Summary: 'Empty. That's what I feel most of the time. Like there's no emotion inside of me. Some people call it depressed. I call it normal.' SasuNaru. Naruto becomes depressed with Kyuubi whispering false things in his mind. He thinks he's fooled everyone, but there's a certain someone who won't stop until he's found out what has happened to the blonde.

A/N: Well it's finally up guys! Sorry for the verylong wait this time. But I hope this makes it worth the wait. 14 pages long and a lot of sweat and tears. Especially tears. Holy shit guys, you wouldn't even believe. But I would like to thank you all for sticking with me until the very end and believing in me to get it done and up! And I would especially like to think all of the dark and emotional CMVs on Youtube that I watched that gave me a shit ton of inspiration to write this last chapter. It's because of those videos that I even started writing this chapter and they helped me figure out what was going to happen next. Also, thank you guys for voting on the last poll, even though I didn't give you any information. I really, really, really hope that you enjoy this one.

I had been in this room for almost a week. Naruto still hadn't woken up yet, but he was still going strong. "Naruto. Please just wake the fuck up." I begged him. I hadn't left the room for more than an hour and my back was starting to hurt from the stupid chair. I could hear footsteps coming towards the room and I quickly straightened up, wiping at my eyes. I could feel how raw my cheeks were becoming from me constantly brushing the tears away. But I ignored the pain and focused on looking composed. A soft knock came from the door. I ignored it and sat patiently as someone pushed it open. I turned my head slightly to see who it was out of the corner of my eye. "Hey, Sasuke. I brought the stuff you asked from your house." Sakura said, holding a bag out to me.

"Thanks." I said. I kept my voice low, almost like Naruto was only sleeping and not in a coma. I took the bag from her hands and reached into it. I pulled out a pillow and put it behind me, making the chair ten times more comfortable already.

"I'll stay and watch over him. Go take a shower." She said as she put a hand on my shoulder. I nodded and grabbed the bag.

"I won't be long. Just, you know, make sure nothing happens to him." I said and stood up. She just laughed.

"Of course." She said, a soft smile on her face. As I looked at her, I could tell that I wasn't the only one suffering from his coma. She had bags under her eyes as well and her eyes seemed to be red and puffy almost constantly recently.

With that, I walked past her and into the bathroom. I turned on the water and stripped off my clothes before stepping in. The water flowed over me and felt amazing on my skin. I knew what Naruto was talking about now. About not being able to feel anything. Like he was.. Empty. I felt like that almost. But I thought I was more numb than anything. I could feel the water ricocheting off of my body and slide and drip everywhere else. I was too lost in my own thoughts that I didn't hear anyone else was in the room until they spoke.

"Is he in there?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama. He won't be too long." Sakura told the Hokage. I decided that was a hint that I should start to hurry. I grabbed the shampoo and started to work on my hair, repeatedly telling myself to stop slacking around. That I shouldn't keep Tsunade waiting. So I rushed through my shower routine and stepped out to dry myself off with one of the towels provided. Once I felt that I got enough water off of me, I put on the clothes that I had Sakura fetch for me before stepping out.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Sakura. Give us a few minutes. Go check up on the rest on the Unit." The blonde woman ordered. The younger female quickly bowed and left the room in a hurry. "Sasuke. I know that this is a bad time for you, but we need you out of the room for a day or two." She said. My brows furrowed and I pursed my lips.

"I'm not leaving until Naruto wakes up."

"Uchiha, this is not up for discussion. I need you. I can't send anyone else without fear that they wouldn't return."

"Tell me the mission and I'll think about it."

"You're going. It doesn't matter on if you think about it or not."

"Tell me the mission." I repeated with my voice lower than before. Dangerous.

"I have reason to believe that we have traitors in the village. People plotting to get rid of you."

"So you're sending me right into the storm?"

