(A/N: There will be time skips throughout the story, starting in this chapter. Just thought I'd mention it so none of you would get confused. Enjoy :])

Last Request

Chapter Three

(Sakura's POV)

I had been doing okay since being released from the hospital a few days after I was admitted. The worst that I felt was a fever of one hundred and three degrees and sometimes I would cough up blood but that was the worst of it. My mom had one of her nurse friends to come be with me during that day just in case it got worse, but lucky for me it hadn't.

Naruto came a few times just to see how I was but I never felt it was right to really tell him that I wouldn't be getting better any time soon. Sure, I would be able to come to training with him and Sasuke but there was no telling when I would exactly leave them-permanently.

That was the scariest thing of all of this. I really didn't know when it would happen. I could die any day and I wasn't happy about it.

Today I was actually going to training with the guys. They had been training with Hinata's team for now so that they could alternate the third person on the squad. Kakashi had told me that much. But since I was coming back for now I wasn't sure what they were going to do. I was feeling better but I don't know how much they were gonna allow me to do.

The paleness of my skin had gone away and I wasn't feeling as weak as I had been before. That was a really good sign, or at least that's what my mom's nurse friend had told me. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed out my hair.

My heart stopped as I remember the conversation I had with my mom last night.

"Sakura, I'm sorry this has happened to you. But there are some things you may need to know about your condition."

I sat up in my bed at the mention of my illness. "What's up, ma?" I made sure she had my full attention.

"The doctors and everyone is treating this as a form of cancer. Now I know that's one of the worst possible things to think about but theoretically if you had cancer you would lose your hair. I know that's something that's important to you. I just want you to know, it might happen as you get more and sicker."

I gulped as I touched my hair. She was definitely right about that. My hair was something I took pride in having. I took care of it as if it was a child sometimes. Most would probably find that embarrassing but I didn't. I am a girl after all. My appearance was sometimes everything to me.

"Okay." I said softly as I sighed.

"It's gonna be okay, Sakura. Regardless of however much hair you have you'll still be beautiful in me and your dad's eyes."

No matter how many times they told me things like this, I never could not smile. It made me happy knowing that no matter how bad it would get that I still had my loving parents beside me.

"Thanks mom. I love you."

I shook my head as I heard my mom telling me that Hinata was downstairs, waiting for me. I had asked her to come by so we could walk to the training grounds together.

"Hi-i Saku-r-a." Hinata smiled timidly as she saw me come down from my room. I smiled at her and embraced her in a quick hug before we headed out the door.

"How has training been going with Naruto?" I knew for a fact that Kiba had been pushing the two together so that Hinata could be around Naruto. It was painfully obvious how much the pale eyed girl adored my prankster of a teamate. He was the only one that was oblvious of her affections.

"Good." She kept twisting her fingers together as we continued to walk.

Once we got to the training grounds a continious gasp was heard as all eyes were on me and Hinata, more so on me. I guess they weren't expecting me.

"Um, hi guys." I waved awkwardly as I made my way over to where my teamates were standing. I felt really weird as the center of attention.

"Sakura." Naruto who was the only one who hadn't noticed at first immediately latched onto me causing me to almost topple over onto the ground. "I missed you!" He cried as he was still holding me in a tight embrace.

"Dobe."

"Naruto."

"Idiot."

"Naruto-kun."

I really didn't know what to do to get him off. I didn't have to wait long for someone to pull him off. "Baka, get off Sakura." I clearly heard Sasuke mutter before flinging Naruto off of me.

I straightened up and a muttered 'thanks' before looking over at the others. They were all staring at me and it was getting kind of awkward for me.

"I thought you weren't coming back for awhile?" Kiba asked as he petting Akamaru who was sitting in his jacket.

"I've been cleared to come back. Well at least for now."

Before anyone could ask anything else all the sensei's appeared including Kakashi. Each of them looked around before staring at me. Each of them gave me their own acknowledgement. Some verbal, some not.

"I think it would be a good idea for us to go back to our respective teams for now." Asuma muttered.

"That's fine. I think Hokage-sama wanted to talk to some of you anyway." Kakashi muttered as the others began to protest.

