetsu grinned in contempt, "So you still feel tied to your old village?"
"Just GO!" The Uchiha shouted, dodging a high-level Katon Ryuuka no Jutsu. He retaliated smoothly with a chidori but his brother moved at the last moment. Out of the corner of his eye Sasuke saw his teammates head towards the fight, and he could feel the oppressive force of Bijuu chakra.
I really hope that's not Naruto... He wished, and quickly returned to the fight. As the attacks began to blur into each other, he found flashes of his life sped through his mind... but not the bad parts...
Laughing with his mother in the kitchen, running with the other Uchiha children through the estate, training with his brother... Then nothing until...
Waiting with Sakura and Naruto on the bridge for their late sensei...
Training together in the woods...
Taking the chuunin exams with his friends...
Following Kakashi-sensei with his friends to remove his mask...
Bonds...
He'd thrown it all away.
Do I regret it?
Walking past a teary Sakura as he left for good...
Knocking her unconscious to make it easy...
Leaving...
Since then, the only memories that could compare were the ones with his new team. The makeshift, more evil version of team 7.
Evil... relatively speaking that is. Sasuke was under no illusions, he had changed since his defection, he hadn't killed anyone other than Orochimaru, but he held no qualms over torture and mutilation. His team were all murderers and traitors, and he didn't care, as long as they didn't kill under his watch, he didn't care what they did.
Unless they disobeyed a direct order, but they wouldn't, because they knew what would happen if they did.
He and Itachi ran at each other, both were weakened as they prepared for the next attack.
Sasuke was under no illusions, he would not survive to see sunrise. But neither would his brother.
"Chidori! Full power!"
"Tsunade!" Gaara's voice rang clear through the cold night air, causing Tsunade to look at him curiously. He had reached his decision.
Matsuri smiled knowingly, she'd seen him this way before. The Akatsuki guy was in for a big surprise. Gaara made his plan clear to the Hokage and she nodded, running from them towards the Bijuu. When the masked Akatsuki member turned to follow, his path was blocked by Matsuri's jouhyou needle. "Hey mister! You ain't going nowhere until Gaara-Sama decides to let you go, don't you dare turn your back on him!" She loved watching the Kazekage's fights; he was her idol, and yes, long time crush. But that didn't change the fact that he was the greatest man that she knew.
"Thank you. Matsuri." Gaara murmured, allowing the hints of a smile. "You, Akatsuki, did you think that you'd killed me?" His sand circled Tobi's ankles, taking hold of the man.
Tobi looked back. "I don't know, that's what the others said." He chirped, causing Matsuri's face to harden; how dare he make light of Gaara?
Show him how powerful you are Gaara-Sama... Show him that he didn't take your power that day.
"I will prove it, Matsuri." Gaara looked at her, he knew her too well not to know what she was thinking. "I promise."
"Okay then Gaara-Sama." She knew that all she could do was follow Tsunade, after all, Akatsuki had tried to- well, they had succeeded in killing Gaara, so this was his fight. Not hers.
"Tsunade-Sama!" The woman landed on the grass and was instantly surrounded by her comrades. "You shouldn't have left the village! You could die!"
"And?" She laughed bitterly, "Hokages before me have died in battle why must I hide?" She looked around the sea of faces, everyone from Konoha was here except... "Hey..." She felt the dread build up within her. No... "Where are Naruto and Sakura?"
Shizune led her to the room where the two bodies lay side by side, it looked like they'd tried to hold each other's hands, but they were unconscious, and badly injured.
"The Bijuu broke out?" Her heart was racing wildly, could it be true? It was something that the last Haruno container had feared but Tsunade had put it down to paranoia.
"From what we can gather it seems so... That or they were extracted by force but-"
Tsunade scoffed. "Unlikely."
Shizune nodded and left the room, just as two adult figures entered. Tsunade didn't turn around as they entered though, she didn't trust her temper to hold for long.
"Tsunade-Sama..." Minato began, but was cut off as he felt her fury. Damn, no wonder Ero-Sennin was so scared of her... Said pervert came out from the shadows and stood by his old teammate.
"How can you stand there, and address me so calmly after so long, and when my two charges lie almost dead on the floor!" She turned around and her eyes were blazing, her fists were clenched and both of Naruto's parents were forced to leave.