"Have a little faith in me, brat. You're going on an ANBU mission with them. You don't really know them, but they know a whole lot about you. If they think that you trust them and don't know what's coming, Shikamaru thinks that they'll try to attack while out on a mission and claim it a rouge or something. So you're going to go in fully prepared, but won't let them know that. If they attack you.. Just survive. If nothing happens, you come home safe and sound. I'd appreciate it if you brought them back alive as well. If Shikamaru and I are right, then they need to be punished. Bring them alive once they've proven their treason and I will take care of them." She explained. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and just looked at her. "Like I said Uchiha. You are going. Like it or not. It's entirely up to you if you survive or not. Meet me at my office in an hour to meet the crew." She said before turning on her heels and walking out of the door.

Before I could react, the door opened again to reveal Sakura. "Don't piss her off, Sasuke. She's just trying to protect the village. And you."

"I'm not leaving until Naruto wakes up." I said stubbornly.

"Sasuke. There's a chance that he might never wake up. You know that right?" She asked softly. I turned my head to look at Naruto and stood silent for a moment.

"Yeah... I know."

"He's been in his coma for almost a week. Chances are that he'll stay that way until you get back."

"I can't leave. What if something happens while I'm gone?" I asked her as my shoulders dropped miserably. I could hear her sigh sadly and the sound of her moving closer. She put one arm around me as a hug.

"Well. Then I guess you better hurry and get back to him before that happens." I gave her a weak smile and let out a small chuckle.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am." She joked, bumping her hip into mine. I just shook my head and moved away from her.

"Look after him while I'm gone." I told her. She gave me a salute and a smile.

"You know I will." And with that, I turned to go to my house and gather my gear. As I shut the door behind me, I let out a deep breath.

"You better still be there when I come back, dobe." I ordered the blonde whiskered man in a whisper.

-SasuNaru-Naruto's POV-

I could hear them talking. First Tsunade, then Sakura. I tried my hardest to move my eyelids or my fingers. I tried everything. But I couldn't muster the willpower to do much. I felt mentally drained and I could feel Kyuubi stirring anxiously in the farthest corner of my mind. I was getting tired of his chatter, so I pushed him as far from me as I could in my state. "The time's almost here." I could hear him whisper to me. I shook my head.

"The time for what?!" I shouted back at him. For the past few days, he's been talking to himself about 'the time' arriving. The longer we stayed here, the more jittery he got. It was starting to weird me out a little.

I could hear how quiet it was and it was almost like it was pushing in on me. It was then that I realized it was because the conversation on the outside had ceased and someone had left the room. If it hadn't been so quiet, I wouldn't have heard Sasuke from the other side of the door. I felt a smile pull at my lips. "I'll be waiting." I promised him. Even though I knew he couldn't hear me. I had a peaceful moment of silence and darkness until Kyuubi ruined it. "Almost. I can feel it. It's about to happen."

Now I was starting to get angry. "Will you please just shut up?!" I yelled at him from across my mind. Almost as if to taunt me, he got louder. And louder. I turned to his general direction and shouted as loudly as I could. "Shut up!" Along with my words, I could feel my actual lips moving to say the exact same thing. Then I realized I was back. I was awake and able to move once more. I swiftly opened my eyes to take in my surroundings to see that Sakura was still here with me. Her eyes were wide and her lips formed to create an 'o' shape.

"You. You're awake!" She shouted. Then it seemed that her ninja duties took over. She all but leaped to the button that called for Tsunade to push it. I waited awkwardly as she tried to form words.

"Na-Naruto? What are-" She started to say but was interrupted by the door practically getting kicked open. The busty blonde was in the front, followed by a body that I could recognize anywhere. It took me a while to click the pieces together, but I knew who it was instantly. Sasuke. He was in his ANBU gear and his mask was covering his face. They were barely through the door when the Hokage started speaking.

"Please tell me he's.." She trailed off as she looked at me. A smile broke out on her face as she rushed over to me to wrap her arms around me. I didn't look at her though. I was focused on Sasuke. I couldn't see anything except for his eyes, but that was enough for me. I could see a range of emotions in them that I wished I felt. Happiness, sadness, wonder, and possibly guilt. Tsunade cleared her throat and stepped away from me. She looked back towards my boyfriend before putting a hand on Sakura to lead her out of the room.

As soon as they were out, it seemed like Sasuke was an entirely different person. He ripped the mask off and rushed towards me. His lips crashed onto mine. I could feel something wet on my cheeks. He pulled his mouth away but let his forehead rest on mine. "You fucker." He whispered softly. I could feel a soft smile tug at my lips.

