Author's Note:

Hi guys! This would be my second story here. Although I didn't finish the first one. Kindda ran out of inspiration on that. But, this story would be finished for sure. Hope everybody who'd get the chance to read this would like it. I'm open for any kind of criticism. I believe it would help me develop and therefore make better stories. I guess that would be all. Enjoy reading!

CHAPTER ONE

After the bright light that almost blinded the people of Konoha subsided, a pink blur came running from the hospital towards the place where she could most likely find her two most precious friends. It was easy to locate them, though. People who wanted to see what could have happened came rushing towards a certain direction. She just needed to follow them.

Pumping charka to her legs and feet, Sakura forced herself to go faster, easily overtaking the villagers in front of her.

Then the first drops of rain came down the dark skies.

People then came to a halt, forming a circle around something. Sakura struggled to get pass, muttering excuses as she did so. Once she was in front, her jade eyes could see two figures lying on the ground at the center of what seemed like a huge hole made by the impact of their attacks.

"No."Sakura mumbled to herself as she blinked twice to clear her eyes of the rain that made its way into them. The rain got heavier.

She clutched the front of her red blouse and without hesitation made her way towards the center. "This can't be happening." Her brain kept on repeating the same phrase over and over again.

Other shinobis came running towards the circle. Once they realized that the two boys battling each other earlier weren't moving, they followed Sakura's example.

To Sakura, it seems like the other people running towards the center were a whole lot faster than her. But to them, she was lightning.

The thought of losing them was slowly seeping through her heart making her weak and vulnerable. But still, she pushed herself to move faster. They needed her.

She ignored the rain soaking her and the tears that was now cascading down her cheeks, mixing with the waters that the sky released.

Sakura came to a complete stop a few feet away from her friends. She stared at the unconscious bodies of Naruto and Sasuke in horror. Her heart must have had stopped beating at the sight presented to her.

Tsunade then arrived with Shizune, Iruka and Anko. The Slug Sannin gave a gasp, her eyes wide with fear. Other shinobis arrived soon after Tsunade knelt down beside Naruto.

(Sakura's POV)

I was fully aware of what was happening. I heard several more gasps from the people who got to see a better look at the scene. I could hear Tsunade-shishou calling out my name. The problem is: I couldn't move. My body was frozen on the spot as I gazed at their bodies and faces covered in cuts, bruises, and blood.

I then felt a stinging pain on my left cheek that brought me out of my trance. My fear-filled jade eyes were met by similar honey-colored ones. But they were also filled with rage and desperation. "You need to help me! I can't do this alone, Sakura. Heal Sasuke. I'll deal with Naruto. His injuries are a lot worst." Tsunade-shishou's voice was still commanding yet it carried a pleading edge to it.

I nodded once then watched her return to her place beside Naruto and started healing him. I approached Sasuke-kun with haste, a few feet away from my other teammate and master. I knelt down beside him and stared at his pale face for a moment.

"You have to be strong, Sakura! Snap out of it! They still need you!" I mentally screamed at myself to get me in a more stable condition to heal. I started working.

I checked Sasuke-kun's pulse. Faint but still there. I need to do something… and fast.

I allowed my hands to be engulfed in green charka and placed them on top of his chest. They lingered there to give a little bit more strength to his heart. When it got stronger, I proceeded in healing the rest of his damaged body.

His cuts stopped bleeding and closed. Sasuke-kun's lung was also damaged so I had to heal that, too. It took several minutes before it completely healed. Many of his bones were broken. I reattached them using my charka one by one.

My charka reserves are almost low. Just a little more. Endure it a little more.

Then, all of a sudden, Sasuke-kun's breathing became even. His pulse was now stronger. With the last of his broken ribs repaired, I stopped my charka then smile despite my tears. "You're going to be okay, Sasuke-kun." I cupped his left cheek with my right hand.

I felt a slight pressure on my right shoulder. Looking up, I saw Ino giving me a reassuring smile. "Good job, Forehead."

My smile widened. A surge of joy and relief wash over me.

But it was short-lived. My smile completely disappeared when I heard desperate shouts coming from someone. "No! No! No!" It was Tsunade-shishou.

Ino and I whipped our heads around only to look at the back of a few of out friends forming a circle around Naruto. I felt a lump in my throat when I heard other shrieks of grief calling out to my knuckleheaded teammate.

A member of ANBU approached Sasuke-kun's body. "We'll take him to a safer place where he could be treated some more."

But I barely heard him.

"What happened? What happened to Naruto?" I asked myself a question I don't even know the answer to in my head.

I stood up and squeezed myself through the people.

Tsunade-shishou was still healing Naruto but was shouting and sobbing at the same time. "Brat, wake up! You can't die!"

I placed myself at the other side of Naruto. He wasn't breathing. He has no pulse. "Kami, no…" I muttered to myself.

I placed my hands on his chest, green chakra once again engulfing them.

My master gave way for me and just sat there grief-striken. I could still hear sobs from several people surrounding us. Others just stared down, eyes glazed with hurt and grief.

I ignored them, focusing my attention to my blond teammate who was so still. My hands trembled above his chest. Tsunade-shishou healed almost all of his injuries. She repaired all of his broken bones. Just the minor bruises and cuts were present. Naruto still wasn't breathing.

I'm not going to give up.

I pumped more chakra to my hands still hovering above his chest. "Naruto, wake up now!" No response.