Jirayia held Tsunade in a comforting embrace. "It's not over until they're dead... Tsunade, can you heal them?" She shook her head forcefully. Quietly, Kakashi and Yamato entered the room and stood against the wall, silently bidding the young Shinobi goodbye.
"Not without Chiyo's technique, which I don't know and even if I did..." She sniffed, shuddering in grief. "I could only choose one... ONE!" Her sobs became loud, gasping chokes as she cried for yet another loss. "ONE! HOW IS THAT FAIR?!" Her friend stoked her hair and solemnly looked over at the two children on the floor.
"Then there's only one thing that we can do while they're still breathing..." He released the woman and walked over to the bodies of the fallen ninjas, kneeling down, he smiled sadly. "Goodbye kids..."
He moved their hands to that Sakura's lifeless hand rested on top of Naruto's, in slight response, he saw that Naruto's fingers twitched so that his fingers closed on the kunoichi's hand, and hers did the same to hold his hand.
Jirayia felt the salty tears roll down his cheeks and Tsunade collapsed beside him, giving in to the harshness of bitter weeping as the two children began to fade away...
Kushina kicked viciously at the wall. "Why can't we be there? Why can't we say goodbye?" Yondaime put his hand in hers and pulled her to him.
"We don't have the right to claim parenthood now, not after everything, Jirayia-Sama and Tsunade-Sama are the closest ones present."
"Damn straight."
The two ninjas looked round and found that most of the younger ninjas of Konoha were gathered around them, glaring. The source of the voice was the dark haired boy who had come with Naruto and Sakura on this mission. Sai.
"Even if Naruto and Sakura forgave you, we never will!" Kiba shouted, with Akamaru growling viciously. Ino came up behind him and her face was flushed with anger, she had tears streaming down her cheeks. All of the ninja gathered were crying, or angry, or both. Even Sand allies and Konoha adults were in mourning for the two dying Shinobi. The demon boy who strove to protect, and the genius girl who wanted not to be worthless. The boy who, despite his past, was thought worthy of becoming... no, expected to become Hokage, and the girl who, despite once being a hindrance, was the second most established medic in the village.
"Konoha feels a great loss this day..." Neji sighed. Then they all looked up; because the sun was rising. "Wait... I've just sensed something!"
Lying on the muddy grass, Sasuke felt the tentative rays of sunshine begin to shine on his battle-scarred face.
At least he died first... He thought, uneasily.
He'd pictured this moment so many times, imagined what he'd feel when he finally avenged his clan; happiness, triumph, relief, possibly sadness, but never this... He never thought that he would regret his past so much.
I was strong enough... But was that Orochimaru? Or was it me?
He wanted- he wanted to see two things before he died, just two people... but they were the least likely for him to see. The battle was on hold for now, but they wouldn't be coming this way.
"Sasuke?" A voice came to his semi-conscious mind, a male voice. Naruto? He almost smiled, but it wasn't Naruto. Rock Lee had lifted him up and was carrying him somewhere... Where? Why were the faces of his old allies swollen and tear-streaked?
Right... the battle... I wonder how many losses there were.
"Sasuke-kun..." Lee whispered, his voice harsh. "I will take you to Naruto and Sakura-san..." Sasuke felt the happiness in his heart that rose in him despite himself. They knew... they knew that he wanted to see his closest friends... "But-" Lee choked as tears ran afresh down his face, meaning that Hyuuga Hinata had to finish.
"Sasuke... there were only two fatalities in our battle with Akatsuki..." She had tears too, and Sasuke finally knew, it finally struck him why everyone, everyone was crying...
No...
"The only people who died today were Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan." The Hyuuga heiress whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
"They're not dead yet..." But Lee's voice lacked its usual enthusiasm... Even he had stopped hoping.
They took him into the room where his dying teammates lay, holding hands. Sasuke's wounded body was set down next to them and he reached out, taking Sakura's free hand and smiling as he turned to look at his two friends.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered. The three teammates lay in a row, all holding hands. Then they drew their last shuddering breaths... in perfect unison.
Kakashi nodded, wiping away the tears coming from his unmasked eye. "They were waiting until he came back..."
"He was waiting too." Sai murmured.
Yet again! NOT THE END!!! Let me make that COMPLETELY clear!
(teehee the final chapter WILL have Naruto and Salura and Sasuke in it.)