Sit back and enjoy the final chapter of Sangreal.
Warning: there's violence in this chapter.
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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.
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Enjoy
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Sasuke spotted the pink hair and bolted towards the ground like a flash of lightning, his stomach dropping at the sight he saw when he got closer. His feet slammed into the ground and he was running at Orochimaru's back with his eyes on Sakura as she stumbled back from the blow to the face, her foot catching clumsily and her back hitting the ground.
"Get out of here!" he commanded and drew his katana, completely focused on cutting Orochimaru down before anything could happen to Sakura. Two solid bodies rammed into him from the right and he slid backwards to regain his balance and avoid the bodyguards' swinging weapons.
"Sakura, get-fuck." Sasuke snapped his teeth shut and eyed the two men before him with annoyance. He felt his skin itch, could barely focus on the two men when Sakura was behind them on the ground, Orochimaru standing on her katana and slowly walking towards her as she pushed herself to her feet unsteadily. Her body seemed to sway like a feather in the breeze.
He's going to kill her, Sasuke screamed in his mind like a beast trying to break out of its cage, feeling his control slowly wither away when he saw her step back and stop. Her foot dipped below the edge of the water like a warning.
Flickering his eyes to the two men, he ripped the lighter from its pouch in his armor and snapped the top back with his thumb. Immediately, one of the men became engulfed in a large ball of fire. The other one backed up, feeling threatened by how easy it'd been for Sasuke to kill his comrade. Then, Kabuto stepped into the fight and he regained his courage.
Behind them, Sasuke saw the water rising. He choked back a roar and came at the man and Kabuto, trying to slice them down to get to Sakura. His katana caught the soldier in the side, going clean through his armor, but Kabuto was faster and stepped out of the way when he swung with the intention of beheading him. Sasuke spun the lighter's wheel, but Kabuto seemed to sense each attack and slid out of the way as the fire erupted in little bursts where he'd been standing seconds earlier.
Tiring from using his powers, Sasuke ignited his sword in fire and charged him, pushing him back closer to Orochimaru. Kabuto fought Sasuke off each time he tried to swing them around so could get closer. If he could just get one swing in at Orochimaru, he'd be able to buy Sakura enough time to escape; to live. The water hung over her like a guillotine.
"And you failed at being the Chosen One," Orochimaru said and Sasuke screamed as the water crashed down over Sakura. He spun the wheel of the lighter with his left hand in one last attempt but Kabuto was suddenly there, his katana coming down. Sasuke felt the cut of the edge on his skin for a split second and then it was out the other side and his arm exploded in searing pain.
He heard his hand fall to the ground with a dull thud and kept yelling, but he didn't know if he was saying words or pain. His eyes never left the water as Orochimaru shoved Sakura's katana through the water and then it dragged her back into the water like a coffin.
The world swam before him and he wondered if his body was going into shock. He fell to his knees and the weapon slid from his grasp. He clutched the ground beneath him, trying to get back up when all his body wanted to do was lie down and give up. His fingers found his hand in front of him, still warm and bloody.
Orochimaru turned around with a cold smirk on his face. "And the past repeats itself."
Steel warmed by blood bit into his neck and he saw Kabuto standing over him out of the corner of his eye. He looked back at the water but no longer wanted to back down and give up. No, not when he had to finish this. And then after, he could waste away when there was nothing left for him that he wanted.
His index finger pushed open the lighter's top and his thumb found the familiar ridges of the wheel as Orochimaru nodded at Kabuto. The katana rose in a swift arc, accurate and ready. Before it could fall and end everything, the world exploded in fire.
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17.
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My eyes opened on their own accord as if they couldn't stand to leave this world without one last glimpse, even if a blurry one. With my chest on fire, I knew I had maybe a minute left before I started to shut down. I was ready, even if I'd failed. I had faith that my friends would stop him; they had more power to do so than I'd had. Just as my eyes were about to close, a blinding light caught my attention. It swam towards me, and for a moment I thought it was a fish, before I realized it was bigger than a fish, much bigger.
I faintly heard a crackling, but the water made it sound more like small pops. My eyes strayed from the white creature for a moment as I looked around, noticing the ice tendrils floating through the water towards me. My skin erupted in goosebumps out of fear.
The light came closer, forcing me to close my eyes. I felt the tendrils form around me and wondered why Orochimaru was coming back to finish me off when it was evident I would die down here. Maybe Sasuke was coming after me and Orochimaru was trying to get to me first, but the water around me remained still except for the ice.
No, it wasn't Orochimaru. It was the creature with the blinding light.
I could still feel the light shining through my eyelids as the tendrils joined together, hardening and creating a dome around me.
