Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto!

Summary – The love of her life couldn't die. He was an Uchiha, proud, arrogant, unfeeling, the strongest, dead on the ground. His last words: 'I need you to take care of her.' Sasuke returns, but will their lives ever be the same? (SasuSaku, slight ItaSaku)

A few warnings - Currently, this story is rated for safety, mostly in terms of language. There may be lemons in later chapters, but if there are, I shall post a warning at the beginning of the chapter.

.:-Droplet 1 – Monster -:.

They stood in the rain, all of them, staring at the dead body. It was covered in a black cloak decorated with red clouds. On top of the cloak rested a straw hat with white paper tassels hanging from the rim.

He didn't want to leave the body there – it was wrong, he said. He should be taken back to Konoha, buried there. On that point, they all agreed. Sakura had agreed automatically, but Naruto had argued with the Uchiha for hours while she stared at the lifeless body of the dead brother, arguing about how it must be a trick, that he wasn't dead. It just wasn't possible.

How many years had it been…? So long…they had all suffered. But her heart was still broken, even at this point. Not a word of goodbye, not a kiss. Not a touch of warmth. God knew, she tried healing him again and again, crying as she did. She checked every area through which a pulse ran, searched for a hidden breath. It was a joke, she wanted to believe it was a really bad joke, that he was alive.

The love of her life could never die. He couldn't. He was an Uchiha, a proud, arrogant, unfeeling Uchiha, the strongest of the strong, someone could surpass a Sannin if he bothered to try instead of boast. Even as his brother and Naruto laid the cold, lifeless body down on the forest floor and covered it with that disgusting cloak that plagued their lives, she didn't believe it.

It was a joke.

"Let me try again," she croaked, kneeling down beside the body, fingers trembling at the edge of the cloak. Just…one last look at his face. One last touch, and then he could leave. One last word…was all she wanted. A farewell. A decent farewell, even if it was the usual one word. If he could utter a single sound…

Naruto let out a cry as she started to pull the cloak down to reveal the raven hair. "Sakura-chan," he begged her, "please, Sakura-chan, don't do this…stop it, please!"

Her chest was heaving as she choked on her sobs and hiccupped. "I can heal him," she insisted through her tears and cries. "Naruto, let me try again, please. I can heal him…!"

The living Uchiha let out an impatient sigh and turned away. "She won't face it, will she?"

Naruto let out a cry. "Shut up! She loved him! But you could never understand that! You're a fucking Uchiha! You stupid bastard, I swear, I'll –" The red chakra pooled around him and Sakura let out an agonizing cry. Naruto stopped and rushed towards her, holding her back as she threw herself at the dead body.

"Sakura-chan, he's dead! He's dead, please! Stop this!" he sobbed, holding her back. "I don't like this any more than you do. They were both killers – one would have died sooner or later…" He trembled, roughly pulled up the cloak over the pale face. "No more. Don't think about this any more, Sakura-chan. I need you to forget…go to sleep, please. You…" His grip on her tightened as he approached them. "Get the hell away, Uchiha! You already hurt her, I won't let you hurt her anymore!" he screamed.

While Naruto continued to thrash out at the remaining Uchiha, Sakura found herself staring at him through her tears. They blurred his image, and she swore she could see him…again. Those eyes were so similar, so gentle…a swirl of black and red…

…and he was beside her again, his arms around her. She shivered happily, turned to him. "Don't leave, please –"

His finger was on her lips, tracing the outline gently as his lips mouthed her name, whispered it softly, for only her ears. Sakura threw herself at him, sobbing into his chest.

"I don't care if you're an illusion, please don't…don't leave me!" she cried, soaking the cloth of his shoulder. "Please…even Naruto will forgive you, just please…"

He leaned forward, lips grazing her ear before whispering ghostly words of farewell. Sakura sat up and looked at him pleadingly. "Don't…"

Come back! She panicked, rising to her feet as her world was slowly eaten up by darkness. Please, come back!

XXXXX

"Are you sure –"

"I made up my mind."

"Why –"

"…"

"Answer the question, Uchiha."

"…"

"…I see. Very well, then."

"He won't be treated so well, Tsunade-sama. Is this really wise, doing this without consulting the elders –"

Sakura listened in bed to the voices outside the hall. Her eyes were shut, but she knew Naruto was beside her, squeezing her hand in his, whispering for her to open her eyes, to come back, because he didn't want to lose anyone else anymore. But she kept her eyes shut, continued to listen and ignore Naruto's pleas.

