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A/N: AH! The last chapter is finally here! It took me a LONG time, but it's finally done! I had a great time writing Her Choice, and all the positive feedback that I've received definitely helped me concluding this! Thank you all for the patience and everything, and as always, I hope you enjoy this! Please, Leave me your final Reviews for this story!
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The beeping sound of the cardiac monitor was the only sound echoing around those cold, gray hallways. The dense atmosphere could be easily cut with a knife, and the heavy burden on those ninjas' shoulders was making them suffocate in a room filled with oxygen.
" I'm sorry…"
The voice was hoarse as if it had been trapped inside for way too long. There was a hint of courage in it, too, for it had dared to leave during the situation like that.
A situation in which a person had barely escaped death.
A death that was supposed to have come for another person, and not to the boy laying unconscious in that hospital bed. It was a stolen sentence, but a sentence nevertheless.
A sentence to which her choice had been the verdict.
" I'm sorry, Naruto-senpai… I shouldn't have let my guard down… I shouldn't have let him save me… I should be the one in that bed, and not… Sasuke-san."
Kakeru's eyes were aiming at the floor, not daring to make any contact with the Uzumaki's sapphire orbs. He was ashamed of himself, as a ninja and as the captain of that team. He knew that he shouldn't have let his mind drift away during such a critical moment, but still, he let it, and ironically, he was not the one who suffered the consequences of his neglect.
It should have been an easy mission. It should have been simple, and no one should have gotten hurt. And even if the destiny had prepared that bloody kind of scenario, the one who should have faced it shouldn't have been the Uchiha. He had already done his part and had already knocked down his own quota of enemies. He is Uchiha Sasuke, a legendary hero and Haruno Sakura's dear friend. Things shouldn't have ended up like that.
Sasuke shouldn't have taken that hit for him.
He shouldn't be in that stupid bed.
With clenched fists and gritted teeth, the ANBU captain tortured himself, as he allowed his own, guilty thoughts to consume every inch of him.
It was my fault
His heart was aching, his body was shaking, and there was sweat soaking his clothes.
No one will ever forgive me
He was about to have a nervous breakdown, and no one would even notice.
No one would even care.
No one but the one who will become Hokage.
In a gentle move, the Uzumaki placed his hand on Kakeru's shoulder, making the captain turn to face him. Naruto noticed the desperation in his eyes, and immediately, the Uzumaki offered him one of his bright, contagious smiles. And that smile, at that moment, made all the difference.
" Look, you don't have to apologize. Sasuke will be okay. Things like this happen-ttebayo."
Naruto's voice was calm and serene, and that certainly helped Kakeru feeling a little less devastated. Looking at the blonde, the ANBU finally realized why Sakura admires him so much. It was clear that he was worried sick about his best friend, and more than Kakeru, Naruto was impatient to see his best friend all healthy again. He wanted to be there with him, on that mission, in that room, by his side. The Uzumaki wanted to be there, but at that moment, he knew there was someone else who needed him. Someone who was suffering even more than the Uchiha. And for that person, he would be strong. For Kakeru, he controlled his feelings and stood by his side.
Sasuke would be okay, Naruto knew.
Kakeru needed him more than the Uchiha did. And that need would be even more evident as soon as that girl finished the maze created by the hospital hallways.
" N-Naruto-senpai… I don't understand why he did it. Why would he even sacrifice himself for me? I'm nothing compared to him. He is Uchiha Sasuke, and I am… I-"
" You are you, Kakeru."
" Uh?" His eyes widened, and even if the Uzumaki had said such simple words, Kakeru couldn't simply understand the meaning behind them.
Being himself… So what?
" You see… I know Sasuke and it took me years to finally understand that bastard. He's impulsive when it comes to such things. He doesn't think much when it comes to making Sakura-chan happy."
" Sa-Sakura-san? Did he…?"
