Sakura whipped her head from left to right as the wind began to pick up at her feet. She saw the leaves dance around her in a whirlwind. Sakura grabbed at the kunai strapped to her thigh. She felt her breathing grow frantic as the cyclone began to spin faster and faster around her. She gasped as the leaves hit the ground.

Sasuke was standing in front of her. His hair was longer than the last time she had seen him. He wore a shirt that revealed part of his heavily muscled chest. The sleeves clung to his large arms that were across his chest as he had often done as a young boy. The pants he wore were also black. He smirked as he unfolded his arms across his chest. She could see the definition of his legs through the fabric. Sasuke was much, much stronger now.

Sakura held onto the kunai tightly. Sasuke walked over to her calmly. She felt him squeeze her wrist before she even saw him at her side. She dropped the kunai. Sasuke wrapped his free arm around her waist and he nuzzled his cheek to hers, “It’s been a long time, Sakura.”

She struggled to free herself. She was unable to concentrate. She could not focus her chakra and increase her strength to free herself. Sasuke wrapped both his arms around her and kissed her neck, “I’ve missed you, Sakura. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to Konoha. I heard you’re that sand monster’s doctor now.”

Sakura reclaimed her wits, “Gaara isn’t a monster! Now let me go!” She focused as much chakra as she could into her fist and siphoned it into a punch that she aimed at Sasuke’s jaw. Sasuke was gone in an instant and he stood in front of her, unscathed. He looked at her, “What’s wrong with you? I’ve finally come to give you what you said you always wanted.” He looked at her and his eyes changed to red.

Sakura clenched her jaw. Sasuke was much stronger than the last time she had seen him. He exponentially stronger. “What is it Sakura, do you really have feelings for the desert beast?” Sasuke’s words were laced with venom, as his face was cold. He understood from her silence.

He spoke again, “I’ll come back for you.” He was at her side again. He had used his superior strength to quell her desperate struggles, “I will have you.” Sasuke pressed his lips to her and forced his tongue into her mouth. She bit it, causing him to let her go. He wiped the blood from his mouth, “If you want to play it that way.” Then, he was gone. Sakura could not sense him anywhere.

“Gaara!” she whispered. Sakura ran off to find him, ‘I have to warn him’. Sakura ran as fast as she could to the Hokage’s tower. “Please,” she prayed, “Don’t let me be too late.”



Gaara had left Naruto at the Hokage’s Tower. He had never felt higher in his life. He felt like jumping and screaming into the air, like his notoriously raucous friend. He looked at the trees around him and smiled. Sakura would have a huge surprise to look forward too. Gaara would have to buy her flowers.

He clutched the ring in his palm and smiled. He had decided to let Tsunade plan the wedding, simply because she asked. Tsunade was excited that her foster daughter would be married. Moreover, the fact it was to Gaara was a bonus. Not only was he Kazekage, but he was also deeply in love with her. Gaara remembered the last thing Tsunade had said to him.

“Don’t worry,” he said to the sky, “I won’t let anything happen to her.” Gaara suddenly felt a chill run up his spine. He turned around to see Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke had his sword strapped to his hip. “Who,” Sasuke hissed, “are you talking about?”

Gaara scowled, “It’s none of your business.” He held the ring tighter in his palm. Sasuke smirked again, “Have you fucked her? Does she say you’re the only one she’ll ever love?” Gaara furrowed his brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, now leave this village, traitor.”

Sasuke’s eyes grew red. “You know perfectly well whom I talking about. How many girls have pink hair?” he said. Gaara reached behind him and took the stopper off his sand gourd. He let the grains separate and come to life as the stopper dissolved between his fingertips. “Leave,” Gaara said with menacing finality, “before I make you. This is not your village anymore. She doesn’t love you anymore.”

Sasuke smiled, “Anyone with half a brain cell would know that. I came back for her, but she didn’t want to go, so…” Sasuke stopped talking. Gaara felt his body shake. “What did you do?” he asked. He felt his heart brake in his chest, “What did you do to Sakura?” Sasuke smirked.

