"Natsuhiboshi..."
"Sakura..."
"Yume wo miru..."
"Sakura."
"I love you, Sasuke."
"Sakura!"
"Come back, Sasuke..."
"I'm right here, can't you see me?!"
"Come back..."
"I'm here, Sakura!"
"Sasuke... suke... suke..."
"Sakura!" Sasuke screamed as he jolted up in bed. "I'm here, Sakura, I'm -" He stopped short as reality struck him like a punch to the stomach. He was in a room on the hospital's top floor, a room he vaguely remembered from his childhood. As he blearily took in the various computers and monitors, he felt a strange pressure on his face over his mouth and nose. He touched the cold plastic dazedly, instantly realizing that it was an oxygen mask.
"The Chunin Exams..." he muttered. Suddenly the door slid open and an unfamiliar medic entered, eyeing Sasuke in amazement.
"Boy," he said, "when Sakura said you come to quickly she wasn't joking!" He smirked. "You really are somethin'!"
"You know - *cough* - Sakura?" Sasuke stammered weakly. "Then who -" Sasuke's sentence was cut short by a wave of hoarse coughing. He could hardly catch his breath. Finally, after a minute or so, his breathing returned to normal.
"I'd suggest you don't talk for a while," the medic said gently, his mouth twitching as he tried not to smile. "I put that bucket by your bed for a reason. The medicine we gave you'll make you really nauseous for a while. Talking'll just make you puke your living guts up. Plus, your throat's still raw from having that tube in it." Sasuke stared ahead dazedly.
"Fine," he said quietly. "But who are you, and where - *ulp*" Sasuke's face paled a bit, and leaned over the bucket, gagging and coming very close to being sick.
"What'd I tell you?" the medic asked irritably. "Do you ignore what everyone tells you, or is it just medics? I mean, except Naruto and Sango -"
"S-" Sasuke began.
"Yes, Sango," the medic finished before Sasuke could. "And before you ask who I am again, I'm Jakku Bassatto, one of Sango's friends."
"Then Sak-"
"Sheesh, would you quit talking already?" Jakku snapped. "Sakura's tending to Naruto. She'll be here in -"
"Now," said Sakura, stepping into the room. Sasuke gasped. Sakura was more beautiful than he had ever imagined. Her rose-colored hair, grown down to one inch past her shoulder blades, was tied into a ponytail at the base of her neck. Her red headband sat behind her bangs, which were now cut like Tsunade's, just as it had in their days as Genin. A small green diamond was set elegantly in the center of her forehead, highlighting her emerald green eyes and faint pink eyeshadow.
She had also grown taller, curvier, and more womanly. Her body was covered by a red dress resembling her Genin attire, but much more refined. It was longer, ending at her ankles just above her black high-heeled sandals. Slits ran up the sides to just above her knees, and the top of the dress had a deep V-neck, with fishnet mesh worn to preserve modesty. A Jonin vest covered her shoulders and torso, but she removed it when she entered. Sasuke was speechless.
"Jakku, you're free to go," said Sakura, turning her attention to him. "I can take it from here." Jakku nodded and strode quietly out of the room. Sakura watched him go, then turned to Sasuke, handing him a small mirror.
"What's this for?" he asked.
"Look for yourself." Sasuke gasped as he did - his Mangekyo had changed completely!
His irises were red, but now the neutron-like patterns had turned gold, and behind them were the black, warped triangular markings of Itachi's Mangekyo. Sasuke's eyes filled with tears.
"Big Brother... Thank you..." His lips curved into a smile as his shoulders trembled, the tears sliding down his cheeks. "Sakura..." he whispered.
"Hm?"
"Is that - those symptoms I experienced, I mean - was that what... what Itachi experienced? What killed him?" Sakura winced, her eyes pained.
"Y... Yes..." she whispered. "Yes. We studied the symptoms in relation to Uchiha's medical history, and they matched. What you felt was... Well, Itachi gave you his Mangekyo, it appears, so you also experienced a fraction of the effects of his disease." Sasuke smiled bitterly.
"How long until it kills me?"
"Kills you? It won't kill you!" Sakura said in astonishment. "You don't even have the disease. Just... er... a spiritual connection with it for a moment, I guess." Sasuke's eyes widened. "And I didn't know him personally, but from these eyes and the things I heard about him, your brother must have loved you very much." Sasuke nodded dumbly.
