[Naruto AU, angst, fluff]

"Sasuke! Cover me!" 

"Got it." 

Sakura... She's really amazing. She's the strongest Kunoichi in the world, I'm sure. I may have only been her right-hand man, there to support her, but I've always seen her as more than that. I admire her approach to battles and her position as commander. She had so much going for her, until... That accident. I remember how hard it was to breathe... I told her I'd cover her, but... I failed her. 

"Sakura!!" 

"Someone get a medic nin! Sakura! Just stay with us--" 

"Don't touch her!!"

"S-Sasuke..." 

"She's my responsibility! I'll take her back to the village!" 

"Right now?! Sasuke, we're on the front lines! Hell, we've passed it! It's not safe! You'll both die!" 

I didn't know what I was thinking back then... But when I found myself sitting at her bedside the afternoon after that. I got her to the hospital late the night before with little life left in her. It's a miracle she didn't bleed out. She got caught in a bad explosion that I could easily have caught with my Sharingan, but... I didn't. I was too blinded by my own selfish ambitions. I'm such a fool...

"S-Sasuke..." 

"Sakura, you're awake." 

"I know that..." She rubbed her head and sat up, "where... Am I?" 

"I brought you back to the village." 

"What?!" She rose her voice, "away from the fight?! Sasuke, the war is going on!"  

"And you nearly died!" Sasuke clenched his fists and protested, "you think we're going to let our commander die in the middle of the battlefield?!" 

"So let me die! If it means dying for the village!" Sakura felt tears rush to her eyes, then she froze, "wh-what's... What's going on... Sasuke?!" 

She looked up at him in horror as the tears streamed from her eyes.

"Sakura! What's wrong?!" 

Sakura put her hands to her face, rubbed her eyes, then looked back up at him, "I... Where are you?!" 

"I'm right here!" 

"I-I can't..." She reached in front of her and grabbed his arms, "I can't see you!" 

"You're looking right at me!" Sasuke's face went pale as he stared into Sakura's green eyes. They looked as if they lost their vibrancy and color, "d-doctor! We need a doctor in here!" 

And that was the day we found out Sakura hit her head worse than we thought. She lost all eyesight, and her career as the commander of the front lines Shinobi strike-force came to an end at that moment. 

"Don't let me fall..." 

"Okay." Sasuke glanced down at her to make sure she was actually still there. It was now his responsibility to help her live, "be careful, there are a couple of law steps just a pace ahead of you." 

Although it's already been over a couple of weeks, she has never gotten fully comfortable getting around by herself, and she relied heavily on him.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke..." 

"You keep saying that." 

"Because I am. If I weren't blind..." 

Sasuke pursed his lips, "if I hadn't been so selfish..." 

"If I hadn't been so selfish... You were just doing your job." Sakura smiled in his direction, but not directly at him, "sorry I keep leaning on you for my own shortcomings..." 

"Don't mention it." They finally reached her front door as he opened it and gave her directions. 

"So, where are you taking me? I can tell by the temperature that it's pretty late, out." 

"You've still got your senses." Sasuke smirked, "We're going out to meet Naruto and Kakashi." 

"Okay..." Sakura sounded hesitant. 

Sasuke squeezed her hands, "just trust me." 

She smiled and nodded defiantly, "okay." 

After a few minutes, Sasuke knew leading her like this wasn't going to be efficient, so he tapped her shoulder, "hey, get on my back." 

Sakura turned bright red, "wh-what?!" 

"Walking like this is going to be too slow. If I carry you, we can get to the training fields faster." 

"Hm." Sakura smirked as she let go of his hands, "so that's where we're going. Alright then." 

Sasuke knelt on the ground in front of her, carefully held her legs at his sides, and hoisted her up onto his back as she wrapped her arms around him. 

Sakura lowered her voice, "Drop me and you're a dead man." 

"Okay..." Sasuke chuckled as he started towards the fields. He never underestimated her strength. Even though she's blind, he knows her well. 