Air rushed into my lungs as I inhaled as deep as I could. I coughed up water before I took another large intake. Little white-hot needles stabbed my lungs, but they faded as I breathed in more and more air.
"Sakura…" The inside of the ice tomb was so dark that I couldn't even see the bright light anymore. I reached out and slid my fingers over the curved walls, feeling their smoothness and oddly enough, warmth. It seemed impossible that ice would be so warm, but it was, and it brought instant relief to the coldness that was taking over my body.
The bright light shattered the darkness as it started to morphing through the ice wall and illuminate the small space. I squeezed my eyes shut as I pressed my palms against my eyes. My eyes burned as I buried my covered eyes in my knees, bringing some relief but the light shifted into so it surrounded me, almost too hot against my skin.
A breeze soothed the heat and I was no longer floating in an ice tomb under water. I was face down on what seemed like a beach, the waves crashing over my immobile form. The water was cold and salty in my mouth, burning my eyes as I tried to get up. Water flew up my nose when I inhaled, my vision blurry.
My arms felt weak as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. My armor was soaked through, the gashes from the battle no longer engraved in the surface. With shaky legs, I slowly got to my feet and made my way up the slope and came face-to-face with the exact same church that housed the portal.
The surroundings were familiar but different. None of the trees were horizontal, all upright, reaching for the sky. I wondered what time period I was in and how I'd arrived here. My mind was fuzzy with the details and I looked around for any sign of people, for my comrades and friends, but the air was silent except for the sound of the breeze and movement of the pond.
I faintly remembered sinking to the bottom of this same pond and drew up short. Was I dead? Would I forever be trapped here in this place where I'd died? I'd never know if I stood here pondering it.
Walking towards the church, I noticed that it was completely silent. There were no chirps from birds or buzzing from bugs. No animals scurried by. I was completely alone.
My surroundings transformed me as I walked up the steps and through the archway. A garden of the brightest greens possible surrounded me with stone benches and a kaleidoscope of flowers everywhere. Cherry blossom trees loomed over a cobblestone path to my right, the cherry blossoms matching my hair perfectly. The petals swayed in the warm breeze, swirling off the branches and twirling around me. A laugh came out of nowhere, and I realized it was mine, loud and happy.
"Sakura, you have to fight," a female voice whispered to me. I looked around, trying to find where the voice had come from, but found no one. My eyes narrowed as I continued to search my surroundings.
"I can't," I admitted, staring down at the grass with uncertainty. It felt like there was a wall in my head, blocking me from knowing what had happened.
My shoulders relaxed as the clouds parted and the garden was filled with white rays of light. Everything sparkled as though it had just rained, a wind rustling the leaves, the grass, and the petals.
"Why not?" The voice countered in challenge as the wind started to pick up.
"I don't know," I said and pressed my fingers to my temples, willing the truth to appear. The effort made me light headed after a few minutes and I down in the grass. I could feel the blood coursing through my body, could see it pulsing in my fingertips as I looked down at them. Frustrated, I pressed them into the ground, feeling the soft dirt give way from my force.
"I don't know," I repeated and paused, the overwhelming sadness making me breathless for a moment. I opened my mouth, feeling words in the back of my throat but I didn't know what they were until I heard them. "I couldn't stop him...from killing others and from killing me. I thought I could, but I'm too weak. I'm useless."
"You don't need your powers to fight to save the ones you love," the voice said with a confidence that I suddenly felt it in my own heart. "You just need to have faith."
"How can I have faith when I failed?" I asked, my fingers clutching the grass beneath me.
"By getting back up. Just because you fail the first try, doesn't mean there isn't a second chance," the voice replied as it grew louder. "And this time, you know you're not alone."
She wasn't talking about herself. She wasn't leaving this space, wherever we were, so she wasn't going to be at my side in this fight. I found myself nodding, the words striking home somewhere inside of me. Instead of waiting to die, I should have been fighting harder because I was at a disadvantage. I needed to go back, to make things right once and for all. This wasn't the end for me anymore, it was the beginning and I wasn't alone.
My fists clenched and I looked up, ready, and found myself staring at a small girl. Her pink hair was almost white in the sunlight. She sensed my newfound determination, and offered me her hand. She grinned at me, her dimples matching my own as I smiled down at her.
"This is the beginning," she encouraged me, encouraged us.
I jerked backwards like someone was pulling my by my clothes and slammed into the wall of the ice dome. It had all been in my head, but I still felt the determination singing in me.
"Ow, that hurt," I muttered as I reached up to rub my shoulder. My stomach didn't protest with excruciating pain, and I prodded with my fingers at the hole in my armor gently. Smooth skin greeted me, making my heartbeat harshly in my chest.