" He saved you because he probably realized you can make her happy… And her happiness is the most important thing for him at the moment-ttebayo."
" D-Does he…" His throat went dry, and for a moment, Kakeru didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer to his unspoken question. He didn't know if he wanted to change the way he felt towards the one laying on that hospital bed.
He didn't know if he wanted to make that friend turn into a rival.
But in his heart, he knew he had to know. If he really loved her, he had to know who could take her away.
After swallowing dry, Kakeru continued. " Does he love her?"
Naruto's orbs widened for a moment, but soon, his surprised expression melted into a softer one. He turned his attention towards the door of his best friend's room, letting out an honest sigh. There was no point in lying to that boy, right?
"Yes… He loves her, and for that, he wants her to be happy. And in you, he sees someone who can make her smile."
" W-What? Me? But what about him?"
" Sasuke has hurt her many times and he thinks he can't give her the love she deserves." Naruto smiled weakly, placing his right hand on his hip. " He thinks he isn't good enough-ttebayo."
The ANBU captain felt his heart aching even more after the blonde's words. As he had expected, he was now seeing Sasuke in a different way, but not in the way he had expected. He saw Sasuke as a real man, to whom he owned respect and to whom he was in debt. For saving his life, Kakeru owned the Uchiha the mission to make that girl happy. And that was exactly what he was going to do. He would honor Sasuke's decision, and would make sure to make her smile for the rest of her life.
As the Uchiha had decided, Kakeru would take care of Sakura.
But who said she would simply accept being taken care of like that?
" I-I will make her happy, Naruto-senpai. I promise you that I'll take care of her like Sasuke-san wants me to. I won't disappoint him, you have my word."
" Hehe… Sasuke would like to hear that." The Uzumaki nodded, trying to make him feel comfortable with his decision. Even if he knew exactly what would happen, Naruto respected Kakeru's position, and just like Sasuke, he knew his pink haired friend would certainly be happy by that man's side.
The only problem was that both he and his Sakura-chan knew that her heart would forever belong to the last survivor of the Uchiha clan. And the time for Kakeru to understand that had finally arrived.
Their talk was suddenly interrupted by the rapid sound of steps against the floor of the hospital hallways. The person- a girl from the click of the heels- seemed to be desperate, for the resonance of her feet struggling to get to her destination was a lot more intense than anyone that had crossed their way during the time they were standing there.
She was certainly in a hurry.
But that was acceptable for the one she was looking for was the love of her life.
It didn't take long before her image was revealed to those boys' eyes. Her hair was bright pink, the hem of her lab coat was flying behind her back and her emerald eyes were determinately set on the door ahead of her. Through her eyes, nothing else could be seen. No one mattered, nothing stood in her way, and nothing would make her stop.
Nothing nor no one.
" Sakura-chan! You're finally here!" Kakeru waved, with a shy smile playing on his lips. He was hoping to hear her voice, for he knew it would make him feel better.
That girl could heal his heart.
But as Naruto had predicted, she was about to break it.
"Sasuke-san will be okay. He will-"
And at that moment, when she passed right through him, leaving a void blank that smelled like a soft, spring breeze behind; not even Kakeru could deny that she wasn't beautiful. With her heart filled with love and devotion, Haruno Sakura left him behind in order to protect the one she has always loved. She left him for Uchiha Sasuke, and even if it hurt- even if his eyes were widened, his heart had skipped a beat and the air escaped his lungs- Kakeru admired that girl as she ran towards the love of her life.
What a lucky bastard, he thought.
"Sakura-" Kakeru started, but before he could take a single step towards the girl, the Uzumaki's hand created a barrier in between them, making the captain stop.
" Don't." Naruto nodded, and he waited until the girl was inside the room to lower his hand.
" But senpai…"
" You see… I told you some things about Sasuke, but you also need to learn a thing or two about Sakura-chan."
" What is it?"
" She loves that bastard more than anything."
