Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters.

Story: Admitting to Love
Chapter: 14 Pain

Still smiling from the strange feeling they shared both stopped near a river. Deep frowns replaced the smiles. Eyes locked at the sticky dark red sand and some shoes near the river. Sense? No it didn't, at all. Why would there be dark sticky red sand shoes lying near the river but no body or survivor?

Naruto knelt down to examine the patterns in the sand. Footprints; most likely from Sasuke and his older brother Itachi. He looked up and his eyes darted at the river behind Ino.

"Kuso!" He slammed his fist in the red sand, got up and went past her by to the river. Like Sasuke did just moments ago, he cursed and darted down the stream.

The wind blew her blond hair in front of her face. Bright blue eyes became empty and locked on the shoes. Uncertain why her body knelt down she took one of the shoes in her hand. Closing her eyes, to open them wide in shock when she recognized the owner's smell.

"…Sakura…." She whispered.

The shoe fell out of her grasp; making contact with the ground lifting some sand. With her hand before her mouth she stared sniffing. She knew it was the wrong decision; it really had been Sakura.

Hugging her knees she rocked back and forth, humming the song they always sang when feeling sad. These days it became more than a song. Humming it like a mantra it always gave her a warm and strong feeling. Now it was empty, empty notes with no comfort.

She had turned her back at her friend for the last time. Her mind already constructed the scene that must have taken place barely minutes ago.

Sasuke ran through the woods preparing for the battle of his life. His revenge, anger all bottled up inside, crawling out with every step he took. Finally sensing his brother's chakra he ran at the opening screaming his lungs out.

"I'm here to kil-…" Silence……….His face pale, as though he had seen a ghost...then finally whispering her name "Sakura?" He had no idea what to say, feel or do. He stood there paralysed looking at the pink-haired girl standing next to his brother.

Mocking his little brother Itachi pushed some hair out of her bright smiling face.

"Who is this Itachi?" She asked looking at the younger Uchiha confusedly. Having no clue of his or even her own feelings. He apparently knew her.

"Kill him for me, Sakura." Itachi whispered in her ear. Kissing her cheek before stepping backwards to give her room so she could kill her own love without hesitation.

"Of course." She smiled and took a fighting stance, preparing for battle.

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts. What could he do? Cry, beg to come back with him? He did not even know why she obeyed Itachi. Why he kissed his cherry blossom.

Seeing her getting ready to kill him, he swallowed. He was not going to fight the only one he loved even if it meant signing his own death with it.

"Sakura, I'm not here to fight you." he tried as he closed his eyes.

Sakura did not listen and ran at him, confused why he did not defend himself she slashed the body in two with a katana Itachi gave her for her birthday. The body did not disappear in smoke like Sakura thought it would. He fell face down on the ground and a little dark red pool started to surround his body.

Cleaning her katana with her sleeve she looked questioning at Itachi who was smiling.

"Come let's relax." Itachi smiled when he checked Sasuke's dead pulse.

Sakura giggled, the coolness of her sensei always made her forget she just killed a living person. Pulling of her shoes she put her feet in the stream, relaxing her body against that of Itachi's she looked at the sky. Feeling his arms around her chest she sighs. Humming a little song to her self.

Suddenly she stops, Itachi's body tenses.

"Mh?" She asked looking in his deep red eyes.

"Someone's coming." he spoke when he got up.

Sakura, not pleased because of their disturbed privacy, looked at the bushes in front of her. Seeing Itachi throwing the life-less body in the river she got up.

"What's wrong, -?" she asked, but before she ended her sentence, he had graphed her by her waist and ran with her into the woods leaving her shoes there, next to the stream and the blood red sand.

Tears kept coming, how could Sakura kill Sasuke? Was this what her mother meant with the hard life of a ninja? Wasn't there anything like a god watching over them, that would reunite loved ones? Was this the cold hard world her mother always tried to protect her from? Was this her mother's fear, that she would end up like her friend? Killing the one she loved, being used by a traitor as a puppet. In the end having no one that loves you? Closing her eyes, hoping to hear her mother yell at her for being late. "Ino wake up you're gonna be late. Again!" She must have looked stupid saying that to herself. But no one else was around, no one would tell her to wake up, to end this nightmare.

She needed to tell Naruto. About what happened here, with Sasuke, Itachi and Sakura. Even thinking about her made her sad. She never believed the stories her mother told her to keep her out of the Ninja Academy. She never believed them but now there wasn't an excuse. No one would tell her it was all a lie to keep the weak out of it. She knew it was true, she always knew it, but did not want to believe it. Now there was no turning back, only going further.

Getting up with shaking knees she wiped away her tears. She started following the stream (down), hoping to find Naruto.

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On his knees, eyes wide open staring at the ground, praying to a god he did not believe in.

He found Sasuke and was happy to see him alive. But when he walked to Sasuke he muttered something while holding something really close. Asking Sasuke what he found he noticed he was crying.

Sasuke was furious.

The words of seconds ago had carried Naruto in shock.

