A/N:Once more, don't own Naruto. Crap...
Chapter 2
A/N: For those who are wondering --- means change of scene. When I do flashbacks, it's –flashback-, don't own Naruto, sorry people who want to sue.
Sasuke realized he was translucent. Nobody could see him.
Naruto slammed his fist down on the counter. "Damnit."
Kakashi looked up. He wasn't even reading his porn novels. Teuchi shuffled over to the downtrodden two. Broken and weary, they let pushed away the fresh bowls of ramen.
Sasuke recoiled. What had happened to Naruto? He never refused ramen. What had put them into such a dire mood?
Naruto whispered, "Damnit, she doesn't deserve this. She was the brightest and she fell so low. She doesn't deserve to be just another person, lying in a hospital bed, deteriorating. She was special, so why? Why her?" Tears splashed onto the counter.
Sasuke looked at Naruto's face. He was biting his lip to stop it from quivering. The happy-go-lucky attitude he had had was replaced by pain and lament. It was sickening to watch Naruto lose it. He never capitulated to anything.
Kakashi's uncovered eye was watery. Tears snaked down his cheeks. Sasuke looked down. He couldn't stand to see the man who had acted like his father for three years, weep.
The two got up and Sasuke followed. Kakashi had wiped his eye and there was no trace of any tears. The hospital loomed closer and Naruto and Kakashi climbed the steps, with their ghostly friend still pursuing them.
They paused outside room 416. When Sasuke entered the room, he was appalled to see Sakura lying in the hospital bed. Naruto walked up to Sakura and reached out to grab her hand. The kunoichi's eyes flew open and she started speaking gibberish. No coherent words escaped her lips. All of the irrational talk ended in Sakura shrieking. Naruto backed away, slowly, pain showing in his face.
Sasuke looked over at Kakashi. The jounin showed no emotion, but horror. His gaze was downcast and forced. He tried not to look at the insane girl, clawing at the air. It took all of his will power to fight back any emotion. Horror was engraved on his face as he bit his bottom lip. Obviously, nobody saw this, but it irritated Kakashi nonetheless.
After Sakura had fallen back into her semiconscious state, Naruto and Kakashi left. Sasuke stayed behind. Carefully, he stepped toward the manic girl glad she had drifted asleep. He held her hand and was about to add a soothing word, when the world went dark. Pictures swam in and out of sight.
Suddenly, things became clear and there was Sakura scraping at herself. He ran over her and held her tight. Sakura's eyes opened as she regained control. Gripping onto her friend, she cried into his shoulder.
"Sasuke," she whispered, "Sasuke."
"I'm here," he muttered to the crying girl. "You'll be okay. I'm here." Sasuke fought back tears as she wept into the shoulder of his soul. He never moved her he never stepped back. He just let her cry.
"Oh Sasuke," Sakura sighed. She let go of him and he floated away. He saw a fleeting smile pass Sakura's lip. Sasuke bowed his head, letting himself drift away.
---
Sakura woke the next morning with complete control of her mind. She looked down and saw that she had been restrained to the bed. Letting her head fall back, she sighed. "Sasuke." The boy had given her control. She was free of insanity. She had her mind back, her life back.
"Thank you Sasuke."
---
Tsunade dashed to Sakura's room. It was impossible. Sakura had done it. She had command of her life. She wasn't a vegetable occupying space, she was alive again. She could live.
Cutting the restraints, she allowed Sakura to sit up. The kunoichi rubbed her wrists. "You think you could have made those any tighter?" A small laugh passed through her open mouth.
Tsunade smiled with a cheerful attitude. She was back, as back as she would ever be. There was no screaming, no attempts fight unseen monsters, no out-of-control body. Sakura was back.
---
Naruto and Kakashi pounded down the roads kicking up dust. So that was all just a phase. She had fought it. Sakura had never succumbed to dark's spell. Joy finally coursed through their bodies once more.
Almost slamming into the hospital, they sprinted down the hall. Screeching to a halt, they entered her room. Sakura was sitting, pillows propped up. She was reading a book, paying no attention to the two males that had just walked in. Naruto bit his lip. They probably should have knocked first, so he opened the door and rapped against the wood.
Sakura glanced up and put a bookmark in her spot. Setting the book aside, she nodded at them. "What brings you here?"
"Um, we can see you right? I mean, after all we are your friends," Naruto answered. Kakashi didn't say anything, choosing to sit in the only chair in the room. Naruto noticed this and frowned. Instead, he moved Sakura's feet and sat at the edge of her bed.
