Sakura lay in her bed, awakened after the dream of her husband's death. The smell of her husband had long faded from the sheets, but she still sniffed his pillow hopefully. Try as she did, she could not cry, because there were no more tears. And try as she did, she could not rise, because there was nothing for her to do. There was no one for her to wait on, to cook for; there was no one that she could live for. Ever since she fell in love with him, everything she did, she tried to look her best, so as to be someone good enough for Naruto. She wanted to live for Naruto, just as Naruto had lived for her.

But now, with the absence of the blond, she had no direction, and no purpose. She had no will, and she had no happiness. She had lost the only man who had earnestly loved her despite her flaws and insecurities, the only man that had comforted her in ways that only he could give, and the only man that had given her a purpose when there was none. That man was gone, dead, gone from the world, and never again, would she feel his warmth or his comfort. How then, would she find a purpose? She wanted to love no other, rather, she couldn't love anyone else. No one could give her what Naruto did. Attention, kindness, passion, peace, understanding, and love, all to the extent of that which only Naruto had passionately fulfilled.

Now, with the absence of the blond, there was only pain. The pain felt like a gaping hole in her heart that was slowly decaying, but never ending. She couldn't even drink her sorrows away, because that was bad for the baby. So, all that was left to do was to lie in this bed, reflecting past events and receiving the pain without hesitation.

It had been 3 months since Naruto's funeral, 4 months since she had stopped work, and 5 months since she had gotten pregnant. Still, she had not done much. She had not eaten much, and had not cared for herself well. She was a little frail, and her hair had grown long. After Naruto's death, Tsunade had declared a week of mourning, and the village spent the week in silence, wearing orange and black.

Knock knock.

That would be Ino. After Naruto's funeral, Ino had been actively taking care of Sakura, dropping in almost every day that she wasn't on a mission. She would bring some of Sakura's favourite food, or Ichiraku's ramen. She reasoned that if Sakura did not take care of herself, who would?

"Forehead!" Ino called out from behind the door. "C'mon, time to eat!"

"I'm coming," Sakura mumbled, getting out of bed and heading to the front door. "Thanks for coming again, Ino."

"You know it," she smiled, giving her best friend a comforting hug. She stepped in and laid the dinner ingredients on the table. "Somebody's gotta take care of ya."

"And I'm sure glad it's you," Sakura tried smiling.

So am I, thought Ino. She knew that Naruto's death had affected her best friend deeply, and she hated to think what would've happened had she not been around to make sure Sakura ate properly and stayed healthy. Never had she ever seen the young medic look so lost and broken – not even when Sasuke left. "You better be," she smirked again, pushing those thoughts out of her mind. "Now let's get you some dinner."

They spent the next couple of hours cooking, chopping, and allowing Ino to talk, and update Sakura on the outside world. It was Tsunade's idea to let Sakura do some of the cooking as well – something to keep her hands occupied if but for a while. Occasionally, Sakura would smile, and reply, but what she really wanted to do now was listen to her best friend. It was nice, having someone talk without the expectation that she would reply. That was the sort of distracting comfort that Sakura needed, and Ino gladly gave. Occasionally, Ino would say something like, "There was a patient in the hospital, and his head was swollen with blood, but his body was pale from the lack of it. Isn't that weird?"

"Yup," Sakura would reply.

"What do you think it is that's clotting up?" Ino would wonder thoughtfully.

"Didn't you ask Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura would ask, nudging Ino.

"No, because she's mega busy without you and Shizune there," Ino smirked. "Ah, Shizune."

"Eh? What happened to Shizune?"

"She's pregnant! With Kakashi's kid!" Sakura's jaw dropped at this.

"Nice!" Sakura actually managed to smile here. "I'm glad they're both happy. I always knew they were going to be an item." In truth, she was pleased to hear that her war torn sensei had finally found a small semblance of peace in the wretched world where such peace was luxury. "Anyways, the arteries in the heart are probably blocked and clotted in the vena cava, so you'll have to extract that clot and seal up his artery again. Remember to be able to differentiate the vena cava from the pulmonary, those can be tricky."

"Ok, ok…" Ino sighed, mentally patting herself for getting Sakura to smile. She had forgot how much Sakura could talk about subjects like that.

"So," Ino picked off later, during dinner. "How ya doin?"