First he did not understanding him, asking who was dead. Not understanding who could be dead instead of the older Uchiha. But then coming closer, Sasuke showed the body he held so dear to his heart. Laying her head down with much care like she would still need it some day he looked at Naruto.

In the mean time Naruto had fallen to his knees, head down, praying for a miracle.

"They betrayed us." Sasuke cried, hitting the water around him and Sakura.

Naruto looked up seeing the water splashing around his teammates, a little drop ended on her pale cheek. Looking, with eyes that could kill, at the drop on her cheek Sasuke tore a piece of his bandage and wiped off her face.

"Can't you see?" A broken Sasuke yelled to his blond friend.

"But…they would not." Naruto cried, more to convince himself then Sasuke.

His idol, the Hokage telling them to give up. No hopes left, an official death declaration by the Fifth and her name carved on the memorial. It was the end of Haruno Sakura. But here she was, years after, really dead.

Footsteps stopped next to him.

"Sasuke!" She asked, also happy seeing him alive, throwing away her stupid scene she made up with Sakura killing Sasuke because Itachi said so.

Ino looked at Naruto. Not understanding the depressed atmosphere. Searching for an explanation her eyes caught a strand of pink hair behind Sasuke's body. His body was shaking and soaked from the water that he hit seconds ago.

So they found her. Itachi killed her before they could be reunited. Pain grew deep inside her chest, itching from the inside, to deep to take away. She sank down next to Naruto.

He heard her sniffing, she knew, it did not matter how she knew, they would share their pain with each other. Report it to the Fifth and the whole city, telling what really happened to their blossom.

Sasuke looked at his teammate, angry with everyone, his mind snapped.

"Leave" He groaned.

Both Ino and Naruto looked up. When they saw his angry red eyes they fell backwards. Not understanding what was going on they froze. He was using his Sharingan on them. Both stare at his back, hoping he could control himself.

When he noticed they still did hadn't left he carefully took Sakura's body in his arms and sprinted away.

"Sasuke?" Ino whispered.

Naruto got up and helped Ino up. Both had no idea what to do, they just stood there looking at the direction Sasuke took for his escape.

The wind turned cold and both knew they had stood there for more then thirty minutes looking at the bandage that Sasuke used to wipe off the drop from Sakura's face. It flew in the wind, dancing with it like his partner, then ending on the ground to be taken up by another breeze to resume it's dance.

"Should we g-" She hesitated and looked at Naruto's shaking head.

"No" he said, completely understanding Sasuke's feelings. He needed to be alone, alone with his blossom.

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Running with the body close to his chest he tried to come up with a plan. Somewhere, someone was calling him, lying to him, but still he could not help but listen. He would do anything, just for her.

"Come to us…."

Countless branches where touched by his feet, only to push himself a little closer to the voices. Keeping her body close to his, so nothing could hurt her. She was dead. Having neither a pulse nor a heartbeat, the end, like many others found before his blossom did.

"We can help you…."

The voices clearly became louder, he could hear two different voices. He sketched a woman; old, warm and really calm about the situation. The other voice was from a man; Young, without any feelings in his voice, clearly in control.

"Let use help you…."

Not listening to his own thought, but instead focusing on the voices he followed their directions.

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Both Naruto and Ino hated to leave Sasuke behind but what could they have done. He left with a dead Sakura in his arms and both had no clue where he went, they weren't even sure if he himself knew where he was going. After a long silence, Ino came up with the plan to travel back to Konoha to inform the Fifth. Of course Naruto objected but after knocking some sense into him he agreed and they left.

Ino forgot how fast he could travel, especially when he couldn't control what happened. With an unbelievable speed he ran back. Breaking branches under his feet, then just in time taking off to another, making a clear path for her to follow. The trip back only cost them half a day, instead of three days to their location.

Ino's chakra reduced at a high speed, passing a river Ino almost lost balance, Naruto looked behind him wondering what took her so long. Running back to the river he found an exhausted girl so he took her on his back.

After hours of traveling with his teammate on his back they finally saw the lights of Konoha. Not long after he winked at the gate keepers. Slowly putting Ino on her own shaking feet he rushed at the Office of the Hokage.

She couldn't believe he still had strength left to run to the Fifth's Office, but there he went. Proving her he could. She herself was leaning against a tree, gasping for air. With or without her, she didn't really care. Sinking down to her feet she closed her eyes.

Silently organizing her thoughts she saw flashes of Sakura. Salty tears started rolling down her cheek. How could this have happened? There had been so many troops that searched for her, and now they found her, dead. Pulling her knees up to her chest she wanted to die.

"…."

Fear, for ending the same way Sakura did made her rethink about her ninja life. Was this what she wanted? To die alone, no one knowing of your existence. All alone without knowing someone loved you, you would die on the cold hard ground, no friends to help you get through your last hours..

"…."

Hearing a voice she opened her eyes.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. "Ino, are you okay?" He asked again.

Finally seeing who was kneeling before her she threw herself in his arms. Shikamaru fell on the ground with Ino on top of him.

