Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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The ground was cold and it scraped Sakura's knees. But a terrible numbness throughout her body prevented feeling any other pain than the one crying out of her heart. She let go of the cold palm in her hand and stood up abruptly to face the growing mass of people behind her.

"Naruto Uzumaki, the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha has passed away."

She spoke loudly so the crowd would hear her. It was unnecessary. A nervous silence had fallen over the crowd the moment Naruto hit the ground and did not get up. Sakura had immediately conducted a medical exam on him, praying there was even an ounce of life force left inside his body that she could push chakra into. But he was already gone.

Hinata wasted no time and rushed past her, almost knocking Sakura off her feet, to fall to the ground next to her husband of only two years. Until now she had waited patiently with everyone and allowed Sakura the space to conduct her exam but upon verifying that Naruto was deceased, she lost it.

With Hinata's sobs in the background, Sakura was faced with her friends, family, and allies all still shell-shocked beyond words. Ino was hiccupping softly next to Shikamaru and he looked to the sky for answers. Sai seemed confused and angry because he couldn't comprehend how someone like Naruto could die.

It was because of Madara. He was the reason her best friend lay cold and dead on the ground with his recently wedded wife clinging to his lifeless body. Another stupid selfish Uchiha with a screwed up view of the world had caused more unforgivable misery. But Naruto had made sure that the Uchiha would never be seen again.

From what Sakura had witnessed of the battle between the two, Naruto had used all of the Kyuubi chakra and the full nine tails was released. Madara had tried to pull Naruto into one of his time warps but somehow the Kyuubi created a rip in time. The instability of a time jutsu itself is hard to control but adding a fissure and all that extra chakra, even Madara could not control it and was pulled in.

Sakura was brought back to reality when Kakashi started to bark orders at the shinobi standing around.

Kakashi could never forget that no matter how many important people died, life went on without them. Naruto may have ended Madara's existence but there was still so much to accomplish before peace could be restored. For now he was the closest thing they had to a leader.

"Shikamaru. Neji. Bring the Hokage's body to the medical tent."

The two most composed of the group and certainly least injured stepped forward towards the body. Hinata immediately began begging for them to stop but of course that was impossible. Instead, Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister pushed through the people and gently coaxed Hinata away from Naruto.

"Onee-chan, Neji-nii-san has to move Naruto. You don't want him to lie on the ground anymore right?"

Hanabi attempted to haul Hinata up by her arms. The elder sister was too distraught to fight it. Neji and Shikamaru wasted no time and used a makeshift cot to transport the body to the medical sector.

With Naruto out of sight people began to stir from the shock and soon there was a flurry of activity in the ruins of their village. Kakashi was organizing a rendezvous with the other Kages and the military generals. But there were also other important things to do, things the lower ranks of Jonin, Chunin, and genin needed to start on.

Sakura interrupted all of the noise with her own directions.

"Hey! Those who are able, go in teams of four to find the injured and bring them back to the medical tent. And any and all with basic medical training report to me. I need you to begin classifying each person's injuries from mild to extreme. Only the extreme will be seen first. Until further notice these are your orders, now go!"

Could everyone else tell how hollow her voice sounded?

Immediately people grouped up and dispersed in different directions. Sakura had to return to the medical tent and oversee the triage center. She pushed her feelings of sadness to the very back of her mind. It was not the time to grieve, that had to be done later. It helped that she was still in denial and shock.

Before Sakura made her way to the medic's tent, she sought out Kakashi's form from the people who remained, most of which she knew personally. He was surrounded by Sai, Yamato, Shino, Anko, and other high-ranking shinobi. He had his head down so it wasn't possible for Sakura to gain his attention and Ino was flagging her down in the opposite direction.

"Sakura, come on we need to go. People are already pouring in!" Sakura nodded in the affirmative.

Glancing once more at the group to her left, Sakura saw Kakashi looking right at her. For a moment they just looked at each other. Then both turned away and Sakura bounded towards Ino. Normally, she would say goodbye with a smile but smiles weren't possible right now.

-X-

The day progressed at a slow but fast rate. Slow, because of the thinly veiled grief Sakura was carrying around as she went from patient to patient and fast, because there was an onslaught of injured flowing through the tent. It killed Sakura to turn people away with torn flesh or broken bones but the severely injured; punctured lungs, ruptured organs, all had to be dealt with first.

At around three in the morning, mere hours before the sun would rise, Sakura slipped away from the medic's tent and went to the makeshift morgue. It was a small place, not nearly large enough to accommodate all the dead, but inside on one of the few actual tables was the Hokage's body. Naruto's body. Her Naruto.

