Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Summary: Konoha won the war against Sound but now everybody Sakura ever loved is gone, and so she decides that life isn't worth living anymore. Deidara stops her from killing herself and she joins the Akatsuki for just one last adventure. Sakura x Deidara
I suck very badly at summaries, but please give the story a chance!
"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed, as she watched him fall to the ground with a loud thud. He was bleeding everywhere, and his eyes were no longer red from the sharingan, but from the thick, red blood. Sakura knew that instant that the great Uchiha was was blind. He must have been in excruciating pain at the moment- and for a person who had always depended on their eyes, it must have been so horrible being unable to see anymore.
She looked over at the mutilated body next to him. Orochimaru. She felt like spitting on him, but decided against it. What was the point? He was finally dead, thanks to Sasuke here. She kneeled down and stroked Sasuke's hair, brushing it out of his now bloody face. She felt her heart clench at the obvious pain he was in. Her eyes stung with tears but she refused to cry. She had to show him that she could be strong.
"S-Sakura?" Sasuke asked, spitting blood everywhere. Sakura hushed him, telling him not to push himself too hard. Everything would be alright, he just had to calm down and get some rest. She would find a way to heal him. Her hands started glowing green with her chakra and she immediately started healing his wounds. "N-no. Don't bother, Sakura. I know I'm going to d-die... I j-just wanted to say..."
"Don't you dare, Sasuke. We've come this far to find you, and now that we have- we're definitely not going to lose you again." Sakura interrupted him, sounding just as painfully desperate as she had been when he first left her. Her chakra was almost completely depleted from fighting all of Orochimaru's followers, but she continued trying to heal Sasuke anyways. It wouldn't be fair if he died after years of harsh training with the main purpose of bringing him back. It was her motivation, the reason why she persevered. She would never be able to accomplish anything if it weren't for the thought of being with him again.
"I know i-it's a little too l-late, but... I l-love you. Always h-have... Thanks f-for everything, Sakura." Sasuke said, ignoring Sakura's words. With that said, the corners of his mouth twitched upwards in the slightest way and he soon stopped breathing. Sakura, who had refused to cry throughout the entire ordeal let her tears fall freely, now. It had happened again- she wasn't strong enough to make him stay before, and not even now. He had left again, and this time, there was no chance he was ever coming back. Was all her hard work for nothing? She had surpassed Tsunade years ago, but apparently even that wasn't enough.
"No, no, no!" Sakura screamed, using all the air inside her lungs. "Sasuke, no! You can't just leave! I've- I've waited too long!" Sakura screamed even louder, her body was racking with sobs. Even to this day she had kept a special place in her heart solely for him, and now he was gone. She never would've pictured everything to end this way. Of course not. She pictured him coming back to Konoha with her completely healthy and unscathed. She pictured them happy together, but all that was impossible, now.
Suddenly a scream pierced the air. Sakura's crying lessened to mere hiccups, and she hurriedly ran to the source of the scream. When she reached the scene, her eyes widened in horror. Ino was lying there with a long sword shoved right through her stomach. From where she was standing, she could tell that her beautiful, and once energetic best friend was now dead. She assumed the twitching body next to her was the killer, but he was slowly dying- a kunai was sticking out of his throat. He deserved to die the most painful of deaths! In her fury, she threw several kunai at him, but he barely reacted. He was probably in too much pain already to even feel the kunai now lodged in his arms and legs.
Ino-pig. Her best friend. Without her she would still be the crying mess she was when she was six- oh wait, she still was. Sakura shakily brought her hand up to her pale face, now dripping with blood. She still looked so perfect, so heart breakingly beautiful. Sakura felt her skin- it was still a little warm. Who was going to comfort her? She was supposed to be there with her, every step of the way. Sakura never imagined a life without Ino being there- Every time she'd break up with her boyfriend, Ino was supposed to be the one to come stay the night at her apartment bringing in a tub of ice cream. If she ever got married, Ino was going to be the bride's maid. They were supposed to retire together and live until they were old grannies, sitting on rocking chairs and sharing their life's stories.