"Damn it!" Sakura threw every ounce of strength and energy into her punches and kicks as she knocked down dozens of trees, "how could this happen to me?! Why me?! Why now?! Shanaroo!!" 

The day after she got out of the hospital changed Sasuke's life. He remembered watching her as she cried, wishing for things that she knew could never happen again. 

"Are we there yet?" 

"Be patient." Her temper and her personality haven't changed. She's still defiant and the strong-willed girl I knew. Getting through the first stages of blindness was definitely a bitter pill for her to take, but she's making it out alive. 

"Okay, we're here." 

Silence. 

"Where's Naruto?" 

"You noticed, huh?" 

Sakura's grip on his shoulders tightened, "of course I'm going to notice if Naruto's not here. Everything dead silence when he's not around. You of all people should know that." 

"I do." Sasuke set her down carefully to sit on the grass. He sat down right next to her.

"So, what's going on here?" 

"Thought you should take a break... Calm down a little. You've been training and going through rehab non-stop every day now. Sometimes you need to understand that relaxing and taking a break is the most important part about recuperating." 

"Ha... Spoken like a genius, Uchiha." Sakura smiled and looked down at the grass as she felt it between her fingers. 

"What's it like?"

"Hm?" 

"I mean... I don't know what you've been through this past couple of weeks, so..." 

"It's..." Sakura paused thoughtfully, "it's scary. It's like... I was caught in a never-ending darkness... Even in the mornings. I hear the birds chirping, I feel the sun on my face, but no matter how hard I try... The darkness is around me... And... It won't ever go away..." 

Sasuke recognized the beads of tears that rimmed her eyes. He moved to sit closer to her and she felt this sudden action, flinching in surprise, "sorry..." 

"But..." Sakura wiped her eyes, "that's why I have you, isn't it? I rely on you and my friends to get me out of this darkness... I enjoy going out and fighting for the village. It's part of what makes me feel... I guess, useful." 

"What are you saying?! You are useful..." 

"I mean, compared to now? I can't even walk down the stairs without falling." Sakura chuckled to herself, "which is why... I'm going into medical ninjutsu." 

"Heh. I..." Sasuke rubbed his neck, "I kinda saw it in you. If anything, I think you're fit for it." 

"Really? You think so?" 

"Of course." 

Sakura looked down and chuckled to herself, "wow... I mean... It's my only relief from this darkness... To think that I could still help someone and that they could appreciate my help. To help people know that they're special or they're loved... That's what I want to do. If anything... Being blinded kind of opened my eyes in a way. It helped me see the things I've never really seen before." 

"Sakura..." 

She bowed her head, "it's okay, Sasuke. I don't want you to do anything else for me. I've already asked enough of you." 

"No... I want to give you something." Sasuke looked at her, "you're going to have to close your eyes, though." 

"What? Why does it matter? I'm blind..." 

"Just... Do it." 

Sakura obeyed and shut her eyes. 

Sasuke moved his fingers under her chin, turned her face to him, and before Sakura could comprehend what was happening, she felt his lips on hers. She attempted a scream, but it got muffled by his kiss and she soon fell into it. 

As much as I'm willing to give up everything to see his face again... A kiss feels better when you can't see... It's... As if... One sense is removed, the others are increased. My skin when it touches his is more electrifying than it's ever been before, it almost hurts. But there's some sort of force pulling us together, I just can't explain it...

"Sakura." 

She didn't even realize he'd pulled away until he said her name, "huh?" 

"I'm sorry... This is all my fault, and... Let me stay by your side forever. I want to help you through the darkness and make up for the years of light I took from you... I'll protect you with my life and help you reach that dream... The dream of helping others."

Sakura threw herself onto him and wrapped her arms around him, "please... I'd like that more than anything..." 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the day I became the happiest man on Earth. That I could spend the rest of my life guiding such an amazing woman to become the greatest Kunoichi on the planet. Although Sakura was blinded, both she and I realized the most important things in life, and that's to stick together no matter what. To this day, I live by the promise that I'll help her through her darkness so that she could live with me, as my wife, in the light. 

~~~

Written by xX_Fang_Xx