Until The Day I Die by Story of the Year

A/N: I don't own the song or the following characters. If you would like to listen to the song, type the song name and band name into the search bar at playlist . com.

I wish he were here.

That one sentence flooded Sakura's very being, causing her to stumble. This bout of confusion was not the cause of the bleeding wound on the ninja's temple, but the cause of thoughts where they shouldn't have been.

Surrounded by ninja from some unknown country, Sakura could only try to maintain her footing. She was a medic-nin, a very tired one, and this was not her place. He should have been there, he had promised, after all. But, alas, he was not in her sight, she couldn't even sense him in the area.

Where was the one who hated and needed her? Where was the one she hated and needed in return? Sakura couldn't remember why they had separated, something about a clock. The memory loss had to be from the wound, she surmised. Reaching a hand up, the scent and taste of blood wanting to upturn her stomach, Sakura applied all the chakra she could spare. It wasn't enough, no where near enough.

Her vision was beginning to blur, the ninjas were moving in closer. They had to make sure she was unable to use her own form of fighting back. Their mumbles were barely heard past the ringing in Sakura's ears. The ground would come up to claim her in a second, she could feel it.

Everything outside was too hard to focus on, Sakura shut it out. She would rather deal with her insides. The hand that had gone up to touch her head touched her throat, feeling the bruises there. They weren't horrible bruises, done by somebody who was an enemy. It was done by a friend; two friends who had made mistakes. The same mistakes all friends make.

Where was he…

Sakura felt the mud long before realizing she was on the ground. She struggled with her eyelids, willing them to remain open. The ninja who had come up to her was so blurred; Sakura couldn't make out a single facial feature. Was he smiling, or grimacing? What was the symbol on his headband? Was he wearing a headband? Why hadn't he plunged that…kunai, katana, shuriken? Whatever he was holding, why hadn't he killed her with it yet?

The only thing that warned of his coming was the giant explosion. It had come from one of the other ninjas, which didn't make sense. Sakura felt the heat blaze at her uncovered skin for a dizzying amount of time before the feeling was replaced by rain. She noticed the blonde colors in front of her, accompanied by the black and red. The figure with the colors was a fast moving blob among the others of lesser color.

There were several more explosions, the clinging of weapons that sounded more like bells to Sakura, dancing reds and oranges swirling in her vision, and more blobby movement before it all ended. The yellow, red, and black figure was the only one left standing. He was heaving, the exercise more than he was used to.

His face turned toward her, or Sakura thought it was his face, and then he walked over. He kneeled before her, his hand finding her cheek. "Sakura?"

Sakura opened her mouth, only to gurgle and spit out blood. Instead, she found his other hand, bringing it closer to her.

That was when everything faded away, like a beautiful dream coming to an end. It felt like she was returning to the real world, anyway.

She coughed again, bringing up that salty and rustic taste. Why was she coughing blood? Where was she? What was with the headache? Who was that in the corner of her vision? When was he going to turn around?

The second cough forced Sakura into a sitting position as she spewed contents into her lap. Too busy choking, she didn't notice the other figure in the room come up behind her and start cautiously running his hand up and down her back.

Nothing was making sense, yet again. Sakura remembered the head wound, she could feel the bandage wrapped around her temple, but that didn't explain the coughing blood. Did she have internal injuries?

Too many questions with no answers.

"You should be more careful." The blonde figure stated, grimacing as she coughed again. "You don't have me around anymore."

"And whose fault is that?" Sakura snapped at him, groaning from the effort.

"We've been running the clock for years."

"I don't care."

"We made mistakes."

More coughing, more bleeding, finally a response.

"But I took the fall each and every time, doesn't that mean something?"

The other person remained quiet.

"Why can't I remember your name?"

"Head-wound." He stated, as if that explained everything.

"That doesn't explain anything. Your name is too important."

More silence, more hacking, no response.

Silence…silence…

"We'll never fall apart." Sakura muttered, leaning back into the other person. His shoulder was comfortable, even if the tattered remains of his clothes were scratchy.

"Tell me, then, why this hurts so much?"

"I don't know the answer."

Those were the words that haunted Sakura as she fell asleep once again. Remembering why it was she needed the person beside and around her, that was what she needed to do. Why did he need her again?

"You remind me of the times when I knew who I was."

But still the second hand had caught them, like it always had before.

It was when the other person moved away that Sakura's consciousness returned to her.

His last words to her. "I hope you need this now, cause I know I still do."

Years later, Sakura still remembered the bruises, she still remembered every word ever exchanged between them, but she couldn't remember his name. When she was reunited with friends and family once again, those few precious years of her life were forever ingrained into her. The only thing missing was the name.

And then, it came to her in the form of a ninja. Upon her balcony he stood, watching her brush her waist-long hair with an ivory brush. His hair was still the same, tied back in a high ponytail with lots of leftover bangs to cover the mechanism scope he wore.

"I still don't remember your name." she said sadly, watching him in the reflection of her mirror. "You know mine, of course?"

He nodded.

"Why don't I know your name?"

"Because you had a concussion." He grinned, as if that explained everything. "Because I made a promise, a promise that will forever protect you."

Until the day I die, I'll spill my heart for you.

Diedara