I so apologize for the long period without an update. I had a lot of changes in my life. I got a new job and graduated college. I promised not to go another two years without an update. I went back to the beginning chapters and noticed several typos and mistakes, so I'll gradually go back a correct those chapters as I update new chapters.

This chapter may be a bit slow but we do introduce a new chapter that we'll be meeting more in the upcoming chapter. I hope you enjoy this update.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto

Sakura POV

A blanket of fog blocked everything but my immediate view. Rocks and boulders littered the ground along with fallen trees. There were pools and splatters of blood soaking into the dry dirt. As I climbed over the debris, I stumbled over a rock and scrapped my shin as I fell to all fours. I could feel the warm sticky blood ooze down my leg and gather into the bottom of my boot once I stood back up. There was no point in wasting chakra to heal the small scrape and judging by the amount of blood on this battlefield I would need every ounce of chakra I had to heal any I comrades I found.

I tried to gather a sense of place but with all the debris and carnage I couldn't discern one direction from the next. An eerie silence settled over the area. I couldn't sense anyone. I was alone with only the chaos to keep me company. Was I back on the battlefield with Madara? Had everyone failed? Had Madara succeeded with has plan? Had all my precious people died and left me alone? The last thought sent a shiver of fear through my body.

I finally chose a direction and kept walking. The fog began to lift and some strctures in the distance came to view. I pushed my legs to run faster to get a clearer view of exactly what structures I saw. The image I could see brought no comfort. A giant fissure separated what appeared to be two sections of a village. One area was engulfed with flames and smoke. The other was nothing more than a mound of crumbled structures and homes.

I came to an abrupt stop as one foot skidded across some loose edging of a cliff. Once my balance was restored, I studied the cliff. Broken structures stood out from the face of the cliff and I had finally had a clue of where I was.

"This can't be," I tried to convince myself. I leaped off the mountain, carefully placing my feet on surfaces I believed to be stable enough. At the bottom, I gained a small distance and then turned back to the Hokage Mount. A large slash went across the face of the First. The Second was completely missing and chunks and pieces were missing from both the Third and Tsunade Shishou. I just couldn't register the fact that someone or something had done this. My home, my village was gone. It was even worse than the destruction Pein had brought because this time it appeared that everyone else was gone too.

Panic started overwhelming my body and I took off running through the remains of Konoha. I couldn't be on the only one left, there had to be others somewhere right? I started yelling for everyone I knew.

"Naruto."

"Ino."

"Kakashi."

"Tsunade-Shishou."

"Sai."

"Yamato."

"You forgot someone, didn't you Sakura?" I heard a voice ahead of me say somewhat disappointed. I stopped in my tracks. That voice. There was no mistaking it but why would he return now, especially when there was nothing left to return to. Ahead of me, his figure stepped through the smoke of a burning building.

"Sasuke?" I questioned. "Is it really you?" He cleared the smoke and continued to slowly walk towards me. He appeared to be tired and fatigued. I ran toward in and took in his appearance He was bare chested as his shirt hung off his torso and fell around his waist. There was blood on his chest and on his cheek and he carried his sword unsheathed at his side.

"Have you already forgotten about me Sakura?" he asked as I came to a stop in front of him.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. You've finally returned to us Sasuke. Returned to me." I reached me hand up to cup his blood smeared cheek. "Are you injured?" He closed his eyes and leaning further into my hand and I felt a rumble through his body as though he was purring.

"After all the time you and Naruto chased me, begging me to come home, I have finally returned and everything is gone." I heard something clatter on the ground beside us and I look down to see Kusanagi, blood covering its blade, lying on the ground by his feet. I looked once again to his face and see him staring down at me just before I feel his arms wrap around me and pull me into a tight embrace. I let my emotions get the better of me but inside I'm a mixture of grief and sorrow but yet joyful because I'm not alone and Sasuke is finally here with me. I start to cry against his chest. My salty tears and blood mingle together before landing on my lips.