"Sorry. This was unintended." I said, just as quietly. He just shook his head and kissed me once more. Then he sighed.

"I'm going on a mission. We were fixing to get debriefed when you woke up." He told me. I could feel my face turn sour.

"A mission? Why? How long are you going to be gone?" I asked him curiously. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not too sure. Hokage-sama wants me to go with these two who she thinks are traitors. All I have to do is see if they want me dead or not. Then I can come home." He told me. I could tell that he wasn't too thrilled about the mission himself, but something felt uneasy inside of me. Kyuubi was stirring in the back of my mind and my stomach seemed to churn.

"You just come back, okay?" I said with a kiss to his lips. He smiled.

"You just stay here. Got it, dobe?" He pulled away and gave me another smile before putting his mask on once more. "I shouldn't be gone for more than two weeks. I'll be back to see you soon." He turned to leave and opened the door.

"Sasuke!" I blurted. I was going to tell him about how I felt something was wrong. But when he turned to look at me, I chickened out. Instead, I gave him a soft smile. "I love you, teme." I could see the happiness and love in his eyes.

"I love you too, Naruto." Then he was gone.

-SasuNaru-

I felt terrible. My health seemed to have made a turn for the worse. I was doing just fine yesterday when Sasuke left, but now I felt weak. I didn't have any strength and had to have help doing the simplest things. Sakura had to assist me in getting dressed and going to the bathroom. I hated it. I hated feeling like I couldn't do anything. Tsunade didn't seem to know what was going on, but she was trying her hardest to fix me. "There could be some sort of parasite in you, but that is highly unlikely. We'll check and make sure though in a few hours." The Hokage told me earlier this morning. I didn't care. I just wanted this all to end.

-SasuNaru-Sasuke's POV-

Everything was going fine. The only thing that seemed wrong was their constant arguing. We've been traveling for only God knows how long. "Can we please just stop to rest for a few minutes?" One of them asked. I had no clue as to who these idiots were, only that they were both men and about my age.

"We have a mission to do! We have to get there as soon as possible!" The other yelled. I inwardly groaned.

"He's right. We should rest for a minute. Who knows how close this place is. We don't want to be caught tired." I intervened before either could say anything more. They both looked at me weird before continuing on with their conversation. So much for my opinion. It was like I didn't even exist today. I rolled my eyes at their antics and turned my attention from them to the trees. Night had come and gone without so much as a moment to sit. It wasn't noon yet, I could tell that much, but still. My feet were starting to hurt and I could feel a headache forming from their voices. Then I realized that they had shut up. I swung my head around to see what they were doing now. But they were gone.

I heard a twig snap somewhere to my left and quickly grabbed one of my kunais. I pivoted to look around, activating my Sharingan. One came at me from above, and I stepped back. The man fell to the ground, landing on his feet, and came at me swinging. I easily dodged his attacks and was about to retaliate when I heard the ground moving. I jumped into the trees to see where I had been standing a moment ago was completely gone. It seemed to collapse in on itself. I gave a soft sigh and looked around for the other idiot. He was in the process of making some more hand signs. I moved my left hand to rest at my side and focused my chakra. It had taken some time, but I had completely mastered Kakashi's original technique. A sound that resembled that of birds chirping rapidly. If I looked down at my hand, I would see lightning shooting out of it.

I moved as fast as I could. One moment I was on the branch, and the next I was back on solid ground with my hand through the man's chest. Lightning flickered on the other side of his body and I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. I ripped my hand out and touched my back. A blade was wedged in there. I pulled it out painfully and turned my red eyes towards the one who threw it. He was making hand signs for some sort of fire jutsu. I was faster. I sucked in as much air as I could before blowing it out towards him. Fire came flying out of my mouth and towards him, lighting everything it could on the way.

-SasuNaru-Naruto's POV-

Tsunade put me under some sort of gas. I wasn't entirely aware of what was going on, but I got the most of it. They weren't doing a whole lot other than checking my insides for a parasite. It was an obtrusive procedure, but necessary. I had a feeling that there was nothing inside of me except for the demon fox. But they insisted. So I let them probe me.

