J A D E

Chapter Sixty - Two

"Sakura!" A loud shout erupts in the middle of the battle as a pink haired girl starts falling. Her skin is pale, eyes half closed, blood oozing from her mouth. She looks gone. Sasuke starts running to her, catching her and hugging her tightly. He can feel his heartbeat speeding up, vision becoming blurry. He can feel vortex inside of him, bile rising in his throat. "S-Sakura..." Low, barely audible sob escapes from her lips, tears silently streaming down his face and falling in cold droplets on the girl's face.

"Sakura...?" Naruto appears next to Sasuke, his blue orbs fixed on his sister. Tears start streaming down his face. anger radiating off from his body. He kneels down, trying to use his chakra to heal Sakura.

"W-what happened?" Shisui whispers as he kneels down, his eyes fixed on lifeless Sakura. "I-I will bring Tsunade." He whispers immediately, shunshining away to bring legendary medic with him. Medic, who cares about Sakura to the point, where she was willing to give up her life for her.

***

"I don't understand." I shake my heads, looking confused at Kakashi. He sighs, motioning for me to take a seat. I oblige, sitting directly in front of him. "Why me?"

"I thought you would be thrilled." Kakashi says in disappointed tone. "I thought you wanted it."

"No." I shake my head, biting my bottom lip. "I never wanted to be second in command, Kakashi. And I don't want to be assigned to this position, just because it would have made me happy." I say agitated. I rub my forehead, accidently wiping away the blood, I did not know was there.

"Actually, you are the most suitable for this position." Kakashi leans forward. "You are smart and strong and if there is something happening to me, you are the best choice to change me."

"What about Naruto?" I ask confused. Naruto has always wanted to become Hokage. It has always been his dream. Even now, despite the fact, that he is doubting, I know he still wants it. I can't simply take it away from him.

"I talked with him." Kakashi seems lost. I know that I would not have been his first choice. It would have been Naruto, then if for some reasons he refused, he would want to go to Sasuke, but he can't knowing his plans after the war. So, it leaves only me. "Naruto told me that he no longer wants to become Hokage. And refused the position."

I can hear voices around me. Voices, that tell me to survive. But I don't understand. I don't understand the point in living, anymore. I have destroyed Madara, eight years earlier than in previous timeline. I have killed the man, who caused the demise of whole world. Naruto and Sasuke can now deal with Kaguya by themselves. And I am sure that neither Itachi, nor Shisui will let them kill one another.

So, why do they need me now? After all, I am nobody with no special powers. I am just somebody, who needed to correct her mistakes.

"It should have been you, Naruto." I say in a low voice as soon as I approach him. He turns around, offering me a small, polite smile. I don't blame him for not smiling anymore. He has lost his whole family six months ago.

"I don't want it, Sakura-chan." He shakes his head, chuckling humorlessly. "I don't wish to become Hokage. I suppose, it was never truly my fate to be one." He hangs his head, shaking it slightly. "You know, I don't understand it." He says in low voice. I sit next to him, staring at the monster, that is not too far away from us. "No matter what happened, I never wanted to give up on it... But now, after warring for so long, I realize something. I am not ready for it." He whispers, closing his eyes. "And I don't think I will ever be. After... After Hinata told me about the child, I knew that I wanted only my family... I was fighting to keep it safe." He whispers and then looks at me, smiling. "While you... Ever since the beginning you were fighting for the people. Not someone specific, but people altogether. You healed and you gave yourself fully into saving a single person. And after so many things happened, so many people died and I gave up..." He clicks his tongue. "Yet, you did not. You never did. If anyone deserves to be Hokage, it is you, Sakura-chan."

"Sakura..." I hear Naruto's voice, whispering inside my head, urging me to open my eyes and find him. But I am not sure, if I want to do so. I want him to have his dream back, but it seems that even when we started everything all over again, his dream was changed. It was no longer a dream of becoming Hokage, but of having a loving family. "Please wake up..."

"you nearly died." Sasuke says in a low tone, forcing me to turn towards him. He looks beaten up, but I am not surprised, he just came from his shift in battling.

"I know." I say with slight roll of my eyes and turn around, continuing to look through some plants to find the one, that I need.

"Why are you so careless, Sakura?" Sasuke asks me confused. I sigh, I turn around, letting my jade orbs clash with his purple and onyx eye. I ignore the ache in my heart as I walk past him.

"I don't have a reason not to be, Sasuke." I say with a shrug. He grabs my hand, become I am able to leave the tent, turning to around, making me face him once again. Our bodies are only inches away. I can feel his warm breath against my skin, as our noses are nearly touching.

"I told you it already, Sakura." He whispers in a low voice, sending shivers down my spine. "I love you." He whispers, this time more sure of what he is saying. "And it is something, that will never change." He whispers once again, gently kissing my forehead. "I want you to be careful, because I care about you and I can't stand losing you." He whispers once again before tapping my forehead. He turns around and leaves the tent, leaving me alone with my confusion.

"Sakura?!" I twitch a little as I crack my eyes open, staring directly into a purple and onyx orbs. Sasuke sighs, droplets of tears streaming down his face. He leans forward, gently hugging me, whispering soothing words in my ear.

"Never do it again, dattebayo!" Naruto shouts loudly, tackling both of us into tight hug, while sobbing loudly. "I thought you died." He cries out with tears cascading down his cheeks.

"I am okay, no need to worry." I chuckle sheepishly as I rub my head. It seems to irritated both Tsunade and Shisui, as they start talking together about all the things they will do to me once the war is over. And how I will be doing only D-rank missions for the whole year once we get back, because I was too reckless and did not deserve to have normal missions.

"Guys..." I whisper in a low voice and look at the four people in front of me. "We have bigger problems I suppose." I whisper once again. On the queue Kaguya appears, making Ten Tailed go berserk. I grab both Naruto and Sasuke, before jumping away from the upcoming root. "We need to be careful now..." I whisper as I look at the members of Team 7.