Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun,

His insides are twisting and the world is spinning, he’s shrouded in mist and the floor beneath him swirls around in his vision, and Sasuke's whole body hurts.

Two hands grab him as he pitches forward, they tighten, and fingernails grip into the fabric on his shoulders. He trails the dark brown skin up to the sunny blond hair back to the crystal blue eyes.

“Why? Why me?” Naruto screams and Sasuke winces.

“I don’t know...my body just moved on it own”

His body falls forward and he’s crashing onto his knees along with Naruto who grips him tight

“Sasuke!”

He sees Naruto wince his nose scrunching up at the small needles that pushing into his skin, just as they push further into his own.

He leans into Naruto's chest, and his arms hang loosely on his side, he’s to tired and he just wants to lay down and everything hurts.

“You, you- don’t die”

he settles for, unable to connect his words, he rasps it out as a whisper into Naruto’s arm and feels him stiffen.

“I wished to kill my brother, so don’t you die, I’m trusting you with my ambition, my dream.”

As he closes his eyes, he can feel Naruto’s warmth, the heat that radiates from his teammate and he thinks that this isn’t a terrible end, if it was to save this one person, he thinks he would do it again.

He doesn’t mind dying for Naruto.

.

.The Hero

She feels across the village as they die, as Pein kills and destroys her home.

She feels as Shizune's chakra blips out of existence, as Kiba no longer registers in her conscious, followed closely by Shino.

She can feel all the civilians and the children and the shinobi all the way to the borders of Konoha, as they die,

And then she can’t find Kakashi and she has to stop for a second, before she begins to treat the rest of her patients.

She can still feel Naruto like a shining beacon, as he races across the forest.

.

Her village is gone, and her home destroyed.

Her Mother in all but blood is somewhere, in a coma already looking like a corpse; Their Hokage, down after risking her life for her village.

She abruptly feels Sizunes chakra seep back into the lifeless body in Ino’s arms,

she looks down and watches as her dark eyes open.

She hears Ino sob, and watches as the blonde kisses Shizune feverishly, Inos tears dripping into Shizune's slowly brightening face, they hold one another, she feels like an intruder, so she flickers away.

She feels her inner mind alight with chakra, the villagers coming back to life with a blip.

But her beacon is gone and she can’t feel him, so Sakura cries.

.

She can hear when he returns, the cheers shake the ground.

When she sees the tuft of muddy blonde hair on Kakashi’s back, she feels the pool of chakra in him slowly but surely build back up, blipping onto her radar, she feels as if the strings holding her body up were cut, she falls bearley caught by a surprised Hinata.

Naruto is crowded from all sides by children, and as he finally noticed her, she steadies herself, and walks towards him.

“Sakura”

he grins to her, and she can’t help that tears well into her eyes.

“Your so reckless, you idiot!” She sobs and wraps her arms around him.

She wishes that she would never have to let go, so she could feel his beacon of energy enshroud her senses to know he’s here and he’s alive.

“Thank you” she whispers.

He’s alive.

Chapter Text

The moon

The rain began to pour, and Naruto could feel it pelt down on his jacket, chilling him to the bone.

It does nothing to sway the boiling hot anger of betrayal. 

He can still hear the way Sakura had cried the way her sobs rang through his head.

She begged to come with to save Sasuke.

“I know I’m not strong! But I have to- I have to help save him!”

As Shikamaru sharply turned her down, her face dropped.

He had to save Sasuke, if Sakura wasn’t allowed to come with, he had to.

“Please Naruto! Please bring him back!”

He glared Sasuke down with unwavering intensity, and Naruto can’t deny the small spike of excitement as Sasuke glared back just as intensely.

But he knew this would not be a friendly spar, or something that Kakashi can stop if it got to far.

And that thought was enough to turn the excitement to foreboding, he knew this wouldn’t turn out well.

And as Sasuke’s skin turned an ashen grey and his body morphed into something terrible, Naruto raged because this wasn’t Sasuke!

His Sasuke has pale skin and Dark eyes the color of the sky, his hair was cropped short, not the wild mane the boy in front of him had.

This wasn't his Sasuke.

He watched as Sasuke's hands lit with the blinding white light of the Chodori, and he could feel the whipping sharp blades of the Rasengan nick at his own hand.

“Naruto!”

“Sasuke!”

They met in the middle and the last thing Naruto saw was the blinding light and Sasuke’s face, looking so wrong,

Because this wasn’t his Sasuke.