" She does? Then why-"
" No matter how many times she has tried to get rid of that love, in the end, she always realizes she shouldn't even have tried. He is the love of her life and none of us have a chance against him… Believe me, I've spent some years trying as well."
" Y-You too, senpai?"
" Yep… She's an amazing girl… It took me some time to accept it, but now I couldn't be happier for them-ttebayo!"
" Happy?"
" Hehe… You'll understand as soon as you see how beautiful her smile is when she's by his side. It's impossible not to cheer for them."
"Oh… I see. In this case, I should just go, right?"
" I'll be going too. Let's go get ourselves a bowl of ramen-ttabyo!" Naruto said, wrapping his arm around Kakeru's shoulder and dragging the ANBU away. He knew the boy would suffer, but he would get over it one day. In the same way he did, Kakeru would also learn to be happy for them.
He would learn to be happy for the blooming of their true love.
—
Her heart skipped a beat as soon as she opened that door. She breathed heavily, as her ribcage went up and down frantically and her heart was almost jumping from her chest. Her body was shaking, as her hand slowly slipped from the doorknob after finally closing the only connection with the outside world.
The atmosphere was peaceful, there was no breeze invading their silence and the boy she was so desperately looking for was laying there, just some meters away from her reach. He was so close, and yet, Sakura did not move. She simply stood there, not moving a single muscle as she tried to convince herself that what her eyes were seeing was not a dream.
Trying to convince herself that he was alive.
An overload of feelings hit her at that exact moment, and Sakura released a relieved sigh. Ever since she had been informed about what had happened during his mission, the pinkette couldn't breathe, think or talk straight. She had been desperate from the moment she heard about all the cuts, the lost blood and broken bones; and only now that she was finally facing him, the girl could feel better.
She could feel innocent.
His question was the first thing that came to her mind when Tsunade informed her about the Uchiha's situation. For her master was the one at the hospital by the time the ninjas carried Sasuke in, the former Hokage had all the details regarding the boy's condition and what had driven him to such state.
At first, Sakura was mad at him for acting so recklessly, and mad at herself for not being there to protect him. She was feeling ashamed for not being there when he was first brought to the hospital, but that feeling eventually changed into guilt when she discovered that Sasuke had done what he did to save Kakeru. She felt guilty, shocked and desolated when she realized that she almost lost the love of her life due to a stubborn and selfish act of a pseudo-independence.
She tried to get rid of her dying love for him, and the Uchiha almost got himself killed for that.
She tried to set herself free, but almost got tied to an eternal grieve.
She tried not to love him, but in the end, her love for him only got stronger.
And after almost losing him, Haruno Sakura finally learned that love can't be molded by logic. Love doesn't obey any law, and not even her monstrous strength can alter such thing.
When the trembling ceased, the pinkette finally managed to order her feet to move. Slowly, she approached the right side of his bed, where he was peacefully sleeping, with his right arm uncovered by the blanket, and completely unaware of her presence. With her eyes carefully observing him, Sakura noticed as his dark hair covered the sides of his face, and as there were bandages wrapped all over his chest. There were some minor scratches going down all the way from his face to the point of his exposed fingers, and there were some wires connecting his body to the electrocardiogram. At that moment, Sakura didn't feel as a medic at all. She didn't even try to understand what was happening to him, choosing, instead, to simply observe him as he slept.
Oh, and how peaceful he was at that moment.
Her hand went to caress his hair, sliding down to his cheek, as the back of her fingers felt the warmth of his soft skin. Sakura, then, smiled weakly at him, carefully leaning down to press her lips against the center of his forehead. It was not like he could feel it or anything due to the heavy painkillers, but the girl chose to do it anyway. It was a delicate, soft gesture that showed him how much she cares, and showed her that she could allow herself to let her guard down at that moment. That kiss connected their worn out hearts and their tired bodies in an intimately tender way. And at that moment, a bit of tenderness was all they needed.
