CHAPTER RATING: T

Chapter 41: The Final Act, Part VI: The Last Uchiha

"NARUTO!" Sakura shouted as she witnessed Sasuke's arm pierce through Naruot's body; it hung through him as if it was the only thing that kept him upright. His eyes were shot open, staring blankly towards the horizon. The life was gone form his eyes, Sasuke slowly pulled his arm away, the sleeve that hung from his arm dripped with Naruto's blood. The smell of corrosive iron spread through the air. Sasuke harshly whipped his arm backwards, spilling the blood onto the sand.

Sasuke slowly pulled his arm out of Naruto's body. Naruto crumbled to the ground, never making a single sound on the way down. In fear, Sakura stopped and stared at Sasuke, tears streaming down her face, creating droplests in the sand. Sasuke brought his equally dead gaze to Sakura, she felt as if he was staring a hole right htrough her.

"It's what he always wanted, to see which one of us was better…And he finally found the answer." He said coldly while blood streamed down his mouth.

Sakura ran to him, engraged by his arrogance, she grabbed his shirt with a swift tug. She reared her fist back, and prepared to obliterate him or what he had done.

But she didn't…she couldn't.

Her fist was pulled back in anticipation, and rage, but wanting to cave his face in. But for a reason she did not understand, she couldn't bring herself to do so.

"Don't speak as if that was true. He begged for you to come back to Konoha. He didn't want to fight you. He just wanted-"

Sasuke laughed mockingly and interrupted her words.

"Do you HONESTLY believe that you know what he wanted?" He shouted. "I have been his best friend since we were kids! I have more history with him that you could have ever imagined! I was the one that acknowledged him before anyone else. I was the one that compelled him to become great! He reached the heights that he did because of me."

"You have been gone for the last nine years!" Sakura shot back. "You don't have the right to say that you know him anymore! He's changed throughout all these years!"

"You think that what you have gone through together matters?! I understood him more than anyone else!" Blood ran down his chin as he spat his venomous words. "Who is the one who had the most in common with him?! ME! He was just a lonely child that didn't have a family. He had no one else to love! He is that same and I am!"

"No he isn't! He's differ-"

"Kurama was able to see into my heart! He was able to see into my truth! What else makes us if not the horrors of our past? What else determines who we become other than the ugly truths that sar our minds and our hearts?!" He smirked as he spoke.

"You're wrong! The past-no matter how terrible it was, doesn't determine our future!" She retorted.

"Sakura, you say that…" His smile widened even more. "But if our past doesn't matter, if all of that is true…After all of these terrible things I've done to you, kill me. I have nothing left. I took Naruto from you. Avenge him." Sasuke's eyes flashed with a twinkle. "Become just like me."

Sakura felt the anger in her rise even more. She reared her fist back even further, every single word that he spat stung her heart even more.

"We both know how you feel. I know you true feelings. You can't kill me, Sakura."

"after all that we've been through…After all the terrible things you've done…" Sakura murmured softly. "I…" Her voice trailed off into empty whispers as she moved closer to him.

Sasuke smiled and opened his arms.

"Sakura, I'm here. Come to me. Now we can be together."

Sakura stood silently still, then took a step forward into his arms. Her eyes still filled with tears. She wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face into his bare chest.

"I always knew that you loved-"

"…You have been gone all these years, you've been gone for so long. You don't understand us at all anymore."

Sakura wrapped her arms tightly around Sasuke. Slowly, she began to tightern her grip. Sasuke felt a blunt pain move around him. He felt his rib cage compressing, and his legs became numb, as if they were frozen. With Sakura's embrace, the air was being forced out of his lungs. The pain ripped at his body, and tore at his mind.

With her arms situated behind his back, she began to form seals. She opened her palm, and beckoned the wind to fly again. She closed her fist; the Northern Wind listened, and replied. Sasuke began to panic even more as he realized what she was doing. Fear struck him as he felt the wind push against his back.

His legs became weaker as the blaring sound that he had heard earlier was returning. It was returning, and it was becoming louder. His legs began to weaken.