Sakura walked stiffly to his side and ran her hand through his blonde hair in a loving manner. He was her family, a younger brother despite their actual ages. Naruto had been a constant in her life since the age of twelve when she was assigned to that 'born to fail' team. It was laughable that out of the three genin of team seven, she was still here while the other two, the strong ones had perished.

In Sakura's mind, this was a concept so foreign it made her want to cry in frustration. But at the same time she knew something so ridiculous could not be permanent. That the balance had to be restored to the world. She had come here to do that. Although her chakra was low from healing there was still a small amount she had been able to save. Sakura prayed it would be enough.

Her hands rose just over Naruto's chest when the air behind her stirred. Arms wrapped around her waist and stole her away from her best friend's side. Sakura smiled sadly at Kakashi's rough embrace.

"I was wondering if you would find me." She spoke softly, mimicking the deathly quiet that surrounded the couple.

"I knew." He whispered into her ear. "I knew, since the day Chiyo-sama revived Gaara. That if there was ever cause, you would give your life to save someone else's. I always knew you would remember how to do it. All of it you had watched with wide eyes at sixteen, and that it would be carefully stored in your mind." He breathed onto the shell of her ear.

"Have you come to stop me Kakashi?"

She leaned closer to his chest. Instinctively his arms tightened, protectively. He had tried to shield her from harm or at least be there afterwards when that wasn't possible. But so many came to the realisation that the hardest thing to do is save someone from themselves.

"You're stronger than me. I could never stop you. But I'm a weak man Sakura, weaker than you may have realized. Giving you to Naruto is something I can't live with."

His words caused Sakura to shudder against his body and then her muscles tensed up. Her mind started running through dozens of tactics to escape his hold if he was intent on stopping her.

"You don't have enough chakra and I won't leave your side. Use me too."

She jerked away and spun around to face him. His face told her he was being serious, not a single trace of uncertainty in his dark eye. Then the guilt settled into her, guilt for having him love her as much as she loved him. Enough that Kakashi was willing to sacrifice himself with her. She decided he had to understand her reasoning, the reason why Sakura needed to bring Naruto back no matter the cost.

"I just…I want to save his smile." Her voice broke and tears started their decent.

Ironically, that is exactly why Kakashi was willing to do this. He knew if Naruto remained dead, Sakura would never again truly smile. He also recognized the importance of the leader over the foot soldiers. Naruto would bring about more change than an ex-ANBU or medical chief ever could. Giving their lives so Naruto could live his was more than a worthy sacrifice.

"Let me help you." And he gave her his usual eye-crinkle smile.

Sakura jumped forward and wrapped her arms securely around his neck. For the first time she could not speak. Maybe words weren't necessary.

Kakashi was the other constant in her life.

Without him, she would be broken. He had sheltered her from heartache and consoled her tortured mind. When she needed to get away he gave her that space and just as equally welcomed her back upon her return. Their entire history was an unbelievable one.

Kakashi forgot how to love and how to let his important people in. Sakura loved too much and equally wanted to distance herself from the pain of loss.

But despite the odds of living - no surviving - in this dangerous world, Kakashi and Sakura could leave it on their own terms. Growing old together, marriage, and children wasn't an option, had never really been one for them but being together until the very end was a hell of an alternative.

The couple parted from their final hug and Sakura grabbed Kakashi's hand. Her other hand went to rest on Naruto's chest, just above his heart.

Chakra lit up the hand on Naruto's body as a combined force of Sakura's and Kakashi's last reserves flooded his cold body. The difference between healing the dead and a wound was obvious in the way that their chakra clung to their bodies, refusing to leave without proper concentration.

But Sakura wasn't the best medical nin in Fire country without reason, she continued to pour chakra into Naruto without pausing to feel the sensation of her life leaving her body. Kakashi gripped her hand tighter, feeling the exact same way as chakra poured out of him for the last time.

This feeling didn't last long though. Sakura knew their chakra was almost gone and soon they would be too. Her legs quivered unsteadily before giving out completely. Her hand slipped away from Naruto. Kakashi caught her in his arms but slid to the ground as the last of his strength left him. Sakura sighed contentedly. With their life force now inside of Naruto they had achieved what they wanted and all would be as it should.

"Sakura-san?"

Sakura's tired eyes rose to the figure standing timidly at the entrance of the morgue. A smile etched its way onto her paling face at the sight of her friend's young bride. Beside her, Kakashi exhaled slowly and she stopped hearing that steady beat coming from his chest. His hold around her slackened.

"Hinata, he needs to be smiling." She instructed without much authority.

With no chakra left her eyes fluttered closed.

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A/N: For all the readers who have stuck with this story, thank you. You truly fed the fire of imagination and creativity.