It was then that I realized that my skin was glowing like there was a light bulb in me that was turned on. It started to slowly dim until it was barely noticeable, a small hum of energy under my skin. I continued to stare at my skin, confused as to what was going on.
My eyes snapped up to the ice in front of me. I needed to get out of here and get back to the fight. I took out a dagger from my boot and slammed the sharp edge against the ice. My hand shook from the force but the ice remained smooth, not even a crack breaking the surface.
I tried again and again until I was out of breath and my arm was aching. The clang of the metal against the ice echoed around me as anger bubbled up in me. How was I supposed to fight when I was trapped in here?
"Damn it!" I slammed the dagger into the ice again. The clanging sound echoed for a second before a cracking sound drowned it out. I stared at the spot I had been hitting, but there wasn't anything there, just the smooth, icy wall.
I twisted around, trying to find out where the cracking had come from. It had been just behind my head, and I knew it couldn't have been from smashing my head against the wall. A pounding headache and large bump would have been a result, and my head wasn't that hard.
Wait, my younger self had said that I had a second chance. I froze, my breath rushing out of my mouth and nose. An inkling of a thought formed in my mind, the hair on my arms standing on end painfully. I erased all thought from my mind and focused on the ice around me, but it the thought kept slipping away. My mind strained from not being used like this for so long, but more than that, I was afraid I would fail and I would indeed die down here, trapped by the one thing that should've saved me.
Silence echoed around me as I continued to focus. A memory formed in my mind. It was of the first time I'd used my powers ever, when I'd killed the two Satanists chasing me, and saved myself. I hadn't even realized what I'd done, the power so deadly and silent. Then my mind switched over to when I'd been in the classroom, and I'd imagined the water pitcher shattering into a million pieces, and then it actually happening.
That was before I'd gained control, before I'd become stronger not just with my powers, but as a person and warrior. Gritting my teeth, I imagined the ice dome shattering into a million pieces and allowing me to swim up to the battle. I wanted to be free, dammit!
My mind clicked as a piece in the top of the dome cracked into a circular piece and fell. Water flooded in immediately and I inhaled water on accident. The hole was too small for me to fit through and I focused again on getting out rather than panicking. I could almost feel the ice breaking into a million tiny pieces and my limbs being free to pull me up to the shore.
The ice exploded away from me and I was left floating on the pond's bottom again. My lungs were screaming at me again and I angled my feet under me and pushed off the bottom. The surface seemed so far away. My arms and legs pulled me up inch by painstaking inch until I finally broke the surface.
With wide eyes, I pulled myself up onto hard ground and stared at the inferno before me, the night sky illuminated by the fire burning away the forest surrounding the portal.
It was impossible to get through the forest. Everything was on fire, leaving me trapped against the water's edge with the heat beating at my front as I searched for some way to get out. Where was everyone? Where was Sasuke?
I thought long and hard with no resulting solution. I tried to pave a path by putting out the water with my fire but it wasn't enough. The fire was quick to move back in, the heat making it hard to breathe and the effort draining my energy quickly.
Eventually, Orochimaru would try and make his way back to the portal, but who knew how long that would take. At the rate the fire was going, it would be hours before he'd be able to try and break through.
Standing there, I searched the sky for one of my friends, but it was pointless. They wouldn't be in the sky when there was a battle happening on the ground. If only I could...
"Fly," I whispered and focused my eyes on the sky again. I felt the same pressure in my temples when I was hanging between life and death, trying to remember how I'd arrived there, but this time I wasn't trying to remember, I was trying to unlock the unknown.
Pain blasted through my back for a split second before it faded, leaving a feeling of warmth. A pressure on my back made my heart stutter. My fingers touched something soft just over my right shoulder. It was strange sensation because I could feel my fingers on the feathers, but my body was telling me there wasn't supposed to be something there. The weight on my back was suddenly light, as my body suddenly caught up with my head and understood it was all connected.
Unsteadily, I pushed off the ground and moved into the sky. I didn't have a fear of heights, but I was immediately terrified that my body would suddenly stop knowing what to do and I'd fall to my death.
The smoke made it hard to see and even harder to breathe. Up here, I could see where the border of the fire was and moved that way, surprised at the amount of power Sasuke had. It made me nervous; I needed to find him. I remember the memory of our past lives, the way he looked after he'd let his fire scorch everything in his path: guilt and self-hatred.