I was correct. There was nothing inside of me except for my demons. The three kunoiches were worried though. Since the possibility of the parasite was out of the question, they didn't know what else could be wrong with me. Kyuubi had been very quiet since I woke up, something I was starting to get suspicious of. He wasn't usually this silent unless I had really pissed him off. But he didn't seem angry with me. He seemed... Content. So when the females finally left the room, I retreated into the back of my mind until I was met with the gigantic cage that held the fox. I crossed my arms stubbornly. I felt much stronger in here than in the real world.

"What exactly are you doing in here?" I asked him, eyes narrowing with suspicion. He lifted his head up and gave me a wicked smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He answered me. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"Bullshit. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now answer the question." I demanded. He looked at me, analyzing me.

"I'm just preparing for my departure." He answered. The way he said it made it seem true, but I was still missing important pieces.

"Departure? Where do you think you're going?" I asked. He just gave me a wicked smile and chuckled.

"We are leaving this world. You're finally dying, and I'll finally be free again!" He exclaimed. That was when everything seemed to click.

"You've been doing this? You've been destroying my body?! Why?!" I hissed out at him. A paw reached out through the bars of his cage and motioned me closer. Without hesitation, I did so. I had nothing to fear with him so powerless. I had the control, not the demon.

"Why?! I've been stuck in your pathetic body for 18 years! I am trapped in here, and only get to stretch my limbs every few years! You try living this life! It's HELL!" His voice grew louder and louder. I hadn't realized it, but his paw had been inching closer to me. Then it wrapped around me tightly. I let out a gasp in surprise and tried to squirm free.

The more I tried to break free, the tighter it seemed to get. His face came into view, a smile clear on his face. My breathing hitched. "You're mine now, punk. It's about time we leave and make the Uchiha suffer as a bonus." He purred. My eyes widened and his grip seemed to become tighter. A feeling I hadn't felt in a very long time came at me full force. Fear. A scream escaped my lips and I could hear voices from outside of my head.

-SasuNaru-Sasuke's POV-

My breathing was uneven and my body was weak. I hadn't expected twenty more to have popped out. My back was to the trunk of the tree and I tried to listen to any clues as to where the others were. A twig snapped quite a ways away. They seemed to be retreating.

Just as I was started to relax, a flash come from the right and I turned to look. Before I could move, a fireball came flying towards me.

-SasuNaru-Naruto's POV-

I couldn't feel anything except for the immense pain on my insides. It felt as though they were being squeezed tighter and tighter. It hurt worse than anything I've ever felt before. I was aware of the three top kunoiches trying to get me to snap out of my trance-like state and to respond, but the pain was keeping me locked inside of my head, trapped with the Kyuubi gripping me as tight as he wished. He was cruel. He would sometimes let go briefly and give me a slimmer of hope that he was stopping only to put more pressure than before.

A warm feeling started in my stomach and I was scared that he finally popped something. But it seemed as though it was being put back in the right place. Kuruma didn't seem happy about it, so I figured it was one of the ladies.

-SasuNaru-Sasuke's POV-

My chest hurt with the pain of the burns left by the fireball. They had managed to scorch my bare skin, but the rest of me felt fine. I could see scratches over my body, but the adrenaline was keeping me from feeling them. My eyes scanned the surrounding area before my body relaxed. They were all dead. The battle hadn't been very long, but it had felt like it had lasted forever.

I allowed myself a moment of rest before my mind started up again. I had to get back to Naruto.

-SasuNaru-Sakura's POV-

We didn't know what was going on with him. I had thought that he had fallen asleep, until Shizune heard the scream he had made. He was unresponsive to everything we did, but I knew he was still with us. The machine against the wall confirmed it. Tsunade's hands glowed a green light and she placed them over anywhere she could think of that may be affected. First, his heart. But nothing was happening, so she moved them to his head. Nothing. Stomach. Something. Her face turned from anxious to concerned. She glanced up at us with a confused look on her face. "His insides are out of place." Was all she said.

Shizune immediately placed her hands beside the Hokage's and started trying to heal him as well. Naruto's breathing slowed down to a more peaceful state, but something still wasn't right.

