Loving the reviews and the third community guys, thanks so much and thanks for sticking with me. Only one-or maybe a surprising 2 chapters left. Enjoy and cry.

Chapter 41 Rain Pt 2

Its hard to know when to give up the fight
Some things you want will just never be right
Its never rained like it has to night before
Now I don't wanna beg you baby
For something maybe you could never give
I'm not looking for the rest of your life
I just want another chance to live

Strange how hard it rains now
Rows and rows of big dark clouds
When I'm holding on underneath this shroud
Rain

Neji allowed Lee to carry TenTen. He was too weak. Failing a battle was not something he would ever be use to and the sting of loss was more powerful than ever. The worst however was TenTen. Her chakra was fading. Whatever Itachi was doing, he was conducting a slow and possibly painful death. The thought alone picked at his nerves, egging him on to fight, to take down the unbeatable foe. Yet, fisting his hands, he did not leave. The fight for him was over, despite his comrades' battles continuing.

He looked beside him, to the traveling Ninjas with him. The misery was upon all their faces. Their teammates were either dead or dying and he was to blame. He had been the strongest in the group and therefore responsible. He had been unable to help because of TenTen. Because he couldn't let go of a dying girl. He had chosen not to fight to the best of his abilities. He had kept some chakra hidden incase a bailout was necessary. Perhaps that had cost too many lives he'd like to count.

Neji didn't care that the mission failed. The whereabouts of the Trinity were unknown to him. If Akatsuki had a hold of them, it didn't matter. The only failure he counted was his teammate's lives. He hoped punishment would be severe. He knew he deserved it.

His lavender eyes shifted to Hinata. A stretcher had been made for Kiba and upon him his dog laid motionless as his owner. Her tears were bright on her face but she hurried along beside the medic, keeping a hold of her teammate.

He moved his gaze to Shikamaru. He held tight to the roughly made cot for Ino. Already blood had soaked the white sheet beneath her. From the sight of her with his Bloodlimit, there was no more chakra residing in her body. If she didn't die, her career as a ninja is over.

Neji's sight rested upon TenTen's cot.

He had failed them all. And selfishly and horribly it was only her he begged Kami to bring back.

"Oh no." Kurenai got his attention and he lifted his eyes, "We're too late." She whispered and the group's shuffling feet finally came to a stop beside a barren tree. Against the cliff side wall the giant portal blocked their path.

"It's the same shield Orochimaru used against the Third." Asuma grumbled throwing away his dead cig to start a brand new one. "There's no getting in."

"Oi."

Neji was already staring at him.

Kakashi was leaned up against the tree, bloodied and without a ounce of Chakra left. He collapsed just in time for Asuma to grab hold of him. "Did you kill Kisame?"

He shook his head. "He ran off. Got him pretty good though." The copy ninja grinned. Asuma rested the man against the lonely tree and caught sight of pink in his gaze. He rushed over to Sakura's body, checking a pulse and for any injury but he reassured the team she was resting.

Their attention went to the battle inside the protective casing. Itachi and Sasuke were fighting fiercer then any thought possibly and the ground under their feet wouldn't stop quaking

Asuma's cig nearly fell from his mouth, "Matte. Is Naruto in there?"

Hinata pulled herself from Kiba and ran to the edge of the perimeter. The power she felt sent shivers down her spine but she saw his golden hair from the distance and smiled softly. Using her blood limit she explained to the team, "He's unhurt. He's helping Sasuke in whatever way he can." Which wasn't much but she needed hope for her own peace of mind.

"And Itachi?" Kakashi questioned.

"They are all equal."

"What should we do?" Kurenai whispered.

"We wait." Shikamaru had only that morose reply while staring down upon his sleeping teammate.

Sakura walked down an unfamiliar street. It was a relatively quiet marketplace. Owners swept the outside of their lot, smiling to her as she past. They set up their posts getting ready for the early morning bustle about to start. The sun was just above the horizon but not strong enough yet to where she needed to squint. She enjoyed the warmth. The place felt unusually cold.