"I cannot guarantee your safety, Uchiha. If anyone attacks, you aren't allowed to attack back."

"I'm well aware of the rules, Hokage-sama."

"Are you mocking me…?"

"Naruto, shut up," Sakura croaked, feeling how sore she really was. Her eyes opened a bit, blinking as she turned to Naruto. "Please, just…"

He wiped his eyes, nodded, silently squeezed her hand reassuringly. She sent him a tired smile to show her thanks.

"He's staying, isn't he?" she suddenly asked, pushing herself into a sitting position. "That…that…monster…he's planning on staying here, isn't he?"

Naruto fell silent, instead staring at her hand in his. "Sakura-chan…"

He answered her when he refused to meet her eyes. He was staying. The bastard who had ruined her life was staying. Sakura fell back in her bed, shut her eyes.

"And that group of yours…?"

"I can easily kill them if they show up."

"Typical Uchiha, aren't you? Showing off your mightiness…"

She drowned out their voices. She didn't want to hear any more. It reminded her too much of him…

…his soft hair, his soft expression, his soft skin, his comforting presence…

..she longed for him. Sakura rolled over so her back faced Naruto. She wouldn't let him see her cry – he didn't deserve to see her show of weakness. "Naruto, please leave," Sakura murmured, wiping her wet eyes with the stiff material of the blanket. "I want to be alone."

"Sakura-chan," he mumbled in protest, but did as she asked.

No one to stop her. No one to hear her. Sakura sat up, helplessly pushing the tears away from the side of her face. Even in the end, he left in silence. The tears continued to spill and Sakura brought her pillow to her knees, burying her face there to muffle the sobs that dared to escape her.

XXXXX

It was with great reluctance that they allowed a funeral for the Uchiha. Kakashi and Naruto were all the support Sakura needed, and she accepted Ino, Lee, and Hinata, who had come to support Naruto, who was torn inside as well.

They were all dressed in black, all carrying a shining white rose, which they placed one by one at his grave. But while they could say their farewells to him, he hadn't said a word.

I want to heal you…

She wanted to heal him so bad…she wanted him to come back. He had to come back…

Sakura dropped to her knees, her hands falling on the black wood. "Come back," she whispered, her eyes slipping shut. "Please, just come back…"

"Sakura…I think that's enough," Kakashi murmured, helping her to her feet.

If there was one thing Sakura was sure of then, it was that she wanted her life to end.

XXXXX

There was no way she could trust her own chakra. A knife…perhaps. But her body was not as resolved as her heart was to end her life. She didn't care too much – as long as she could go to him. A hanging would take too long. Someone could easily heal her if she wasn't careful.

It had to be vital, incapable of curing. Poisons would work efficiently, but she would have to spend time making one, or finding one potent enough. The only other choice was someone else…someone who could…easily…with no feeling…

Her head turned slowly, to the figure outside her window, watching her with the blood-red sharingan eyes. Him…

Sakura rose to her feet, mind made up. It would all be quick, painless…he wouldn't play around with her. Her feet carried her effortlessly to the window, and she leaned forward, staring at the height she was at. The impact would only be enough to injure her. There was no choice, then. He was the only one who could do it.

It was a fitting death – to be killed by the same hand that killed him.

He was looking at her, waiting silently, seated on a tree branch. Sakura drew a breath and shouted out to him.

"Kill me, Uchiha. You had no problem killing him! Kill me, now."

She received no answer in return. Sakura kicked the wall, causing the building to shudder. He was messing with her. And here, she had thought it would be quick, painless. A hand flew to her forehead, brushing away the pink locks. But why was she depending on him?

How she longed to join him…they were all holding her back. A knife, a kunai, anything…if she had to, she would cut herself, bleed herself until morning came.

Sakura looked back to the tree in which he had taken a seat to find he was gone. A gust of wind blew into her room, sending the few loose papers she had out scattering. A shadow loomed behind her, and she shut her eyes, prepared herself for the death that awaited her.

"You're quite a fool, aren't you? Even now, after his death, you fail to understand…" His whispers were soft in her ear, but his voice was as deep as his brother's. She refused to be moved.

"I understand quite well. Kill me." He made no move, and Sakura reached for the kunai that rested on her table.

