"sakura…."

"sakura…"

"SA-KUR-A!" came the loud annoying voice.

Sakura snapped out of it and noticed she way lying on the ground outside the boulderish prison. She sat up and looked around her. She then saw Naruto and blinked.

"Naruto...But...i was just…I just..."

"I just saved your from that weird rock formation…you where hallucinating." Naruto said. "You kept calling out to Neji…" He added biting his lip but still holding her up slightly.

" I see" sakura added looking down. The blonde parted and sat against the tree next to her letting his fingers run through his hair. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked like a giant rag doll.

"You know im glad I was still awake to hear the explosion...im glad to see those tablets in your pack worked sakura…" he rambled on trying to change the subject.

"I want you to be happy…just know that…and that alone" Sakura whispered.

But she wasn't listening to Naruto. Instead she was remembering that simple phrase Neji had said to her. A single tear ran down her cheek.

"That's right… I remember now…my goal…from the beginning…was my promise…to become strong, and bring team seven back….now its clear again…thank you Neji…" she thought and finally got to her feet.

She walked over to Naruto and landed a gentle fist on his head growling. Finally turning her angrily scoff to a smirk. She leaned down and pinched his cheek pulling them far from the jaw line.

"you went and used medicine on me…you didn't know what it was….you could have killed me!" she growled pulling away his face angrily.

"I-im sorry Sakura….I was just ...ow that hurts!!!" he yelled. Sakura smirked in triumph. She was happy again. She let go of Naruto's cheeks as he also looked up with a smirk. He knew she was alright now and he grinned happily getting to his feet. Unfortunately he fell back down and sakura knelt by him.

"what happened….?" She asked taking out her medical supplies relieved to find the normal poison reducers where the only thing missing.

"Well I remember being attacked, and the rest is fuzzy though I know we fought. Finally I think I was outnumbered and I remembered it wouldn't be smart to continue since I had no back up so…I ran. I feel I should have stayed but…something told me if I ran things would turn out better. Then those two showed up and" He clenched his fist as if every drop of his pride had been sucked from him.

"we cant always stay for everything" sakura said trying to cheer him up now. She placed her hands gently over his wounds and began to heal them softly yet quickly.

"I know…say where is Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he watched her heal him diligently.

"oh my god…that's right SASUKE!" sakura shouted loudly.

Sasuke stood over the two shinobi. This time finally only one got up. Sasuke had been fighting them continuously for a long time and after releasing genjutsus over and over again they ad finally faced him face to face. Sasuke continued to angrily fight them.

They had been excellent shinobi and even succeeded in being able to hurt him many times. Cuts and bruises lined his body from both foliage and their weapons. He growled yet breathed heavily as the other one began another attack.

Sasuke dodged and reversed the attack but missed and found himself swerving around to catch the enemies blow just in time. He turned and tried to kick the other away but failed and jumped back performing a fire jutsu and setting the ground ablaze. The fire went out when the enemy used a water attack and almost caught Sasuke. But Sasuke had always been renowned for his speed and acute senses. He took little effort to dodge and counter as he sent two shuriken in the direction of the shinobi. The man was cut at the arm and leg as he tried to dodge but failed.

Naruto and Sakura raced through forest. There recently healed bodies continued to trip and fumbled over the terrain as they ran towards Sasuke. For the second time they where trying to find him, trying desperately to catch up with him. Sakura let her eyes down cast. She clenched her fists. It was just like then. Racing to find Sasuke. Racing to find him.

Naruto fumbled and sakura fell back to help him. They held onto each other using the others strength to continue forward. Using each other as a way to achieve their goal. Sakura smirked and jumped up and over a few trees. Jumping down she noticed fire mark where left on the trees.

Naruto walked a few steps over and pointed out there was a huge clearing of wet trees with the same burn marks. Sakura looked up and full turned to Naruto. Her look was serious yet determined and strong. She frowned.

"he was here."

Sasuke was out of chakra. The first man lay unconscious a few miles away now. The second sat across a clearing breathing heavily. Sasuke attacked again this time they crashed backwards. Sasuke rebound and hit again shoving the opponent far through the woods till they reached a cliff over looking a river.

Sasuke walked up to the man sword in his hands. Bruises and cuts lined his body as she slowly walked closer. The man began to tremble and shake. He tried to get up but he did not notice that Sasuke had broken both his legs while shoving him to the cliff.

In this instance of figuring it out the men whaled in pain clutching them and screaming. Sasuke winced at the painful shrieks. His eyes hatefully glared. His only thoughts where of stopping that mans noise. He had killed sakura, and probably Naruto. Sasuke wouldn't live with this bastard alive. He walked closer. His presence ominous to the man who shivered and cried in pain at the end.

Suddenly the cries stopped as the man stared at terror with the approaching Sasuke. His eye widened in terror as the Uchiha drew ever closer. The sword at his side covered with dripping blood and the echoing foot steps. Sasuke rose, clicked his sword and twitch it so it clanks in his hand. He was ready to face him and finish it. And everyone knew it.

"STOP!" Came a loud cry and suddenly sakura was in front of Sasuke. Sasuke took a step back.

"sakura….you're" he said surprisingly shocked.

"Alive, yes...and so is Naruto" Sakura said calmly yet not relinquishing her position.

"Take Naruto back to Konoha…I'll finish this guy off." Sasuke ordered trying to push Sakura aside. However she did not move, instead she looked up with pleading eyes.

"Move Sakura…this is our mission!" he glared as she pushed back.