-SasuNaru-Naruto's POV-

I could breathe. I felt like a huge pressure had been lifted off of me, although I knew that Kyuubi's grip was just as tight as ever. But now that the immense pain was gone, I put my hands over his and started to push desperately. But I was weak compared to Kyuubi. My hands were nothing more than a slight pressure on his knuckles. He just laughed at me.

"I've told you how it's going to end. You might as well just accept it." He chuckled.

"I thought you'd have learned by now. I don't give up." I answered with another push. By now, I was able to hear the frantic voices of the girls clearly. But I didn't bother trying to listen. Nothing of what they were saying made much sense to me anyways. Kuruma's mouth turned into a snarl and he squeezed me harder. I let out a gasp of surprise and felt myself struggling to breathe. I was acting without thinking and my mind went completely blank.

-SasuNaru-Sasuke's POV-

As I approached the Village, I could feel the tension building. Something wasn't right. I could feel it. Despite my exhaustion from the battle I had just endured, I forced my muscles to go as fast as possible. I had to get to Naruto before something dire happened. I had to be there! My feet pounded into the ground and I concentrated my chakra towards my feet. They glowed a soft blue and propelled me forward much faster than before.

After minutes, I had traversed much farther than with the traitors who attempted to kill me. I could see the village gates and I positioned my mask over my face properly. The men at the gate didn't even look at me. They knew who I was by now. I climbed onto the rooftop of the nearest building and used it as my road to the hospital.

-SasuNaru-Naruto's POV-

Kyuubi's grip continued to tighten as I struggled more and more. I had stopped thinking and was acting only by instincts. I scratched and punched and kicked and did all I could to try to escape his grasp. But just like my depression, it seemed to get worse.

Outside of my mind, I could hear the door opening and shutting, and a familiar voice calling out my name. But I felg as though he's not really talking to me. More like he's questioning the girls around me, wanting to know what is going on. Hands on me, rough and too big for a female. It gave me a surge of willpower and I took a chunk of Kuruma's hand into my mouth and bit down. He let out a noise the sounded a lot like a whimper and bubbles started to form where my mouth met with his skin. He dropped me like a hot potato and I could feel my body jerk in surprise. I landed on my feet. But something felt wrong. I couldn't tell what exactly, with the adrenaline pumping through my veins. But I knew something wasn't right. I quickly moved away from him. I understood very well that he had no intention of me escaping this Hell.

That was when I noticed that I wasn't walking like I should. I looked down and saw that my foot was bent at an angle that it was never meant to be in. I frowned at myself. Of course something like this would happen. It was just my luck!

-SasuNaru-Sakura's POV-

We were so busy on trying to control his breathing and his heart rate, that we barely noticed that something changed. We were all concentrated on Naruto's health that Shizune and I jumped when the door barged open. I turned my eyes to the intruder and my heart broke when I saw Sasuke's eyes behind his mask. They were wide with concern, filled with fear, and tired. Oh so tired. "Naruto?" He asked us. I just gave him a solemn look. I couldn't possibly tell him what was wrong with his boyfriend, not when I didn't know the answer. "Naruto? Naruto!" He started saying over and over, louder and louder. Before we could stop him, he was hovering over his boyfriend, hands on Naruto's shoulders.

He started shaking softly, slowly getting more frantic. I put my hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. "We need room to work, Sasuke." I whispered. The man practically froze and jerked himself backwards to give us space. "Thank you." I told him sadly. I just so happened to look down at his feet and noticed that the left was bent. I pulled the covers down past it and gasped. It wasn't like that earlier!

"Tsunade!" I called. She quickly moved to where she could see what I was looking at and froze.

"What the hell is going on?" She hissed. She moved back to his torso and continued healing what I thought might be his kidney. I straightened his foot and started healing the bones.

-SasuNaru- Naruto's POV-

My stomach felt warm and my foot was starting to feel funny. I looked down and noticed that it was now straight. What the fuck was going on? I scratched my head confused before being hit by something very strong and large. I smashed into the wall and felt the wind being forced out of my lungs.

