"There is no real endings, only new beginnings. Over the horizon comes something new, something fresh. Forget the past and look to the future."

--Sasaki Himetsuru, A.k.a-Myself.

They'd snuck in quietly. Silently, wordlessly. Yet, it still seemed that they were noticed. They swooped in the streets, silently grabbing villagers and disappearing. It was their mission. The mission the large group of shinobi had been assigned was to grab innocent villagers and get them outside the city walls, a ways away.

Sakura was carrying out the mission, avoiding attack and being nimble and swift, but every chance she got her eyes desperately scanned her surroundings for signs of the red-head she dreamed about. '..Where are you?' she thought desperately, hoping nothing had happened to him.

She'd ran into Kankuro while escorting a villager out and he gave her a nod, a maniacal grin crossing his face. She nodded back, and contemplated asking him where Gaara was. Deciding the safety of the villager at hand was more important, she headed out of the city again. Most of the territory surrounding Suna was desert, so the villagers didn't have much of a place to hide, but there had been a group of shinobi that'd stayed with them to keep them safe.

xXx

"Damnation! The Konoha brats!" the man cursed, fists clenching. He paced back and forth, a ways away from the village, on a hill overlooking it. The man beside him peered at the ant-sized nin below, and his keen eyes spotted pink hair.

A small smirk played across his lips, parting to form one word: "Sakura."

"What about her?" Orochimaru snapped. "She's insignificant. The mission here is to completely annihilate Sand."

"I believe I'll go kill a few of them," Sasuke said, before moving towards the village. Orochimaru put an arm in front of him.

"I don't think so, Sasuke-kun," he said, smirking as he looked at the burning village.

"Don't touch me," the man hissed, before shoving a white-pale arm away from his chest. He then strode confidently, arrogantly in the direction of the village, taking his time.

"Cocky little wretch," Orochimaru hissed, glaring down at him.

xXx

Sakura had taken to fighting off Sound nin and trying to put out as much of the fire as she could as other Konoha shinobi escorted stragglers out of the village. She'd used some of her medic skills to heal some Sand nin when she had time, and a few times had barely avoided fatal damage.

"H-Help me," one nin croaked, reaching out to her. After looking around to see if any danger was coming, she rushed over to him, and immediately began healing his wounds. As she tended to him, she gave him some water, which he guzzled thirstily.

"Look out!" Sakura barely had time to think before someone swooped upon her, grabbing her up under his arm.

A giant arm came crashing down on the spot where she was, killing the nin she'd been healing on contact.

"Are you alright?" a male voice asked, and Sakura looked up into Neji's pale, concerned eyes.

"I-I'm fine," she whispered, gripping his arm tightly. "Arigatou."

He nodded, before gently setting her down, safe. He then disappeared. Sakura stood shakily to her feet, and ducked barely in time to miss a leg trying to kick at her. She grabbed the Sound nin's other leg, and channeled her chakra into her arms, giving her superhuman strength. Yelling out, the threw him up in the air. She leaped, and as he was falling, appeared in front of him and reared back her fist. She sent a blow to his gut that could shatter bones, and he was sent flying.

She flipped back, sliding along the ground gracefully. She huffed, before rounding on a terrifying-looking creature. It stood around 9 feet tall, and carried a large club on its shoulder. Though dumb-looking, Sakura didn't underestimate it. She furrowed her brows, and crouched on her powerful legs for a jump. She leaped his in the air, and came crashing down on his shoulders. As he began stumbling, she took the chance to raise her fist and deliver a fatal, bone-crunching blow to the head. He went down instantly. Hopping off the carcass easily, she ran.

Coming upon a different area of the village, was when she saw him. He had easily kicked down a foreign nin, and they caught gazes.

She stood stark still, and so did he. She felt like breaking down right there, under the intensity of his stare.

They were both awakened from their staring contest by narrowly dodging the kunai of sound shinobi attacking. They backed up, their own kunai gripped tightly in their hands and pressed the blades of the enemy. Soon they were back to back, struggling against their foes.

"Why are you here?" he grunted, shoving the blades away for a moment. Sakura was being pushed back, and her back pressed against Gaara's, causing her to wince.

