A New World

Ch. 5

The Last Day

"Marry me."

The words had been simple and clear but that didn't stop her from having a hard time understanding. One would think that with all her intelligence and cunning she would be able to comprehend the words that had just come from his mouth but... she just couldn't. She wouldn't.

"What? You've got to be joking. Are you practicing to ask someone else?" She asked as she looked around them, making sure there was no one else present in the council room.

"I'm serious, Sakura. Will you do me the honor of becoming the next Uchiha Matriarch?" Sasuke asked again with a sigh. It couldn't have been that hard to believe, right? Everyone else on the council had supported him in his quest to win the heart of their bubblegum haired comrad.

"Sasuke... can you stop playing with me. I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do," Sakura said, sending a glare his way.

"Sakura...," he trailed off as he reached his hand out towards her. She moved just out of his reach with a look of absolute rage burning in her eyes. Sasuke winced as he watched her fist clench and hoped she wouldn't hit him too hard.

"Oh no, not that bullshit. We haven't talked outside of a council meeting since you joined the council... five months ago!" Sakura shouted in outrage. He was mocking her. There was no other explaination for this, this... farse!

"I know. I didn't think you wanted to talk to me after what happened but... I've been sending you little things as a way of smoothing the courting process and Naruto thought it was high time I said something so... here we are," Sasuke responded calmly.

"Naruto? He knew? Next thing you'll say is that everyone else on the council knew too!" Sakura cried out, his lack of response made her thow up both her hands in ecasperation.

"You have got to be kidding me. I'm not marrying you, Sasuke," Sakura stated firmly, her hands placed upon her wide hips. Sasuke absentmindly licked his lips at her powerful display.

"Don't oogle me!" she screamed when she noticed his gaze roving along the curves of her body.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, I was out of line just now but hear me out..."

"Why? Why me? Is it because I'm the only female who you think is worthy enough to carry your fucking seed? Is it because you think it'll be easy to get me since we already know one another and I have feelings for you? Why now when you never noticed me before?" Sakura asked, angry tears coming to her eyes. They both noticed how she spoke in the present tense when she mentions her feeling towards him, to Sakura this was a sloppy mistake. To Sasuke it was just another reason to keep fighting for her.

"You're wrong. You were always the only one I noticed. When we first met I thought you were annoying and weak. And then later I wanted to protect you because you were my comrad, though I still thought you were annoying. I realized you had a strong heart the night you came to stop me from leaving. That's why I thanked you that night I... you believed in me. You payed attention to me, more than even Kakashi or Naruto. You gave a fuck about me," Sasuke explained as he looked over Sakura's teared covered face.

"And then... I wanted power but I never stopped wanting to protect you. When we faced off that day a few months ago... I didn't want to hurt you but you faught so hard. I wanted you to just give up. I didn't think you had gotten so strong. I was going to kill you that day, I won't lie and say I wasn't. I thought that it was better you die by my hand before anyone else got the chance to hurt you."

"You wanted to kill me... to protect me?" Sakura marveled in disbelief.

"I know it sounds crazy but I was crazy. My hatred consumed me but I still had those invisible bonds with you and Naruto and Kakashi. I still wanted to protect you all but I hated you all at the same time. When I saw you... I thought you were dead. I didn't see your body anywhere so I thought you had died and become a Goddess. I knew we had all disappointed you. I wanted you to wipe all the hate from the world and you ended wiping all the hate from our hearts.

Sakura... you cleansed us all that day with your tears and we all cried becuase we had made you cry. This beautiful Goddess crying over our evil deeds. Those tears freed us, freed me and for that I cannot thank you enough."

"Sasuke, just stop," Sakura pleaded quietly. Despite all her strength she couldn't handle this. Not now when she was just getting to a point where she was ready to move on. Not when she had finally grown up past being that love sick girl who knew nothing of the world. Not now.

"No, Sakura. You gave me everything. You redeemed me. And when you offered this position to me I couldn't cope with just how much I owed you. It scared me to think that you were the one who achieved what I could not, what Naruto could not. And I have loved you, subtly, since that moment. And as each day passes I love you more, Sakura. Please, I will beg. I will lie my honor on the floor before you, anything to prove to you that you have my devotion. Marry me," Sasuke finished, getting on his knees before her and offering her the simple gold ring that had been his mother's.

"No," Sakura said after a moment. Sasuke looked up at her in shock. He didn't think she'd be able to reject him after he had poured his heart out to her. But he wouldn't argue with her if that was she wanted. It was probably the universe repaying him for the way he had thrown her love back in her face when they were younger.

"You'll marry me. The Uchiha name has too much bad blood. I want a clan that my mother would have approved of. Let's make the Haruno clan one to be respected," Sakura said with a teary smile. Sasuke took a moment to think it over before nodding his head. She was right, after all. The Uchiha name was a cursed one. And honestly, at this point, he'd do anything to just be able to stand by her side for the rest of their lives.

"Sasuke Haruno? I think I like it," Sasuke murmured as he placed the ring in his pocket. If they were going to build the Haruno clan they had to start completely fresh. He would have loved to give her his mother's ring but he didn't want to bring anything so laden with sad memories into what he hoped would be a happy future with his future wife.

"Are you serious?" Sakura asked, flabbergasted. She had meant it but she didn't really think he'd agree to it. Sasuke smirked before kissing her softly on the lips. It was nice to be the one confusing her now.

"I am. You said you'd help me build my clan to it's former glory. I don't want that. Uchiha glory ended in blood a long time ago. Instead I want to work with you and build the Haruno clan, from the ground up," Sasuke said sincerly.

"The villiage will be up in arms about it. A man taking a woman's last name isn't common... Less so when it concerns the heir to a great clan," Sakura murmured as she placed her hand in his.

"Let them be. This is a new world, Sakura, with a whole new way of thinking."

I hope I didn't disappoint anyone. That's the official ending by the way. I took a lot of liberties here and I'm really very proud of all of them. I don't there's ever been a fic where Sasuke took Sakura's last name... maybe there was a gender bender one that I haven't heard of. Doesn't matter though, now.

Leave me a review and tell me how you liked it, if you liked it.