I feel him chuckle again. "I see some things never change do they Sakura?"

"Have you seen anyone yet? Naruto?" I asked as I sniffle once more and dry my tears. I look once more at his face. Something about his expression changes as he answers, "Hn."

I attempt to pull away from him but his grip on me is vice like.

"Where are they Sasuke? Let me go! Let me go to them! They may need my help." His grip on me doesn't relent.

"There is no help you can give them now. They no longer suffer in this world."

"What do you mean Sasuke? Show me where they are?" I demand.

"Very well, but I could have spared you this pain." His words are cryptic but he finally releases his hold on me as he turned to his side and opened one arm as though leading the way. I followed his direction and walked in front of him toward the burning buildings and passed through the smoke.

My knees buckled at what I saw. Sasuke reached out to support me before I hit the blood soaked ground. Everyone I had ever known lay there, soaked in their own blood, ripped apart, and continued to burn in black flames. Madara destroyed everything. He had won after all. I could no longer bare the sight and turned to embrace Sasuke once more as wales, the likes of which I had never heard before, ripped through my throat. I followed Sasuke to the ground, to our knees as he cradles me against his chest.

"He killed them all. Madara succeeded and then destroyed Konoha. He killed all our precious people." I hiccupped between sobs. Sasuke's hand came up and smoothed my hair as he whispered a shush in my ear.

"No Sakura, he didn't kill them." The reality of the situation suddenly dawned on me. The only other Uchiha alive who could use the black flames was Sasuke. He was covered in my friends' blood. I was being comforted in the arms or their murdered. "I ended their pain and suffering."

I stiffened in his hold as my tears instantly quieted. He continued, "This world is an endless cycle of pain and suffering. I helped them. I'm ended it for them so that they could be at peace. No more war, no more disease, no more killing, no more betrayal, no more orphans. I'm ending putting an end to this wretched world and bringing eternal peace." He pulled away from me enough to look into my eyes. I shivered, I was afraid on him. He brought to fingers up and placed them in the middle of my forehead. "Let me bring you peace Sakura and once I have created peace for the rest of the world, I will join you and we can finally be together. Forever."

I had to think fast. All I needed was one opening. I needed to distract, but I was unsure if this would work. I brought both hands up to cup his face and pulled his face closer to mine, my lips closer to his. "Yes, let me experience this peace with you," I whispered against his lips. I let him then take control as he kissed me. At first he was hesitant but it soon became bruising as I felt passion from him that I never expected from him. I had always imagined this moment, just never expected it under these circumstances.

He breaks the kiss and cradles my neck with one hand, "I promise you'll never experience pain. You're so innocent and this world doesn't deserve you." Before I can respond, his lips are on mine again. Tears escape my eyes and linger on our kiss. I had tried to stop him once before and hesitated but I couldn't this time. If I did, he would kill me and Kakashi wouldn't be here this time to save me. I continued to hold his face with one hand and slid the other down the front of his chest.

My hairs stood on end as I heard the chirping of the chidori he had manifested in his open palm. So I used the same opportunity gather chakra in hand. "Forgive me," I whispered and rammed my hand to his chest in an attempt to stop his heart. I heard the sickening crack as the force of the hit knocked him yards away.

He laid still on the ground. I watched to see if his chest moved, for him to take a breath. I couldn't feel any chakra from him either. I didn't realize I had started crying again until I felt them run down my neck. I crawled over to his body. I saw the look on his face. There was no more stress or anguish etched into it, and as much as I currently hated the word, he looked peaceful. I checked his neck for a pulse. There was none. I screamed into the silence, letting all my pain manifest into this animalistic sound and collapsed in a blubbering mess onto chest.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." I cried. "As long as there are others in this world, I have to save them. It's what Naruto would do. When my time comes though, I'll join you and hopefully you will have forgiven me."