.

He watched as Sakura slowly organized the flowers on his bedside with a certain intensity that Naruto knew she wasn't thinking about how the Cosmos looked with the Daisies.

Her face looked Heavy with regret, her eyes were bloodshot, and her face puffy from tears, she had broken down three times since he woke up, and Naruto wouldn’t admit that he had to.

“Sakura”

She looked to him, sluggishly, reacting slowly to her name.

Her empty gaze clenched his heart and resolved him at the same time.

“Next time-next time we’ll bring Sasuke back together.”

She collapsed into a hug and sobed with a renewed fever.

He couldn’t admit that he cried just as hard into her arms.

.

The avenger

 “Naruto where’s Sasuke-kun?”

“...Naruto?”

“Sakura-Chan…”

His skin was as pale as always, but she couldn’t seem to acknowledge the blue tint it had gained.

He was cold to the touch, and he was so so beautiful.

Like a doll, but his face was marred with scratches and blood trailed down the soft skin of his face.

She felt Tazuna Shake besides her and he let out a heavy breath.

“He’s cold, this isn’t an illusion, huh?”

She had whispered As she looked at Sasuke's cold dead body laid out on the bridge,

looking the most peaceful she had ever seen him, without the clench of his eyebrow and the downturn of his lips, the anger that was ever present, had vanished with the end of his life.

“You don’t have to hold back because I’m here… you should cry at times like this” Tazuna whispered slowly.

She stroked his hair softly and replied.

“ the twenty-fifth shinobi clause, a ninja must not show emotion in any situation”

“A ninja must put the mission first, and must have a heart that will allow them not to cry”

She did anyway.

.

Even as the terrifying red haired boy from suna flew towards Sasuke, as anger rolled off him in waves that made Sakura quiver and as the maniac look in his eyes transferred to her, half his body morphing and his arm the claw of a demon, she had to get up.

She had to protect Sasuke.

She couldn’t let Sasuke die again. Never again.

And even as her body shook uncontrollably, as her stomach lurched, and her throat convulsed at the bile in her mouth, she stood and faced him, looked him in his eye.

“Sakura-Chan!”

The claw grabbed her and crushed.

Her whole body smashed against a tree, and she felt some of her ribs crack.

And she screamed. And everything went black.

She couldn’t let Sasuke die again.

No matter what. 

Chapter Text

.and the Sunrise

“Naruto!”

He turns at the gates, and watches as Sakura runs towards him,

he sees Shikamaru and the group stop behind him.

“Sakura-Chan?”

She stops and takes in a few shaky breaths.

“Please you have to let me join your group! I need to help!”

Naruto then notices the pack in her hands, it looks hastily packed, her kunai holster was on the wrong thigh, and she’s still wearing the shinobi wear given at the hospital.

She turns away from Naruto to Shikamaru, who scratches his neck nervously.

“I know I’m not strong! But I have to! I have to help save him!”

Shikamaru let's of a sigh, and squared his shoulders.

“That’s exactly why I can’t have you coming, I’m sorry Sakura you won’t be able to help, if you couldn’t stop Sasuke from leaving before, how are you going to do it now?”

Sakura’s face falls, and Naruto can see the hurt on her face, Shikamaru looks away.

He sees the group begin to leave, and he turns back to Sakura.

“I’m sorry Sakura-Chan.”

He turns and begins to follow before she calls his name once more.

“Please Naruto! Please bring him back!” She cried to him.

Naruto’s heart broke, he new Sakura loved Sasuke more than ever.

And that was why for the very same reason he would do anything for her.

He smiled as wide as his aching chest would let him, and gave Sakura a thumbs up.

“I'm definitely going to bring Sasuke back with me! It’s a promise of a lifetime! And I never go back on my word!”

.

“What did you say, Sakura-Chan?”

“I said- I said I love you Naruto.”

The snow fell lightly around then, Sai, Kiba, and Lee stood behind Sakura, staring at her in surprise.

Her face was flushed, and she looked at Naruto through her lashes.

“I don’t care about Sasuke-kun anymore- I was wrong to love someone like him.”

His heart stopped and he could feel his blood pumping in his ears.

“But why? Why now? If this is a joke Sakura-Chan, it’s not very funny.” He asked her incredulously.

“How could I be in love with a missing nin? A criminal?- So that’s why, Naruto, you can forget about the promise you made to me.”

