Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto cause if I did…heh believe me things would change! coughSasuSakucough Unfortunately it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, blah, blah, blah, insert random legal document , etc.

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Chapter 13: Recap!

"But I don't need chakra to kill you!" Toshikai yelled coming from his right.

He spun to his right drawing his kunai once more. He prepared to block the sword knowing that this time Toshikai didn't have to chakra required for his sword technique, not enough to do the same kind of thing as before. Hopefully though Sasuke could hit him first. Hit him hard. Suddenly just as Toshikai drew close he faded out like smoke and Sasuke heard something behind him.

"Heh, I'm back here," Toshikai said.

At that moment Sasuke realized what Toshikai had done. He had sent a shadow clone in from the front so the real him could stab Sasuke in the back. Sasuke silently cursed himself wondering how he could have fallen for such a simple move. He spun around and saw Toshikai hurtling towards him. It was too late to try and block the full blow with his kunai since Toshikai was coming to fast. All he could do was try to divert the sword in a different direction. He braced himself and waiting for the burning pain that was sure to come.

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Chapter 14: Bloodshed

To Sasuke's surprise the pain didn't come. Come to think about it neither had Toshikai. He suddenly realized that in that split second he thought he was going to die he had shut his eyes tightly. What the heck is going on? Sasuke wondered. The whole place was absolutely silent. So much so that it seemed to be choking him.

Drip…drip…drip. Three simple drips, but in this silence it seemed like cannon fire. Sasuke opened his eyes and saw three drops of blood spattered on the ground. Reluctantly he raised his eyes and saw a sight that froze his blood.

"Sakura," he breathed wishing that he could wake up and pass this off as a dream.

Unfortunately it was real enough. Sakura had snapped out of her stupor and at the last second jumped in front of Sasuke. Instead of being stabbed into Sasuke, Toshikai's deadly weapon had been thrust into Sakura. Her right hand gripped the handle of the blade while the left hung limply at her side. It took Sasuke a moment to realize that that arm must have been what snapped when she hit the tree.

"Wrong person again," Sakura said. Each word caused blood to course from her lips and now the ground was wet with more then just three drops. "Today must not be your day."

"Not quite what I was planning for, but it will work just as well," Toshikai said. "How does it feel Sasuke? Knowing you can't protect anyone around you?"

With that Toshikai calmly withdrew his sword with a flick of his wrist and wiped the blood off on his sleeve. Sakura slid off, then immediately fell backward and Sasuke dropped to his own knees to catch her.

"I'd love to stay and watch you suffer as you watch the light leave her eyes, but I have more pressing matters at hand," Toshikai said with a grin.

Taking once last glimpse at his handiwork, Toshikai walked away once more disappearing into the clouds. On any other normal occasion, Sasuke would have gone after him. However, this was no normal occasion. He turned his face back to Sakura who was cradled in his arms. Her wound was still gushing blood and at first Sasuke had no idea what to do. Then, remembering that she was a medic, realized before he did anything he needed to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

He opened a small pouch she had next to her shurikan pouch and pulled out a roll of bandages. First he made a square out of bandages, unzipped her shirt, and pressed the square onto the wound where blood was gushing through her mesh undershirt. Then he began wrapping it as tightly as he could with the rest of the bandages. Her eyes were dimming, but she still watched him with a hint of amusement as he fiddled with the bandages that were quickly becoming soaked with blood. No matter how many bandages he piled on the bleeding wouldn't stop. He'd almost get it and then a red blotch would start to seep through. Obviously he was no medic. Even sky seemed to know it was hopeless and rain began to fall from the darkening clouds. Finally he gave up and quickly tied off his dressing.

"Sakura, why?" was all Sasuke could say gently pulling her close. He wanted to comfort her, to hold her close, and tell it everything would be fine, but all he could say was that stupid question. "Why me?"

"Sasuke…I…always wanted … to be like…you and Naruto," Sakura said wincing as she spoke. "You were both always…there to…protect me."

"No," Sasuke said tears pooling in his normally calm onyx eyes. "You didn't have to do that."

"I…wanted to…protect you," Sakura went on ignoring him, "just this once. If this…is the end, I'm glad…you were here with…me. I love you…Sasuke-kun."

"Don't you dare say that! It's not over! This isn't the end," Sasuke paused not knowing what to say for a moment, but merely looked into her brilliant green eyes. He didn't want her to die. Even if she was the second most annoying kunoichi in all of Konoha (Ino took first in his book) she was still his teammate and his friend. Then he realized something else. Something he had pushed deep down inside with every one of his other emotions. The ones he had dubbed weak after his brother had massacred his family and clan. An emotion he didn't know he was capable of anymore. He loved her.