My body brought me to the edge of the fire. It somehow knew how to work and I forced myself no to think too much about it because once I started over-thinking something it usually slipped from my hands. I came lower and lower until my feet touched the ground and my wings folded back up and disappeared. The dynamics of this whole flying thing confused the hell of me, but I'd leave those questions for later because yes, there'd be a later.
I could feel the water pulsing under my feet, deep down, and knew I could have it in my palm in a second if I wanted. It felt like a balm slowly healing the past couple of months of being powerless.
My surroundings were silent. The battle must've moved away from the fire and it'd been too smoky in the sky to really see where they'd gone. I started running to the left, planning to circle the portal until I found them. It didn't take long to come across someone fleeing the battle, a soldier from my side. When he saw me, he stopped with his mouth agape.
"I thought you were dead," he said, his wide eyes looking down my front for any wounds. He stopped on the big bloodstain on my stomach, confused.
"I was, but I'm not anymore," I explained quickly and raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you running away?"
He gulped, his eyes moving back up to my face from the bloodstain and shook his head. "Not anymore, I'm not."
"Good." I pointed in the direction he'd come. "Tell our comrades I'm alive. Don't let them desert. We will win this."
The soldier nodded and together we ran back to the battle. I picked up a stray katana and fought through the enemies with as much energy as I could to encourage my comrades.
"Stop looking at me and fight," I roared over the sounds of battle and slammed the tip of my katana into an enemy's foot. He stumbled back, moaning in pain, and another soldier got him in the chest with an arrow.
I looked up and saw Ino the same moment she saw me. Alarm bells went off in my head when I saw the tear tracks down through the smoke and dirt on her face. I ran up to her and shoved her out of the way as an enemy turned, saw her unguarded back and the opportunity. I slammed into his side, throwing him off balance as he dropped his weapon. My katana caught him in the back of the thigh and he fell to the ground clutching the wound.
Turning, Ino was still staring at me but more careful now. I noticed the soldier who I'd talked out of deserting standing behind her, guarding her back.
"Y-you're..." She threw arms around me and hugged me tight.
"Thank god," she whispered and I could feel her whole body shaking. Even the strongest of us get torn down in war, if not physically but emotionally and mentally. "I thought...he said...oh thank god."
"I was dead, I think, but somehow I'm here," I said and shook my head. I pulled back and stared her in the eye, heart pounding with dread. "Where's Sasuke? What happened?"
"Sasuke's on a rampage, but everyone is losing hope. Everyone thinks you're dead and we've lost so much already. Neji and Ten-Ten...they're gone. Shikamaru...he's injured, it's really bad and so is Hinata," Ino sobbed and I wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Ino, it's okay," I reassured her. "I'm going to end this, but I need to know where Sasuke is."
Ino nodded and straightened her spine as her face hardened. "I trust you. Let's get you to Sasuke."
We set off. Soldiers saw us coming and made a path until we lifted off the ground and into the air. Ino looked at my wings with a mix of surprise and happiness.
"It's back, isn't it," Ino said over the whistle of the wind.
"It never left," I explained and told her the short version as we moved to the other side of the portal. The troops on each side were spread out thinly but our side still managed to keep the enemy away. I could see a small flicker of light in the darkness and instantly knew what it was. We descended. Ino landed on an enemy, her legs wrapping around his neck and bringing him to the ground as I fought two other enemies. Twenty men surrounded him, trying to take him down as he stood as a barrier between them and the portal. Each enemy that charged him was burned to a crisp.
"Sasuke!" I tried to get his attention but he wasn't looking at me; he didn't seem to be looking at anything as he stared ahead in a haze. His body was covered in a thin layer of flame that reflected off the eyes of the men around him. It was then that I noticed his left arm pulled to his chest and held there with a thick piece of cloth. I saw a cloth wrapped stub sticking out from the edge and my stomach dropped in grief.
He turned to face an enemy coming at him from behind. I moved towards him, barely stopping to fight the enemies that noticed me. Ino took out a few and my comrades, realizing who Ino and I were, jumped in to help me get to him.
"Sasuke," I whispered with tears in my eyes. He seemed so lost. He didn't turn to me even when I got close enough where the heat started to really hurt. He probably thought I was an enemy stupid enough to think he could fight fire. But I was the other half to our puzzle and we were made to fit together.
I called up the water from the Earth to protect myself from the flames. Sweat beaded on my forehead, temples, upper lip, collarbone. It felt like I'd been standing in the middle of the desert for days. My mouth was dry even as water pooled along my front, creating a barrier against my armor and skin. It was so thin but I knew it was there as it sizzled and evaporated only to be replaced with more water. Some parts evaporated faster than the water could replace them and I felt my skin burning painfully. There was a tingle as my wounds healed immediately after.
My arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace and I laid my cheek to his right shoulder firmly. His body tensed but not enough where I couldn't feel the slight tremor. I pressed against him tighter.
"I'm here, Sasuke, I'm here," I said to him, praying he would hear me over whatever thoughts were running through his head.
He shifted and his right hand came up to grasp one of my wrists, squeezing hard enough where I feel my bones shift, but nothing hurt more than the thought of him hurting so I don't try to pull away.
"I'm here," I whispered over and over again as he turned, chest heaving like he couldn't get enough air. It was hard to keep the water protecting me and focus on Sasuke and the more I lost focus the more I felt the sting of the fire on my skin. Then it all faded away as Sasuke faced me and our eyes met. I could see the flames in his eyes, the way they ate at him. The fire stopped hurting and started to warm me in the gentlest of ways.
His good arm wrapped around my back and pulled me against his front. I felt his other arm immobile against my chest and the tears came freely.
"I'm so sorry," I whimpered against his neck. I couldn't pinpoint what exactly I was sorry for since the list just kept growing, miles and miles long. He stopped shaking and that in turn helped me to stop shaking. I was dead and in a way, so was Sasuke when he stood there like an empty shell.
His nose was in my hair and I felt the fire flare and swell as another enemy tried to charge us. Our comrades were doing a pretty good job of keeping them off us, but one managed to break through here and there. Sasuke didn't even lift his head to take them out.
"Sakura," he said and leaned back to look me in the face. "I saw you die."
I nodded and smiled through the tears. "But I'm here now and I'm not alone."
"Damn right you're not," he muttered and then he was kissing me. I clutched at his shoulders, knowing this was the wrong time to be doing this but not caring as his body curved around mine like a shell.
"I'm so sorry," I said against his lips. Would I ever get past the point of apologizing for everything? Would I ever stop making mistakes? "I was trying to save you, but I didn't realize..."
He bit my lip in anger and pulled away to glare at me. I could feel the heat of his stare or maybe it was the fire, growing hotter to mirror his emotions?
"I don't want you to save me if it means living without you dammit!" His right hand fisted in the hair at the nape of my neck, tilting my face up so he could press his lips to mine again. He had clearly forgotten where we were and so I gave in for a moment and kissed him back with as much force as I could to express everything I was feeling before stepping back.
"Sasuke..." I started and felt my heart breaking because this could very well be the end. What if the past repeated itself? What if there was no other way? "We have to finish this."
His eyes dulled in sadness and he nodded. Without looking away, he pulled my right hand katana from one of his sheaths and held it, hilt out, towards me. I looked around for Ino and there she was, still fighting with a blazing glory on her face. She looked over at me and then Sasuke, nodding in understanding.
"Good luck." I couldn't hear her but I saw her lips form the words. I smiled at her, reassuring her of something I knew I couldn't promise her of, but damn well would fight my hardest to break. This time, I wasn't alone.
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Sasuke looked at me. I saw the flash of his lighter and then the explosion of white light as the soldiers surrounding Orochimaru burned away to ash, leaving him alone on the island with the portal. He looked up at us as we fell from the sky and landed in front of him, blocking off his path.
I grinned at the look on his face.
"Miss me?" I taunted and he shut down so that his eyes were emotionless steel. His eyes flickered down to my stomach.
It was dark, just before dawn, so I didn't see the small ball of water coming at me. Sasuke deflected it with an arrow of fire as I sent my own ball of ice back at Orochimaru. He barely dodged it and looked at me with a new look of shock and anger.
"Finally a fight worth my time," he said and straightened, hands flexed and ready. He sends a wall of ice between us and then another one in front of me to block me off from him. I hear and see the fire as Sasuke frees himself and fights Orochimaru. My hands fly up and I push the wall towards Orochimaru and he stumbles back before shattering it with his own powers. I turned away as the ice shards flew everywhere but then I felt something bury itself into the side of my thigh.
Looking down, I grasped the ice dagger and with held breath I pulld it out. The wound took longer to heal as the muscle knit back up and the skin stretched to seal it up. Orochimaru was dodging Sasuke's fireballs and launching his own back. My fingers clenched around the dagger's cold hilt as it melted under the warmth of my skin. I launched it, still red with my blood, at Orochimaru. He saw it out of the corner of his eye and dodged, but it still nicked him in the cheek. It healed to my dismay and anger.
Sensing the growing difficulty of the fight, he trapped Sasuke in a thick dome of ice and then managed to turn in time to block the swing of my katana. We stood there, locked in a standstill until I swung my leg up, hooked it around his calf and brought him to the ground. Kneeling over him, I went for the killing blow to the neck when he sent up a spike of ice straight through my chest, right through the right side. My whole upper body felt like it'd been shattered. My mouth opened in a silent scream as my throat filled with blood and splattered from between my teeth.