Sakura put down her fork, thinking carefully while looking up. "Well," she started after a while. "I still think about him, and the nightmares still come, but it's different now. I used to wake up screaming, and the silence would kill me. But now, I wake up in cold sweat, but I still can hear his voice, calling out my name."

And that was pretty much how their average evening went. Ino would head back to Shikamaru's, and Sakura go back to sleep, or to bed, rather. Sometimes she read a book, but her eyes would scan the words but she would understand nothing, her thought bringing her back to where she most desired, yet most dreaded – with him. Other times, she'd sit at her balcony and watch the sun set, the burning orange in the sky bringing tears to her eye. But when the sky was dark and shed given up on books, she'd return to bed, where her nightmares haunted her, and sleep left her.

::::::

"Sakura," a bleeding Naruto wheezed while grinning in her lap. "I'm dying right?"

Tears continued to pour from her eyes, and she couldn't answer him.

"Sakura chan," he whispered. "I'll never leave your heart, I'll always be by your side, and I'll never leave you alone." And at that moment, the light in his eyes faded.

"NARUTO!" Sakura shot up from her bed, tears and sweat pouring onto her blanket as her hands struggled to wipe them from her face, but failing.

"Naruto…" She sobbed quietly as while her whole body shook. "Why? Why did you break your promise?"

"Sakura."

"Why did you leave me?" She continued to cry.

"Sakura."

"Why?" She continued, "I really miss you."

"I won't leave you, Sakura."

"I can still hear you voice, Naruto."

"Sakura."

Sakura looked up, hoping to take a deep breath of air, but instead she froze and gasped. Her heart thumped harder and faster and she started sweating even more. Her breath was caught in her throat and her mouth moved in silent words. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks as she finally found her voice to say one word.

"Naruto?"

"Sakura," came the reply. For in front of her stood her lover, her husband, and the father of her child. But he was dead, most definitely dead. How could she have forgotten? She had cried herself to sleep for months on end and was waking up crying for the next. Naruto was undoubtedly dead. So why? Why on earth was he standing at the foot of her bed, and smiling at her? Had she really been driven mad?

"I'm home, Sakura-chan."

"Am…am I dreaming?"

"No, I'm real, but only you can see and hear me, only you, and her." He sat right next to her and placed his hand on her belly, indicating to their child. "And only you can feel or touch me."

"Wait…her?" Sakura asked tearfully.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan," he grinned at her. "It's a girl."

"And only we can feel you?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Ye-"

Sakura grabbed Naruto and smashed him onto the bed and kissed him, hugging him as though he would disappear if she didn't hold on. Naruto smiled into the kiss and hugged her too. She could feel his warmth, and could smell him. He was real, alright. The passion in their kiss intensified as they opened their mouths and let their tongues slip out, initiating the wrestle that they loved.

"I missed you!" She cried, sobbing while kissing him. "You idiot! Why did you leave me!"

"I'm back, aren't I?" He grinned sheepishly at her. "And for the record, I missed you too."

"You idiot," she choked. "You idiot…"

His lips were as soft as she'd remembered, and his hands were just as calloused. He was just as strong, yet just as gentle. Her skin sparked with electricity as his scent invaded her nose, and her legs unconsciously wrapped around his waist. As they continued to kiss, her hands fisted his jacket and, confirming that it was tangible, started to unclothe him. Being at the bottom, it was rather hard, but she managed to grab his zip and slowly slid it down, Naruto threw his jacket off and grabbed Sakura's face, kissing her like there was no tomorrow. His hands slowly moved down onto her clothes and he hungrily tore her t-shirt off, leaving her torso exposed.

"It's…" she gasped, panting for breath. "It's been so long…since I felt your warmth."

"Is it…ok?" Naruto questioned, worried about their child. "While you're pregnant, I mean."

"Yeah," she smiled, overjoyed with happiness. This was Naruto, alright.

"Then I'll be sure to make the most out of it." Naruto grinned lustfully. Sakura shivered and grinned. Definitely her Naruto.

Happiness and lust continued to course through her body as Naruto's hands started kneading at her still rather small breasts. Even though they were small, Naruto always seemed to have a love and fascination of them, and even when she looked down on them, Naruto loved them. Big breasts are…too big! He had told her once when she asked him. Heat travelled to her face as he started to pinch her erect nipples. Gasps and moans finally escaped her lips as he bit down on each of her tips, sucking and stretching them like he used to. Juices continued to slip out of her clothed core as he continued his ministrations.