Her eyes caught the large red and white symbol on the outside of a building. The infamous Uchiha fan was bright and intimidating against the police unit. She stood at the bottom of the steps looking up at it wondering.

Movement brought her attention to the top of the stairs. There the older Uchiha brother stood in his black uniform. His long hair blew in the wind, waving over his face. He slowly moved his bangs to the side.

"I did not consider the possibility of you."

"Of me?"

He stared at her, unwilling to share his thoughts. Itachi took the steps down to face her.

"You will save him. Won't you?"

Sasuke held the metal blade across his brother's neck, touching skin, pushing against it allowing Itachi to feel the cold metallic katana. Their height was evenly matched, their eyes nearly the same form of sharingan, Itachi's a bit wider then his own. They both panted, their strength depleted, their bodies drained from the hour long battle. Blood dripped on various parts of their bodies. Itachi's left arm was broken and many ribs snapped in two. Sasuke's knee was shattered he knew and if he wasn't so hyped on adrenaline he would have fallen from the pain. Burn marks covered over two-thirds of their bodies. But all of their injuries they were mindless to.

This was it. Sasuke had won out. Sasuke had proven to be the better.

Itachi however was the one with the smirk on his lips while Sasuke held no expression. His voice sounded, "No matter how strong you get, my foolish little brother, you cannot kill me."

It was finally stated for everyone to hear. Naruto was close by. He had taken a step closer in his shock. The crowd that had gathered, the rest of Konoha's ninjas, gasped and whispered amongst themselves. He paid no mind to that either.

For Sasuke this was his final moment with his brother. Itachi was the only person that mattered.

Sasuke sadly smiled, "You're right, onii-san." He whispered. There was no defeat in his voice, just acknowledgement.

Sasuke flicked his sword to the side as if imitating the blow he could not go through. It clanged on the ground. The metal glistening in the sun.

They did not separate. Itachi had his freedom. He had the chance now to walk away, to live a lonely life. A chance to build up his hate and strength again so that in the future they would meet and fight as they did now. It would be a horrible existence for both of them. They would be forever trapped in a vicious circle of power and hate. But they would be in it together. For as long as each other lives.

Sasuke's heart beat furiously. A moment of fear caught in his throat. He wanted Itachi to run, to live, to never stop. He wanted to reach out, to push him back, away to save his life.

It was a whole minute until Itachi actually smiled, it was weak and forced, but it was there nonetheless and held meaning. "Bigger and better."

The sword pierced his back, right through the heart. Sasuke took a step closer, and grit his teeth when the tip of the blade went through his chest. Itachi's brows knit, weather from the pain or confusion, he would never find out.

The jutsu vanished and reality came at hand. Naruto, eyes wide and mouth agape pulled the sword hurriedly from both the bodies and dropped it, his fox power diminishing as he gazed horrified at his hands.

They're pain was written on their faces. Blood poured from both punctures. Itachi was the first to fall. There was no one there to catch him. No one there to grieve for him. He was alone upon the dirt floor dying.

Sasuke, at one point, had thought his fate would have been similar but upon recently realizing Naruto and Sakura's friendship, Sasuke only pitied him. But he would prove one last thing to his brother. He was not alone. Sasuke would die with him and together they would be in the afterlife. Despite his death, he hoped Naruto and Sakura would realize that it was because of them he wanted to die with his brother, not out of pain or revenge or anything negative at all. It was all about love. Yes, Sasuke had finally learned love.

Sasuke coughed, blood breaking upon his lips, leaning over nearly falling had Naruto not grabbed him harshly. Tears were already pouring down his face, his lips were trembling,
"Why did you do that to me, Teme?"