Tears started to run down my cheeks once again from my now red eyes. "You can't do this, idiot!" I stated angrily. Everybody was now quiet. They just watched me desperately healing my fallen friend. "Come back this instant!" I continued.

Still no sign of movement from Naruto. "Now that Sasuke-kun is back, you're the one leaving?!" I shouted with fury. "And you're going to a place where I can't even follow and bring your ass back! Let me tell you something, baka." I let out a sob. "Not on my watch, you don't!" With a lot of effort, I made my healing chakra become bigger.

I don't care if I deplete my chakra reserves. I don't care if I'm the one who dies. As long as Naruto lives.

I felt a pair of hands grab my wrists that made me stop my chakra flow to my palms. I looked up and saw my master staring at me; her face was still contorted because of grief. "Stop it, Sakura." She said dully.

My jaw hardened and I threw a harsh glare at her. "No!" I tried to pull my hands from her grasps. But it was unsuccessful as she tightened her hold. "Please Tsunade-shishou." I begged.

"That's enough, Sakura." She turned her head away from me. "You did enough."

I started pulling again. "I did enough?!" I bellowed at her. "Naruto's still not breathing. I need to heal him. Even if it costs my life." It was useless to overpower her.

Tsunade-shishou snapped her head towards me. "Do you think he'll like that?!" It was her turn to shout. "Do you think he'll get over you dying in his stead?!"

My trembling got worse. "But he can't d-die…" I forced out the last word with outmost difficulty.

My master's hold on me loosened. "He died for all of us." She released me at last. "He died for Kakashi, for me, for Konoha…" She paused. "For you."

"Aaaaaahh!!" I shouted at the top of my voice. I cupped his cold face in my trembling hands and gazed at his peaceful expression. "Naruto, please come back." My face was hovering over his. My tears were crashing down on his face one by one. "Come back."

"For Gai-sensei, Lee, TenTen, and Neji." I rubbed the whiskers on Naruto's face. "For Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji."

I continued to sob. "For Hinata, Kiba, and Shino." I heard Neji trying to soothe Hinata who couldn't control her loud sobs anymore. "You still need to teach Konohamaru more of your perverted ninjutsus." If it was in a normal circumstance, I could've spank myself for saying something like that.

But anything would be fine as long as Naruto wakes up.

"How about Gaara?" I continued to rub his whisker marks. "You're stronger than him, right? You should be able to get through this."

I wiped away the dirt on his nose. "Iruka-sensei… He'll treat you to ramen for a year if you come back right now."

"For Yamato." I inched closer to Naruto. "For Sai." I paused for a little while. "We still need to teach him how to socialize normally." I heard someone walk towards me and Naruto. I knew it was Sai. He shielded us from the rain using his special ability: make paintings somewhat real. He drew an umbrella.

"For Tsunade-shishou." I ran my hand through his blond locks. It was wet and a little dirty. But it was soft to the touch. "You still need to replace her as Hokage." I heard my master snort at my comment. If only I could be sure that Naruto could hear us and we can see his reaction, I could've smiled. But he was just so still.

I felt a hand on my back. There was no need to look at the person giving the gesture. I knew exactly who it was. "For Kakashi-sensei."

I inched closer again. Our lips were mere centimeters apart. "For Sasuke-kun." My hands went back to rubbing his whisker marks. "His back, Naruto. You did it." I rambled on and on. "It may be awkward for a while with him but it'll be back to normal in no time."

I'm almost out of reasons for him to come back. But I need to think of something.

"For Konoha." Everybody who knew Naruto would know that his dream is to be the Hokage. He wants to protect them. He wants to be acknowledged by them.

And they just did a few days ago. They now considered him a hero and not the monster in him. "They still need shinobis who would protect them no matter what. They still need someone like you." There goes my last reason.

My blond teammate still wasn't showing any sign of life. I don't know anything else to convince him to come back.

I can't take it anymore. I let go of the sobs I was controlling earlier, hoping it would somehow ease the pain I was feeling. He's gone. Naruto's gone.

The boy who annoyed me a lot is gone.

The boy who promised to bring Sasuke-kun back is gone.

The guy who desperately wanted to become stronger to fulfill the promise is gone.

The guy who made me happy even though we were faced with problems is gone.

The guy who constantly asked me on dates is gone.

The guy who I constantly rejected is gone.

The person I…

I immediately stopped crying when realization hit me.

I still have one more thing to convince him to wake up. One more chance to convince him to come back.

My face came closer to his; ours lips were now brushing lightly to one another. "Come back, Naruto." I closed my jade orbs. "I don't want to live in a world without an idiot like you." I felt Kakashi-sensei's hand leave its place on my back. I heard several shifting around me.

The people surrounding us were leaving to give me a few more moments with Naruto. "I have realized that something has taken place without me knowing it." My lips occasionally would brush against his when I talk. "I realized that…" I paused. My eyes revealed themselves once again. "I have fallen in love with you, Uzumaki Naruto."

Closing the gap between us, I planted a soft kiss on Naruto's cold lips. I'm in love with him. I have been for a while; it just took some time for me to realize it on my own.

I broke the kiss and smiled a small smile at the person I love most. "Come back to me, Naruto." I put my lips against his ear, softly whispering into it. "I'll go on a date with you after you wake up and get better."

I absentmindedly ran my hand through his hair again. "That's a promise." I whispered tenderly.

---------- End of Chapter----------

Chapter 2 coming very soon.

-flyntorres-