Tomorrow Blossom (Sasuke Uchiha) - Book One - Trade Mistakes

Chapter Eleven- Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks

"Sasuke..." I whispered, my dominant emotion shock. From the look of Naruto's expression, he felt the same as me.

I watched wordlessly as Sasuke fell, unable to say anything. Unable to do anything. Just watch.

Before I even realised what was going on, red, burning chakra exploded out of Naruto, as he cradled Sasuke in his arms.

"What chakra is that...?" I whispered, shocked, but unable to focus.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!" Naruto roared, looking at one of the mirrors. I assumed that he was talking to whoever had done this to Sasuke. I was just surprised that I was able to form coherent thoughts.

Naruto crashed through the mirrors with amazing speed and strength, punching the masked nin from before out of them. But I wasn't focused on that.

The ring of mirrors fell and melted through the cracks of the woodwork of the bridge, and I stumbled towards Sasuke's limp form. I fell to my knees beside him, dazed, my limbs unable to support me anymore.

Blood seeped from numerous gashes all over his skin, reminiscent of someone else from a long ago memory. Pain gnawed at the edges of the hole that I had thought had long since disappeared, and I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest.

"You can't be dead... you can't!" I mumbled, "Why did you... you can't die!"

But I wasn't seeing Sasuke anymore.

I was seeing someone much older, with ashy blonde hair and stubble on his tanned face, wearing the clothes of a carpenter, soaked in blood.

I was seeing my Father.

I curled in on myself on the floor, grief tearing through me with rusty garden shears. This couldn't be happening to me again! Not now! Not to Sasuke!

I could have been in that position for hours, for all I noticed. I was too lost in my world of pain to see or hear anything, only vaguely sensing another person fall down on the body beside me.

"I didn't save him..." I mumbled brokenly, "It's my fault... if I'd gotten there sooner..."

I sat up, seeing Sakura's sobbing form and feeling ten times worse from guilt. Why couldn't I save him?

Sakura suddenly sat up, glaring at me ferociously, fire blazing in her teary eyes. "Too right it's your fault!! Sasuke-kun is dead because you were too slow!! If you had been here quickly instead of taking your time, this wouldn't have happened!"

I glared right back at her, "I didn't see you helping them fight! All you did was stand there, hoping someone else would save you, just like you always do! Well, sometimes you have to save yourself, Sakura!!"

She snarled at me, "At least I was here!! I was protecting Tazuna-san! But you just stood there helplessly, like YOU always do!! It should be you laying there, not Sasuke-kun!!"

I could feel tears pricking my eyes at her words. I hated her, but she was right, and her harsh words hurt. It should be me that died, not Sasuke. He didn't deserve it, but I... if I hadn't hesitated back there at Tazuna's, then I might have got here in time to save him.

'You baka, he's not dead.' Izanami said, just as Sasuke groaned.

"Shut up, Sakura..." he said irritably, rubbing his head. Had the situation been different, this would have made me laugh. Sakura ignored his words.

"Sasuke-kun!!" she exclaimed happily, leaping on him.

"Ow, f***!" Sasuke hissed, rather out of character for him, but I let it pass, since he'd just nearly died.