"Naruto." They slowly lowered to the ground, Sasuke's strength draining with each ounch of blood . "Arigatou." He whispered softly. "Help me to my brother." Naruto wrapped Sasuke's arm around him, using all his strength to lift the man onto his weak legs and together they got to Itachi were Sasuke dropped to his knees next to his head.

His brother's eyes were on him as he panted for breath. A small hand rose and summoned Sasuke closer. Sasuke swallowed the blood forming in his mouth and inch forward only to grimance when two finger hit his forehead. Sasuke's brows knit, memories filling his vision of all the times prior when Itachi had been with him, beside him, guiding him as an older brother should. "Father will see you now." He whispered before breath exhaled one last time.

Tears were present but they didn't fall. He would join his family soon enough. There was no better happy ending.

Sasuke's strength diminished but Naruto had him in his arms and rested him on the ground. Naruto sniffled and sobbed. Sasuke couldn't help the small chuckle. He shook his head weakly, "You're pathetic, you know that." He forced out, groaning suddenly and gripping his chest, covering the hole even as blood poured through.

"Teme." Naruto groaned, pushing his hands over Sasuke to try and stop the blood flow. "You can't die. What am I going to tell Sakura?"

"Tell her…what I can't…"

"Kuso, Sasuke. You really are the worst friend I've ever had."

Sasuke forced his smirk and nodded, "You too, Naruto."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut when Sasuke released his last breath.

TenTen's eyes snapped open. The wind chose to blow at that particular moment and the tree limbs that were above waved, greeting her to the real world. She smiled weakly. It was odd feeling to have forgotten what wind feels like. Now she couldn't remember how she had ever been without. She didn't want to blink afraid that doing so would force her back into the world that she had lived in for weeks. The world of torment. A place only found in the deepest pits of Hell.

She thought she moved her head but the sight her eyes met was the same. Feeling to her body was numb and indifferent. Directing her sight to the farthest reach of the socket, she saw a meadow. A burnt and broken meadow but there nonetheless. There was color. No more black and grey. There was light. Tears sprung to her eyes at the glorious sunlight.

How she had escaped she did not know. It didn't matter. She was out. Weeks of living in a world void of any life and she was now here.

Voices were around her. Voices. Oh the simple sound of other voices beside her own. How unreal it all was.

She feared that it was trick. It was Itachi's way to break her once and for all. But she listened to those voices. The anchor to her consciousness.

"He's dead. Both of them." Lee's voice.

Her smile brightened hearing his long forgotten tone. She wanted to see him. To touch another human being after so long of being utterly alone. TenTen tried to move but still her body wasn't obeying commands. It was too exhausted to. She moved her eyes as far as her socket would allow and found his green outfit filling her view. Tears blurred her vision in relief. Happiness had never felt so overwhelming before.

TenTen swallowed harshly. Her mouth so brutally dry she moved her tongue all around hoping to conjure words. "Lee." She whispered, groaning at the pain.

"Lee." She whispered a bit louder, more forceful. She needed recognition. She needed to be spoken too. Fear that this was all fake was starting to get the best of her and her heart was beating frantically.

"I'm glad the fight is over." Choji voice added. TenTen looked around but could not see him from her position.

"We need to get back to Konoha." Shikamaru bit. "Ino needs medically attention now."

"Hai." Hinata whispered. "And Kiba…"

"It's all right." Kurenai spoke.

"Where's Kakashi?" Gai questioned.

"With Sakura." Asuma's voice now entered the others. "He's waking her."

"Is that wise?" Kurenai inquired

"She's probably the only one that can get Naruto to come back with us." Lee explained.

"Lee." TenTen tried again. Their conversation wasn't making any sense to her. They were acting as if the fighting had just ended. That wasn't possible. She had been in that hell for almost four weeks. Panic was making her breathing thicken and her eyes were searching for anyone that would be near. Everyone was around her but she could find no one in her line of sight. "Lee." She squeezed her eyes sight. Her body wasn't listening and nothing was making any sense. And Neji's voice didn't sound with any one else's and no was paying attention to her.

