Merciful Death

AN: There's a bit of bastardizing from the way the anime flows. this was spawned by a picture of Asuka Kureru's, from her website of awesomeness. Her enterance page is here :  http://asukasama.free.fr/

the link to the picture that spawned this fic : 

http://asukasama.free.fr/art/sasusaku_hugstab.jpg

She -might- have fic there that is also related to that picture, i do not know for certain. no infringement on her creativity intended, but that picture inspired this story of mine. She has awesome fic, awesome pictures, and a stunning lemon section.  I credit her work as the source of me getting into the world of fandom at all and especially into Naruto.

Now, On to the fic!! Warnings, if you didn't notice, include blood, character death, and bastardization of the anime. Maybe a bit of OOC

 

 

 

 

 

He was weary. Bone- weary of the anger and hate and constantly burning dark emotions that ran rampant through him ever since the massacre. But he had to source the problem, get to the root of everything, and that included the purposes of Akatsuki, and eliminating Danzou.

 

When he saw his old team, Kakashi looking like he'd aged much in just a few years and followed by his peers, he knew it was the end. He could feel it, and was willing to welcome it. But Danzou and Madara had to be taken care of. So to that end he fought, just fierce enough to survive, enough that his old teammates were tricked into thinking that he was being his usual asshole self. Danzou was a pain, and he knew he surprised everyone when he summoned Susanno and slaughtered the bastard that had ruined his life. Madara- well, Madara hadn't had much hope. Sasuke and Kakashi had tag-teamed their Sharingan against Madara's, and even in the empty, horror filled realms of genjutsu- induced nightmares, Sasuke could feel the rage induced transformation. And when it ended, cut short by Kyuubi's claws dismembering Madara with a blood-lust ferocity, Sasuke collapsed into the dirt. His chakra was nearly gone, body exhausted and littered with wounds. Nothing life threatening, as long as he could staunch the blood flow.

 

But he didn't. He didn't want to live like this anymore. When Team Seven- no, Team Kakashi- circled around him, he gave the slightest of smirks. “ 'Kashi. End it.” Naruto started, Kyuubi still high in his features even with his body human again. Sasuke wrapped an arm around his chest, barely sitting up. “Don't look at me like that, dobe. You know I can't go back.”

 

“Why not?” The sound of confusion and pain in the blonde's voice hurt, like the kunai slice along his shoulder. Not heart- wrenching, for he was beyond that point of particularly caring, but it still hurt. “Naruto. The council would kill me. Or let me rot in prison. I'd rather just die here.” He looked at the mangled remains of the dead ninja around him. “I'm like them, another casualty.”

 

“But, I don't understand. We kept wanting you back; I promised Sakura that I'd bring you home again.” He didn't get the chance to answer that. Sakura grabbed Naruto's shoulder, and in her eyes Sasuke could see the pity and understanding in them. He didn't want her pity- but if she could make Naruto understand-

 

“Would you rather he die as a condemned traitor within the village, or here on the battlefield? Think Naruto. Which fate would you rather he suffer?” Her voice was kindly, but low and firm. She knew the kind of fate that would be reserved for him. Even if he did just help wipe out Konoha's worst two threats. But he wasn't expecting her next words. “Kakashi, take Naruto and Sai on ahead. I’ll join you in a minute.”

 

He barely heard Kakashi's questioning as he stared openly at the female that had dogged his path for so very long. And when she slid a hand into her pouch and pulled a kunai, he nodded. Yes. This was acceptable. He cut off Naruto's ranting in the middle. “Go. It's okay, Naruto. Just go.” There was unshed tears in Naruto's eyes, but Kakashi led him away, offering a cursory nod to Sasuke. Kakashi understood. Sai was a blank to him, but he could see some vague understanding there as well.

 

Finally he was left with Sakura, who dropped to her knees before him. There was something in her eyes, and he wondered if she still loved him. He offered her a blank smile, not to comfort but to reassure her that this was what he wanted. She answered him with a softer one that left her eyes brimming with tears. “I can heal you,” she suddenly blurted out. “I can heal you enough to let you escape.” She bit her own lip at that, dropping her gaze for a moment. “I shouldn't. But you aren't a threat anymore, are you?”

 

“Sakura.” He put as much of that not- hate into his voice. “I can't live like this.” He pulled away his fingers from where they'd been gripping his ribs. They were stained with blood- his and others. “Think of this as a mercy, Sakura.” That was when the tears began sliding down her cheeks. He dropped his gaze to his own lap, not wanting to watch the outpouring of her soul. A moment later and suddenly she was wrapping her arms around him, into a tight hug that left him a little breathless and not as minutely shocked. He paused, before returning the hug, his arms around her shoulders as she gripped his chest. They sat there for a long minute, her warmth seeping into his long cold body.

 

He felt her arm shift, and something in him relaxed. She was going to do this for him. She would put him at peace, like he put his brother to rest. He felt her sob against him, before the sharp bite of the kunai slid easily between his ribs and deeper, hitting the lung so he gasped a moment for breath. It hurt, this death, and he wondered at her thought of mercy over such a wound. It was little better than suffocating to death- on his own blood, no less. “Sa-Sakur-” he coughed before he could finish her name, and red flecked his lips.

 

“I forgive you, Sasuke.”

 

The words were whispered into his ear, before her head came up to meet his eyes as he slumped back against the ground. He coughed again, more blood staining his lips. He couldn't but give her a small, grateful smile for the last token from her. He tried to inhale, suddenly aware of the empty wound from the nasty sucking noise from his side. A flash of crimson metal above him, and sharp pain by his heart. His body quivered a moment as it processed the shock and his heart failed to beat around the piercing metal.

 

 

Sakura spent a long minute cradling Sasuke's body. There was a job to do, mission details to get back to Konoha, a war still threatening in the near future. But as she stared at her once- love lying in her arms, she took a moment to pray that whatever afterlife he was heading to would be kinder than this life had been. He deserved that much.

 

*** End ****



R&R welcome.