[Disclaimer] All characters and trademarks are property of their respective owners.
[Author Notes] Contains possible spoilers up to manga chapter 482, and certain creative liberties have been taken in the telling of this tale.
The End
"SAKURA," a feral voice roared, it's guttural tone laced with such savage vehemence.
As the name reverberated from every stone and tree, slowly echoing to nothing, a pair of figures snapped to attention. Their eyes danced across the landscape, searching desperately for the source of the yell. One of the two, a raven-haired male, set his gaze over the shoulder of his pink-hair female companion, varied emotions and thoughts swirling in his black eyes. Spinning on her heels, the woman laid jade eyes upon a familiar, yet hauntingly unfamiliar, man, her legs quivering as she took an instinctive step back from him.
Blond hair tossed lightly by a gentle breeze atop the head of the new arrival, his eyes, usually a jubilant azure, now burned crimson, their pupils twisted into an unnatural cross. Three black streaks branded each cheek like whiskers as he bared his fangs, his canine teeth resembling those of a wild dog. "What did you just say, Sakura?" he growled, the woman in question feeling a palpable bite from the bestial rumble in his voice.
Words failed Sakura, her throat managing little more than a string of stammering and stuttering. The sensation of being prey in a hunter's sights permeated her, the blond's pupils feeling like cross-hairs leveled squarely on her, tension seizing at her muscles like a vice. Her mind whirled with a mishmash of thoughts and emotions; she had found Sasuke, who now was within sight for the first time in years, but now the final member of the childhood trio of ninjas stood before her, his rage truly tangible.
To Naruto her statement to Sasuke must have been tantamount to treason, a betrayal of him and the village he held so dear, a trampling on the dream he swears to with all his being. Unable to take Naruto's piercing gaze, Sakura dropper her own, choosing instead to look upon her feet with eyes growing cloudy with tears. Clasping her hands together before her chest, seeking to grasp on to the last shreds of her resolve, Sakura tried to order her thoughts. "N-Naruto, please," she finally sputtered, "you understand don't you?" pleading as she raised her gaze, dismayed to find her friend marching toward her, displaying the same intensity with which he had arrived.
---
Watching from his position furthest from Naruto, Sasuke ran through every conceivable scenario imaginable and found each outcome lacking one critical element: survival. The battle with Danzo had left him more than just beaten and exhausted; it had left him dangerously close to depleting all his chakra. Now, his rival marched on him, body brimming with such chakra. Escape looked like the best, and only, option available, but even that carried such risks with the disparity in physical energy, let alone chakra. 'Let's hope Sakura can manage that moron,' Sasuke thought, an idea that would have amused him, save for the fact his life seemed to rest on her shoulders.
---
Sakura's hair bristled as Naruto neared, his chakra adding a sort of electricity to the air, the space between them dwindling to several paces. Drawing a deep breath to steel her nerves, Sakura unclasped her hands and stretched her arms wide, presenting herself as a barrier. As Naruto stepped to within arms reach of Sakura, his eyes locked with hers, he laid his hands on her shoulders. "I'll ask again: what did you say, Sakura?" Naruto pressed, each breath a seething hiss, his fingers tightening gradually to the point of drawing a wince from Sakura.
"Naruto," she breathed, forcing herself to stare the blond directly in the eyes, "please, listen."
Instead of setting the boy at ease, they appeared to set him on edge, brow furrowing as his eyes narrowed. "Listen? I have been this whole. Waiting for you to answer me," Naruto growled, leaning his face closer to Sakura's, "so, what is it?"
The proximity of their faces, the tone of Naruto's voice, his vice-like grip on Sakura's shoulders, and the look in his eyes frayed the kunoichi's nerves further, her arms slowly dropping to her sides. "I," Sakura started, pausing as she averted her gaze, "just want to be by his side. You know that better than anyone."
"So you'd abandon your village... for him?" Naruto challenged, the incredulity in his voice growing with each word, eyes shifting to focus on Sasuke to accentuate his point, "that's what I heard, right?"
Shifting uncomfortably beneath the weight of Naruto's insinuation, knowing full well the pride he held in the people of Konoha, Sakura succumbed to the realization that she couldn't reason with the angry blond, only break away from him. So, with an austere tone, she asserted, "Naruto, this is the only way I can be with the one I love. By now you should see he isn't coming back to Konoha."
