Hello

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Opening Comments: Ok, so, I haven't posted anything for a while, so I decided that I could take ten minutes to write something and post it. And here's the result. POV: Sasuke.

It's not in my nature, being sad. I do not cry; not in front of people, and not when I'm locked up in my room. I don't break down behind the shelter of closed doors; I don't weep when all the curtains are drawn. But this is different. This isn't anything I've experienced since my clan was killed off. I didn't want this to happen; I never would have asked for it.

After all, how could I possibly want her to die?

Maybe she wasn't my favorite person. Maybe I acted indifferent towards her, and maybe I hurt her. But it wasn't intentional. It was how I was… It was all I knew. And now, I realize that I always cared. I never wanted to see a comrade fall before my eyes, this is no different. But at the same time, it is different. I haven't felt like this in years… not when I was staring down my brother, not when I was fighting Naruto, not when I was getting screamed at when returning to the village…

Naruto stands before me, and I can tell he's crying, even if he's wiped the tears away. Something is wrong.

I ask him what it is, he looks away, closes his eyes, grits his teeth, and forces out the words, "Sakura- hurt- hospital…"

But I didn't need to hear the last word; I'm already darting past him, through the streets, barging in through the hospital doors, demanding the room number from the nurse at the reception desk, running up the stairs, falling into the room, stopping and standing rooted to the spot.

Playground school bell rings again

Rain clouds come to play again

It's horrible, seeing her like this. But she'll be fine, I know it. It's just the fear of seeing her frail body, lying so peacefully on the cot she might be asleep. She's not moving; her eyes are closed. It's enough to make my own heart stop.

But she's fine. She has to be. She's strong, and the blood that stains her skin is just fake. This isn't real, I'm just imagining things. She's strong, and this is nothing… this is an illusion, and it's going to fade away any second now.

I close my eyes, but when I open them again a moment later, she's still there. I'm still in the hospital room, the blood is still standing out opposed to the white room. Tsunade is still watching from the corner, trying to hide the tears that are rolling down her cheeks, time is still standing still, yet the world around me is still going on…

Naruto's back, and he's staring at her unmoving body, his eyes bloodshot. And I'm walking across the room, trying hard to convince myself that she's just sleeping. Someone's playing a cruel joke on me, and it'll all be ok in a second…

I'm reaching out, and her hand is cold as ice against mine. Her chest is rising and falling, but only just. My heart is beating in my throat now, and it's not fair. Hers is barely beating in her chest, and mine is going crazy in my throat. I cover her hands with mine, but it won't do any good. She's slipping away, and if she goes I won't be able to get her back.

And that's when I realize that I don't want her to go. I'd much rather it be me; I should be the one lying on that hospital bed.

Has no one told you she's not breathing?

I don't know what's happened. I don't know why she's here, why she's barely breathing, why her skin is so cold, why she's slowly fading away…

No! She's fine; she's going to be ok. She's been through so much, and something like this can't be enough to do her in. She'll fight it, and she won't give up. She'll hang on, because that's how she is.

"Sakura… It's gonna be ok, just hang on. You're going to be fine… Just hang in there…" I say, shaking my head back and forth as I stare down at her pale face. Even her hair, always vivid and exuberant, looks lifeless.

"Sasuke…"

Tsunade's voice seems to come from miles away, and her hand is almost weightless against my shoulder. I brush it away, shaking my head fiercely.

"It's bad; she was injured in the battle… Two vital points, and each time…"

"No!" My voice is practically a scream, and she draws back. And then she grows silent, and I once again grasp Sakura's freezing hands in my own. "She's fine, she's fine…" But her hand seems to grow colder, and my optimistic beliefs seem to be fading away with her.

"She's going to be alright." But who am I talking to? Tsunade and Naruto are crying, and there's no way Sakura can hear me.

Hello I am your mind giving you someone to talk to

Hello

She doesn't deserve this; if anyone does it's me. I'm the one who left the village, I'm the one who trained with the village's enemy, and I'm the one who hurt her…

It was a warm summer night; the moon shone down like a spotlight from above, as if illuminating the village so I could see it clearly for the last time… I walked past her, not failing to notice the first tear that spilled from her eyes.

"Why? Why won't you say anything to me? Why do you shut everyone out? Why won't you tell me anything?"

I cut her off before she could say more.

"Why do I have to tell you?" I stopped, and she turned to face me, and I could hear her sobbing. "I'm telling you that you meddle too much. Stop bothering me all the time."

"You always act like you hate me, Sasuke."

A long silence, and then, "I know what happened to your clan, Sasuke, but revenge alone isn't going to make anyone happy. No one… neither you… Nor me…"

"I know that." I said, my back still facing her. "I am different from you guys. I follow a different path then you guys."

