"Hey," Sakura asked from my side. "Are you okay?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"What do you think we're doing here?" Sakura gave me a look. "We came to save your sorry butt."

"But why?" I asked.

"Because Naruto wasn't going to let you die before he brought you back to Konoha," Sakura answered.

"Where is Naruto?" I asked. I hadn't noticed until just now that he wasn't in the protective barrier with Sakura, Sai, Kakashi, and I.

"Look up," Kakashi answered. And I did just that.

Naruto was practically standing on top of the dome that the chakra created around them with his arms outstretched and the red chakra surrounding and emanating from his skin. His head was thrown back, his eyes were closed tight, and his mouth was open in a silent scream. Without any of the blue chakra surrounding his own body, the red chakra was burning his skin only for it to heal and be burned again.

"He looks like he's in pain," I frowned. It was the only thing that I could think about while I looked up at him.

"He is," Sai answered.

"Using that chakra always hurts him," Sakura continues with a frown.

"Then why is he using it?" Why was he hurting himself just to save me? Why couldn't he just be mad at me and hate me for all that I've done to him? Why couldn't I realize until now that he was willing to do this? Would I have gone back with him if I had known back then? "Why aren't you guys helping him?"

"You don't think I want to," Sakura hissed angrily. "We can't get out of this chakra barrier. Naruto created it for the sole purpose of people not being able to get in or out of it."

"How did I get in it?" I asked.

"Naruto can choose to let people in and out if he wants to. He let you in, but he won't let you back out," Sakura answered.

"I don't understand why he's doing this," I muttered. I've done so much to harm him and he's still trying to save me. He's still throwing himself away just so that I can live. He's such an idiot. Why can't he just leave me alone so he won't get hurt? Why can't I stop hurting him? Can I stop hurting him? Have I ever tried to stop hurting him? I don't think that I have.

I look away from him, because I can't watch him suffer anymore, and back at the two men who had taken me away from Naruto. They were now encompassed in Naruto's red chakra while more chakra whipped around the building attacking anyone who came into the room and destroying the structure of the room.

"I have to stop this," I finally decided once I had seen enough of Naruto's suffering. "I can't let him keep doing this."

"Don't you dare try to leave the safety of this barrier," Sakura hissed as she placed a firm hand on my shoulder to hold me back. She wasn't being gentle with me, but I didn't really care. I don't deserve gentleness after everything that I had done.

"I can't let him suffer for me," I growled back. I can't stand to see him in pain for my sake.

"He's doing it for you," she said thickly. "He's done all of this for you and your just going to throw it all away. He wants you to live."

"I can't watch this anymore," I admitted after a long moment. "I don't want him to do this for no reason."

"Then stay here and stay alive," Sakura allowed her voice to soften. "Don't let Naruto's efforts go to waste."

"I think that it already has," I sighed. "I don't deserve any of the things that he's done for me."

"Oh don't you dare go on a self-deprecating party now," she threw her hands up in exasperation. "I already have to deal with enough of those with Naruto."

"What do you mean?" I demanded. I didn't know that he was self-deprecating. He had just told me that he was the strongest in the village. Although, he didn't really seem like he believe it when he told me. Damn it. How did I miss that?

"He needs you Sasuke," Sakura said in loo of a response. "He needs you so you need to stay alive for him."

"I don't know if I can do it," I sighed again. "I don't know if I can make up for all the things that I have done to him, but I'll try."

"Good," Sakura agreed. "That's all I'm asking."

"It's done," Sai interrupted us.

As if broken by his words, the barrier around us crumbled and Naruto fell from his perch high above us. I was the only one to notice, however, that Naruto was falling unconsciously. He wasn't going to be able to catch his fall and it would either kill him or seriously injure him. I couldn't let that happen no matter what. I leapt into action immediately. I jumped up from my crouch and caught Naruto midair before landing us both carefully on the ground.

Naruto stirred at the feeling of my arms around him and he opened his eyes to find me looking down at him. "Will you come home with me Sasuke?" he asked with as much strength as he could muster before falling back into his recovery sleep.

"Of course I will," I said immediately even though I knew that Naruto wouldn't be able to hear me. He deserved an answer whether he heard it or not.

I'm going to make up for all the things I have done to hurt Naruto. I'm going to live for Naruto for as long as I can.