He beat her to it, throwing it out the window and lodging it in the tree, then shutting the window and staring at her expectantly. "Are you quite sure you understand, Sakura? I'm under the impression you don't know a single thing about my brother…"

She shrieked, screamed, struggled when he caught her hands and pressed her down on the bed, refused to look into his eyes. It was obviously what he wanted – he sighed when she shut her eyes. She wanted a quick death, not one prolonged in limbo.

"Sakura, this can only work out for both of us if you open your eyes…"

"I'm not going to!" she screamed, thrashing around, eyes shut.

The weight that was him was lifted off of her, and Sakura opened her eyes and sat up to find him staring out the window, at the tree.

"You fail to understand, Sakura…how lucky you are, to be living in your lie of a world, where I'm the monster…" His voice was soft, she could barely hear him. "…where my brother is an angel…you aren't far off. I am a monster, you know I acknowledge that. But you're wrong to say he's an angel. He was capable of loving to the point where he'd give himself up to make a world he wanted. It scared him, so he hid it…" He turned to look at her, onyx eyes boring into her darkly.

"What are you saying?" Sakura demanded, voice hushed, quiet, hurt. He looked so much like his brother with the sharingan deactivated, with the shoulder-length raven hair that only had a dark gray sheen. She wanted so much to run her hands through that hair, to stare lovingly into those eyes…

The Uchiha clenched his fists tightly by his side as he spoke, a harsh whisper, but clearly: "The bastard cheated me. He killed himself." She was silent, unable to speak, and so he continued, voice rising bitterly. "He wasn't supposed to die. He was supposed to come back, suffer by being held down by the entire village, die an inglorious death.

"Your little affair with him, Sakura, while I was gone, was what led to his death. Because if he continued, anyone who wanted to get to him would just target you. I had him where I wanted him. I could have brought him back…" He was shaking, tears spilling from his eyes. "Do you understand…how annoying you are now? Do you understand…" He opened the window and stuck his head out, taking a deep breath angrily. "Even then, he knew I couldn't kill him. Because of you, he cheated me, threw this on me instead."

Sakura shook her head, swallowing. Her throat was dry – her ears hurt. He was lying, she knew it. There was no way he would have killed himself. It was his fault…

"Stop lying."

He whipped his head in her direction. "Face the facts, Sakura."

"Don't say my name."

A sneer made its way onto his face. "You're afraid of the truth," he whispered.

"Just kill me, like you killed him."

"He killed himself." His eyes slipped shut, and when they reopened, the sharingan was visible. "…would you like proof?"

"You'll make it up," Sakura whispered, looking away.

He let out a sharp laugh, looked out the window. "Make it up? I wanted to kill him, Sakura – I would be gloating at the moment if I did. You act as if I'm trying to capture your affections – I'm not. I have no interest in you whatsoever," he told her, a bitter tone in his voice.

She burned at those words, but said nothing, instead sending him a baleful glare. After a moment, Sakura rose to her feet, walked up to him. "Show me, then. Show me the truth." And she wanted to laugh. Because there was no way that could be the truth.

Their eyes met.

She entered a world of red and black.

XXX

They stood facing each other, Itachi staring down at his brother without a care in the world, absolute indifference reflected in those sharingan eyes. Sasuke was a near reflection – the difference was the fingers, which itched to secure themselves on Itachi's neck, force the older Uchiha to surrender, end his prime life. Slowly, he drew his chokuto, stepped back, pointed it at his brother.

The clash was instant, sparks flew. A kunai against a chokuto. He was being mocked. Sasuke pulled back, deftly pulled out a few shuriken, tossed them at his brother. It did little good, he knew – but he tried, charging just as the shuriken were reflected uselessly off the blade of the kunai.

"Weak, otouto."

He was thrown back, but Sasuke landed neatly on the ground, skidding back some. "I will kill you…"

"You don't intend to kill me. Even now, with power greater than Orochimaru's…although, he wasn't too strong in the first place," Itachi commented, pocketing the kunai. "Is that all the snake sannin taught you?"