This time, it was she who cut me off. "I.." I heard her start closer. "I have family and friends… but to me… for me, if you leave… I… I love you more than anything! If you are by my side, I will make sure that you will not regret it." 'But what', I asked myself, 'could you possibly offer me?' "I will make every day more enjoyable, and you will be happy! There's nothing I wouldn't do for you!"

Then let me go, I wanted to say.

"That's why… I'm begging you! Please stay! I will even help you with your revenge! There must be something I can do! "

I turned to face her, putting on a smirk. "After all this time… and you're still annoying." And I saw the look of shock on her face. And then I was walking again…

"Don't go! If you leave, I will scream out loud and-"

And then I was standing behind her, and we were standing in silence, and she was opening her mouth to talk again, but I was faster. "Sakura…" the wind blew, and I fell into a short pause. "Thank you."

This can't be right- this can't be the girl I stood with on the cobbled path, years ago… This can't be real.

If I smile and don't believe

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream

I don't have to believe this; if I just keep telling myself that she's going to be ok, that she's going to get better… then she will. I know it.

The seconds are passing, and fading into minutes that feel like hours. The clock on the wall above her is ticking, painfully and slowly, ticking away the little life that remains within her. I shake my head. No, I can't think like that. She's fine.

There's more of them now; somewhere behind me, Ino is sobbing loudly, and Shikamaru is trying to comfort her. Tenten is here, gasping, and I can sense Neji, Choji, Lee, Kakashi-sensei… everyone's there. Trying to say goodbyes that don't need to be said. After all, why should you say goodbye to someone who isn't leaving.

She's not going anywhere. I'm sure of it. She's tough… she's strong… she won't die, because, even if there's next to nothing inside of her, she'll use that to get back on her feet. She's determined, and even in this dreary room I can find hope. Somehow. But maybe I'm fooling myself.

No! No. This isn't real- one of the villagers in angry at me, a traitor. Me, the one who is on the verge of tears, closer than I have been to their salty warmth in years. This is an inhuman prank, and they're going to realize that this isn't funny, and then they'll quit… But there's no way she would participate. No way…

Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken

Hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide

Don't cry

My hand has come to rest on her cheek, and I'm bending over her frail figure. And they're coming; tears that I haven't felt for so long. "She's fine…" I say again, to no one in particular.

"Fine?" Ino chokes, her voice hinting her hysteria. "She's not fine!" For the first time ever, Ino is screaming at me. "She got hit in two vital points, what the hell do you mean she's fine?"

I grit my teeth, making sure to keep my back turned to her as I say, "You're wrong."

And then Naruto, who's usually so full of hope and confidence, and who has always loved Sakura, shakes his head. "No, Sasuke, she's not…" There are a few murmurs of agreements, and then something inside of me snaps. A dam breaks, and then all of my confident thoughts are flowing away… fading farther and farther, and I can't reach out and catch them again.

"Urusai…" I mutter. "Urusai…"

"Sasuke, stop lying to yourself, you're only going to make things wor-"

"URUSAI!" I'm yelling now, my shoulders are shaking so fiercely I think I'm going to pass out. "Just shut the hell up! What good does talking like that do anyway? Urusai!"

And then Sakura moves, and, as she winces in pain, an eye cracks open, and she looks over everyone else before she turns to me. "S-Sasuke? Y-you're here…"

I shake my head. "Don't talk," I say, trying not to let her see the tears that are stinging my eyes.

She looks so helpless, and I finally realize how beaten up she is. She's in a really bad condition, and all looks hopeless.

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping

Hello I'm still here

All that's left of yesterday

She smiles, and I can tell that she knows it's hopeless to. I reach up and brush a strand of hair from her forehead. She's still cold, colder even than before. She moans in pain, and squints her eyes closed, and then my other hand is wrapped around hers, and she's squeazing with as much force as she can manage…

"Arigatou, S-Sasuke… For coming."

Once again, I shake my head. "Stop, Sakura. Stop talking. You've got to-" I wish I could say what I wanted to. 'Save your energy.'

"I love you, Sasuke."

And then her grip looses, and her fingers are limp, and I can no longer fight back the tears as her hand slips from mine and falls to her side. I kneel down, and my lips brush against her stone cold forehead, and then I'm sobbing, like everyone else in the room who has realized what happened.

She's gone, and I'm still here. It's not fair, and I want her back. This… This shouldn't have happened. I turn, but I can't leave. Not knowing that, when I walk out of here, she'll be gone forever. But then someone is dragging me out, and I can't tell who it is through my tear-filled eyes. I can only assume that Asuma and Kakashi are leading me out, and then I'm collapsing onto a bench in the waiting room, and I'm burying my face in my hands.

I wish she was back. Because now there's nothing left.