Hey guys, thank you all for waiting for the update. Sorry again for everything. But here's the latest chapter, so enjoy!

Only Hope

Our Promise

"Godaime." A stern voice called.

The respected Hokage turned to her caller, and acknowledged him to continue.

The Konoha ninja bowed and continued. "The Kazekage and his siblings have come to visit."

Tsunade sternly nodded. "Have you arranged rooms for them?"

"No, Hokage-sama. They've been here for quite a while, and found themselves their own lodging."

Tsunade expressed a moment's surprise and nodded once more. "Bring them to here at once. I'm sure Gaara would like to see Naruto."

The ninja bowed and began to leave. "Hai! Hokage-sama!"

Tsunade, left in her hospital office, gave a faint smile and left for her student's room quickly.

"Hinata-chan, hurry! We're the first one to c—"

"Naruto-kunnnnn!" The girl yelped, and halted to a stop.

Naruto looked at his future bride as she pointed at something in front of them.

"Hinat—?"

"Tch. Dobe..." A deep voice cut in.

"Wah!?" Naruto yelled. "What are you doing here, Teme?!"

Sasuke replied, glaring daggers at his best friend. "I'm here for Sakura, you idiot."

Speechless, Naruto grinned wildly and attacked his best friend with an embrace. "Teme!"

The Uchiha was both unpleased and irritated. "Get off of me, Naruto!" He pushed the blond harshly.

The Hyuuga heiress watched the two men with a soft expression. She noticed how much they were the same yet different.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata began, and the two men turned to her. "I think we should enter the room now..."

Gathering his thoughts together, the Hokage-in-training snapped his fingers and grinned again. "Right! We have to be the first ones to visit Sakura after the surgery! Hahahah!" The blonde laughed loudly and grabbed Hinata's hand again. "Let's go, Hinata—"

"Tch." The new Uchiha monarch crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked. Naruto and Hinata both stopped at their tracks and looked curiously at the raven haired man.

"What are you smirking for, Teme?"

"I beat you again, Dobe."

"..." The Uchiha received no verbal reply, but a stare that asked what he was talking about.

Sasuke's smirk grew even wider.

"..."

"Naruto-kun..."

Jaw dropped, Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the young Uchiha. "Wait—! Wha—!?" Naruto plunged into realization as he understood what his friend was talking about. "How long have you been here, Sasuke-teme!?"

"Long enough to be here first." He calmly replied.

Naruto calmed down and stood up straight. "What made you come here so early, Sasuke?"

Sasuke became expressionless and answered monotonously. "Nothing that concerns you."

Realizing the atmosphere that he caused, Naruto laughed nervously and changed the subject. "Well, I guess it's okay since you're the only one who got here before us. Ne, Hinata-chan?" He grinned wildly.

The girl nodded and smiled. "Let's go, Naruto-kun." She turned and looked at Sasuke. "We'll see you around then, Uchiha-san." She nodded in respect.

Sasuke nodded in reply. "Hn." Then turned on his heel and left. He momentarily paused and cocked his head in Naruto's direction. "Take note that I'm leaving for a reason, Naruto." He smirked.

Naruto inaudibly gasped, as his left eye began to twitch irritably.

The Uchiha monarch then began to leave once again. "It got crowded." He simply said.

The blonde rushed inside the pinkette's room and stopped dead in his track.

"W-when did you all get here...?" The blonde dazily asked.

"We've been here for two hours already, Dickless." Sai happily replied. "How come you're so late though?" He nonchantly asked.

At that exact moment, Hinata entered the room. "Hello, everyone." She chirpily greeted. But as soon as he saw his fiance's expression she sweatdropped. "I told you we shouldn't have eaten at the ramen stand before coming..."

"B-but they were 50% off, Hinata-chan!" He cried.

Hours earlier at the hospital...

"Sakura..." He held onto her hand tighter, tears silently making their way down his face. "I'm sorry..." He kept their hands intertwined, even as he kept silent.

His hand was suddenly, slightly squeezed. His eyes softened and his other hand made its way to the unconscious girl's porcelain face. "You proposed a promise to me once...do you remember it?"

Sasuke reconciled with his memories. The memory of the time when he was about to leave to join Orochimaru, when the pinkette tried to stop him from leaving. She promised him that she would make him happy and they would have the best times together if he stayed. If. If he had stayed, would things still turn out the same? Or would it have been better? Sigh. 'Ifs' are the only questions he could not answer properly at all usually.

After the girl had told him of the promise she proposed to him, all he could say was 'Thank you...' and leave her unconscious on the bench. He's not sure why that was all he said back then, when he could've said more—should've said more. He should've told her how he fell for her not too long ago, and that seeing her right then and there only made his leaving, harder.

"You said...that if I stayed with you in Konoha then, you promised that we'd both be happy..." He paused. "I regret it. All of it. I should've stayed. I should've told you that I was starting to fall for you, and that it was hard to leave Konoha, after having a conversation like that with you."

He took a few deep breaths, and cupped her hand in his, holding them right to his chest. "Orochimaru changed me..." A tear fell on his cheek. "I craved the death of everyone who crossed my path, no matter who it was, or no matter what they once meant to me..." He took a deep breath. "Kakashi, you, and Naruto...I even wanted the three of you dead, to severe the bonds we had. I thought they made me weak, but realized they were what kept me alive—to try and get out of Orochimaru's binds...Reasons to keep fighting and protecting...Those bonds gave you and Naruto strength and reasons...in which I thought it gave me a weakness...and I tried to kill you."

He exhaled a shakey breath and placed a soft, gently kiss on the hand he held. "I was a fool, to say the least. I tried to kill the one person that meant so much to me, the one who taught me a lot, and the one I'm most thankful to...I'm sorry Sakura..."

Tears came flowing down his cheeks, as he continued to speak. "So come back to us...me...and I promise to keep you happy, that we'll both have a great time as long as you stay with me. I promise. So come back."

Even after he spoke to her, he decided to stay with her longer, to accompany her. He saw several tears escape her shut eyes, and her hand squeeze his weakly. He stayed like that with her for several hours, until he sensed a number of familiar chakra signatures. He placed a soft, gentle, kiss on her cheek and stood up.

"Tomorrow," He said. "You'll wake up, and I'll be here to see you." With that, he left.

Hey, thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'd appreciate it a lot. Thanks~!