It didn't take long before her shaking legs succumbed to her weight and she allowed herself to sit on the wooden stool by the side of his bed. Sakura, then, held his hand carefully over the sheets, and unconsciously started to draw invisible circles on the back of his hand with her own thumb. That cycling movement trapped her even deeper in her thoughts, as she thought about all the mean things she said to him in the past few days.
Did she even welcome him back?
Sakura had certainly being cruel, and now she could feel the regret consuming her soul. She would definitely apologize as soon as he woke up, not mattering how long it would take. She wouldn't leave his side ever again, and she would wait for the time he opened those dark pearls of his.
She would be there.
She would stay by his side.
She would wait all the time he needed to recover himself.
And waiting was exactly what she did during the next five hours. She didn't let go off his hand not even for a single moment, and when Uchiha Sasuke finally opened his eyes, her bright, pink hair was the first thing that came into his view. The girl had her head rested on his mattress, right next to his arm, allowing her locks to tickle his scratched skin. Slowly, he started to feel her hot breath against his fingers, and then, he saw as her emeralds were lost somewhere else in between the sheets.
She should have been there for a long time just waiting for him to wake up, he thought.
That silly girl…
Oh, but what an amazing scene to be seen after all the things he went through.
If the Uchiha were to be honest, his wish was not to disturb the girl's current trance. Sasuke wanted her to stay like that for a little longer, but the spasms of his waking fingers denounced his awakening. Soon, after a long blink, the raven haired boy found himself staring at her wide, stunning emeralds. They seemed to be tired, and he even dared to think the girl had been crying, but above it all, they were beautiful.
" Did I wake you up, Sakura?"
" S-Sasuke-kun…?" She held her free hand in front of her chest, not able to breathe.
" Aah…"
The Uchiha offered her a shy, painful smile, to which she simply remained frozen in place. Seeing him like that after everything was quite shocking, and for that, it took the girl some time to finally express any reaction.
But when she did…
" Sasuke-kun!" A scream came out of her lips, and soon both of her hands were strongly holding his. She was shaking again, and her heart was beating faster than ever in excitement. Sakura was definitely acting like a child, but that didn't bother him at all. As long as she didn't crush his hand, he would be just fine. " Sasuke-kun! You're awake! Y-You're here and… and… You're awake!"
" Hn, I guess…"
" Shannarou, you're here, and… How are you feeling? And does it hurt too much? and… " Her soft, breathless expression suddenly changed, and all that cute act was replaced by a deadly glare. Oh, that boy would certainly need help against her. " And I should beat the crap out of you, you jerk! How dare you almost die?"
" Tch, it's not like I chose it." He tried to look away, but his body was still too sore for him to move any muscle.
" You should have run away! You should have been more careful."
" Sakura, it was a mission. Things like this happen."
" Oh, come on… Cut the crap already! I know what you did! I know you-"
Her voice was cut out for a moment as a painful realization hit her. The time for them to discuss about their situation ended up being rushed by her own anxiety, and she didn't even know if they were ready for that yet. She didn't know if he wanted to talk about that only moments after he woke up, but whether he wanted or not, he gave her an answer to her worries.
" I did it to save your careless boyfriend, Sakura… He was going to get himself killed, and I'm sure that wouldn't help my image around the village."
" … But couldn't you have just done it without almost dying?"
" Hn… My body just moved on its own." He smirked, teasing her in a dangerous way.
" Sasuke-kun, yo-"
" In the end, Sakura… I guess your choice made all the difference, right?
There was a sad expression ruling his face, and she felt as if someone was crushing her heart inside her chest. He was hurt, not only physically but also emotionally, and it was all her fault. Sasuke felt as if he had been completely replaced in her heart, and even the superior forces were trying to warn him that he would have to live with that regret for the rest of his life.
Sakura didn't choose him, he thought.