Sakura's words struck Naruto like a jolting blow, his grip loosened and his arms feel limply to his sides, a stunned look upon his face as he staggered back a step. The focused intensity of his gaze faded into an aimless stare, his breathing became more pronounced, each breath shuddering from his chest. Shuddering morphed into faint grunts, crimson eyes regaining their fervor, the shock dissipating as suddenly as it had arrived. With an aura of unmitigated rage, Naruto righted himself and moved forward, attention shifting to Sasuke, who appeared ready to make a hasty exit. "I promised I'd bring him back," Naruto barked menacingly, glaring sideways at Sakura as he shouldered roughly past her, "and if that means as a corpse, then a corpse he'll be."
"No!" she gasped, reaching out to grasp hold of the blond's wrist, "You ca-"
Before she could finish, Naruto broke her grip, seizing hold of her forearm. In a fluid display of force, feet shifting and setting, muscles constricting, and body twisting compactly, Naruto tossed the kunoichi back up the path with ease. Wasting no time in appreciation of his handiwork, the blond faced towards his old rival once more, baring fangs with vehemence.
---
Sasuke cursed, knowing his window of escape had vanished as he watched Sakura's body roll to a stop in a cloud of dust, his eyes quickly panning back to Naruto. The enraged moron had started his furious charge, closing the distance at a frightening pace, leaving Sasuke mentally scrambling. Almost reluctantly, Sasuke adopted a fighting stance, shooting a quick glance to the unmoving body of a young woman at his feet. Yards became feet, time reducing to fractions of moments until two young men clashed once more.
Naruto, with arm cocked to strike with closed fist, screamed out the name of his opponent. Simultaneously, Sasuke dropped to a knee, grabbing hold of the corpse's shirt. Offering up the body as a sacrificial shield, Sasuke backpedaled from his crouch, eyes closing in hopes of summoning up his sharingan for one last genjutsu. Faced with a flailing human body, Naruto simply swept it aside with his free hand, his fist launching a powerful strike. As Sasuke's eyes reopened his heart sank, only the sight of Naruto's lunging body filled his vision, his arm rising to deflect the incoming strike. Forearms collided, Naruto forcing his fist past the block as Sasuke tried to pivot away from the blow. Before Sasuke could clear the fist's path it found his jaw, the resounding crack of breaking bones echoing, his body lurching around. A hasty jab rapidly followed Naruto's haymaker, knuckles soundly striking the back of Sasuke's skull, the missing-nin's face rebounding off the coarse stone of the bridge. Momentum carried Naruto beyond the fallen body of his rival, his fingers and heels digging at the ground to bring him to a stop, his attention never leaving Sasuke.
Slight motion showed life remained in the raven-haired boy's body, summoning up enough energy, he flopped unto his back. Blood painted his face, his eyes fighting to stay open, jaw hanging slack from the opening blow. Rising from his crouch, Naruto marched towards Sasuke, stopping just short of the battered man's head to stare him squarely in the face. Rage met scorn as the former teammates met eye contact, neither uttering anything more than labored breaths. Time edged forward in near silence until Naruto parted his lips to speak, but before words formed Sasuke hissed two words: fuck you.
Such disdain moved Naruto to action, his arm raising to strike, hand left open for a piercing blow. As fingers and chest neared, a flash of red appeared, blanketing Sasuke's body from the attack. Claw-like nails cut through flesh, spilling crimson over bleak stones as Naruto found his hand buried in Sasuke's chest, Sakura's torso impaled upon his arm.
Horror possessed every fiber of Naruto's being, his hardened angry features melting into terrified shock, a quivering overtaking his body. "No... no no no," he pleaded to the open air, gaze fixated on his teammate's, his friend's, unmoving body as it hung from his arm.
On reflex he jerked his arm up, flesh dislodging from flesh as Sakura collapsed onto Sasuke, leaving Naruto contort away from the sight to spill his stomach. Gasping breaths were all he could manage as his chest tightened, his azure eyes flooding his cheeks with tears. Wailing sobs began filling quiet surroundings, the gravity of his actions weighing mightily upon Naruto, his body toppling onto its side. Shaking hands clutched at blond hair while Naruto released himself to his anguish and the unrelenting tide of guilt. Come what may, he would feel their burden, because for those two whom he held so dear as his precious friends, this was it. This was the end.