Disclaimer: Naruto and its associated works do not belong to me. I'm just playing in the sandbox created by Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: I didn't like the Chapter Two ending for this story. It wasn't the original version that I had in mind. And then, the version that I thought I liked (my first version) wasn't up to my liking either after going through it. So I've deleted Chapter 02 of this story until I can finish typing out the ending I want for the second chapter. I'm currently going through it, and it should be up in an hour or so. Edit 05/10/2018: Chapter Two updated

The day the world ended.

Hagoromo

Otsutsuki Hagoromo's hands were shaking. He was staring down at the symbols of the sun and the moon on his palms when the palm with the symbol for the 'moon' – a darkened crescent, referring to Uchiha Sasuke, turned bright red before fading away into nothing. He continued to stare at his now unmarked palm with worry etched on his face. He then turned towards his other palm which had the symbol for the 'sun' still etched on it.

'No,' Hagoromo thought to himself as he looked up and around at the Edo Tensei Hokage's and then at the ghosts of the previous Jinchuriki of the Bijuu's. They were already prepared for the summoning jutsu which would return Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, as well as the freed Bijuu's back to the real world after they sealed away Kaguya, Hagoromo's mother. He expected the re-incarnations of Indra and Asura – his own sons – to seal away the Rabbit Goddess, 'they failed.'

Hagoromo knew there was no time left – he knew that with Sasuke gone, Kaguya would either outright kill Naruto because of the threat he represented or she would simply absorb his enormous reserves of chakra back into her, the latter option still killing Naruto in the process. 'No,' he thought, 'Naruto still had to live.'

"I have to bring them back!" he yelled, gaining the attention of all the Hokage's and the ghosts, "prepare yourselves!" The Hokages kneeled down and placed their hands, while the armless Yondaime placed his feet, on the edges of the summoning array, as did the ghosts. At that moment, Hagoromo's mind was already rapidly processing the next steps he could take to ensure the safety of this world. Sensing all eyes on him, especially the looks from the concerned Yondaime who was several meters away to his left, Hagoromo thought of one Jutso that he could use. A Jutso so dangerous that even if it was done right, then the chakra gathered and moulded through hand signs could very well backfire and destroy their entire time frame. After all, it was a Jutso that traversed into the realm of the gods themselves, a Jutso that required a celestial being as a channel for the chakra – a being like Hagoromo himself.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" he yelled slamming his hand down onto the hard ground while thinking, 'please don't let me be too late.' The array glowed a bright white – Hagoromo could see the look of relief on the faces of the Hokage's, 'they believe it is over. That Kaguya has been sealed and that peace has returned.' The light faded, and Hagoromo could see the look of confusion followed by a look of resignation and horror upon the faces of the various Hokage's.

Hagoromo closed his eyes, straightened, and concentrated while several voices rang out. He could hear the footsteps of the Shodaime Hokage, the Niidaime, the Sandaime, and the Yondaime rushing towards the four figures in the center of the array. He could sense both Kakashi and Sasuke slipping away… their bodies turning to dust thanks to the Ash Killing Bones shot out from Kaguya's body. He pushed the screams of anguish from Naruto and Sakura for their teammate and sensei. While he was aware that the remaining two living Shinobi… no… they were no longer Shinobi. They were simply humans… the only two living humans on the face of the Earth… the only two who were not being fed to the Devine Tree.

The sobs from Sakura and Naruto faded the more Hagoromo concentrated. He knew it was only a matter of time before Kaguya returned to neutralize both Sakura and Naruto – he didn't know how long he had before the universe's chakra could be moulded. The hand signs for the jutsu had to be exact… the moulding of the chakra had to be exact… too much chakra and the justso would fail; the result of the backlash of chakra destroying the entire planet… and then the universe, spreading out through the universal gates and into the multiverse – all existance was in danger if Hagoromo molded too much chakra. Too little Chakra, then Naruto and Sakura would die at the hands of Kaguya.

"Old man!"

Hagoromo felt a burst of power based of off sorrow and rage from Naruto. But he still concentrated on his hand signs and the moulding of chakra.

"Stupid Old man!"

"Naruto!" a female voice yelled out, Sakura's voice.

"Naruto," Hagoromo heard the Yondaime gently speak. He could sense the Yondaime trying to calm down his son as he continued to say, "look at his hand signs. He's doing something."

Hagoromo thought to himself, 'just remain calm, Naruto. What I have to do, I need the upmost quiet.'

"Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke are dead!" Hagoromo heard Naruto yell while the formers body flinched a little. He could sense that the blonde stood up with his hands clenched into fists as he faced his father, "he… he…"

"We failed, Naruto," Sakura's voice broke Hagoromo's heart. The sorrow laced in what she had said indicated that the pink haired kunoichi knew that their world was finished, "we failed."

Sakura

"Sakura-chan, you…" Sakura glanced up at the distant form of the Sage of Six Paths as he performed hand signs faster than Kakashi or Sasuke. She then looked back down at the pile of ash that used to be Uchiha Sasuke, and then she turned her head towards the pile of ash next to a tearful Naruto who stood staring at her with hands rolled up into fists.

"We needed you and Sasuke," Sakura said, her voice quivering as she stood up while staring down at the pile of grey ash at her feet, already floating away thanks to the breeze that carried a scent of death upon it, that used to be Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura turned around to see her tearful teammate staring back at her – her eyes glanced at the pile of dispersing ash that used to be one Hatake Kakashi. Her eyes went back to Naruto, and then she looked away. She had to admit to herself that their world was now gone… everyone they cared about and loved was gone, trapped in a genjutsu world where they would slowly die and be transformed into White Zetsu's.

Sakura looked back up at Naruto, "without… without the two of you… our world…" Sakura took a deep breath as she took several steps forward. Her heart was racing as she watched Naruto look away, his eyes – his deep blue eyes – looking at the disappearing pile of ash behind her, to her left. She saw his eyes shift back to hers, and she felt his sorrow and anger.

It was that same sorrow and anger she felt from the moment the Ash Killing Bone penetrated Sasuke just before he could press the seal on his palm against Kaguya's skin. The impact changed his trajectory, and his palm missed while the rest of his body was turning to ash.

It was the same anger and sorrow that she felt from the moment Kakashi, seeing that a bone portal had opened next to Naruto, called out to Sasuke. The dark haired Uchiha used what remained of his life and his Six Path's doujutsu to switch Kakashi's place with Naruto. Sakura remembered screaming out in sorrow when the bone meant for Naruto impacted Kakashi instead.

And then there was a bright light. And then they found themselves back on Earth.

And now, Sakura was taking steps towards her last living teammate.

She knew. She knew that they were surrounded by the dead… she didn't know who the ghosts were but she knew that the Edo Tensei Hokage's surrounded them in a semicircle. She could sense their sorrow as well. 'Of course they were sorrowful,' Sakura thought, 'they were looking at the last two living humans on Earth.'

"Naruto," Sakura whispered as she reached for and held both of Naruto's hands. Her best friend, Ino, was gone; her parents were gone; their village was gone; their Hokage was gone; all the bonds they had made were gone. All were in the cocoons that hung off the branches of the Devine Tree. She tried to fight back the tears already falling down her cheeks as she stared into Naruto's eyes, "we…"

"Old Man!" Naruto turned his head towards Hagoromo and pulled his hands away. Sakura knew he was about to activate his Nine-Tails Mode when she dashed forward and held his hands again.

"Naruto," Sakura said, her voice forcing Naruto to tear his eyes… eyes already turning red… Kyuubi Red… back towards her. She felt the emptiness all around her… even with the Edo Tensei Hokage's, Sakura felt a great emptiness. It was as if she was in a vast dark room where no matter how loud she yelled, all she could hear were the echoes of her own voice. All she had now was the blonde standing in front of her, and she was going to hold on to him. She knew it made her seem weak, but she was going to hold on to Naruto, "if the Sage could have done something, he.. he would have…"

"We can't give up," Naruto said before he turned his head towards Hagoromo once again, who was still performing hand signs, "hey! Old Man! I know you can hear me! Bring them back… I SAID BRING THEM…!"

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled before she raised her hand and slapped him across his cheek. It was a normal slap, not one that used her tremendous strength, but it was enough for Naruto to rub his cheek while looking back at her. The expression on his face asked Sakura why she slapped him, and why she had given up. She gently grabbed his hands again while looking straight into his eyes, "it's over."

"I…."

"It's over, Naruto," Sakura gently said while the ghosts of the previous Jinchuriki's vanished. Sakura sighed before saying, "there's no one left. I… I have a feeling that Kaguya's coming here… coming here to…" Sakura felt more tears falling down her cheeks, the same as Naruto who stared back at her with eyes wide open, "to take you away."

"Sakura… Sakura-chan," Naruto stuttered shaking his head, "we can…"

"Swear to me, Naruto," Sakura said as a portal began opening several Kilometers away to their right. Before she could finish what, it was that she wanted to say, the two of them and the other Hokage's turned towards the rabbit goddess making her way through the portal and floating over the ground. She was glaring down at all of them; the last two humans, the Hokage's, the ghosts of the dead Jinchurikis and her son.