I saw Sasuke break free. His head turned towards where I was hunched over, rooted to the ground with the ice through my body, and he roared as his whole body became engulfed in flames. I weakly lifted my head, the corners of my vision going black as I tried to hang on. If I could break free, I'd be able to heal, except my power wasn't listening to me as I tried to move the ice. I was in too much pain and I couldn't breathe, but I had to hold on. If I died, my powers wouldn't be able to save me.
Orochimaru stepped back at the sight of Sasuke, hands lifted and ready. I felt the slight tremor of the ground under me and tried to warn Sasuke but only blood leaked through my lips. The arrow formed in Orochimaru's hand and I knew it was made of enough ice to pierce the fire and hit Sasuke with the killing shot.
I gathered what little strength I had left and all the love I had for Sasuke. Even if I couldn't save my self, I would fight until my last breath to save him. My heart swelled or maybe it was my body going into shock, if it hadn't already, and right as Orochimaru lifted his hand and took aim, I lifted my hand and willed the water under his feet to rise up, higher and higher with the icy strength of steel.
Orochimaru didn't have enough time to stop the ice and it finally rose up and covered his face. He stood there, frozen in a steel case of ice with the arrow still in his hand. Relieved, my body sagged.
Sasuke fell to his knees in front of me. The ice started to melt and then I was free and in his arms. He cradled me to his chest as I choked and tried to breathe without success. I could feel the tingling in my chest as it started to heal but the pain still overshadowed everything else. Sasuke rocked me and whispered into my hair but I couldn't focus on what he was saying. Then the coughing started, sending a thousand pinpricks through my body. I rolled out of Sasuke's arms and retched, spasming and trying to gain control back of my body.
When it was all over, I laid there with my forehead against the ground, panting and still gagging at the metallic taste in my mouth. My body settled and I pushed myself onto my hands and knees, glaring up at Orochimaru's form. I could see the ice starting to crack, small fissures racing down the surface.
"Let's finish this," I said to Sasuke as he helped me to my feet. I leaned against him unsteadily, the front of my armor completely covered in blood and sticking to my skin uncomfortably. Sasuke reached down and grabbed my katana, handing it to me. His own remained sheathed on his back, having never been drawn in the first place.
We walked up to Orochimaru and waited. The ice started to shift and melt faster and faster. I prepared my katana. The ice fell off of him in one big sheet with a large shattering sound like glass. My reflexes kicked in and before Orochimaru could even blink, I swung my katana will all my might. The blade ignited with fire, heating the metal at light's speed, and the edge cut clean through Orochimaru's neck. His body slumped, head rolling towards the water but I stopped it with my foot. My whole body unwound with the breath it'd been holding for months.
The world was swimming again as my body unclenched and used up the remainder of its energy. I fell to my knees and watched as the body caught fire. Sasuke came to stand next to me, looming over me and the fire like a guardian angel. The side of my body rested against his leg.
"It's over," I whispered, not thinking he would hear what we both knew, but he nodded and looked down at me with a small smile. I smiled back and looked back at the fire, feeling the heat warm me from the inside out. We stayed there as the body dissolved into ash and the fire died down, moving on to the grass before fizzing out. Even after that, we remained and stared off into the distance as a ringing sliced through the air before cheering rose up to wash it out.
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I was on my hands and knees, trying to get up but pain was too much. One hand lifted to my stomach wound like it would keep the blood from seeping out and bringing my life with it. This couldn't be the end, not until I finished what I'd come to do. What we'd all given up our lives to do.
"Sasuke," I whimpered at the memory still fresh in my head, behind my eyes. Him, leaning against that tree with a small smile to reassure me that this wasn't the end as I put the dagger to his ribcage. He believed we would meet again and I prayed it was soon. I could still feel his fingers on my skin as he bandaged me up, as we trained, as he kissed me and loved me.
I felt the tears coming freely and Orochimaru, looming over me, must've thought they were for him. He smirked down at me, his katana raised with my sentence.
"Poor cherry blossom, caught up in the windstorm," he taunted and I glared up at him with my teeth clenched. I pressed one hand to the ground for support, the world swaying and twisting like I really was being taken by the wind. He inhaled sharply, the only sign before he brought the katana down. I moved to the side slightly so it caught me in the left shoulder. It hurt so much it should've sent my body reeling but I kept my body under control as I pushed forward with my feet and wrapped one hand around his wrist.