"Agck!" Sasuke gasped. Blood-red marks appeared on his right arm, glowing with intense red light. Sasuke's eyes clouded over as black chakra poured from the marks, which read "Tragic," "Powerful," "Hatred," "Loneliness," "Bondage," and "Broken." Sakura stood still, dumbfounded. This chakra was not sinister like Orochimaru's, but neither was it warm like Naruto's. It was merely there, not exerting any energy in any direction. Sasuke's eyes flashed, then glowed white.
"Sasuke..." a voice called, speaking through Sasuke's lips. "Uchiha... Sasuke... Your freedom... has come... Uchiha's prophecy, Sasuke... The prophecy..."
"Prophecy?!" Sakura cried, now beginning to panic. "What in the world -" Sasuke groaned, then began speaking in a strange, trancelike tone.
"Freedom calls to these orbs of blood red
Achievement attained through the past of our dead.
Each new life seeking to earn himself fame,
By taking the tragic path calling his name."
As he spoke, the word "tragic" flashed white and vanished.
"Powerful hatred lives on in our hearts,
Loneliness and sorrow obscuring our thoughts.
Unfortunate instances chain our minds tight,
While the past ensures the future can never be right.
Shadows of the fire have tainted our name,
But through the power of the whirlpool our clan will be saved.
A secret lives on through the depth of our pain,
A chakra born of bitterness, anger, and shame.
But all is not lost - keep fighting and hoping.
For when our path is set true, our bondage is broken."
As the last of the chakra left Sasuke's body, a sense of relief washed over him. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He felt happiness swell within him when he looked at Sakura, and an unbearable, burning desire. The last of his inhibitions failed him, and he gulped nervously.
"What is it?" Sakura asked in shock.
"I... Sakura, I..." Sasuke stammered. "I l... I love you!"
"You - ah!" Sakura gasped as Sasuke grasped her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. His eyes closed, and he touched his lips to hers. Her body tensed and resisted, trying to pull away. But she couldn't fight it any longer. Her body relaxed, and she leaned into the kiss, running her fingers through Sasuke's hair as his hands wrapped around her waist.
Finally, their lips parted and they stared longingly into each other's eyes. Tears of joy and relief streamed down Sakura's cheeks. Sasuke gently brushed them away, taking Sakura's arm and passionately kissing her hand.
"So... you're free?" Sakura whispered. Sasuke nodded. Sakura broke into tears, sobbing in relief, joy, and confusion. Sasuke embraced her, holding her close to his bandage-covered chest. The tears seeping through stung his deep wounds, but he no longer cared, so long as he had Sakura.
A sharp pain shot through the left half of his chest, and he gasped. A trickle of blood ran down his left arm, and a small red circle spread over his heart.
In an instant, Sakura was a serious medic again, examining and healing the wound. Sasuke waved her away.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. "It's only a flesh wound. I can't feel that much. Thanks for healing me this far, but I'll be fine to heal naturally from here on." Sakura shot him a, "No pain, yeah right!" look. "I'm serious," said Sasuke. "These pain meds are doing their job."
"You're not on any pain meds yet."
"Oh. Well, it still doesn't hurt too much." Sasuke coughed once, then groaned. "Unnh... Unless I do that. Ha ha-Ow! Or laugh." Sakura smirked at him.
"You're a liar," she giggled. "That does hurt." Sasuke blushed, embarrassed to show pain or weakness.
"It's Naruto's fault. He did this to me." Sasuke's face darkened. "How... is Naruto?" Sakura's smile faded.
"He's... improving, but..." She shot a pained look at Sasuke. "You really did a number on each other. You look pretty beat-up, but... Well, he looks about a hundred times worse. The Kyuubi's chakra really destroyed him when he attained Eight-Tails form." She looked earnestly into Sasuke's eyes. "Sasuke..."
"Hnn?"
"Are you certain - absolutely certain - that you didn't do this on purpose?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. With a trembling, bandaged hand, he reached out and took the crutch next to his bed, yanking the monitor sensors off of his arms and chest. He stood shakily, hobbling across the floor on weak, painful legs. Sakura reached out to stop him. He dodged her.
"What are you doing, Sasuke?!" Sakura cried.
"I'm going... unh... to give my apologies..." His next words were barely audible. "To Lord Hokage."