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.Heaven's Gate: Princess.

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Sixteen: Good Luck Charm.

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They sat together during the evening, waiting for the two different type of foe to arrive. The first one, Hideyoshi Kuno wanted power more than anything. The second one, Matsuo Tabi wanted peace but misunderstood everything.

Sasuke could still feel her warmth against him. He was relieved. She was not gone. She will not die. He could her breathe; he could feel her breath against his neck. He looked at her peaceful face, and then he winced.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She looked at Sasuke, confused.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sounded so tired. He shook his head and smiled as he tried to hide his pain, his fear. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to look through his smile that looked so fake. But then she shrugged and cuddled closer to him. He placed his arms around her and she slept soundly once again.

He looked at the sky that had started to reddened, his fear overcome him. He tightened his grab around her, and buried his face in the space between her neck and shoulder.

"Sasuke-kun?" she woke up again, wincing as his tight embrace caused her a bit of a pain and uncomfortable.

He looked up and her eyes widened.

His eyes were… surprisingly… calm. She frowned as she touched both his cheeks. He smiled at her.

She smiled back and kissed his forehead.

"Thank you," she muttered. He frowned. "For having faith when I lost mine."

He stared at her, the pain started to come back. His fear… of losing her. What if… after this, she wouldn't be here anymore?… what if… she was gone forever after this?… what if… he was unable to stop Juugo… or the other strong ninjas?

She was wrong.

He didn't have faith at all.

He lost his long ago.

"Sakura," he looked at her, his eyes were now good at hiding the pain. She looked at him with her beautiful, innocent expression.

"Yes?" she smiled.

"If I lost you," he started. Her smile faded. "If I lost you, you don't worry."

"What?" she looked at him, confused, she tried to hide her own pain that started to come back.

"If I lost you, don't you worry," he repeated. "I won't be far behind you. Whatever happens, just know that I will always be a step behind you."

"A… step behind?" she frowned. "Why a step behind?"

"Because no matter what, I am still just a ninja assigned to protect you," he said. Her face fell, the pained expression was now visible.

"No…" she muttered, her voice shook; her eyes were glittering with tears. "You're more than that now…"

He leaned in and kissed her.

"I will be near," he smiled at her. "I won't be far away from you. If, by any chance, you are afraid to be alone, you can just call back to me and I'll be by your side. Holding you like this," he hugged her and the tears escaped both of his eyes. "You'll call to me, okay?"

Sakura nodded, she buried her head in his shoulder, hugging him as tight as her tiny, fragile body could.

"I will," she sobbed. "I'll call you thousands of times; I'll call you thousands of times if by any chance you're not listening."

"Don't worry," he smiled. "I will be listening. Because we're connected."

She looked up at him and smiled. She looked down at her hand and smiled a little as she saw the faint red string that connected their pinkies and fate together.

"Yeah," she nodded. "We are."

Sasuke smiled.

"Do you love me, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes."

"More than anything?"

"More than anything."

Sakura smiled. She closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his. A green light shone and it entered him.

"What is that?" he asked, shocked.

"It's a good luck charm," she smiled. "I have doubled the chakra that you had in the beginning. So you'll have more energy to fight and show them who's boss."

He sighed and grinned involuntarily at her, and then he kissed her jawbone playfully. She yelped and giggled, pushing him away.

"They're here," Neji appeared behind the trees. Sakura stopped, turned to him and nodded.

"Everything prepared?" she asked him. He nodded. She stood up and turned at Sasuke, she kissed his forehead and his lips and then smiled. "I'll be inside, take good care of me, okay?"

He nodded and smiled back. Unwillingly, he let go of her hand and she walked inside. When she let go of his hand he felt that he shouldn't let go.

He felt that when he let go,

She would be gone and won't be coming back anymore.

He stood up abruptly, his whole body shook as he thought about it.

What if when she went inside something happened to her, and her Keepers were not around because at the moment she asked them to go guard the four sides of the country instead?

The pain came back.

The fear overwhelmed him.

His eyes widened as he panicked.

He ran toward the room.

BOOM!

Sasuke got thrown all the way to the back of the secret garden. He winced as he recovered himself from the blow. He stared ahead at the burning grass and Sakura trees. And then at the room that was now on fire.

His eyes widened in shock.

It took the tears a while until it dripped down his cheeks.

"Thank you,

for having faith when I lost mine."

He never had faith.

He lost his long ago when he decided not to kill her,

He lost his long ago when he knew Juugo was going to come and do his job.

He never had faith.

But he didn't want her to worry even more,

Because the possibility of her dead is big.

And now, as Sasuke stared into the fire,

All hope is lost.

And he screamed on the top of his lungs, crying tears of blood.

Sakura!!!

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I love this story.

I know this one is pretty crappy, but being me means being stubborn.

I have just stop doing my geo assignment and gonna finish at class tomorrow.

The time now is 2:32 in the morning. :D

I hope you guys enjoy this one.

I really hope it's not that bad, either.

Btw… it's ANOTHER CLIFFY!! :D

Okay, now I can either make one more (and I'm guessing it would be pretty bad, too) OR not at all until the end of exams (and I'm guessing it should be better) :)

I enjoy writing this story so much, and I hope you guys enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it :)

I HATE SCHOOL :(

Okey, dokey,

Reviews are impossibly appreciated,

~PSIt'sRainy.