"So, how do you feel?" Kakashi said. Sakura rolled her eyes. She had been asked that question by so many medic-nin, she had finally decided not to answer and ignore that question. This time was no different.
Naruto jumped up and down, shaking the bed. Suddenly he raced out of the room leaving Kakashi and Sakura. Sakura raised an eyebrow and Kakashi shrugged.
A medic-nin ambled in. "How do you feel?" The kunoichi didn't bother with rolling her eyes. Instead, she picked up her book. Opening it to her bookmark, she pulled it out and continued reading. Examining the pages, she completely ignored the medic-nin after labeling her incompetent.
The medic-nin scowled, apparently not used to resistance. Kakashi smiled, careful to not let it show. This was going to prove interesting.
"Take these." The medic shoved a cup of pills into Sakura's hands. The pink haired girl glanced at her watch.
"I take these at noon. It's not noon yet." This going to prove really interesting. The medic's exasperation showed on her face.
"You take them now while I am in the room." The medic clenched her teeth.
"One, it's not noon yet, two, I'm a medic-nin and can take care of myself, and three, I'm not some ineffectual prissy lady who's obsessed with her nails." Sakura peeked at the woman's nails. They were perfectly manicured with a thick layer of purple nail polish applied.
Sakura put the cup of pills on her bedside table. "Aren't you even going bring me a glass of water? My, what manners you have," sarcasm layered the last sentence.
"If you take your pills, I'll get you a cup of water." Kakashi could tell the medic's patience was waning. She wasn't going to hold up much longer.
"You'll have to wait six more minutes. When my watch says noon, I will take my pills and not a minute sooner." Sakura turned a page in her book. The medic screamed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
A faint smile played across Sakura's lips as she placed her bookmark back in. Downing the two pills, she looked at her watch. "Oops, so maybe it was noon after all." It was Kakashi's turn to roll his eyes.
"That was easier than I thought. When are they going to learn?" Sakura chuckled. Kakashi smiled. If that was her form of entertainment, so be it. He wasn't about to argue. The silver haired jounin stayed as another medic-nin brought Sakura her lunch. He noted that the medic left quickly, not giving Sakura time to criticize. She dipped her spoon into her ramen and slurped up the noodles. She blanched at the tasteless meal. Sakura missed Ichiraku's noodles.
Neither of them spoke much. Sakura read mostly, but she was still grateful of his presence. Kakashi watched her. She was Sakura once more, but she was stronger, more graceful.
He looked at her eyes. A small fire had rekindled itself. It still wasn't as big as before, but it was there. Darkness had lost its grip. It couldn't drag her down, hold her back anymore. The fire in her eyes had chased it away.
Tsunade walked in fuming. "Will you stop harassing the medics? That's the third one this week that's resigned." Sakura smiled.
"But I'm bored." Kakashi had to hold back a laugh. She had sounded like a three year old trying to apologize. Tsunade didn't like that answer.
"Just cut back on the pestering, will you?" Sakura smiled even more. Cutting back on annoying the medics was going to be practically impossible. It was too fun...and it got rid of inadequately experienced medics. Tsunade stormed out when a call came on her radio.
"I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming."
---
Naruto wasn't certain of Sakura's sudden recovery. He wasn't sure that she had really overcome the shadow lurking behind her. He wasn't positive that his best friend was really in her right mind. After all, she was in an almost comatose state. Reviving in such way, so quickly, it wasn't normal. At least, not for everyone else, but even the nine-tailed fox couldn't heal mental wounds. Something was wrong.
---
Sakura sat up. A loud cough came from the chair beside her bed. Jumping slightly from the noise, she turned her head carefully.
Kakashi was slumped in the chair, asleep. His mask was slightly wet where drool was leaking out the sides of his mouth. She smiled, slightly disgusted at the sight.
Looking over at the clock, it read 3:34. How she hated those stupid pills. Conking out in front of her ex-sensei must have been embarrassing, although the sight of him now made up for it.
She sighed and nudged the man awake. "Huh?" was all he could register at the moment. After about a minute, the silver haired jounin, jumped up. He blinked.
"I have to go," he said, suddenly, and left.
---
Naruto slammed into Kakashi as the hyperactive boy walked to Sakura's room. The man stopped and looked down. No matter if he was taller than Sakura, Kakashi was still larger.
Naruto stepped back and continued without apologizing. He turned and strode into Sakura's room. She looked up from her book and smiled.
"Hi, Naruto!" Naruto nodded without a reply. He sat in the chair stationed next to the door.
"Umm, Sakura, are you sure you're all right?" Naruto didn't look at his friend.