"Sakura…Y-You're really going to do this?!" He shouted at her. She didn't answer him back, instead, the blaring sound intensified even more, and grew louder by the second that she held him.

"S-Sakura…Wait…Please, have mercy…I'm…I'm sorry-" She stared at him with the same cold eyes that he had for her.

"You've betrayed me too many times for me to forgive you again…Goodbye, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke felt his ribs crack was Sakura loosened her grip, and with a single finger, pushed him back.

Naruto's shuriken came crashing back, still crying it's terrible call. The white chakra collided with Sasuke, engulfing him, and sending him upwards into the sky. Sakura moved her hands to protect her eyes from the brightness that seemed to dwaft the light of the Sun. She could hear the sharp chakra needled cutting away at him, thousands of needled simultaneously stabbing and separating every chakra connection in his body. He let out a terrible shriek that would be sure to haunt anyone who would have the displeasure to hear it.

Sasuke came crashing down to Earth, with a cloud of sand that shot into Sakura's eyes. She rubbed the particles away and stared in fearful awe at the body that lay before her. She tried her best to calm her nerves with a few deep breaths before looking back towards a motionless Naruto.

Regaining her composure, she rushed to him and dropped to her knees at his side. With tear stains imprinted on her cheeks, she held out her hands above his wound.

I'm the damn disciple of the greatest healer in Konoha. There has to be something that I can do.

Her hands began to glow green, and the wound began to close, and sealed up completely. She let out a sigh of relief, and brought her index finger to his neck.

He had no pulse.

Sakura felt hopelessness wash over her; she wrapped his arms around him and picked him up. His limbs sluggishly dropped to his sides.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Just then, she heard a voice within her mind.

"He never gave up onyou. Don't give up on him." Kurama's voice echoed in her consciousness.

"…H-How can you still be speaking to me? You were sealed away."

"My physical form was seals, yes. But part of my spirit still ligners within you."

"What are you saying?"

"When I was still within Naruto, he would benefit from the power of my chakra. As you have seen, and experienced for yourself. There is still hope."

Sakura's expression shifted from despair to determination.

"What must I do?"

"The small amount of energy will bring him back to life. He has earned my respect, and I am willing to give my life in exchange for his."

"You're willing to die for Naruto?"

Kurama responded by laughing heartily.

"With Sasuke dead, and no host, the power of Susano'o will fade, and so will the power of the Sword of Totsuka. Now, focuse my chakra and use your knowledge of healing to channel it inot Naruto's wound."

Sakura did as she was instructed. Naruto coughed as she began to heal him. He blinked, she could see that when he opened his eyes again, they had regained focus.

"Sakura…as I give my spirit to him, promise me that you will tell something to Naruto for me, as my final wish."

"Anything."

"Tell him…I will be back, and pray for the World. Pray that someone like his father will come along to stop me, and someone like him will come along to control me…for I will return in time." His voice faded as she felt his energy leaving her.

"S-Sakura-chan…?" Naruto whispered. His eyes focused, and he could see the woman that he loved, holding him in her arms.

Sakura's eyes shot opened, tears streaming down her cheeks again, she wrapped her arms around her even tighter.

"N-Naruto!...I thought that I had lost you. But you…"

"But I came back." He said with a smile. "I always will for you, Sakura-chan."

…

Many months later…

It was a clear day in Konoha, the birds filled the sky with their beautiful songs, the Sun shined upon the green grass, and glistened on the obsidian Memorial Stone. Two figures stood in front of the monument.

They stood together in silence. They turned to each other, hugged one another, and walked away.

Of all the names that were engraved in that stone, "Uchiha Sasuke" was not one of them.

He was a memory that Konoha would rather forget.

But the other members of Team 7 promised themselves that they would always remember. Through all of the trouble, pain, and suffering they endured, they still remembered the joy that they all shared together.

And together, they would always remember the last Uchiha.

A/N: I hope you join me next time for the final chapter of Cherry Blossoms in the Wind, Chapter 42: Wishes in the Wind.

Thank you for reading!