She was still crying but not left behind, feeling a little better she dug her fist in his jacket.

Shikamaru's eyes widened, analyzing the situation he threw his arms around her, holding her tight he started comforting her. Thankful for this opportunity he hugged her a little tighter.

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Naruto didn't listen to Shizune and broke the big red door, which separated the office of the Fifth with the rest of the building, down. With an amazing sound the door fell on the ground and a furious Naruto with red glowing chakra around him made his way in the office.

His idol betray him, but this time he wasn't leaving without answers. And for all the questions that had bottled up inside the way home, it would take a lot of answers before he would make his retrieve.

Banging his red glowing fists on the desk, breaking the wood beneath he looked up at Tsunade. Frowning her eyebrows, that gave her the wrinkles she needed at that age, she relaxed in her chair.

"Naruto" She said with much strength.

"You lied" He yelled taking his fist out of the wholes he made seconds ago and throwing them in the air.

"Calm down Naruto, who lied?" She asked pouring herself something to drink. This was going to be a long conversation. Picking up the glass she sniffed the sweet smell of the alcohol.

"You, you stupid old hag, you lied…" His eyes becoming even redder, enlarging the red chakra wall around him. The windows started shacking, bottles that the Fifth had been investigating broke in a million pieces, the pile of papers started flying around the office, only to catches flame when touching the red chakra wall that almost suffocated the room.

The bottle of alcohol and the glass broke, a sad look followed the substance that made his way down the desk. She wasn't pleased, that was her last bottle, now she had to send Shizune for another. Thinking about Shizune: where was she?

An ANBU soldier ran into the office followed by Shizune. His widened eyes locked on Naruto, and he start making some seals. A strange light came right at Naruto, only to be deflected by the red wall that completely surround him. Feeling the shift in his wall he turned his head around, taking in the ANBU soldier.

The wall became a little less darker when a small whole was made by Naruto. With a blink of an eye the ANBU soldier was hit by something and on his way down to the ground.

"Naruto? I don't know what you're talking about." Tsunade said looking at the damage Naruto did to the soldier. It wasn't critical just knocked-out, nothing her students couldn't handle.

"Sakura, she isn't dead, well she wasn't dead." He stutter with watery eyes, sinking in a chair before the broken desk.

Tsunade noticed the watery eyes but it didn't bother her. Of course things like this could happen and there wasn't a thing she could have done to prevent it. "I'm sorry." She said although her mind wasn't with Naruto, but with the memory she had of Sakura.

"Pff sorry, that didn't saved her against Itachi." He yelled out, feeling an empty place deep down burn.

He loved Hinata, off course he did. He was gonna propose to her after this mission but the sudden reappearance of his lost teammate made his heart burn. It wasn't love, not like years ago, it was something much deeper. She was his little sister, both seen each other's hell and heaven and now he found out he could have saved her from death. If only he knew, if only... It wasn't helping, if he didn't had the Kyuubi sealed inside of him he would have never been a ninja with the rank he had today. If he wasn't teamed up with her he wouldn't feel like this. But if everything was like it was now, it sure sucked and it was, it hurt his soul.

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Before he realized it had become dark, his eyes spun red with anger and fear. What would they want from him, would could they do that would help him, how could he hear them, how did he knew where to go?

Many questions stayed unanswered by the voices. But one thing didn't, he knew where he was going.

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Coming out of the forest he traveled in for the past time he entered an open field that let him to a dusty road. Walking down the road he found the place the voices had let him. The glow from the lights covered his face and made it seem like nothing ever happened. Only his deep saddened look made it clear something did.

The glow from the city entering his eyes made him calmer; with the voices directing him through the streets he finally looked around, hoping to find some things he recognized. He didn't so he started looking at the people hoping for headbands with symbols. But no one was wearing them. Looking at the glances he got, he looked down at the live-less body he kept close to his chest. He started walking a little faster, ignoring the people's looks and gossips.

Turning into another street the wind blew his dark black hair before his eyes. Shacking his head a little so he could see where he was walking he found himself in front of an enormous dark Grey building only a head of a city could afford.

Entering the building he noticed that the dark Grey color became a little softer. Some candles on the walls made it possible to see the hall but nothing else. Still carying Sakura in his arms he walked to the end of the hall. Without any noise a big brown door opened in front of him. He closed his eyes to the blinding light that came through the door.

"Welcome" One of the voices he heard the whole way said.

His eyes were still getting used to the bright light but he could make out two people standing there in the middle of the room. Their faces covered by the hoods of their brown capes, one was definitely female.

Both looked at the ground. Curious he followed their eyes to a point that made him step backwards. On the ground between him and them was a big circle of blood red seals with only one opening; one towards him and Sakura.

To be continued………….

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I just want to take this little space for some things;

-0- This story is coming to his end, some may like the end other don't.

-0- I have a new beta-reader; Optophobic. I Guess I need to huge him until it will comes to the

point I'll kill him. If you still find errors it's out of my reach so go blame him.

-0- I want your opinion about my precious beta-reader; Kawaii Neko.

Hope you enjoyed it.