Sitting up, much to Sakura's displeasure, he removed his remaining clothes, displaying the body that Sakura missed so much. Smiling fondly, she, too, sat up, feeling his row of abs and muscles. When Naruto was in nothing but his boxers, they started kissing again, eventually falling onto the bed again. Sakura's arms wrapped themselves around his neck, and while his left arm was wrapped around her back, his right hand was placed on her centre. Her face heated up in anticipation of what he had in store for her. His finger started to gently rub up and down the slit of her soaking entrance. Sakura squirmed and gasped when he reached her clitoris, rubbing it.

"Naru…Naruto!" Sakura gasped.

"Yes, my dear?" he asked gleefully.

"St…stop!"

"Stop what?" He continued.

"St…stop teasing…meEEEE!" Her voice hitched when he started to rub her anus.

"Okay," true to his word, as he always was, he stopped, and drew back, making Sakura sexually frustrated.

"Naruto!" She whined. "You know what I mean, we've had this conversation before!"

"And I never get tired of that cute face of yours," he smiled. "Tell me what you want, Sakura-chan." Naruto smirked, thinking he had won, but it quickly faded when she grabbed his huge erection hastily.

"I want this," she growled, squeezing his manhood. "Inside of me, and I also want," she gave him a quick kiss at this point, "to feel your love once more."

"Your wish is my command, milady," Naruto smiled, removing the offending garment of his boxers. Pushing her onto her knees, he pushed her panties down nearly to her knees, but not there yet, so as to make her tight, and immobilise her legs. The smell of her dripping triangle hit him like a 2-tonne brick. The juices leaked out of her opening and slid down her thighs, hardening him more, if that was possible.

"Naruto," Sakura called out happily. "Hurry up!"

In response, Naruto slammed his hips against her rump, piercing right through her defences. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she cried out in pleasure and happiness. He was right, she was tighter than the last time they had sex. Pulling out as slowly as he could, Naruto slammed back in again. Sakura was in high heaven. Her lover was making love to her, when she thought she would never feel a man's warmth ever again. Naruto was her perfect lover – he knew when to tease her, when to surprise her, when to take it slow or fast, rough or smooth. He was her lover, her husband, her mate.

"Faster, Naruto," Sakura cried out, even as he was already increasing his pace. "I'm desperate for you! I need you!"

He continued to increase his pace, all the time getting rougher and faster. Her hitched breaths escalated into gasps and moans and worked as music to his ears. He grunted as his grip on her hips got tighter. Reaching forward, he grabbed her breast by her nipples and pinched them, hard. Sakura screamed as he squeezed her breasts, and pulled her back into a sitting position. The tip of his shaft continued to strike her g-spot, bringing her closer to her climax. Placing his mouth on her neck, he started to suck on the sweet spot that only he knew of. All this pleasure was starting to be too much for Sakura as her tongue stuck out and tears from the pleasure started to form on the eyes that were still rolled back.

Wordlessly, but with a couple of grunts, he flipped her onto her back and ripped her panties off, and spread her legs. Looking down upon his beautiful, no gorgeous wife, he sent his juice covered manhood right back into his lover's cave, making her scream once more. He started to piston faster and harder than before and Sakura's hands somehow found their way to his golden locks, tangling themselves there. She pulled him into a kiss and their arms wrapped around each other. The fire within them continued to grow bigger and wilder.

With that, Naruto thrust inside her one more time, and the ball of fire exploded, and so did they. Sakura screamed into the kiss and the couple held each other closer than before, experiencing the climax together. Naruto coated Sakura's inner walls with his seed while the vixen's cum gushed out of her opening, sure to stain the sheets.

As they gradually came down from their high, Sakura kissed Naruto on the nose. Naruto, too lazy to pull out, rolled them onto their sides, still tangled in each other's embrace.

"You…have no…i…idea how much I…I miss that," Sakura said through pants. Her eyes were already close, but she was smiling, truthfully and happily.

"Rest well, Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered as a chakra tail slipped out and grabbed the blanket before covering them and dissipating. "Rest well." That she did, for once in a very long time, she did.

A/N: Hey guys, I know this is a little bit late, but I'm sorry, I was down with the flu, and being in the military doesn't exactly make being sick any easier, and I accidentally dropped a kitchen knife on my foot, so had to go to the ER for that… Anyways, I'm not too proud of this chapter, so I thought I'd get this out of the way as soon as possible. Tell me what you think! Thank you!