My power swelled up like a tidal wave. I could hear a buzz in my ears, crashing over me and filling my skull and body. The look on his face was priceless, surprise and anger in the form of a snarl, as the ground started to come up around his feet like quicksand. His fate was sealed and there was no way he could fight it. He'd spent so long making sure I couldn't get to him, one touch of my fingers having enough power to send him back to the hell he'd come from, but all I had needed was for him to drop his guard for one second.
His wrist slid from my grasp but before I could sink down, his own clammy fingers were around my forearm, anchoring me to him. I knew my power wouldn't drag me down with him but fear deep down still curled into a chokehold.
"The difference here is that you will die and I will merely be imprisoned," he said as his face relaxed into a smirk. "I will be back."
His katana bit into my neck, but I had no more energy to move. I was a dead woman waiting for her last breath and nothing he did would make it any worse. Blood spilled from the wound and down my collarbone, hot and metallic, but I still felt so cold inside like the ice I controlled. Before he could do serious damage, the ground swallowed him up and dragged him under, ripping his hand from my skin.
My body gave out as relief flooded me. I let my eyes close, the numbness taking the pain and fear with it. I had faith that fate would do its job for I'd already seen it work its magic. Fate had brought me here to defeat him, given me the power to do so, let me succeed. But most of all, fate had led me to Sasuke, the one thing I needed in this world and now, with him gone, fate was letting me follow him somewhere where we could be together.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sasuke's right hand wrapped around my left one as we walked into the church that housed the portal. He was still coping with the loss of his left hand, but his friends and I were helping him move on. I, myself, had a two large scars mapped out on my stomach and chest, but other than that I was fine. It was time to go home and I was eternally happy we'd made it this far when we'd all walked into this war thinking we'd meet our ends eventually.
I stared sadly at the brightening sky of dawn just over the trees Sasuke had managed not to burn as I thought about Neji and Ten-Ten. When we'd left the island to find the others at the end of the war, we'd felt the loss immediately, but I believed deep down that they were together somewhere out there. Maybe they were in the sky or another life or just their essence was floating in the wind, intertwined. It made it easier to mourn. I wondered if they would find Choji.
Naruto and Hinata came in behind us, Itachi next to Naruto, and Ino and Shikamaru right after. Everyone except Itachi looked around with wonder, finally seeing the thing they'd spent all this time protecting. They'd decided to come with us under the pretense of still being the Guardians, but I knew they really wanted to see the other world and get away from the memories of this one; a fresh start.
Everyone except Itachi looked around with wonder, finally seeing the thing they'd spent all this time protecting. I looked over my shoulder at each of them, seeing the effect war had had on them but also the happiness at being alive. My eyes focused forward and then I remembered the statue of myself and stared at it as we passed. It looked different now, more like me and yet still different. I was a mirror of my old self but the past had not repeated. Sadness bloomed deep in my chest for my past self and all the pain she had gone through, all the loss. My fingers tightened around Sasuke's and I swore I would never let go.
He looked down at me, followed my gaze to the statue and then leaned down to kiss my hair in reassurance. I smiled with tears in my eyes up at him. We would heal together and move on from this. The weight lifted off my shoulders as we slowly ascended the marble steps.
The little girl appeared when my feet hit pulpit. She seemed to sense my powers for I didn't need to offer blood. The others around me stared at her as I came forward and kneeled down so I was on her level. I lifted one corner of my lips at her as her eyes roamed my face.
"It seems you found what was once lost," she acknowledged and placed one palm on my cheek. "I knew you would."
"And yet you never told me," I said in a voice that was both teasing and slightly annoyed.
The girl shook her head. "If I'd told you, you would've changed your future trying to make the old one work. You had to go into the unknown find it on yourself."
"I understand," I said and patted the back of her hand in thanks before standing. "We'd like to go home now, please."
The girl bowed her head at me, looking up through her lashes with a grin. "As the Chosen One commands."
The wall behind her hung a large statue of Jesus on a cross. Below it opened a door from the marble, all bright light and fresh breeze. The others lined up and walked through, shielding their eyes as they went. I was the last to go, ensuring everyone else made it through first. I stood up to the door, not sure what lay on the other side but nearly exploding with happiness and anxiety for things to get back to normal. I'd had enough excitement and adventure for one lifetime.
I remembered one night when I was watching a movie with Sasuke and I'd fallen asleep against him, his thigh warm under my hand and his heartbeat a steady rhythm under my cheek. It seemed so far away now, so innocent when now I still felt the tenseness in my muscles waiting for the signal to charge, but I knew we could easily have that back with time. We needed to shed our hard shells and move on with life.