Kyuubi's hand came crashing down on me and I felt my bones breaking. I let out a yell of pain because it really fucking hurt. I lay on the ground of my mind, my limbs not cooperating with what I was telling them. I whimpered in pain and watched as Kyuubi smiled like a maniac. His figure loomed over me and one of his massive claws hovered over my chest. I wished he would just get it over with. He was going to kill me, and I hated having to wait for it. My eyes flashed red in anger and I heard gasps coming from all around me but the beast's mouth never moved.

-SasuNaru- Sasuke's POV-

I watched as they operated on the love of my life. His eyes were wide open and his body kept twisting without anyone touching him. I felt as though I knew what was happening, but my mind was going much slower than I needed it to. After a minute, I had stopped watching what they were doing and simply watched his face. Perhaps I could find something wrong there. Just as I was about to activate my sharingan, his eyes went red and looked just like Kyuubi's. With a lump in my throat, my own eyes went red and I was in his mind.

Just in time to see Naruto on the ground with the demon's hand landing on him. I could hear and almost feel the bones breaking. Naruto's eyes flicked to mine as he struggled to breathe. I could feel liquid falling down onto my cheeks. "I love you. I love you. I love you." I said over and over again, making sure that he knew how much I really loved him.

"I... Know.. Love you... Too... Teme." He answered me, his voice getting weaker the more he talked. Then I was kicked out of his mind and the machines started going crazy.

I sat down in the chair that I had grown tired of and cried. I didn't bother hiding it, for the mask was on my face. I let my head fall forward until my chin rested on my chest. My hands brought themselves up to grip my hair and I cried like that for a long time.

I didn't pay attention to anything as I cried. All I know is that, when I looked up, everyone was gone except for Naruto. I silently thanked the girls, who knew that I would need a minute with him. Even if he was gone. I shakily got up and walked to the bedside. I let my hand find his cold one.

"I'll see you again. I don't know how long it'll be, but I'll see you again." I promised him.

-SasuNaru-Sakura's POV-

We hadn't buried the body yet. It had only been a day and we were still waiting for people to arrive from other villages before we held the funeral. I held a few flowers in my hand that I had picked myself as I headed to the Uchiha complex. I hadn't seen Sasuke since he left the hospital, and I felt as though he needed someone more than anyone else did. I didn't bother knocking. I just entered his house with the orange flowers in hand and made my way through the building, looking for him.

-SasuNaru-Sasuke's POV-

I sat on Naruto's bed in my house, just thinking. My hands numbly ran over the kunai that I had found underneath his pillow. It was stained red with being used so many times and the handle was well worn. My eyes scanned the room once more, stopping on the bookcase. Books that were written by his godfather sat there, along with some manga. And a book that I'd never seen before. It was a red book with no title. I got up and made my way towards it. Then I grabbed it and returned to my spot on his bed. I noticed a red swirl in the middle of it and a lock. But it was still opened. I carefully opened it to see Sakura's handwriting on the very front page.

'I am alone.'

That was the very first thing that Naruto had written. It made my heart hurt, seeing those words. Even when he thought he was alone, he never was. He had so many friends that would've been with him if he'd only allow. I cautiously turned the next page, expecting empty pages. But I got page after page of his writing instead. Most of it was just him babbling about what happened. Hints of Kyuubi arguing appeared here and there as well. I flipped through the pages until the last one.

'I'm happy. I love him. I really do. And I think he loves me too.

I'm finally okay. I'm finally happy. I'm in love.'

Tears dripped down my cheeks as I read the last few words over and over and over again. He was just starting to get better before he died. There was starting to be hope again. He had been eating and he hadn't cut himself in who knows how long.

He was getting better.

Then he died.

I stared emptily at the page before me, barely noticing that my tears were staining the paper and smearing the ink. I looked around wearily until I found what I was looking for. I carefully grabbed the pen and brought it to the book.

'I love you too. And I always will.' I wrote. I noticed that my hand was shaking, making my writing a little wobbly. But it made me feel better. I glanced at the kunai again and twirled it around in my hand. What was so appealing about this thing that Naruto would use it over and over again? I thought for a moment more before bringing it to my throat.