"I didn't think it was going to happen like this." Choji sounded and then footsteps followed but they were going away from her. "Why won't she wake up?" TenTen's brows knit and forced her fingers to move. Relief washed over her when they twitched. But she questioned who they were talking about.

"She took a slap from Kiasme's sword." Shikamaru chided. "What do you expect her to do?"

"Look." TenTen's heart beat wildly hoping they had noticed her. "Sakura." Lee whispered.

And right at that moment she could hear Sakura scream "iie". TenTen moved her head again out into the meadow. Her brows knit upon seeing Sakura knelled beside a body more then a hundred feet from her.

"Lee." TenTen tried again, nearly screaming in her own voice but it barely came out no louder then a whisper. A tear rolled down her temple, hating her weakness.

"Um…Lee." Hinata's voice sounded, timid and afraid. "TenTen."

TenTen closed her eyes, squeezing them tight in thankfulness. Feet scraped and hurried to her side, Lee's brilliant smile came into view as he knelled beside her. She smiled weakly. "Lee." She whispered with relief.

"Kami, TenTen it's about time!" He nearly hollered with his laughter and Gai was now knelled on her other side and she smiled brightly when tears presented in his eyes.

"Oh, my little girl!" He squealed like a woman, picking up her upper body and hugging her tight crying against her.

"Gai-sensei." She whimpered and shut her eyes tight. The touch of another body finally brought her into conscious mind and she was able to slowly bring a hand to his arm. He helped her sit up. "What's going on?" TenTen looked around and finally saw Choji and Shikamaru sitting beside a sleeping Ino. And to the left of her, Hinata and Shino sat beside a sleeping Kiba. Akamaru's head rested on his stomach, he too asleep.

"You've been out of it for a while now, huh?" Lee questioned with a smile, setting a hand on her shoulder, brotherly.

"A while? It's been weeks."

"Weeks? TenTen, it's only been a few hours." Her brows knit and she shook her head but Lee's eyes left hers and lifted to the tree.

Her eyes widened when she saw him standing on a bare tree limb, looking down at her with his emotionless pale eyes. Seeing him again, after weeks of facing the fact that he had died, tears sprung instantly to the forefront of her gaze and she had to look away, afraid he would think her weak because of them.

Neji dropped to the floor and TenTen shot her eyes to him once again. She wanted to touch him, to hug him, to kiss him, to tell him everything that happened to her. But with everyone watching, it wasn't allowed, she knew. She stayed where she was, afraid her legs would not work for her even if she tried.

She gasped so suddenly when she found herself wrapped in his arms. His long hair brushing against the side of her cheek, one of his hands pressed against the back of her head while the other held her back.

Though she was in shock by his action, her arms found their way around his neck and hugged him with all the strength she had in her. "Neji." She whimpered, tears falling down her face. Her body shook ready to spill all the terrible things her mind had conjured up but she squeezed her lips shut and held him tighter.

"Oh, I'm so happy!" Lee cried hysterically holding on to Gai who hugged him back.

"It's so perfect!" He squealed, puffing out his bottom lip in his cries before wrapping his arms around the couple and Lee squeezed himself in as well for one big group hug.

Neji rolled his eyes, pushing out of the group, shoving Gai away from his form. TenTen giggled, loving the sour expression on his face, the skin between his eyes and above his nose scrunching up in distaste.

"Sakura!" Naruto's voice sounded wildly and the group's gayness ended abruptly.

Consciousness was returning but the darkness was so thick it kept pulling her under again. There was foggy noise, nothing that made any sense but it was what she was holding on to. She groaned silently and it echoed in her head. Sakura tried to move her weakened body yet it was pointless and the darkness swallowed her up again.