She chose the other man who would definitely make her happier, and she chose the one guy he discovered to be an example of a caring man. She chose to be happy by the side of another man, or at least that was what he had come to believe.
All the hurt and all the pain was clearly exposed on his face, and Sakura couldn't help but wanting to scream at him for daring to think what he thought. She wanted to punch him, yell and kill him for daring to think she would choose another man that not him. He is the love of her life, for god's sake. He has always been, and will always be, no matter what she does. She will always choose him, and it certainly hurt to know he even considered that option.
But that was her fault, right?
She was the one to be blamed for it, and the pinkette was completely aware of that. She was the one who had broken him.
And it was up to her fix that boy who had almost faced death.
" Sasuke-kun…" She looked down, as her bangs hid the gleam of her emerald eyes.
He kept looking at her, but at that moment, the Uchiha had no idea of what was going on in her head. He didn't know, and for that, he simply continued from where he had stopped.
" Hn. You don't have to worry, Sakura… I will respect your choice. I will-"
Suddenly, his eyes widened, his heart skipped a beat and his body started to tremble. At the feeling of hot, wet tears falling over his skin, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. Her tears felt warm and comfortable, and he knew they were full of regret. A regret he couldn't understand, but above all, a regret he respected. A regret that belonged to her, and a regret that would bring them together.
" Sasuke-kun, you idiot…" Her voice trembled, and he could feel the grip around his hand tightening. " How could you even think I would choose him over you?"
" Sakura… He can make you happy… He-"
" He's not you, you jerk!" She abruptly lifted her head, so their eyes were connected again. The tears were still streaming down her red face, and the Uchiha couldn't help but feel happy to see her like that. She was crying for him. She was crying for them. " He can't make me happy! H-He… he is not you…"
As she uselessly wiped some tears away, Sasuke remained quiet, just waiting until she could continue her words. He knew she still had many things to say.
" Even if it sounds cruel, I didn't even need to think when you asked me that question. I knew I would be a terrible person, but I wouldn't mind losing him if it meant you would be alive." She sobbed. " I was so cruel and selfish, and I hurt so many people… I don't deserve to be happy at all, but still… I love... I still… I still love you."
And so, as she busied herself with her sobs and with her tears, the Uchiha began to swallow her words with his heart. The truth the he had wanted to hear was finally revealed, and at that moment, Uchiha Sasuke knew that even if his bones were aching and even if he could barely breathe, he was truly happy.
After going through a third wheel and a temporary heartbreak, the raven haired boy could finally understand that all of those things ended up being of huge importance for the manifestation of their suppressed feelings. It helped him being honest with himself, and it also helped her accepting that there were fights she couldn't win. Kakeru helped them grow up more than they could ever imagine, and for that, they were thankful for that kind boy that entered their lives. They were thankful for that little push that began their own story.
When Sasuke finally got tired of just watching, the Uchiha struggled to sit up on the bed, and even if it hurt like hell, he managed to lift up his hand to caress her cheek. The girl was surprised by such thing, but before she could even protest, Sasuke used all of his strength to pull her face closer in a chaste kiss. He captured her lips with his, and for almost a full minute, both of them remained frozen, simply appreciating the warmth and the softness of each other's lips, as all their fears and all their apprehensions melted in the tenderness of that kiss.
Tears continued to roll down her face, and his broken rib was still aching, but, oh, how good that felt.
It was only when his muscles gave up that they finally parted. Sakura rested her forehead against his, and she could feel his hot breath tickling her lips, sending goose bumps all over her body. Her eyes finally closed, and at that time, she knew that her place would always be by his side.
At that time, she knew that her heart would always choose him.
" Hn… You have a terrible taste in men, Sakura... You know there is no turning back after making choice, right?"
" I know…"
She surely knows... Aww these two are so cute! Hope you guys have enjoyed it all! I saw a note the other day and I'll make use of it... No Review mean no Love XD Just kidding guys... But Reviews are love, so... Leave them here XD
