Final Sacrifice

Chapter 2

"I can't believe how calm you're being about this..." Sakura admitted, taking a sip of her tea. She was wanting something a bit stronger than tea... more like alcohol. But tea would do- for now.

That was the first thing that was said between them ever since they walked into her house. Sakura had excused herself to take a shower as soon as they entered her house. She wanted some time to think on her own, to just stare in one direction and not have to put on a face for anyone.

"I think I'm more in denial than anything." Naruto admitted, not even touching his tea.

Shikamaru was the one who had broken the news to Sakura earlier that day. She was working in the clinic treating some new patients. When he had walked up to her- and she could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't coming into the clinic with good news.

"There has to be something we can do," Sakura muttered. She sat in her chair with her knees close to her chest, holding her cup with both hands as she just stared. She wasn't particularly staring at anything. Her mind was as lost as her heart was.

"I'll think of something..." Naruto said, moving his gaze from the window towards Sakura. "I promise."

"Mmm.." Sakura's gaze moved from her empty cup towards Naruto's missing right arm. The last time he made a promise with Sakura... he had almost lost his life, twice, to make sure he kept it. She didn't want to lose Sasuke and Naruto; but she wanted to cling to some bit of hope. There had to be something to prove that everything they had fought for the past 3 years was not in vain. "Do you think he'd willingly come back if he had the chance..?"

Naruto didn't say anything at first. His gaze wandered from Sakura, back to the window. Thunder shook the small apartment, the rain had picked up so much that Naruto couldn't see anything but a wall of rain outside of her kitchen window. "If given a chance.. He would had. I'm not too sure anymore now that he's probably found out that Konoha has decided his death."

"Mmn..." Sakura went back to looking at her empty cup in her hands. She didn't want to hear that word anymore.

A soft knock on Sakura's door made them both jump. Not even the rumble of thunder had caught their attention before. "Are you expecting anyone?" Naruto whispered, looking nervously at Sakura. She shook her head, moving to her feet and walking towards her front door. She wasn't scared of an unexpected visitor. Some part of her hoped that it, somehow in some way, would had been Sasuke.

Sakura stood on her tiptoes, peeking through the peephole, and saw that it was Kakashi standing outside. She sighed, pressing her head against the door disappointedly, and opened the door for him. He was looking just as gloomy as he had before. "Is Naruto here?" He asked.

Sakura nodded, moving to the side so Kakashi could enter her home. She still didn't have much to say to him; all things considering.

"Naruto- I'll stay with Sakura." Kakashi stated as soon as he rounded the corner in Sakura's living room to get to her kitchen. "Hinata seems to not be taking this okay, she's worried about you."

"Oh crap." Naruto muttered, rushing to grab his jacket. "I didn't think she'd worry this much.. But I didn't even consider that she'd worry herself to death about me..." Naruto then walked over to Sakura, placing his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, trying to fight every part of her that just wanted to burst out into sobs. "I promise Sakura... I'll do everything in my power to stop this from happening." He promised, again. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her into a tight hug. "Believe it.."

Sakura felt tears brimming her eyes again, trying to mentally pull herself together. If it wasn't one thing- it's another. When was this pain ever going to stop?