21Title: finis noster
Date: July 10, 2013
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke would offer Haruno Sakura the opportunity to experience what they could have had - he would offer her the mercy of a blissful sleep.
Requested By: lilmikomiko
Prompt: How will we end?
Genre: Angst/Drama
Pairing: Uchiha Sasuke x Haruno Sakura
finis noster
"…I…I never thought…that I'd…go out this w-way…"
Uchiha Sasuke trembled. His left hand applied pressure to her heaving chest – where the warmth of deep scarlet stained his palm and slithered through the gaps of his fingers. His right hand shakily shifted the strands of sweat-drenched pink away from her bleary, green irises – his rough thumb inadvertently smudging across the crimson that trickled from her chapped lips.
"You'll be fine, Sakura." His assurance was barely discernible against the raging winds that bit into his skin and caused his hair to whip wildly from his face. His stare briefly slid to the hawk summons that he and his female teammate were riding upon, before glancing to his right, where an inked bird kept speedy stride, carrying both Sai and Uzumaki Naruto.
"…Don't have…enough chakra…" Haruno Sakura's response was a breathless whisper, green irises blinking slowly up at him while her petite hands weakly grasped his left wrist, "…I c-can't…" She struggled to swallow, white teeth tainted by blood, bottom lip quivering, "…I don't…f-feel anything…anymore."
"Sakura, you need to stop talking." The order came out grunted but his concern was clear. The unsteady and weak pounding of her heart beneath his hand – which was pressed against her heavily hemorrhaging chest – caused a synchronized throb of pain – fear – within his own torso.
A successful S-Ranked mission, to eradicate a faction of criminal shinobi, immediately went awry with a sudden counterstrike of arbitrary opponents, whom had not been initially present in the central stronghold. Chakra-depleted and exhausted from their main assignment, the ambush had left Team Kakashi fighting for their lives, disadvantaged from their many injuries.
Haruno Sakura hadn't seen the spear lunging towards her. It impaled her, straight through her chest, and the men of Team Kakashi were consequently sent into a frenzied rage.
"…I-I'm sorry…" Her fingers, still curled around his wrist, twitched, "I d-didn't…I didn't see it…"
"Stop it, Sakura." Sasuke shook his head, staring down at her wound angrily, "I should have seen it – I'm supposed to protect you! You were chakra-depleted from healing our injuries and–" He paused, "This is my fault."
"You'll be okay, Sakura-chan! Just hang in there!" Naruto's voice was rough with apprehension, royal-blue irises darting from the horizon to the motionless body in Sasuke's arms, "We're heading to Kumogakure, alright? You'll be patched up in no time! Just hang on!"
Sakura's head turned, in the direction of Naruto's voice, and she sluggishly blinked, emerald irises unfocused and steadily darkening. Her brows furrowed, eyes darting around searchingly, her fingers anxiously tightening around Sasuke's wrist.
"…A-Are you…still there, S-Sasuke-kun? I can't s-see…" Her voice was becoming fainter – she was losing too much blood.
"I'm right here, Sakura." Sasuke's reply was firm as he leaned forward, staring into her unclear, green eyes and reassuringly pressing his forehead against hers, "I'm not going anywhere."
"…I'm a-afraid." She inhaled sharply, her breathing becoming shallower and shakier; a single tear slid from the corner of her eyes, trailing down her temples and into her hair. "I'm dying, a-aren't I?"
"–suke-teme? Come on; talk to me! How is Sakura-chan doing?"
"No," Sasuke shook his head, "You'll be fine, Sakura." He ignored Naruto's frantic shouts, keeping his eyes entirely on hers, easily reading the fear swirling through her dimming, emerald depths, "…This isn't how we're supposed to end…"
Sakura blinked, tracking the general shape of him as a sad smile twitched her lips upwards, "…When did w-we ever…begin…?" Her tone wasn't sardonic, but genuinely curious – and, as Sasuke carefully studied her fatigued features, he couldn't help but notice the sorrow lingering on her expression – the regret of past decisions and lost chances – and he couldn't help but feel the same.
The fleeting glances; the casual, yet purposeful, touches; the intimate bond that they shared which was on the precipice of something more – but, now, might possibly, never happen. Sakura and Sasuke had plenty of chances to begin – but they never acted on it.
"Sakura–" However, before Sasuke could muster a response – a reassurance that they still had time to begin like they should have many times before – Sakura's body violently convulsed within his arms which instantly caused his panic to rise, swell, and suffocate within the confines of his chest, "Sakura!"
"Sakura-chan!" The simultaneous shouts of alarm, from Naruto, and dread, from Sai, were drowned out by Sakura's resonating whimpers of agony. The blood against Sasuke's hand felt hot to his skin and slippery between his fingers. He urgently applied more pressure against her chest, to help staunch the continuous bleeding, search desperately for the faint beats of her heart.
"Sakura." His right hand moved up to thread through her hair, gently lifting her head so he could try to connect her stare with his, "This isn't supposed to happen."
This was not the way they were supposed to end.
Decisively, Sasuke's hands shifted. He gently grasped her slender cheeks, thumbs caressing beneath her sunken eyes as his Sharingan blazed brightly, crimson-ebony swirling rapidly with purposeful intent.
"I'll show you, Sakura" Sasuke whispered, steadily connecting their frantic sights and determinedly submerging her consciousness into the world of his Genjutsu, "I'll show you."
"…S-Sasu…?" Her shuddering body gradually slowed into stillness until she was utterly lax in his embrace. Her green eyes stared up at him unseeingly, before fluttering to a close, the feeble grip on his wrist slackening limply atop his lap.
Uchiha Sasuke would offer Haruno Sakura this one mercy. Kumogakure no Sato was still an hour away and, with every passing second, her heart continued to lose its strength. With this one chance – with this last effort – Sasuke would show her what he really felt, what he had always wanted with her, and would grant her the opportunity to welcome death in blissful ignorance – trapped in the void of his illusion.
Sakura would experience a day of happiness that he had always hoped to share with her – a day that he, himself, would never know – but a day that, when she finally closed her eyes to eternally sleep…it would be with a beautifully pleased smile on her lips.
As Sakura succumbed to the power of his Sharingan – trapped in the resilient technique of his ardently-designed Genjutsu – Sasuke closed his eyes and pressed his lips against her forehead, feeling her shallow breaths against his neck, and desolately awaiting the moment when her illusion would come to an inevitable end.
A/N: Part Two can be found on my Tumblr. I'm a little reluctant to put it up only because I kind of want to stretch out this story a little more longer and detailed than how I originally concluded it. I don't know. Would you guys read a continuation of it? Or should I just put up the original ending? Like I said, if you're absolutely curious, you can find it on my Tumblr account under sincerelyLen.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company.
Thank you for reading and reviewing guys! And if you're wondering, I have not given up on The Curse and Vengeance. I've just been busy with life, several short prompts, and a bit of writer's block! They will be updated sometime soon! Thanks for your patience and support!