She choked back more sobs as she stood up and walked away from the body. Everywhere she turned were bloodied corpses. She recognized one of them- Kabuto. She had killed him personally, but it had taken her a while to do so. He was a hard opponent, and had improved quite a lot from Orochimaru, but unluckily for him, she was better.
"Naruto? Kakashi? Where are you?" She called out, desperate for someone to answer. As she looked around, she realized that so far, she was the only survivor- and it killed her inside. She wasn't strong enough to save Sasuke, or Ino, or anybody! She was only able to keep herself alive, but that didn't mean anything to her, not now. Why did this have to happen?
She started sobbing as she recognized more of the corpses. There was Kiba, with Akamaru lying right beside him. They stayed together until the very end, but their end was much too early. She gently stroked Akamaru's fur, which was all matted with blood, and choked back a sob. The poor dog felt so cold. Akamaru was supposed to be a happy, bouncy dog, full of life and energy. This... This wasn't right.
A few metres away from him lay Neji, whose eyes had been scraped out, and as she wandered around the battlefield alone, she spotted all the others as well. Tenten, Lee, Hinata, Shino, Chouji, Sai, and even Shikamaru. Sakura couldn't believe it- they were all dead. She let out a strangled cry as she fell to the ground. It couldn't be true.
Even the genius had been killed. How was it possible? Shikamaru Nara, one of the smartest ninja she had ever met, had died. She could always go to him for advice, or ask for an honest opinion, no matter how brutal it could be. She could always depend on Shikamaru for basically anything. He was laid-back, always relaxed, and he always seemed to know just what to do. It was hard for Sakura to see him sprawled on the ground completely lifeless. He was facing upwards, as if staring into the clouds like he always did.
Neji, the arrogant and proud Hyuuga. Even though he was a little big-headed, she still adored the man. One of her most favorite things to do was to simply annoy the hell out of the stoic ninja. He very rarely ever showed emotion, and it gave Sakura a sense of pride when she was able to draw some out of him. She gently touched the symbol on his forehead. He had been able to accept it because of Naruto. Sakura felt sorry for Neji, sorry that he had been bound to such a fate. It wasn't fair, after all he had gone through. He should've lived a happy life.
Tenten, the weapons mistress. She was also one of Sakuras closest friends. She was quite the tomboy, and was always there for Sakura when she needed her to be. The young, brown haired girl was also very talented. Sakura had fond memories of Tenten teaching her how to use the weapons. Whenever they sparred- only weapons, of course- Tenten would always win. She was so skilled, so fast, and Sakura could barely ever keep up. She must have put up quite a fight against her opponents.
There was also Lee. The most passionate and devoted boy Sakura had ever met in her entire life. He would have done anything for her if it would make Sakura happy. He had been such a wonderful friend, as well as an awesome bar buddy. He was so child-like, and still was, although he had growon into a fine young man. Sakura would definitely miss hanging out with him. He shouldn't have died yet.
Sakura would miss the shy, quiet Hinata. Her habit of twiddling her fingers when she was nervous had stayed with her as she grew up. She turned out to be a beautiful kunoichi, and a strong one at that. The girl was also very sweet, and no one could say no to her. She always knew how to calm Sakura down during her more frustrating times. She was also the one to keep Naruto the slightest bit quieter when she was around.
Sakura would even miss Shino, the mysterious bug-boy. As she grew up, she had gotten to know the boy better, and the two became quite close friends. He always knew the right thing to say, and Sakura trusted him enough to tell him many of her secrets. He was quiet, sure, but when she got him talking, she actually enjoyed it. He was a great conversationalist, and Sakura found it amusing how he was a little touchy on the subject of being ignored.
And Chouji. Who could ever forget him? He was big and strong. He was also a warrior. He and Sakura understood each other. They both had gone through tough times and intense training- Sakura's motive to get stronger. Chouji's was to become fit. He was tired of being called fat, and she was tired of being called weak. The two became good friends quite easily over the years, and Sakura was really going to miss eating barbecue with him- even if it was usually her ending up broke.
