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.Heaven's Gate: Princess.

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Chapter Thirty: The End.

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(Sasuke's Point Of View)

Sakura felt warm in my hands but I had this odd uneasy feeling deep in my chest that warned me her warmth will no longer be there.

I dashed faster and Konoha was seen in less than three minutes. I looked at Naruto who looked back at me; somehow I knew he had the same uneasy feeling as me as he looked down at Sakura whose breath was slowing down.

"Thank God!" Ino ran toward us once she saw us approaching the gate. "Sakura's back!" she yelled and soon uproars were heard.

"Sakura, we're back," I whispered to her gently.

Her eyes moved and I could see her two emerald orbs looked around tiredly at the crowds running toward us, most of them were crying.

Ino hugged her, although a bit awkwardly because I still had her in my arms, and cried like she was dead already. Neji and the other Gods looked relieved, Lee was crying waterfalls with all the emotion he felt.

Gaara walked toward Naruto and smiled a small smile. Naruto grinned at him.

After a long while, the two of us and the Gods were finally alone.

I brought her to the secret garden that was now destroyed. Sakura looked around at the place and then turned to Neji.

"Can somebody up there make this place as good as before?" she asked.

Neji nodded and looked up, closed his eyes, and then the garden was suddenly as good as before. All the burnt woods, trees, and grasses returned to their green state and the tombstone wasn't scratched at all.

"Thank you," she smiled. She looked at them and asked them to come closer.

She touched each of their hands and smiled weakly.

"We'll see each other soon," she said. "I want to be alone with Sasuke-kun now if you don't mind."

The Gods looked at each other and then nodded at her.

Naruto gave me a "sick" look and then disappeared along with his friends into the house.

Something bad was coming…

I was certain of it…

"Sasuke-kun," she called out, her voice weak.

"Yes?"

"I love you,"

"I do, too," I said.

Silence… Such an uncomfortable silence… I hated it. Every second of silence that passed…

She wouldn't die, now would she? No. She was save now. Those Gods up there wouldn't be that bad to let her go this soon, I mean… she was the one going to help them gain peace for the world.

"Do you believe in after life?"

"What?!" I snapped, shocked. "Why do you ask that?"

No…

"My life is going to be over soon, Sasuke-kun," her voice shook.

Then, right then, everything fell apart.

"Sakura, this is seriously no time for a joke," I looked at her.

She looked up at me and touched my cheek. So warm… No way would she die soon.

"Sakura," I touched her hand and grabbed it tight. "You're going to be okay, nothing bad is going to happen to you."

"Death isn't a bad thing to start with, Sasuke-kun," she said, her eyes looked away at the beautiful garden now filled with the fragrance of the Sakura flowers. "What bad… I guess is leaving things undone, unfinished."

"We should get Ino," I said as I stood up.

"No," she touched my chest, stopping me. "I want to spend my last minutes here."

She looked up at me and her tears filled both of her beautiful eyes.

She was going to die. She was going to go away. I would never see her again.

This body I was holding would soon be underground, rotting away as the time passed by, rotting away with the memories that most people had of her. She would soon be forgotten by those who had just heard her name and not know her. Such sacrifices she made… such little time she had.

NO! She was NOT going to go!

"Sakura, we should really have Ino check on you," I said, trying to hide the panic I felt. "I mean…"

"Sasuke-kun, do you love me?" she asked.

I looked down on her. Trying to fill my heart with everything I saw in her face. The flawlessness of her feature…

"Yes," I answered, my voice thick from holding back the tears.

"Say it," she said, her eyes begging. "Please."

When would she closed her eyes and go away? The question filled me up again and again and a sick feeling came to me. She was so healthy a week ago. We were kissing and hugging and loving each other and all that was about to end?

"I love you," I said.

She smiled at me and the tears rolled down both of her eyes fast.

Then, I lost it.

I pulled her fragile body and crashed her into a tight hug. She was sobbing, my right shoulder was wet with all the tears she shed.

I buried my face deep in her shoulder and cried the tears I had been holding back.

"Don't leave me…" I begged.

"I'm so sorry," she cried, her voice barely audible. "I don't want to go…"

Again, it hit me. She was going to go soon, I could do nothing to stop it; even the Gods didn't want to stop and she was still slipping away from me fast.

Her breath slowed down and I felt my heart stopped for a mere second when I felt it.

"Sakura?" I looked at her.

Her eyes were closing!

"I'm so tired, Sasuke-kun," she muttered, sounding so tired.

"I know," I held back the sobs. I was going to be strong for her. She… had been strong for me. Her last minutes were just around the corner and I wasn't going to be the weak one.

I love you. I love you. I love you. I screamed the words in my heart. I looked at her. Fragile. Weak. Beautiful. Something that would forever be in my heart, something that would never go away…

You'll see them again.

I froze and realized that Naruto had joined in the cry, I had a feeling that the Gods were also crying inside the house but they would see her soon when she entered Heaven. His voice sounded thick with the tears as well. I looked down at Sakura and smiled.

"Sakura," I called out to her.

"Yes?" she said, tiredly.

"Do you believe in afterlife?" I asked, smiling.

Her tired eyes opened and they smiled at me.

"Yes," she nodded.

"I do, too," I said. "We would see each other soon, okay? So none of us should worry or be afraid."

Be strong for her.

Naruto's words reminded me on how strong she had been for me all this time. Now was my turn.

Her tears returned and she reached out tiredly to me. I took her hand and kissed her, one last time…

"I'll see you soon, then," she smiled at me once I pulled off.

I nodded at her and hugged her.

Through her shoulder I could see the Sakura petals fell down toward the earth; covering the air with pink.

"Sakura, look," I shook her, amazed by the view. "The Sakura petals are falling down. They're so beautiful. It looked like pink snow."

She didn't respond. Her heartbeat had stopped. Her breathing on my neck had stopped.

I looked forward at the pink snow and heard broken sobs. Then I realized that those sobs were coming from me.

I hugged her tighter to me, but my eyes never left the pink snow saying goodbye to her and to the world as they withered toward the ground.

"Sasuke-kun, I love you."

The Princess of Fire Country, Haruno Sakura, died that day on March the 3rd.

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I almost cried writing this so I hope the emotion reach you guys.

Reviews are appreciated,

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