"My innocent Sakura, even now you have no killing intent. Worried about others more than yourself," his voice said from behind me. Immediately the body I had been leaned over disappeared in a pop of smoke and replaced with a log. I sat upright while my brain tried to process what just happen.

The ripping of fabric and flesh echoed in my ear. I felt numb as I looked down to see where Kusanagi had exited from my chest. "I didn't want you to suffer like this Sakura, but it will be over soon and then I will join you my cherry blossom."

"It doesn't have to be this way." A distant voice spoke. Suddenly the surroundings changed. The smoke and fog lifted to reveal a destruction free Konoha. All the building and homes were intact, the streets bustling with people in the market. Hokage mountain was like new with a new face adoring it. Naruto's face! The sword in my chest vanish without a trace, along with Sasuke.

"This could be the future instead," the voice spoke again. I looked to the side and saw the shadow lingering in the tree line. He was dressed from head to toe in black, only his honey golden eyes were visible. Almost as if they were glowing. "I can help ensure this future for you."

"How? How did you change this?" I asked

"Excellent questions, but we don't have enough time right now to explain it all. I will come back for you soon. I need your help. Help me and I will guarantee the first future doesn't come true."

Rage coursed through my body. Did he create this whole twisted vision as a ploy to have me do his bidding? "You created this whole thing didn't you? Do you really think this would make me come with you?" I yelled at him.

"Tsk tsk, I've watched you too long to know a trick like that would never work. But I also know you wouldn't hesitate to help someone suffering. I work for someone who has been suffering for years, no doctor or medicine has alleviated his pain. In return, he has the ability to bring everlasting peace to this world. He has the power to stop people like Madara and Akatsuki. But only you have the ability to help him."

"How do you expect me to believe anything you say?"

"Come with me and I will take you to him. He will take care of all your needs while you heal him. He will also allow you to send word to your village so they you are safe."

"What is his disease?" I ask.

"I don't think the time here to explain it all. I will return for you," he informed.

"I can't agree to your request with so little information as you give." I explained as he turned from me and walked furthered into the shadows. "I wont let you manipulate me," I yelled at him.

"I don't need to stoop to that. I'll see you soon." He vanished from sight, but as soon as he did, so did the peaceful scene. It all reverted back to the previous chaos and the sword was still through my chest. The black flames started burning hotter and higher. I couldn't hold on much longer because the pain blossomed in my chest. My vision got darker and darker until I finally fell into the black oblivion.

I was surrounded by light and warmth. Most importantly I felt safe. How long had it been since I fell into oblivion? Was is all real or was it a dream? I knew the moment I open my eyes I would be faced with two possibilities. I would either wake up and it be all a dream or I would be at the beginning of my afterlife. Only one way to find out.

I opened my eyes. They stung from the brightness of the room. My eyelids fluttered until they could focus on the hospital room wall I had grown accustomed to. It was all a dream and nothing more. I let out a sigh and allowed all the tension to escape me as I stared at the ceiling.

My head races as I try to piece together the events that landed me back in the bed. I remembered healing Juugo and then he went berserk and chased me into the woods. I remember the sting to my neck, and the pain as my ribs connected with the tree branch on the way to the ground. The sorrow in Juugo's eyes as he realized what happened just before I passed out. I remember briefly coming to with him at my bedside holding tightly to my hand. Poor Juugo. I'm sure he's taking this hard and blaming himself unfairly. Something else had to have triggered him. He had acted so positively to my chakra before. Maybe he would allow me to study his curse and perhaps I could help him control it.

I turn my head to the side to greet him. I wanted to relieve any stress he would have. I just needed to ensure my gentle giant was alright. However, what I saw was not what I had expected. Instead of my orange haired companion, stood my teammate I had never expected to see this close again. A tremble of fear quaked through me. Although I knew it had been a dream, I could remember the experience explicitly. I could still feel his searing kiss, the insane rantings, and the blade that has imbedded into my chest. My heads were glued to his. I'm not sure how much time passed but eventually his name escaped my lips.

"Sasuke?"