The others began to leave and once the only ones that were left were my team; Team 7. So we began training.

Three Months Later...

I heard a knock on the door of the inn we were currently staying in. I had a room to myself. I groaned as I sat up slowly. "It's almost time to go. Start packing up, Sakura." I could hear Kakashi say from the other side of the door.

I slowly sat up and after a moment I felt a draft along my neck. It was weird and it made me shiver quite a bit. I reached back where my hair should have been and felt a few strands. I quickly jolted up and turned around to stare back at the bed only to see my hair, most of it lying on my pillow. I moved quickly into a kneeling position in front of the full length mirror that this room actually had.

My mom's words echoed in my head as I touched what was left of my hair. It almost looked like a pixie cut. I swallowed the saliva that was pent up in my throat as I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears that were already forming in my eyes.

I couldn't do it though. It hurt too much. I continued to stare in the mirror at the result of what a night of painful sleep had caused. There wasn't much left, and I knew for sure I was only getting worse. I had been hiding it well from the guys but Hinata who was strung along by Kakashi and my parents on this mission knew how bad I was getting.

That's why I wasn't too surprised when she used her key to come in my room and she called my name softly. I could hear her footsteps but the achiness in my heart and in my body as it jerked with the sobs that were coming fast and hard as I bawled.

She didn't say much as she wrapped her arms around me in a comforting embrace. I think she knew that it wasn't helping so she told me she would be right back before exiting the room.

(Hinata's POV)

It hurt me to see Sakura doubled over in agony at the loss of something that most people would deem minimal. I knew this was a different situation though. Before we left for this mission I had been warned by her mom's nurse friend that it would probably happen while we were away. The illness was indeed getting worse.

I let out a sigh as I approached Sasuke who was just exiting his room. "Uchiha-san." I dropped my timid like behavior for now because I had to be strong for her. As her friend and nurse.

He just stared at me for a moment, not saying anything. "Yes?"

"Do you have a spare hat?"

One of his eyebrows arched at my question and probably at the clarity of my words. He didn't say anything but he did pull out one of the navy blue hats he had with him and passed it to me. "Don't you have some though?"

"No, I just have my hoodies. It's for Sakura-chan."

I was beginning to turn around to go back to her room when he said something. It wasn't startling really; it was just a tad un-Sasuke like. "Is she okay?"

I quickly turned back around to face him and with one solemn look on my face I think he knew nothing was okay. Before I could ask what he was doing he took his hat back and dropped his pack down on the ground. I could barely utter a word before he passed me and began walking towards Sakura's room. I didn't move, I didn't think I should stop him.

(Sasuke's POV)

It was a bit irritating not knowing much about Sakura's condition. After our talk in the hospital she kind of didn't talk about it much. She was being more reserved unless Hinata was around. She would speak quietly to her and only to her unless it has something to do with how far we had to go to get to some place.

I tried to be quiet as I opened her room door that was slightly ajar. I quickly made my way over to her. She was looking down at her hands, I noticed. I stood there looking at her. I hadn't exactly noticed at first until I looked again that her hair was gone. I turned slightly to her bed and saw it. All of it.

I coughed to let her know I was there.

She nearly jumped when she turned and saw me there. She had been crying, a lot. Her eyes were swollen, puffy and red. "What are you doing here, Sasuke?" She croaked out as she turned back around and began messing with her hair.

"Here." I muttered as I crouched down next to her and handed her my hat. She just stared at me for a moment before pushing my hand away. I sighed as I plopped down beside her and slowly pulled the hat over her head. I could see from her reflection the mirror that she was a little shocked that I even touched her.

It wasn't exactly irritating now but after finding out that she was sick, she had started acting different towards me. She stopped pestering me about hanging out and more than anything she stopped pushing Naruto away. They had been going to lunch sometimes together or Sakura would string Hinata along. It was all friendly things but she had stopped bothering me.

Right now, I could remember the times when she would jump at a chance to just be around me. But her rejecting something of mine was different too. I don't know if I could ever admit to her, but I missed her constant pestering.

