this is the final chapter, and yes, there is character death involved. (yes, i killed sasuke) I know, you all hate me now, but thanks for reading anyway! Hope you liked it!

Chapter 7

Naruto was sobbing, holding Sasuke to him, no longer paying attention to the rules that Tsunade and Sakura had given him. Sasuke wasn't shaking as violently as he had been, but the seizure still went on, Sasuke's eyes still shining with white rather than the beautiful obsidian orbs that Naruto loved.

It seemed like forever when Naruto could finally feel that Sasuke had stopped shaking enough for him to take the Uchiha to the hospital. He had tried to move several times, but Sasuke's violent spasams had stopped him from getting far from fear of dropping the black-haired boy.

He carefully hefted Sasuke into his arms, pulling the still slightly shivering boy against his chest and standing. Sasuke struggled weakly, his head moving back and forth, and Naruto looked down at him.

Those eyes that he loved, the deep black eyes that shone with tears, met his own blue eyes. Sasuke smiled slightly, the blood dripping from his mouth and nose ruining the image. His voice, when he managed to get it out, was weak and little more than a whisper.

"T-thank you… I… I l-love you… N-Naru….to…"

Sasuke's head fell back, his body going completely limp.

Naruto felt his heart stop, and he shook Sasuke slightly. "Sasuke?"

There was no response.

"Sasuke, answer me! Don't you do this, open your eyes!" Naruto called frantically, shaking Sasuke as he sank to his knees on the cold wooden floor. "Sasuke, please!"

Panic took a hold of Naruto, and he frantically began to perform CPR, his mind not comprehending that the only way to save Sasuke now would be to find the Hokage. All he could think of was that if he could get Sasuke to breathe again, everything would be okay.

"Please…" Naruto pleaded as he pressed on Naruto's chest. "Breathe for me, Sasuke, please…"

His tears fell down onto Sasuke's face, dripping down the pale cheeks and across his throat. He continued until his wrists ached and his lungs burned, and then collapsed across Sasuke's chest, sobbing into his shirt.

"Sasuke… Sasuke, come back… please, come back… don't leave me…"

Naruto leaned away slowly, looking down at Sasuke's face. The Uchiha was at complete peace, a small smile on his bloodied lips and his face relaxed. He was happy. Naruto choked back his tears, brushing the black strands away from the other's pale face with a shaking hand.

"You're welcome, Sasuke… I don't know why you thanked me, but… you're welcome…" He smiled, gathering the limp body to his chest and rocking slowly back and forth, his nose buried in the Uchiha's raven hair. "And I love you too…"

Sakura walked toward the Uchiha main house, feeling as though a cold hand had wrapped around her heart and was squeezing relentlessly. Something in her knew that something was wrong, and yet she couldn't seem to figure out what it was.

She tapped on the door to let them know that she was there, and there was no answer. She had assumed that the pair would be up and about, considering that it was nearly halfway through the day. Sasuke had never been a late sleeper by any means, even though Naruto was no morning person.

The pink-haired girl slowly opened the door, cautious. As she did she instantly was hit with the feeling of wrongness, stronger than it had been outside. Panic flooded through her body as she realized that no one had been up in the house yet.

She threw open the door, her caution gone, and ran through the house towards Sasuke's bedroom. The door was ajar, not enough for her to see in, but enough for her to easily push it open with little more than a touch.

Her hands instantly flew to her mouth.

Naruto was crouching on the bed in the center of the room, his arms wrapped around a stiffening Sasuke. He was completely still, his face buried against Sasuke's neck, his shoulders shaking slightly as he no doubt cried against the Uchiha.

Sakura took a step forward, and then spoke. "N-Naruto?"

The boy looked up, showing blue eyes that were bloodshot and still filled with tears, the wetness trailing down his whiskered cheeks. He choked slightly. "He's gone, Sakura… I… I couldn't save him… he's gone…"

He returned to crying against Sasuke's neck.

Sakura moved forward, looking Sasuke over to see if there was any chance that he could be saved. When she touched his wrist she found his skin cold and his fingers stiff; rigor mortis had already set in, he had been dead for a while now. He was gone, and there was no bringing him back.

She lowered her head, tears gathering in her eyes and falling. Though she didn't know the circumstances, it was easy to see that Sasuke had no doubt died in Naruto's arms, and the blond had been unable to do anything about it. She did not want to ask what had happened, though her mind wondered.

She placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, standing to go and fetch the Hokage so they could ready Sasuke for burial. "I'm sorry, Naruto…"

Sakura left him there, and Naruto stayed there until Tsunade came an hour later to take Sasuke's body from him. The Hokage could do nothing more than offer her apologies, but Naruto simply watched silently, his eyes dark.

'Goodbye Sasuke…'

Many years later, as the new Hokage took up the position and the people of Konoha began to settle down with their new leader, they all learned one thing about this person.

Once a year, around springtime, on a certain day, he would disappear. None of his ANBU would go with him, and no one ever knew where he went. The blond would simply vanish and then reappear the next day as though nothing had happened.

Sakura Haruno, one of the Hokage's most trusted friends, was often asked what became of him on that day, and she would do nothing more than smile sadly and look off into the distance.

"Just to visit an old friend."