"This… is the end," Sakura whispered while the other Kage's moved forward to shield the two from Kaguya… for all the good they knew it would do. They had no chance against her anymore… and they knew it.

Sakura was holding onto Naruto's hand; her eyes fixated on the goddess menacingly making her way towards them. Sakura felt Kaguya's eyes fixated on her, and then on Naruto, and then on the four Kage's, and then saw the rabbit goddess's eyes shifted towards the figure behind them as he continued to weave signs while his eyes were closed. Sakura gulped, her hand tightening around Naruto's – the latter looking at her, and then down at their hands… their fingers interlocked… and then back up at the profile of Sakura's face.

The pick haired Shinobi turned her head back to Naruto while their bodies faced Kaguya, their eyes locked. Sakura never thought she would be sharing the end of the world with Naruto… she always imagined that her one and only was going to be Sasuke. To her, it was always Sasuke. From the Academy to now, it was always Sasuke. Sakura loved him… despite all he did… she loved him. As she stared into Naruto's eyes, seconds turned to minutes and then to hours, and then to years. She and Naruto couldn't hear the Yondaime and Shodaime making plans to use whatever chakra they had left to keep Kaguya back… even just for a moment so that the two living humans could have one moment before the end.

To the both of them, time seemed as if it had already stopped.

Sakura and Naruto never heard Minato, the Yondaime, say his goodbyes – that they would meet in the afterlife and that Kushina would be waiting for the both of them, as would Kakashi and Sasuke. They never heard the Sandaime give the order to move out, to give some time to the young Sakura and Naruto before they too perished. The couple never saw the Hokage's, one after another, lose their bodies permanently several seconds later.

While one Edo Tensei Hokage after another perished, time seemed to continue to be still for both Naruto and Sakura.

Sakura had so many regrets in her life. She wished that she hadn't been so cruel to Naruto. She wished she was a better friend and teammate from the beginning. She wished that she had never placed any burdens on him, she wished that she was stronger so that she could have protected him and Sasuke. As the Hokage's continued to perish, Sakura tightened her hold on Naruto's hand.

"Naruto," Sakura said softly thinking back through her entire life. Her heart ached at the thought of not being with Sasuke, but it also hurt when she thought about not being with Naruto. Sakura looked into his eyes and remembered that he was always with her, always encouraging her to be a better shinobi and the best damn medic Konoha had ever seen; he was her rock ever since Sasuke left Konoha… he was always comforting her. He was always doing something to make her smile.

And now, Sakura couldn't help but close her eyes and laugh while Naruto looked on in confusion.

Time went back to its normal flow. Naruto turned his head to see the Shodaime eradicated before Kaguya set her pale eyes on the two of them. And Sakura was still laughing while turning around… she turned him around as well… the both of them facing each other while she held both his hands.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto glanced at the oncoming Kaguya before his eyes shifted to Sakura who was laughing while tears continued down her cheeks.

"Naruto," Sakura said, calming down, her eyes not bothering to even glance over at Kaguya as she raised her hands, "I lied to you that day in the Land of Iron. I lied when I said that I loved you, and…"

"And I said I know… I…."

"I hurt you," Sakura said before she laughed again while pulling a confused Naruto closer. They were now only a few inches apart, their arms hanging low by their sides with their fingers still interlocked.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto said, as he stared into her eyes after she stopped laughing, a smile on her face and their noses just inches away.

"You were always there, always by my side," Sakura said, looking right into his eyes, "always protecting me, always encouraging me to grow. You…"

"Sakura… chan?" Naruto asked, "are you… okay?"

"It's the end of the world," Sakura said with a small smile on her face, "and the last person I'm with, is the one who always stood by my side. The one who always, no matter what, tried to make me smile."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto whined, his face turning red in embarrassment as he looked away.

"We're going to die, Naruto," Sakura said after Naruto looked back at her, "and I don't know about you, but I want to die without any regrets." Sakura saw Naruto glanced to his side, towards Kaguya, and then back at her before she continued, "I will always love Sasuke, there will always be a place in my heart for him."

"I know."

