AN- This next part of the fic is about the events that led to the letter in the previous chapter. Just so you know :) Enjoy :)
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A disheveled woman leans heavily on a tree, her breath tearing through her lips, her lungs searing in her chest, her legs burning with exertion. Her pale green eyes flit frantically about, desperately searching the smokey scene before her. She catches glimpses of the fight; silver flashes of kunai, the crackle of a fire jutsu, the whirling of a Rasengan, and the chirping of a Chidori.
Her hands reach up to her head, fisting in her rose colored hair. Tears begin to collect in her eyes, but she quickly brushes them away, shaking her head furiously. She didn't have time to cry. Her head snaps to the left when a loud voice sounds.
"Give it up already Naruto!"
Her eyes narrow in rage. 'After all this, he still expects us to just leave and forget about him?'
"You don't give up on family, Sasuke!"
She smiles at this, and is filled with an emotion that she hasn't felt in years.
Hope.
'Naruto promised me! He swore that we would bring Sasuke back! I believe in him!' Never before had they been so close to their goal. Sasuke was only a few short feet away from them, and he was running low on chakra. It was only a matter of time.
Sakura's hands reach down to her medic pack; she begins to sift through the items, making sure she has enough supplies to take care of both her boys. But something catches her attention...
Silence.
The lack of noise startles her for a moment, and when she looks back up to the fight, she sees the smoke has cleared, revealing Naruto and Sasuke gearing up for their next attack. The are both bloodied and exhausted.
'This is it...' She thinks, her body tensing.
Sasuke's hand begins to spark, and lightning is soon dancing around his arm
Naruto holds out a palm, and blue energy begins to swirl into existence.
The two men stare at each other, preparing for their final strike.
"Chidori!"
"Rasengan!"
The two ninja sprint for each other, grim determination written across their faces. Sakura finds that she doesn't like the look in either of their eyes.
The wind disappears, and with it all the sound in the world. They move swiftly...silently.
'Naruto...'
The silence shatters and a cacophony of sound swells into the air. Their jutsu collide, and an explosion unfurls around them. Chartreuse eyes widen and Sakura throws her arms in front of her, bracing for impact. The force of the explosion throws her backward. She lands hard, her breath driven our of her body. Once again the meadow is filled with smoke, dirt, and now the heavy scent of burning flesh.
She squeezes her eyes shut and wills her lungs to work as she struggles for air.
Silence again reigns. The dust settles around her.
She opens her eyes and shakily gets to her feet, the only sound in the clearing is her coughing, as she chokes on the thick air. She flutters her eyes blearily as shapes come into focus. She zeroes in on the two figures on the ground before her.
The two still figures.
Her breath catches in her throat, her hands clench into fists.
She waits...
Yet still, the blurred figures do not move. The young woman snaps into action, flying towards the first prone form.
Inky black hair. Onyx eyes that aren't quite closed. A crimson train dripping from pale lips.
"Sasuke..." She doesn't bother to check his vitals. A large hole is torn through his chest. Right through his heart. She leans over to gently kiss his forehead, and to close his eyes. Quickly, she stands and darts to the other figure.
"N-Naruto..." Her voice is shaky and breaks twice when she speaks his name.
His blue eyes are still bright, but are dimming quickly. His sunny hair is in even more disarray than usual. And even though there is a large hole in his torso edged in charred flesh, his 1000-watt smile is still in place as he looks at the pink haired medic.
"Sakura-chan..." His voice is soft and feeble.
Sakura doesn't bother to wipe away the tears that cloud her vision, there would be no point.
Her hand fumble with her supplies, but she quickly begins to assess the damage inflicted on his body. The tears come even faster as she looks him over...
"Fuck!" She snarls through clenched teeth.
"S-Sakura-chan..." He whispers "Sto-stop." Her eyes narrow.
"NO!" She growls. "You're going to be okay! Because I'm going to fix you! This is why I trained all these years Naruto! I won't just let you die! I can't!" Her eyes darken to emerald as she is filled with a million conflicting emotions.
Frustration. Loss. Anger. Desperation. Sadness. Determination. Love.
Her hands begin to glow as she sends healing chakra into his broken body. She works tirelessly, trying to coax his body into mending...
…...
It's not working.
Tears drip steadily from her eyes to 'plop' softly onto his tattered chest.
A bloody hand reaches up to touch her cheek. Her now almost black eyes, look into his face.
"How can you smile at me like that, Naruto?" She whispers. Naruto smirks knowingly.
"This is a g-good death, Sak-Sakura-chan." He tells her. "A-and if I have t-to die...then at least...I g-g-get to d-do it in...y-your arms." His 1000-watt smile is back in place as he cradles her face in his palms. His fingers leave streaks of red on her pallid face, but neither notice.
The glow of Sakura's healing chakra fades, and she looks into the rapidly fading eyes of her fallen comrade.
"Naruto..." She whispers. Her hands move to his neck and face as she leans toward him.
Yet, just as her lips brush his, Naruto's hands fall from her face to hit the ground limply.
Her eyes snap open to stare into his...
They are empty. Colorless...Dead.
She lets out a strangled cry and presses a firm kiss to his still warm lips.
"I'm sorry Naruto..." She sobs, placing her head over his silent heart. "I'm so sorry."