Before I stepped through, the little girl grabbed my wrist to stop me. I turned and jumped because there she stood with the grim reaper at her side. If the situation hadn't been so serious I would've laughed at the image of them, him shroud in all black with a giant scythe and looming over her, an image of all white with first communion dress. They didn't seem to mind each other's differences and both stared at me.
"We are merely guardians of the portals, but if you ask it of us, we can close it for good," the little girl said and the grim reaper nodded in agreement.
My mouth dropped open. "But what will happen to you both?"
The little girl shrugged and said, "Once our service in this life is over it ends."
"But..." I started.
This time it was the grim reaper who spoke, his voice smooth and quiet like a shadow, "No one ever knows what comes after life until they've moved beyond it. We believe our service in this life will grant us happiness in our next lives. If you decide to close the portals to protect both worlds, we will gladly do it. We understand the consequences."
I nodded and the little girl's hand fell from my wrist. I caught it and clasped it tightly for a moment before pulling away. "Then close the portals. Orochimaru came far too close to succeeding and it can't happen again. Thank you for your service to these worlds and I wish you both luck in your next lives."
They both bowed and stepped back, signaling that it was time for me to cross over. I turned to the portal, blinking back tears of pain from the light and also the fact that two more people were giving up their lives to protect these worlds. How was it fair that I'd survived when so many hadn't?
I looked over my shoulder but they were gone.
"We've made our choices as have everyone else who fought," the little girl and grim reaper's voices whispered in my ear right as I stepped into the light.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The professor looks at her wristwatch and then at her students. She stands, sets down the glass of water next to the pitcher and closes her book gently, a clear indication that time is up. Her eyes roam the remaining students in the class.
"Time is up, please bring up your exams," she announces and I finish looking over my exam for the fifth time and bring it down to her. I smile at her and then grab my things and head up the stairs and out of the lecture hall. Other students exit with me and I hear them talking about the exam and what they put for this question and that, but I don't join in because I studied my ass off and know I did well.
It seems I have this permanent smile glued to my face these days. Looking at others around me, I know they don't understand what it's like to come so close to dying, so close to letting a madman destroy everything, and make it out alive. That understanding has brought Sasuke and I even closer together; we're inseparable and I wouldn't survive without him. I still wake up most nights from a nightmare, mostly Orochimaru standing over me chanting as the symbols etched into my skin burn a bright red, but it doesn't take long for Sasuke to calm me down.
I push open the door and walk out of the building, the sunlight and fresh breeze feeling amazing against my skin. My eyes immediately find Sasuke, standing there with his left hand hidden in his pocket and his right holding onto the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. His face is tilted up towards the sun, eyes far off, but I know he's thinking the same thing I am. Slowly, we are escaping the past, chipping off one piece at a time.
My hand rests on his chest as I lean up to kiss his cheek, waking him up from his revere. He looks down at me, face still hard from his thoughts but his eyes quickly warming at the sight of me. His hand lets go of the strap and caresses the back of my neck firmly but gently as his lips press to mine quickly, a small peck of greeting before thinking otherwise and coming back down to kiss me long and deep, teeth nipping my lower lip and then his tongue soothing it. When we pull back, I feel the hot flush of my cheeks and the way my body goes up a few degrees as I glance around to make sure no one is gawking at us. Normally public affection isn't our thing, but lately something's shifted.
"Didn't break any water pitchers, did you?" he teases while the corner of his lips tilts up. I roll my eyes and smile. This has become our way of greeting to try and make light of things as an attempt to move on. So far, it's been working.
"Not this time." I shake my head. "Didn't burn down any forests, did you?"
Sasuke kisses my hair and guides me in the direction of the dining hall for our usual lunch with Naruto, Hinata, Ino and Shikamaru. His hand finds mine. "Not yet."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
OH MY GOSH IT'S DOOONE! This is the final chapter, done and posted and I can barely believe it! My first long fanfiction story I started in November, 2006 has officially been completed and I'm so happy. The journey to get here was one I once thought I'd never complete and yet eventually one I was determined to see through. I've learned so freaking much from this story as I have with every story I've written and it's a piece of work I'm proud of no matter what anyone else says.
I started this story when I couldn't write for beans and didn't know what the heck plot meant but fortunately I went back and decided to rewrite it and am so happy I did rather than give up. It feels so good to complete something and I encourage all of you to keep going with whatever you're struggling with. No matter how long it takes (this story took 8 years...), it'll be worth it in the end. Don't quit!
Finally, a big THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck with this story and given me encouragement along the way. You make it so much easier and more fun to write and I'm grateful at least someone is reading this and enjoying it.