"I-I was sent, with the others," she grunted in reply, breathing heavily from exhertion. One blade lashed out and slashed her cheek a bit, causing her to yelp a bit. Gaara's head jerked, and he looked at her, one black-rimmed eye closed as his own breathing was already erratic from all the fighting he'd done.

"This is the biggest army I've ever seen," he groaned, struggling, pressed between the kunoichi, and the enemies. "... Suna's falling, I can't save it.."

Tears came to his eyes, and he furrowed his non-existent eyebrows. "I can't save it.." he repeated, choking on a sob.

"The villagers are safe," Sakura breathed, kicking at one of the men opposing her. "Escape with me, come with the rest of us!"

"I won't leave," he grunted in reply, a blade cutting at his leather vest.

"The villagers are safe, that's what counts!" Sakura cried. "Just come, I love you too much for you to get killed.. You can't defeat them all by yourself!"

Gaara was silent for a moment, his heavy breathing the only sound coming out of him. "...Watch me," he growled, before summoning a rush of strength and shoving all the blades away. In a series of intricate taijutsu moves, he'd taken down 7 Sound shinobi in record time. He then assisted Sakura with her wave of men, and grabbed her arm roughly.

"Get out of here," he hissed, before shoving her in the direction of the gates. With a mighty punch, he took down another two shinobi.

"I won't leave you!" she cried, running into his arms and hugging him tightly. "I love you so much, why can't you love me?!"

He gently shoved her away, grunting. "I want you to be safe.. Get out of here, before you get yourself killed!"

Sakura had turned to run away, tears in her eyes, when she ran into a rock-hard chest. She slowly looked up, and her eyes widened in terror and realization.

Her lips couldn't form the syllables.

"Sakura, how nice to see you... After all these years." he smirked widely, showing rows of shiny, perfectly-lined pearly whites. She could see hints of fangs, on his canine teeth.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" she spat, not having to fight off any Sound nin. They were all too scared of the Uchiha to go anywhere near them.

"Come with me, Sakura," he murmured, grinning evilly down at her.

"Never," she hissed, turning to run. He grabbed her, wrapping arms around her and pulling her roughly into him. He leaned down to whisper into her ear, "Join me, Sakura... You'll have the life you always wanted.."

"I don't love you, Sasuke!" she growled, trying to pull away. He held her tight, and she could feel her ribs starting to fracture. She squeaked, trying to breathe.

"Sakura!" Gaara called, but he was too overwhelmed with enemy nin to help.

"If you don't come willingly, I might take you by force.." he purred, chuckling smoothly into her ear.

"Let her go, Sasuke," spoke an ice-cold voice from behind them.

'Kakashi-sensei!' Sakura's mind screamed in relief.

Sasuke let her go slowly, and Sakura dropped to her hands and knees, coughing up blood.

"Kakashi," Sasuke smirked, standing completely comfortably and unguarded.

"You seem confident," Kakashi glared at him. "You underestimate me."

"I'm twenty now, Kakashi," Sasuke shrugged, lifting his hands up and smirking. "What can I say? I know you'll lose."

"We don't know until we try!" Kakashi growled, leaping at him, kunai drawn. Sasuke drew his sword, and metal clashed against metal. Sakura spotted Neji, busy as well, surrounded by nin. The enemies were everywhere, and the early morning sun bore down on them. Sniffling, and hacking up more blood, she wiped the goo off on her skirt, and struggled to her feet. Putting a healing hand to her chest, she stumbled towards Gaara, who was several yards away, when suddenly a great shadow loomed over her.

Standing before her had to be the most horrendous being she'd ever seen. At least twenty feet tall, it gave a wide, almost-toothless grin, looking at her with small, black, beady eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat and she looked up at its looming figure with wide eyes. She couldn't move; she was scared out of her mind.

The thought that ran through her head at the moment: '..I'm going to die.'

"Sakura!" came three different voices at the same time. So many faces ran through her head. So many faces, so many faces.

She was swimming in a beautiful lake, surrounded by a field of flowers. Gaara was with her, laughing, splashing her.