'Hag', 'Ugly', 'Whore'. Surprisingly, Sakura wished she could hear Sai calling her those words. To hear his voice- anything, as long as he was alive. He had come a long way from when he first entered Team seven. After a slow and somewhat painful process, he finally made true friends, that stuck with him to the end. He was an amazing artist, and Sakura wished she could see him paint another picture. He let her watch once. She had watched as he painted so gracefully with each stroke, how all the colours blended in and made the picture seem so alive.
She couldn't believe they were all dead.
Sakura pinched herself, just to make sure it wasn't a horrible nightmare. When she didn't 'wake up', she immediately started sobbing. They couldn't have all left her. After around a solid ten minutes of crying, she finally stood up, completely shaken.
Who knew Orochimaru recruited so many? Konoha's ninja were outnumbered, but they had managed to kill every last one of Orochimaru's men- but at the expense of their lives. Sakura held her arms around herself, biting her lip to make sure she didn't sob or cry out anymore. If she started, she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to stop.
She continued on, walking around aimlessly. She even spotted Gaara and his siblings. Suna had decided to help as well, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for them. All their soldiers had died helping Konoha finally kill Orochimaru, who had somehow gotten stronger than anybody would have ever expected. Sakura walked over to the corpse of the red-haired by, and gently touched his tattoo. She flinched at the contact- his skin was so cold.
How did she survive? She kneeled down and punched the ground in frustration and anger. She didn't deserve to live, not when everybody she had ever cared for was gone. Why couldn't it be her dead instead of everybody else? No matter how hard she tried, she never succeeded. She couldn't even stop the stream of tears flowing down her face at the moment. She had never been strong enough- if she had been, she could've prevented this all from happening.
Sakura realized that she hadn't found her other teammates' bodies yet. Kakashi and Naruto. She figured they couldn't be dead- especially not Naruto. He was going to be hokage some day. It was his lifelong dream, and he was so close to it. He couldn't die just yet. And there was Kakashi, the famous copy-nin. There was no possible way they could ever leave her. Her thoughts were interrupted by a groan coming from underneath a pile of bodies.
"Naruto? Is that you?" Sakura exclaimed, rushing over to quickly push the bodies off of her dear friend. One of her only precious people left. She wasn't going to let him die, too. There was absolutely no way she would allow that. He was like a brother to her- one that had supported her all these years, who had been there for her every step of the way. If he died, she wouldn't know what to do.
"S-sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice barely audible. He, like everybody on the battlefield, was bleeding profusely. Sakura's eyes widened considerably, it was a wonder he was even alive. She summoned her chakra once again, and immediately started healing him. He couldn't die yet, not Naruto. It wasn't his time! He had to fulfill his life-long dream to be hokage! Sakura scrunched her face up in concentration, closing up his wounds as fast as she could.
"Naruto! Keep holding on, you'll be okay. Whatever you do, just don't give up." Sakura assured him, continuing to concentrate deeply. She would be damned if she let him die. So far, he was the only one left- if Kakashi had died. She didn't even want to think of that possibility, but she hadn't seen or heard of him since then. She didn't know what she'd do. The two had always had her back, it would be too painful to even think of living without them.
"S-sakura-chan... You know I l-love you, right?" He asked, lifting his hands up to caress her cheek lightly. Sakura nodded furiously, and with a creaky voice, she told him yes, and that she loved him too. The two shared a special bond. They both thought of each other as family, as siblings. Nothing more, and both Sakura and Naruto knew that. "G-good." He choked out, before smiling softly as Sasuke had. Sakura's eyes widened, and she tried shaking him. His eyes remained open, but the life in them started to disappear.