"Sakura." Sasuke's voice sounded distant, sounded forgotten and misplaced. It was there, attached to the tiny bit of light that was shining so very far away. Sakura ran toward it, her bare feet slapping the emptiness of the mind, echoing. "Sakura." She stalled and turned around, there was nothing but darkness. His voice was coming from every where and nowhere. She swung back to the sliver of light. Determined now she hurried for it. "I need a favor of you." She had to hurry. Something was wrong she knew. Sasuke's image was standing before the light, his words echoing in this empty void. "When this battle is over, take our bodies back to Konoha."

"No" Sakura shook her head, tears brimming in her sockets, staring straight over his shoulder, knowing if she looked at his face she would have no choice but to comply.

"Bury us with our parents."

"Sasuke please." She had begged, Naruto gazed at them, desperate to know what they were whispering.

"Please, Sakura. I need this last thing from you."

A tear had fallen down her cheek and dripped off her chin. "I can't you let you die. Let us help you."

"You have."

Her brows had knit and her eyes had shut. How many times had she wished for him to speak to her as if he cared. As if he loved her. And now at a moment where she needed her inner strength, he had ripped from her with those tiny, seemingly meaningless words. And it was at that moment the world around her went dark and became this, dream void.

There! Sakura reached out and grasped the tiny shred of light.

She snapped her eyes open, swung her body up finding herself not alone. "Kaka-sensei?" She whispered in question.

He was smiling behind the navy clothe, his eye expressing the softness within. But it knit with depression, "It's over, Sakura." He whispered.

Her heart stalled and she jumped to her feet, finding the field that had once been barren and flat now crumbled in ruin. Fires burned on stray twigs and leaves, ditches and canyons cracked the canvas. Her attention though came upon the group in the center, surrounding two fallen bodies.

Sakura ran. Ran with blinding speed ignorant of Kakashi voice. Her mouth dropped open and Naruto's mumbled sobs was the only thing she heard. She shook her head. "Iie!" She screamed. This wasn't going to happen. She wasn't going to let this happened.

Sakura dropped to her knees and with little strength shoved Naruto from Sasuke's body. He dropped back on his butt, his eyes wide in shock upon seeing her. Her hands glowed green and tears dripped down her nose, falling on her hands as she tried to heal.

He barely shook his head, "Sakura, it's too late."

"Usse." She bit quickly, sweat already piling on her brow. Her chakra was gone she knew, having had to waste it all on healing herself. She berated her stupidity. She should have known this would have happened. She shouldn't have been so niave. "Come on." She whispered.

"Sakura."

"Usse!" She harshly yelled. Pushing her hands harder even as they began to fade in chakra.

Kakashi stepped up beside her, his body weak and exhausted and his spirit nearly destroyed upon seeing his young Team Seven together again. An image that would forever stay inside his head.

She could feel her wounds begin to open again. She was taking her life energy. The lines of the secret technique Tsunade had gifted her with spread across her face and neck, swirling and glowing with life. She would use her life to bring back his. It was the only way. Sasuke deserved to live. He deserved a life of happiness. And she was going to give that to him. No matter what she had to do. She grit her teeth and forced her power roughly in her hands, the green chakra glowing brighter even as blood dripped from her nose.

"Yamette." Naruto whispered, shaking in his fear. "Yamette." He begged maneuvering to his hands and knees and crawling to them, "Yamette." He grasped Sakura's hands, caring nothing for the burning of his skin when touching her. "I won't lose both of you." He shook his head, pulling but even he was too weak to lift her. "Please, Sakura, don't make me lose both of you." He begged and though he continued to struggled against her, her powers did not dwindle and red liquid brightened the dry crusted spots on her clothes from before and rolled down her arms. The wounds on her palms sliced opened seemingly in a matter of seconds and Naruto could feel her warm life blood against his own hands. "I won't lose both of you." He managed out before he pushed himself from the floor and jumped over Sasuke's body, tackling Sakura from her position.

He struggled to push himself up and he turned his blue eyes only in time to see Sakura's eyes close and his greatest fear was awakened. "Sakura!" He screamed wildly.