"Thanks." I heard her speak softly as she began to get up. She stumbled a bit so I steady her before moving out of the way so she could get her things together.

It was hard not to notice the fact that she stayed away from the bed as much as she could. I had a feeling she wasn't going to try and touch it. So I decide to take care of it for her. I grabbed one of the bags that was in the bathroom and began to toss her hair in it.

It was soft. I shook my head from thinking about it as I finished up. I tossed the bag in the trash before waiting by the door. She joined me soon.

"Let's go." She muttered and I nodded as I opened the door and walked ahead so that I could get my things that I had abandoned.

(Sakura's POV)

I felt a little weird having a hat cover my head. But it was cold out and there was little I could do to help myself stay warm and not sick. It also kind of made me happy inside knowing that Sasuke gave me his. I still didn't know why he did it. I hadn't exactly been treating him as I used to. I wasn't sure if that bothered him, he didn't really speak to me about it so I figured not.

I was already feeling self conscious about my whole new appearance but Naruto kind of made it worse. The thing with Naruto was we all were hiding it from him. It wasn't that we didn't trust him to not be worried. We figured he'd worry too much and it would hinder his focus even more than it already was.

"Sakura-chan! What happened to your hair?" He shouted as Hinata and I came into view.

Kakashi had stared at me, now noticing that I had it covered. He just kind of stared for a moment before turning to Naruto. "Naruto, stop being so loud." He muttered before looking at the rest of us.

"She cut it, dobe." I heard Sasuke mutter before hitting him aside the head. I laughed at the two. It was always so normal of them to do things like that. It made me happy that nothing had truly changed.

"Okay, let's head on back home." Kakashi muttered already looking back at his orange book. He had given me a smile before we all started out of the small town we had inhabitated outside of the village we had our mission at.

I was too caught up in my thoughts to notice that I was fallen a little bit behind. It wasn't until Sasuke stopped a few branches ahead of me in the trees didn't I realize it. "Sorry." I muttered as I landed on the branch he was on. He was crouched in a sitting position.

Sasuke didn't really say much but he beckoned me over to his back. "What?"

"Get on my back." He said as casually as if he was asking for a drink of water.

"No, I'm fine." He stood up and moved a little closer to me.

"Sakura." He had that stern look in his eye.

I sighed before gesturing for him to turn around so that I could get on his back like he asked. These were one of those moments when I hated my situation. I was feeling like a burden, again. I sighed as Sasuke began to catch up with the others again. "I'm sorry." I whispered into his shoulder.

He didn't say anything for a few minutes. He just kept on until we were within eye view of the others. "Don't be." Was all he said.

I didn't know what to say to that so I just stayed quiet as we kept going.

Later on when nightfall had hit we stopped to set up camp for the night Hinata and I took a walk so that she could talk to me. "Naruto-kun keeps asking about you. It's beginning to get hard to not lie about it."

I sighed as I pulled the hat down on my head. It was getting cooler. "I'll talk to him when we get back to Konoha."

Hinata nodded before she began to play nurse and started asking me about how I feeling. The rest kind of a blur. I honestly didn't know how to tell Naruto that I was dying.

It's kind of ironic that it was much easier to tell someone that I liked than tell someone who used to get on my nerves and who I saw just as a friend. I just hoped he didn't take it too hard when I told him about my condition.

I never really knew what Naruto would do. He wasn't like everyone else.

I would just have to hope, he wouldn't be too upset by it.

A/N: Hello. :) Sorry if the change of POV's was a bit much but I kind of needed it to be done. As I stated above the time skips will be happening quite a bit. This story really doesn't have many chapters considering it's a mini-story. But I love it all the same.

Call me a sap but when the thought came to mind the scene where Sakura wakes up and loses her hair, I was seriously crying. I dunno why...it was just really emotional for me to even think of that happening for real. I mean I know she cuts it during the Chunin Exams but this is entirely different. She's dying in this fic, so yeah I was being weepy about it. I wouldn't want to lose my hair either.

So a lot of things happened in this one. I hope you liked it, please let me know what you thought in a review! Thanks for those that have reviewed the past two chapters. I appreciate it. :)

x3

~daisherz365