It was boiling, the anger, coursing through his veins, mingling with his hatred. He couldn't listen to this idle chatter – it was wasting his time – he needed to end this battle once and for all. His hands deftly performed the necessary signs, then: "Katon: Housenka!" His brother was already veering towards the left, where he would be waiting, ready –

"A mistake, Sasuke." The younger Uchiha stopped where he was, whirled around angrily. "A mistake, like your life…like your choices…" Itachi held the kunai to the boy's neck. "You were a fool, to leave people who cared – truly – cared about you, to join Orochimaru, to try and use this seal to your advantage…" The cool metal of the kunai pressed against the seal at the base of his neck, and Sasuke cringed. "You were a fool," Itachi whispered, voice soft, low, "to leave Sakura…"

"I have no regrets about what I did, Itachi. My only goal is to –"

Itachi jumped back gracefully, the cloak shuddering gently in the wind. "Very well. You have five minutes to kill me before I kill you."

Sasuke wasted no time charging forward. If long-range combat wouldn't do it, he'd force Itachi into close-range. He was only a foot away from his brother when Itachi disappeared into nothing. Startled, Sasuke looked around. Genjutsu…this is…genjutsu, isn't it? He shut his eyes. He couldn't waste time. That was what Itachi wanted. He needed to win this battle, he had to. But how?

"Are you sure you want to take my life like that, Sasuke? Boring me to death? It won't work."

"SHUT UP!" His eyes opened, the sharingan red and angry, the genjutsu expelled. "You coward –"

"Behind you, Sasuke."

He whirled around, charging towards his brother, gathering the chakra in his hand, gaining speed, his ears deaf to everything except the sound of blood pumping through him. "Chi –"

Itachi pushed his hand aside – but he was so close! Angrily, he grasped the cloak with his other hand, threw his brother to the floor, and the body disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Clone.

"Have I angered you, Sasuke? Your time is almost up. Two minutes remain."

To hit Itachi and weaken him significantly…was that possible? Surely it was – he had defeated Orochimaru, he was certainly on par with his brother. But he couldn't spend those two minutes thinking – he had to act fast.

"One minute, otouto."

Too late…? He stared up at his brother, fists by his side, shaking furiously. "I swear, Itachi," Sasuke said, voice low. "I swear, I will kill you…" But he sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

Itachi settled in front of his brother, a few yards away. "There are many ways to kill a person, Sasuke. I can't say I like your method."

"It doesn't matter!" Sasuke rushed forward, but Itachi caught him by the neck, slammed him into a tree. The younger Uchiha sputtered, his hands digging into his brother's, trying to loosen the hold.

"Your time…is up."

His eyes slipped shut. He was going to die. Sasuke, finding it difficult to swallow, spat, but Itachi dodged it, sent the boy a sour look.

"Don't act like that, Sasuke. It isn't befitting of an Uchiha."

Bastard. You don't know…what it's like…

"You'll be dying now," Itachi murmured quietly, releasing his hold on the boy. Sasuke dropped to his knees, gasped for air. "It's not too healthy for this to continue. You'll be saying hello to Sakura for me, won't you?" His hand raised, the kunai firmly gripped, stationed by his ear.

Sasuke looked up, eyes wide. "You…killed her…?" he sputtered, disbelievingly. "You –"

XXX

Sakura blinked, stared at him, startled. "What are you –"

"That wasn't for you to see," the Uchiha murmured, eyes shut. A soft sigh escaped him, his eyes opened again.

XXX

Their eyes met, briefly. Sasuke's mouth was dropped in horror.

"You can't be serious," he whispered. The sharingan was gone now, onyx orbs were wide, startled, angry. "You can't do this to me."

There was a ghost of a smile on Itachi's lips, something Sasuke hadn't seen in years. That half-smile he used to show when he was told, 'Maybe later.' And once more, he saw it, as the kunai was pressed against Itachi's jugular. "But I will. There is more than one way to kill someone, Sasuke. Surely you, of all people, understand this. When I killed the clan, I gave you a reason to live. Now…I'll take it away," he whispered quietly. There was a pause, and Itachi hesitated.

"I need you to take care of her."

Sasuke watched, wide-eyed, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to stop the kunai from pushing through. Itachi crumpled to the forest ground, eyes shut. And the remaining Uchiha rose to his feet, shakily, looking down at the dead body in front of him.

There were two familiar chakra signals approaching, and fast. Naruto and Sakura. He had five minutes to compose himself before they arrived.

A/N – I'm well aware that Sasuke would kill Itachi, rather than bring him back. I just thought I might pop in something new. Like Itachi says somewhere up there: "There is more than one way to kill someone."

And yes, Itachi died. Everything will be explained, in good time.

Review, please! I'd like to know if I should continue - currently, I'm not sure if I should.