The lake turned into a castle, and she was getting married in front of it. She looked at her groom. He was faceless, his head was a blur. Why was he faceless? Did it mean she didn't know who she loved?

Impossible.

The castle scene swirled away, turning into a mountain-top view, snow swirling about her. She was holding tightly to a hand, fingers interlaced. She looked at the face of the person she was holding hands with, and saw black-rimmed eyes and a faint smile. She squeezed his hand, and he looked at her. Her heart swelled when he gave her a small smile. A faint blush rested upon her cheeks as she gazed at him, his red locks ruffling slightly in the cool, wintery breeze.

The scene faded away, turning into the living room of a home. She was on the couch, cuddled up to someone. She saw coffee-brown locks draped over his face and brushed them aside gently, seeing the peaceful, sleeping face of Neji. His arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her close.

'Neji?' she thought, and tried to pull away from him. But he held her tight, growling.

"Get away!" she cried, struggling more. The romantic homey setting turned into reality, and she realized it wasn't Neji that was gripping her, it was the giant beefy hand of the beast who towered over her minutes before.

The hand constricted her tighter, and she winced in pain, feeling a bone crack. She cried out in pain, and Gaara's head jerked in her direction.

He didn't notice the pale man sneaking up behind him, sword at the ready.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"SAKURA!" Gaara yelled, shoving away a Sound nin and starting for the beast holding her.

She couldn't cry out to him, warn him of the fatality right behind him, couldn't speak. She was being squeezed too tight, her vocals were contricted.

"SAKU—" A sword plunged straight through his chest.

Time stopped.

With a kunai to the foot by Kakashi, the demon dropped Sakura, who was caught by Neji.

It seemed as if everything happened in slow motion, to her anyways.

"GAARAAAAAAAAA!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, eyes watering and tears spilling out of her eyes.

She could see his breath hitch in his throat—his breathing become labored. His left hand clutched at his chest, eyes wide in shock and pain. Sakura reached out to him, continuing to scream his name as Neji carried her away, his arm hooked around her waist. She struggled violently, thrashing and trying to get to him.

"GAARAAAA, NOOO!!" She screamed, grasping for him, though he was several yards away. His right hand slowly lifted, and he reached out, eyes still wide and glazed over.

"….S-S…. Sa… kura…" he croaked, reaching out, while Neji carried her farther and farther away. Sakura was sobbing uncontrollably at the pitiful sight, her body shuddering. She screamed, beating on the Hyuga's arm violently. He winced, but ran on, farther and farther away.

Eventually, Gaara became out of sight, and Sakura passed out.

xXx

He looked down at the sword sticking out of his chest, and suddenly coughed, blood coming out of his mouth and splattering against the ground. He looked blankly down at the blood, and up at the dark, cloudy sky. Rain drops began splattering against the ground, quickly becoming a heavy downpour, soaking everyone and everything in sight.

The rain pelted down on him, soaking him through and through, making his body even more chilled. With a cold chuckle, the man behind him wrenched the sword from his chest. This made Gaara groan loudly, choking and spitting up blood.

"I think we'll leave you to die," Orochimaru chuckled smoothly, turning his back on him. "Have fun in hell, Kazekage."

Gaara fell face-first, coughing up more blood. It began to pool around him, and the two evil men summoned what was left of the Sound army, and left Suna in ruin.

xXx

"Don't tell me it's true.." the woman gasped, tears coming to her eyes. Her hands covered her nose and mouth to stop her heavy breathing, trying to calm herself.

The silver-haired man nodded gravely, blood-stained jacket proof enough.

"…Suna… Has fallen."

(A/N: That's it, folks. Hope you enjoyed. If you truly liked my story, watch out for the sequel. Not sure what it'll be called yet, you'll just have to find out. As for me, I think I'll continue something else for a while until a big idea hits me. Anyways, here's some of the tracks I listened to.

"Don't Jump," by Tokio Hotel.

"All About Us," by TATU.

"Why Can't I," by Liz Phair(obviously. xD)

"Wonderwall," by Oasis.

"Bring Me To Life," by Evanescence.

I love you all, truly and dearly. You don't know how much all of your reviews have meant to me. Please review for me? One more time? –Hearts- I'll give you all cookies. )