So that’s what it was about, Sakura was bad at lying he realized half heartedly.

Her eyes were creased uncomfortably and Naruto was reminded of the day after Sasuke left in his hospital room, as they cried, as they both promised to bring him back.

A flash of anger made itself known and he tried to press it down.

“I already said it was fine! It’s obvious why I would fall for a guy like you! You’ve been here all along right by my side!”

She said to him as she stepped forward and brought him into a hug.

And despite the way Naruto’s traitor heart beat faster, he knew Sakura wasn't telling the truth.

“I’ve finally realized who you are Naruto, and as Sasuke gets further away from me every day he continues to break my heart, but you Naruto, Your someone I can reach.” She finished

“That’s enough Sakura-Chan, I told you this wasn’t funny!”

He saw hurt flash across her face and guilt pooled in his stomach.

“Why are you so angry? I said I liked you!” She argued back with a stained smile.

“I hate people that lie to themselves!”

She stopped.

“I’m lying to myself?”

and finally a real emotion showed on her face, despite the fact that it was anger.

“Is that all you came to tell me?” Naruto whispered.

“All I came to say? Confessing my feelings isn’t that easy you know! The promise you made is gone so just come home-“

“Even if my promise to you is gone, I personally want to bring Sasuke back.”

She froze and looked up at him in surprise.

she schooled her features,

“What ever, we’re going back.” Her voice shook but no one pointed it out.

She turned around and walked, her feet crunching in the snow, she looked back quickly, and their eyes met, her green eyes glossy with unshed tears.

“I really do love you Naruto” she whispered

He forced the sudden wave of tears down.

But it’s not just me you love Sakura, and I can’t let you live the rest of your life with that regret.

and the Warrior

Sasuke feels the burning sensation of what was left of the skin on his shoulder mending together,

He sees the small green glow lighting up Sakura's stiff face.

She has a hand on both his and Naruto’s arm, and she’s staring down concentrating on mending them into healed stubs.

There are bags under her eyes and she looked exhausted.

“Sakura, I’m sorry.”

He whispers looking pointedly away from the way her face snapped over to his, up into the sky.

“Sorry? Sorry for what?”

Sakura replies with a whisper, and lets out a shaky breath, looking determinedly back to-what’s left of- their arms.

He looks at her face, her tan skin smeared with dirt and a long diagonal cut down the length of her cheek,

her bright green eyes turn glossy, and he can see the way she fights her tears, her eyebrows creasing together harshly, and the way she bares her teeth, trying to hold back a sob, or maybe a scream, he supposes the situation would warrant it.

“S-Shannaro” she growls out, her tears falling down her face, wiping through the dirt leaving a trail of tan skin.

“Shannaro” she says louder and rubs her knuckles across her face, and looks up to the sky.

“Y-you idiots” she snorts, snot falling out her nose, and lets out a shaky breath.

“Going and g-getting your arms ripped off, and you didn’t even include me.” She wipes her eyes furiously.

“Now I have to come and pick up your pieces, like I always do”

her shoulders are shaking and snot is dripping down to her lips, and Sasuke thinks belatedly- and maybe a little endearingly- that Sakura has never been a pretty crier.

He thinks back to the time on the bridge in wave, and he remembers waking up to Sakura looking over him tears dripping onto his face, and snot clogging up her nose, her face red and blotchy and the way she had gripped his head into her neck, and she smelled like dirt and sweat and tears.

“Sakura, your hurting me.” He had said, but never once trying to get out of her shaking grip.

Now he sees her face the same bright puffy red, and she’s holding Naruto’s cheeks in her hands and letting out a tearful smile and a sob and a laugh as she’s looking down at him with a look in her eye he knows was once to him.

And her and Naruto look over at Sasuke, two sets of bright eyes focused on him, and his heart is speeding up in a way he had once been determined to still.

Naruto smiles and Sakura looks at him in a way he just can’t describe.

He says the only thing he thinks he can, and hopes he can convey himself with such a simple word.

“...Okaeri” he breathes out and watches as Naruto and Sakura who hold each others hand, grab one of his and grip them tightly.

“Welcome home Sasuke.”

“We’ve been waiting for you, Sasuke-Kun”

Both of them smile brightly, despite the tears flowing down Sakuras face, and Naruto’s swollen eye. And they smiled so brightly he couldn't help but return it.

And if it were to be with these two again, he would go through everything again.

He wouldn’t mind living for them.