Sasuke drew his sword. He looked at Gaara, hating his very existence. “Did you think a monster could ever truly find happiness?” Sasuke smirked as he flashed the bloodied sword in Gaara’s vision. Gaara winced, “No…” He looked at Sasuke, his eyes wide with terror and every muscle in his body cramping, “No! You couldn’t have!”

“You’re a monster. You will always be a monster. How could you think you’d ever have true and lasting happiness?” Sasuke lunged at Gaara. Gaara’s sand blocked his attack. Gaara pulled at his red hair with his right hand as the sand protected him. It was not possible. “Sakura…”

Gaara threw his sand at Sasuke with all of his rage. He screamed. He could not stop screaming. Gaara threw the sand in devastating bursts that cracked the earth around him. He pushed some of the sand into the ground as he fended off each of Sasuke’s blows. Sasuke smirked with each one. Gaara saw a flash of electricity form at the hilt of Sasuke’s blade. Gaara lost track of him. He was coming too fast. Gaara felt his side burn. He screamed as Sasuke’s blazing sword struck his side. Gaara jumped away.

He felt the blood soak his coat and the sand that shielded his body. Gaara surrounded himself with his sand in a reinforced sphere. He felt his wound. It wasn’t too deep; he could keep going. Gaara felt Sasuke slicing at his shield. Gaara did not know what to do.

He gestured and willed the sand outside to grab onto Sasuke’s leg as Sasuke aimed a harsh blow that broke through the sphere. Gaara clenched his jaw as he dodged the blow. He felt the electricity burn at his skin. Gaara thought quickly. Sasuke shattered the earth below their feet despite the hold of Gaara’s sand.

‘That could have taken my whole arm,’ Gaara thought. Sasuke sliced at Gaara’s sand and stood amidst the rubble. Gaara stood above him on a floating patch of sand. Sasuke laughed, “I only killed her,” he grinned, “because she loved you.” Sasuke’s laugh became maniacal, “She died screaming you weren’t a monster!”

Gaara dove at Sasuke, shooting a huge burst of sand at him. Sasuke was held by the sand’s vice-like grip. Gaara had a perfect shot. Gaara felt the sand make contact and envelope Sasuke. Gaara closed his open fist, the ring still in the other, and felt the sand crush--

Gaara began to hack. He felt his stomach. He felt the tip of a sword. He felt it burn through him. He began to scream. He heard Sasuke laugh, “I will kill you.” Gaara tightened his fists as Sasuke pulled the blade up through his body. He coughed up. He tasted blood pooling in his throat. Sasuke had only run the sword up half a foot through Gaara. Sasuke pulled the blade out and watched Gaara fall to the ground. Sasuke smirked and ducked behind a tree.



Gaara looked in front of him. He saw a blur of pink. “Sa--Sakura…” he said. He felt her hands on his cheek. ‘She’s come for me,’ he thought. He heard her muffled screams. He tried to focus.

“GAARA! Gaara! Hold on! Tsunade and Naruto are coming!” Sakura was in front of him. She was alive. She cradled him in her lap. He could feel her warm chakra desperately trying to close his wounds. He felt her tears on his face. “Sakura,” he said. Sakura looked at him. She took his closed hand in hers to comfort him.

“You’re hurt so badly! I’m sorry! I wasn’t fast enough!” Sakura cried, “He got you.” Sakura felt his hand loosen in hers. Her white dress was soaked in blood like a morbid tie-dye. She sat in the pooling blood and she pumped all of her chakra into the wound that ripped open his vest. It went though the aorta. She grimaced, still holding his hand, praying she could save him. He had already lost so much blood. She felt him fading. “Gaara, please hold on, just a little longer, please.”

Gaara could barley make out Sakura’s face as he pulled his hand from hers. He whispered, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth, “He said he killed you. But-- he’s still here.” Gaara coughed up more blood, “Run. He’ll kill you.” Sakura shook her head, “I can’t leave you!” He smiled weakly, “Take the ring and go.”

She poured more chakra into his wound. His wound would not stay closed no matter how hard she tried. He kept closing his eyes. “What ring, Gaara?” she asked. She had to keep him conscious. “You’re engagement ring,” he whispered. She looked at his open hand. It was a small, silver band with the kanji for ‘love’ engraved on it. She looked at it, “It’s beautiful Gaara, but you can put it on me when you’re better.”