"I'll see you again, Naruto, like I promised. Just give me a few more minutes." I whispered and sliced into my skin. I made sure to not go too deep. Just deep enough that I'd bleed out in a matter of time. My skin tingled where I had cut and I could feel my blood dribbling down my neck.

Before I had time to examine the euphoria that I was in, I was swarmed by darkness.

-SasuNaru-Sakura's POV-

"Sasuke?" I called out. He hadn't answered yet and I had searched almost his entire house. I peeked into his bedroom only to shut the door. "Where could he be?" I questioned myself. I went the next door over and opened it.

Blood. Everywhere.

I felt my eyes widen and I sprang towards him. I knew that trying to heal him would be pointless, so I just held his head in my hands and cried. How was it possible that I lost the two men that I loved within a matter of hours?

-SasuNaru-

We had to wait a week before we could have the funeral. Although everyone had arrived for Naruto's funeral, we postponed it so we could bury the two lovers at the same time. So we waited for three more people to come before we started. I stood by the gates glumly. Three figures appeared from the forest and I made my way towards them.

"I'm glad you could make it. We didn't want to bury Sasuke without you guys here." I told his old teammates. Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu looked just as sad as I felt. "I'll lead the way." I said and turned to go. I could hear Karin trying to hold back her sobs.

"Why'd you wait for us?" Suigetsu asked curiously. His voice sounded rough, like he hadn't slept very well lately.

"I didn't think it was fair. We had invited all of Naruto's friends and most of them showed up. Those who didn't come at least sent something and had a valid excuse. But Sasuke's friends weren't here. At least not all of them. We thought we should give you time to decide to come or not before we buried them." I explained sadly.

The rest of the walk was silent and the entire town felt gloomy. Everyone in the village was sad at the loss of two great ninja who they had grown close to. Once we reached the funeral site, everyone quieted. I walked to take my place beside Tsunade with Shizune on the other side.

"I know that this week has been hard on all of us. We lost two of our best ninjas. But, more importantly, we lost two very good friends. We all know now that Naruto had been having some personal issues. Sasuke did everything he could and more to try to help him and save him. He took him into his home and cared for him. Loved him. I'm sure everyone who saw those two together could see the love that that boy had for Naruto." She paused as she cleared her throat. I could tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She looked at the book on a stand in between them. The journal that I had given Naruto. It was turned to the page with both of their handwriting on it. She just stared at it in silence for a few moment before continuing.

"And Naruto was a hero. Ever since he was little, he'd been stubborn and brave. These past few years I've had the honor of watching him grow stronger and wiser and into a very good ninja." She stepped away from us and towards the coffins that held the boys. She stood in the middle and placed her hand on the one to her right that held Naruto's body. Tears were starting to fall now, ones that she didn't brush away.

"He was a hero. He fought until the very end. And I don't know how he managed to do it, but he saved the village as he was dying. As all of you know, Naruto held the nine-tailed demon, Kyuubi. Usually, if the jinjuriki dies, the demon is let out. But he held the beast within his body and killed it along with himself." She said, voice cracking as she spoke the last part.

I looked up to see almost everyone's shoulders shaking with sobs that racked their bodies. Tears were falling from everyone's eyes, even Garra's, and I couldn't hold mine in anymore.

The rest of the funeral went by in a haze. At some point, we all put flowers on the coffins. And I noticed that people who didn't even know Sasuke put something on his. I numbly put my flowers on their coffins, orange ones for Naruto and dark blue ones for Sasuke. In each was a single pink rose, just to have a part of me with each of them.

A/N: I know. This took me a long time. No excuses. I tried to make this one as perfect as possible, but given that it's me, there's probably a lot of mistakes that I didn't catch the three times I read over it.

So.. I kept making myself cry as I wrote this chapter. I would just picture what was going on in my head and start crying. I hope you guys got the same images as I did and I hope this chapter touched you as it did for me. And I tried to make it like the movies where it's all intense and stuff and keeps cutting to different characters, ya know? I'm not sure if that worked as plan, but I tried.

Well. Three years of working on this is finally over. After a lot of sudden inspirations and a ton of writers block, I've finished. It's been fun.

I hope you guys enjoyed this story, especially this last chapter. I put a lot of work into it and I hope you guys at least had fun reading this.