Without a second thought, he pulled her close and kissed her bloodstained lips. The sour, metallic tang of blood filled his mouth, but he didn't draw back. Finally pulling back he watched her expression. Though broken, bleeding, and dying, she surprised him yet again as she smiled up at him.

"I thought so," she said weakly holding on to his shirt. "I'm…sorry…Sasuke."

As she did he could feel her heart skipping more and more beats and Sasuke's heart felt like it was in a tightening vice. His tears fell freely now and he didn't bother to stop them. He had only cried once before this. After that he had sworn he would never be hurt like that again. No one would get close enough to hurt him ever again. Now Sakura Haruno, his comrade on cell seven and the girl he had found annoying just a few days ago, was breaking his heart. Holding her close, his tears repeatedly dripped onto her shirt until he felt her hand on his cheek.

"I've never seen you cry…and now…" Sakura said tracing her fingers down his cheeks. "What I'd give to be your tear…to be born in your eyes. Live on your cheeks, and finally…" she continued though Sasuke knew she was struggling to hold on, "to die on your lips…"

"Sakura hold on," he begged her, his tears streaming down his face. "Please…"

Then he saw shadows coming towards them in the fog. He almost hoped it was Toshikai returning to kill him. He could care less. Instead two Anbu, Kakashi, and Naruto came walking out of the fog. Naruto came running up to him with a grin that quickly faded once he saw the blood everywhere.

"Sasuke what…" Naruto began to ask, his question dying in his throat as he came closer. "Sakura!"

"Affirmative, we found them. I need a medical unit ASAP," Sasuke heard one of the Anbu say into their headset.

"Who did this?" Naruto asked. He waited a moment and seeing Sasuke wasn't going to answer went on. "It was him wasn't it?"

It didn't take long before Sasuke heard the sound of running feet approaching. Suddenly out of the fog the medical unit rushed forward literally shoving Naruto out of the way. Confused, Sasuke wouldn't let them take Sakura from his arms.

"You were closer to the city then you realized," Kakashi said placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let her go, Sasuke."

Sasuke let her slip from his arms and the medical unit dove into action. Members darted to and from each with their own job to do.

"She's going into cardiac arrest!" One of them said using his green chakra to try and stem the flow of blood to no avail. "She's losing way too much blood at too fast of a rate!"

"Hold on! I've got a faint pulse!" another medic yelled. "We need to get her back to the hospital before we lose it. We can't do anything else here."

They quickly loaded Sakura onto a stretcher and ran back in the direction of the city. Then silence descended upon the group. Sasuke just sat there numbly staring after them. He made no motion to follow after them. He had no will or strength to.

"They'll take care of her," Kakashi said squeezing his shoulder.

"Sir," The ANBU that hadn't been speaking on the headset earlier said to Kakashi. "We'll scan the perimeter and make sure Toshikai isn't lurking around here somewhere."

"That's probably a good idea," Kakashi said. "He could be planning an ambush of some kind."

"Where is the scroll now?" the other Anbu said coming up as well. Removing the mask, Sasuke saw this ANBU was a girl. Brown hair fell to her shoulders as the mask came off.

"Safe," Kakashi said. "That's all I can say here."

"Why…?" Sasuke started to ask gesturing at the ANBU.

"The Hokage sent us when he heard that rogue ninja working for Toshikai had tried to kill you," the other ANBU answered taking her mask off as well revealing her indigo hair. "We would have come sooner, but you're not that easy to find."

"You'd better head back to the city and get everyone taken care of, Kakashi," the brown-haired ANBU said. "As soon as we make sure Toshikai isn't still here, we'll follow you."

Kakashi nodded and turned back to Sasuke, "Ready?"

"Let's get out of here," Sasuke replied taking one last look around.

The ground where they had been kneeling was covered in Sakura's blood and now he realized so was he. He rose shakily to his knees and Naruto put his arm around his shoulder to support him. With that the trio headed back The Village Hidden in the Clouds.

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A/N: Hope you liked it! Now I know that ANBU don't usually take their masks off, but I really don't care. I based one off my friend cause she rules so yeah… Sorry 'bout the wait too. School's coming up and I've been getting ready… Anyway remember to review so I can keep on reading them! Tell me whatcha think!

Miharu Uchiha