Gaara smiled at her, he could barely see her. She looked at his face, covered in sand and blood. She thought back to how his skin glowed in the moonlight. “Gaara! Can you remember? Remember how we would watch the moon? We can see it tomorrow! It’ll be full then! Just hold on. Don’t go!” She felt her throat getting tighter.

Gaara put his hand to her face. “Take it and run. He’s still here.” Sakura’s tears streamed down Gaara’s face. Sakura shook her head, “I can’t leave you. Just h--”

Sakura gasped as she felt something run through her chest. Her head slumped over. Gaara felt warm droplets hit his face. He saw a brilliant flash of light as the world grew darker. Gaara began to cry.

He could not hear the world around him anymore. All he could hear was Sakura’s voice from the first night they had been together. Her first night in Suna. He could not feel Sasuke grind the ring into his palm with the sole of his foot. All he could feel was Sakura’s warm arms around him. How she glowed in the sunlight. He could hear her singing to him. The song about the teddy bear. He opened his eyes; he and Sakura were in his room. She was standing in front of the window. Her white dress pristine and sweet. He stared at the back of her head and smiled. Gaara called out to her. She turned around and smiled back at him.



EPILOGUE
Sasuke pulled his sword out of Sakura’s body. He scowled at her prostrate form. “Stupid girl.” He watched her head slump forward; her back stayed upright. She and Gaara were suspended in a loving tableau. If they had been anywhere else…

Gaara gurgled one last time. Sasuke walked over to look at their faces. Gaara’s face had frozen in a smile. He was not breathing anymore. Sasuke heard a soft breath leak from Sakura’s mouth. Sasuke lifted Sakura’s chin and saw an identical, loving smile. She had not died right away.

Sasuke sheathed his blade as he heard Naruto call out to the two lovers. Naruto saw Sasuke standing in front of the two. Naruto could smell blood in the air. His eyes changed to red as he glared at Sasuke. Sasuke smirked. He lunged forward, drawing his blade and swinging it in the air. Naruto leapt forward, his red chakra shrouding him, his body a glowing silhouette of a large fox.

Naruto was not screaming. His teeth were clenched so tightly; he felt they would brake. He dodged Sasuke’s blade and grabbed his neck in his clawed hand. Naruto poured every ounce of his chakra into it. He felt his hands grow hot as he watched Sasuke’s eyes grow wide. He closed his fist, nothing in between the heat of his hands. Naruto watched Sasuke’s body drop, still clutching the sword, to the ground. He paid no heed to the second thud.

Naruto heard Tsunade scream. “SAKURA! GAARA! NOOOOO!” Tsunade had fallen to the ground, her face frozen in fear. Naruto cringed as he saw the familiarities between Sakura and Tsunade. They looked alike as it was, but fear struck them the same. Naruto looked at his two friends. He saw the huge lake of blood they sat in. Sakura and Gaara were doused in each other’s blood.

Naruto walked towards them. Slowly. He closed his eyes. He stopped in front of Tsunade, “Tell me it’s a lie,” he said.

Tsunade was crying. Her sobs wracked her body. “My daughter,” she said, “not my daughter…” Tsunade put her curled fists to her mouth, “My daughter. Sakura. Gaara. My son…” Naruto opened his eyes; he looked at Gaara’s hand, the ring sitting on his bloodied palm.

The simple silver band was covered in clumps of bloodied sand and dirt in the shape of a footprint. Naruto found himself in front of his friends. The two were smiling. Naruto’s face scrunched up in pain. Naruto picked up Sakura’s ring and wiped it off on his pants. He took her left hand and slipped it onto her ring finger. He found Gaara’s ring exactly where he had slipped it into his pocket. Naruto put this ring on Gaara’s finger.

Naruto went to Tsunade and wrapped his arms around her. Tsunade shook her head, “It can’t be real.” Naruto sobbed, “No,” he said, “It can’t be real.” Naruto began to sob again, his heart pounding in his ears. Tsunade held him as he sobbed into her chest, “Tell me it’s a lie! Tell me it’s a lie Grandma!” Tsunade sobbed, “It’s a lie! It’s a lie!”