"What? Are you saying you don't want me to get well?" Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Naruto could smell her anger. Her voice had broken at that last word.
What was she thinking? Of course, I want her to get well. Wait, what was I thinking? I'm an idiot. Naruto deliberately avoided the kunoichi's glance. "Sakura, don't you think it's a little odd that you came back? After all, you were practically comatose."
Sakura calmed down when she saw the concern in the boy's eyes. She could tell him, couldn't she? "Naruto, I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you..."
Naruto looked up, astonished and fearful. Now that he was listening, did he really want to hear it?
"...but I didn't fight it alone. I saw Sasuke! He helped me. I saw him!" Sakura's eyes sparkled, but Naruto's became dull.
This was another phase of her insanity. She had gotten his hopes up and shattered them. She might have been aware of her surroundings and whom she was talking to, but she had no memory. This was it; this was how he was to watch his best friend, from the sidelines without any ability to help.
A feeling of hopelessness hit Naruto in waves, each larger than the next. Bile was coming up. There was no hope, no control, no point left. Fighting back tears, Naruto ran out of the room.
---
Kakashi followed Naruto to Sakura's room. He had heard the question, surprised that Naruto had figured it out. Listening to Sakura answer, his heart began to sink. A moment before Naruto had run out, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
So this was how it was to end with Sakura, the cherry blossom. He hung his head, not wanting to admit defeat. DAMNIT! Kakashi shouted unaware. People stared at him as he walked down the street. Everyone parted, knowing how bad his anger was.
This isn't good. She's hallucinating. Oh, no. Kakashi's face was set so he wouldn't let any emotion show. He just wanted to get home, away from everyone's peeping eyes. At the moment it was practically impossible, considering that he was completely out of food, being ravenous, he had to eat somewhere.
Sighing, he walked to the Ramen Shop and sat down. Ayame quickly put a bowl of chicken ramen in front of the depressed jounin. He pulled his mask down, not caring if people saw, and began to eat.
---
Naruto sat in front of the stone memorial, tears snaking down his face. Falling gently to the ground, sparkles of light scattered. Entranced he watched the light sparkle and fade.
Lowering his head in defeat, he moaned. Nothing justified seeing Sakura suffer like that. This wasn't right. She didn't deserve this. Her ending was supposed to be honorific and brave. It wasn't meant to be.
He pictured Sakura dying protecting the village, not fading away into nothing. She was supposed to make him laugh, make him feel loved; make him feel confident once again.
He saw her name next to Sasuke's underneath Kakashi's father. Hanging his head, the Kyuubi felt the boy's pain and let him be. Sadness flowed from both beings as Naruto recalled her dying moments.
-Flashback-
Two days ago, she had been fine, but the darkness had encompassed her. It covered her eyes, throwing the light out. She looked up at the fox's container and smiled. For a moment, the fire was back.
"Goodbye, Naruto. Life is never fair. Be strong, my friend, my brother. Follow your heart. It won't let you down. Fulfill your dream, become Hokage. Find reason in your life. Do not worry, I will be in Paradise." Sakura leaned up and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Don't be sad, live your life. I'll be fine."
Naruto held her hand, whispering, "Don't go. I'll protect you, take care of you. Don't leave me. Don't leave me like Sasuke."
Sakura smiled and with that, she fell into the deepest possible coma. Tsunade looked away from her pupil. Kakashi lowered his head, willing the tears not to come, to no prevail.
Her cheeks were wet when Ino leaned in and picked up the book in Sakura's hand. Opening it to the page of her bookmark, she read:
War and Death
Common Synonyms,
Peace and Death
Just the same,
Death is Peace
As peace can only
Be obtained by death
Sorrow and Death
Still synonyms,
With Death
Comes sorrow,
But sorrow
Is not death
Pain and suffering
Obvious synonyms,
The two are almost
The same,
No amount of pain
Can blot out suffering,
Suffering is pain
So why then
Do people fear death?
What is so horrible?
It creates new beginnings
Covers up the old life,
Is death so horrible?
No
What is there to fear?
Change or a new life?
Neither is frightening
They're adventures
They're something different
Is that really so bad?
No
Peace and Death
Synonyms
Death is peace
As peace can only
Be obtained
By death
---
Naruto hung his head at the memory of the poem. It was so amazing what that thing said. After Ino had set the book back down and everyone had left, Naruto began engraving it into his memory.
That moment he decided that was what was going on her tombstone, that poem.
---
A/N: Okay, I could continue on this, but it would last MANY more pages. I do own the poem, however. You can use it as long as you say whom you got it from. This isn't going to be as long as I thought.