Sakura watched as his eyes dulled, no longer filled with life. It was the most painful moment in her life, watching him die there in her arms, and she clutched her chest as if it would help stop her heart from breaking into more pieces. Out of everybody, Naruto was the one she expected to stick by her forever. He was her brother for goodness sake! He wasn't supposed to leave her- but he just had. And even though it wasn't his fault, it still hurt her the most.
"This can't be happening." Sakura sobbed to herself, wrapping her arms around herself for the slightest bit of comfort. She heard some coughing a short distance away, but she continued to sit there. If it was an enemy, then let them kill her- she didn't care anymore. She closed her eyes for any impact, but when it didn't come, she slowly got up, confused. She heard the coughing again and she headed slowly towards the sound, not bothering to think of the consequences.
There was a huge boulder, pinning a man's arm and leg. The rest of his body was bloody like everything else, and his clothes were torn in many places. She saw the glint of silver hair and her eyes widened. Kakashi. She ran towards him, trying to push the boulder off. She was too tired, though, her strength and chakra depleted after trying desperately to save Sasuke and Naruto. She looked down at Kakashi's pained face, and realized that he, too, was going to die.
She broke down beside him, sobbing harder now. Kakashi, with that last bit of his strength brushed her pink hair out of her face in a lovingly manner. "Sakura... Please... Don't cry for me..." He croaked, then went into a coughing fit. Sakura sobbed even more, burying her face into his chest. She felt Kakashi pat her back with his free hand. "Sakura... I want you to... Take my sharingan." He said, completely serious. Sakura looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Please, Sakura. Take it." He said, before he started coughing again.
Sakura nodded, and tried to calm herself enough to stop trembling. Kakashi had always been a father figure to her, and if taking his sharingan was his last dying wish, she was definitely going to fulfill it. She did the surgery as carefully as she could, switching her eye with Kakashi's. It wasn't too difficult- she had surpassed Tsunade and had become an extraordinary medic. She blinked a few times, adjusting to her new eye, when suddenly Kakashi spoke up once again. "I love you. Remember that, okay Sakura?... Be strong for me. Take care of Naruto." He said, before passing away slowly just like the others had.
"No, Kakashi, not you too. Please, please!" Sakura wailed, banging her hands into Kakashi's chest. His hand was still on her back, and his skin was still warm. Sakura looked at his maskless face, and carefully touched his cheek, his scar, and his lips. She never pictured the first time she would have ever seen him without his mask on would be like this.
She struggled to get up, and when she did, she clenched her fist and screamed as loud and as long as she possibly could. Her throat was sore, and her eyes were still blurry with tears. What was she going to do now? She had nowhere to go- everybody she loved in Konoha was right here, dead. Her parents had passed away long ago, and Tsunade? She could live without her. She still had Shizune back in Konoha.
That's when Sakura decided that she would leave for good. She wasn't going to return to Konoha. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it. She'd be surrounded with memories every single day, and reminders that she was the sole survivor of this war. She knew she couldn't handle it. Everybody would pity her, feel sorry for her, and possibly even hate her for not being strong enough to protect the others. She had tried her best, to say the least, but it just wasn't enough.
Tsunade would send troops down, after she realized that nobody was coming back. She'd collect the bodies and hold a massive funeral. Sakura clenched her aching chest again at the thought of even being there at the funeral. There was no way Sakura could live through that. She pictured the memorial stone, with everybody's name engraved on the surface. She decided that she'd let the people of Konoha believe she had died along with the others.
Sakura searched around for a corpse that looked a little similar to her, and permanently changed its appearance to match hers. She made her way back to Kakashi, surgically taking out her eye from his socket. Even though he was already dead, Sakura took extra caution not to mar his face in any way. She quickly disposed the eye, biting her lip as she did so. Sakura then searched for her pack holding the last of her belongings, and took off into the forest.
End of chapter! Please review!
This chapter was really short, but I felt that it should stop there. I usually aim for around 10,000 words but since this is the first chapter of the story I thought I'd make an exception. I've got everything basically planned out, so I know what's going to happen- I just need to write the chapters. Err, I hope you enjoyed reading, and please leave some feedback!