"No…Sasuke….our mission was Naruto and him only!" Sakura argued softly.

"How would you know, you where to busy daydreaming when she told us the mission!?"

"I was not! Don't count me as so irresponsible Sasuke!" she glared.

"All you've done since right before the wedding is been irresponsible…" he spat. He was obviously very touché and Naruto could only stare of his position on the ground. He looked at the guy who seemed to still be sitting in fear even though he was being guarded. Naruto tried to but in but it was no used. A heated argument between two lovers was pointless to try and stop from the outside and though Naruto didn't understand it he continued to watch.

"WHAT IS WITH YOU SASUKE?!" Sakura yelled.

"You! You're who was with me but now all you ever think about is your precious Neji!" he snarled.

"How did you?" Sakura stopped short and bit her lip then laughed slightly.

"Well now…I don't think I've ever seen you so emotionally protective Sasuke!" she shoved obviously now pushing buttons. Sakura had set an emotional time bomb inside Sasuke as he sat their speechless for a moment and had to resort to glaring as a method of comeback.

The shinobi however took the time to realize the situation and in a last attempt to escape he took out a traditional firecracker. The man went about trying to light it secretly but couldn't find a way how. Naruto watched the fight with utter amazement. Sakura gripped Sasuke's shirt with her fist and pulled him down to her.

"How could you know what I've been through, you and Naruto both have been through much more then I have yet I do believe I still have a right to say I've been through a lot too. You have no right to criticizing it….all this time…all I've been trying to do…was catch up to you two. All I wanted was you Sasuke. SO WHAT IF NEJI HELPED ME….so what if he gave me support when I needed it most, so that I some how fell for him in the process…who cares…." Sakura was shaking now. Her fist struggling to keep a firm hold on Sasuke's tattered shirt.

"Sasuke…the day you left Konoha…I tried to stop you, I confessed my feelings…yet…you still left me. You bruised me badly…but I didn't give up…and when Neji came you cant blame me for wanting to be with someone…I was lonely...but when I think back to that time when we where team seven long ago…and why you acted the way you did…I see that my problems will be nothing compared to yours…ever…and I…" she began to cry. Sasuke began to walk toward the man again but Sakura stood in the way again shaking from her excess of emotion.

"Move aside Sakura...I don't need to hear this."

"YOU DO…BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR LONELY TOO!" she shouted through a sob.

This made Sasuke stop in his tracks. He turned back glaring at her.

"I want to take away that pain Sasuke...please…even now after your brother's death you're still not free. I haven't changed…in the fact I still want to make you happy…because that's most important to me. Not Neji, not team seven…your are…and you've given me so much…and I've tried but you block it off…please let me repay you..."

At this moment was the time the other shinobi was able to light the match. Smashing the small firecracker into the ground the cliff exploded. Suddenly Sakura found herself falling backwards and rock was around her.

Naruto scooted back yet in an instant found himself leaning over the edge of the new cliff edge. His blue eyes traced the rubble as it continued to fall quickly towards the river.

"SAKURA!!!" "SASUKE!!!" he shouted but no answer. Right before the first rock hit the water he spotted them and smirked.

Sakura held out her hand toward the cliff. It was too late to grab anything and far too late to beg for help. She watched as her tears lifted from her face into the air that flew past her. Suddenly she found a pair of arm wrap around her. Next thing she knew she was under water and clutching desperately to someone's hand.

"Im not leaving you this time…im not letting go…" Sakura thought holding her breathe.

Sasuke opened his eyes. He had the worst headache but he would live. He sat up cracking his neck and rubbing it. Much to his dismay it was sore like the rest of his body. He Went to stand up but found someone holding his other hand. He looked down to find Sakura face down on the sand. He immediately turned her over to find her still breathing but heavily. Her eyes opened slowly and slightly. As she squinted to look at him her hand clutched tight around his. Sakura opened her lips and let breath come out and in a few times first. Then in a weak and breathless tone she whispered out the finishing words to her testimony…

"…let me…repay you….after all…it was you who….stopped the bleeding in my heart….not Neji…it was never Neji….only you…only you" she said repeating the last word to clarify

Sasuke sat there staring at her, his onyx eyes penetrating her mind. Her words where true and after a few moments he smirked. The smirk turned to a chuckle then back to an out of breath stare. For a long moment they just breathed and gasped for air and then in one long swoop Sasuke had wrapped his arms around Sakura. He embraced her long and tight then pulling away he let his lip descend upon hers.

Their lips met and locked instantly, pressing lightly yet roughly and in every way it just felt right. Sasuke held her closer. Sakura weakly tugged him closer as well. It was passionate, long, and breathless. Once that kiss was broken it was only followed by a few more as Sasuke became possessive over Sakura. Sakura only trying to express that every word she had said was true felt relieved by his strong come back.

Moments that seemed to stop time flew by quickly. The sun set in the background as they both embraced again the followed it with even more pecks and embraces. Finally when the sun descended to the lowest point Sasuke let his lips also descend one last time.

This kiss was soft and sweet, yet so strong and loving that Sakura felt she might melt despite her feeling very cold.

"OI, SASUKE…I THINK SHES BREATHING!" Naruto joked from the forest entrance above the river side. Sasuke glared and immediately dropped Sakura who hit the side hard and stood up turning and glaring at Naruto.

"YOU JUST RUINED IT!" she shouted.

"hmph" and a smirk was the only reply Sasuke had to give.

Well guess what..next chapter is the final chapter...ill leave a better author note there but i do hope you liked it up until now..until we meet again ahha...