"I'm such an idiot," Sakura said looking into his eyes before chuckling, "at the end of the world, I realized that you share a place in my heart too."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto chuckled, "you shouldn't…"

"This isn't a lie," Sakura said. Unknown to the both of them, Kaguya stopped several meters away from the two of them, her eyes now on Hagoromo. In the meantime, while Kaguya sneered as she aimed the bones sliding out of the palm of her hands towards her son, Sakura continued, "maybe it's because I realize every thing we did together, all our missions, our injuries, our time together as Team Kakashi… I don't know… maybe it's because it's the end that I… I can feel." She gulped, "maybe it's because I can remember feeling the warmth you exude for everyone… maybe it's because of this… this aura of life around you that…"

"Sakura-chan?"

"You know what," Sakura interrupted Naruto, "I love you."

"Sakura-chan…"

"I love you," Sakura repeated herself as she stared at Naruto, "you… I love you. I love you for the idiot you are. I love you for the prankster you were. I love you for being my rock. I love you for the man you've become. I love for all the times you stood by my side. I love you for… for being with me here. On the day that the world ends."

"You're just saying that because…."

"Hagoromo!" Kaguya yelled. Her voice broke what a visibly confused Naruto was about to say. They turned towards Kaguya, still holding their hands as the goddess screamed out, "you can't….."

"I can," Hagoromo said before he vanished, and then reappeared behind Sakura and Naruto.. much to the couple's surprise, "and I will."

Naruto and Sakura saw the ancient man place his hands on their shoulders while staring at Kaguya, defiance etched onto his face. The two Shinobi then looked at each other with Sakura saying, "I meant it Naruto."

"Sak…"

"I love you!" Sakura cried as she fighting her hold on his hand just as Hagoromo's hands gently squeezed their shoulders. The two of them, Sakura and a surprised Naruto, turned their heads back towards Hagoromo.

"Naruto, Sakura," Hagoromo said as Kaguya aimed her bones towards them, "I'm sending the two of you back."

"Back?" Sakura asked with a confused look, "what do you mean by back?"

"The Jutsu is unstable," Hagoromo said before his eyes widened. "Crouch!"

The three of them crouched down just before two razor sharp bones flew through the space where Hagoromo was once standing.

"Old man?"

"Hagoromo-sama?"

"Naruto, I need Kurama's help," Hagoromo said as he stared at Naruto while they stood back up, "if I use this Jutsu now as it is, then the two of you will die before reaching where I'm sending you."

"Where?" Sakura asked.

"The past," Hagoromo said, his eyes turning towards the surprise on Sakura's face, "you still want to tell him what you are about to tell him?"

"I love you," Sakura said with conviction as she turned towards the surprise on Naruto's face before she turned back to Hagoromo, "can it be done?"

"I need to speak with Kurama," Hagoromo said glancing at Kaguya who was sneering as she raised her arms again. Looking back at Naruto, he yelled, "there is no time left… quick!"

"Jiji," a gruff sounding voice erupted from Naruto's lips as his whiskers became more pronounced and his eyes turned red, "I heard. what do you need?"

"Just a little bit of your chakra," Hagoromo said, "the jutsu needs additional chakra to stabilise the breach. I didn't have time to weave all the hand signs, I gathered just enough chakra to get you back six years into the past. Before all this…" chakra from Naruto's body started to flow through where Hagoromo placed his hand on the former's shoulder, "I leave the future to the both of you."

Naruto nodded his head, as did Sakura just as Kaguya fired four bones towards the group – two aimed for her son, and one each for Naruto and Sakura.

"Sage Art," Hagoromo said as the shards of bone got closer- now time around them really did start to slowdown. Sakura and Naruto watched the long shards coming towards them at a snails pace as a burst of energy ripped out from Hagoromo. Sakura could heart her heart racing as she stared at the shard, and then she turned her head… everything seemed to be in slow motion… towards Naruto who was looking at the shards before turning his head towards her. The air around them continued to ripple, the shards now moving much slower towards them. She could feel her mind, body, and soul starting to stretch out every which way even though she looked at herself and Naruto and saw their own normal bodies standing still.

"Good luck," Hagoromo whispered before crying out, "spaciotemporal jutsu."

There was the sound of thunder in the distance as Sakura tightened her hold on Naruto's hand. The bone shards were completely still now, but to their horror… they saw the sky cracking open like an egg. Sakura and Naruto's eyes went wide open as the stars in the sky started to go out before there was the sound of an explosion as the mountains around them violently exploded, releasing magma and rocks into the atmosphere. They were witness to Kaguya screaming in pain as she was torn apart before the ground beneath her exploded.

"Naruto…" Sakura yelled for the man, one of the men, so dear to her heart. But before she could finish what she wanted to say, there was a bright light that forced them to cover their eyes before there was a sensation of the two of them being pulled back.

TBC