Hello, everybody! I know this isn't on schedule or anything, but I really wanted to update this chapter, and see your reactions! This was sad, but it just had to happen. Sorry not sorry! So please enjoy, and here is Chapter 11!

Edit: I re-uploaded this chapter because I felt that it was too choppy, so I hope this is better.

            Sakura left the clearing happier than she had been in ages. Sasuke and Naruto's interactions were just too funny, and it didn't hurt that Sasuke had seemed to be worried about her. Her cheeks heated up at the thought, and she slapped them. She had been feeling like this ever since the first time they had met: she got the jitters ever time she saw him, and though she wasn't an animal or anything, every time she was close to him, his smell was overwhelming. He smelled like ashes mixed with a flowery scent that Sakura couldn't quite identify. When he had grabbed her arm earlier, her skin had felt electrified, as if the cells that composed her had never been alive until his skin had made contact with hers.

            She shook her head just thinking about it, twisting her long hair into a rope; such feelings were absolutely abnormal, Sakura was sure of it, or was it maybe that she had finally found someone she was attracted to? Impossible, she thought, contradicting herself; they had just met, and he had barely spoken to her, and yet her body just reacted however it wanted when he was around.

            That's because he's- a voice whispered in her mind.

            Sakura stopped. She was just outside the forest, and was nearing the first houses. That's because he's what? Was her gut trying to tell her something? No. Sakura didn't quite know how to explain it, but it was a different feeling than just an instinctive feeling. Why had it cut off so suddenly?

            "Saku!" a voice yelled, snapping her out of her thoughts.

            Sakura looked around and saw Akio, his hair a mess, and sweating hard as he ran up to her.

            "Akio-kun, hi" Sakura said slightly stunned. "Where's you mo-

            "Saku, where have you been?" Akio asked, sobbing. "The whole village is looking for you!"

            "What, why? I was in the forest..." Sakura trailed off, a sense of dread mounting inside her, creating a knot in her stomach.

            "It's Shizu-san, Saku! S-Something's wrong with her! She's b-bleeding all-all over the place! You have to c-come now!" Akio hiccupped, clearly traumatized.

            The knot in Sakura's stomach tightened until it exploded. She barely realized she was running until she heard voices saying her name, and exclaiming that she was finally here. She was barely even aware of the fact that she was crying. Shizune's voice kept echoing in her head: "I know that I don't have much time left".

            Why hadn't she listened to her? Why hadn't she taken Shizune's words more seriously? The answer was clear: she hadn't wanted to, she had wanted to keep denying the inevitable as long as possible, as if that could prevent it from happening. But now, all she could think was, I'm not going to get to say goodbye.

            Sakura arrived at her house, and skidded to a halt to stop from ramming into the wall head first. A large group of people was gathered before her house. Some of them started screaming frantically at her arrival and gesturing towards the house, their mouths moving, but Sakura was unable to hear anything they were saying. She pushed past them all, and rushed in, skidding to a halt in Shizune's bedroom. There around Shizune was Soraya, and several other women from the village, all talking frantically amongst each other.

            Sakura's knees threatened to give way underneath her as she took in the state Shizune was in: she looked gaunt, and skinnier than ever, bones sticking out all over, but worst of all was the blood. There was so much blood everywhere, streaming out of her mouth, and all over her clothes.

            "Sakura-san," Soraya, said finally waking notice of her, and the other women all turned to look at her as well.

            Soraya's hair was disheveled, tears stained her cheeks, and her hands and dress were covered in blood, Shizune's blood.

             "We didn't know what to do, we sent out a search party for you," Soraya said breathlessly.

             "Yeah, well no one bothered to come look in the forest, did they?" Sakura said, barely recognizing that her mouth had even moved.

            "What should we- Sakura-san?" Soraya asked, confused.

            Sakura wasn't particularly listening. She walked stiffly to the bedside, and sank to her knees at Shizune's side. Sakura recognized the signs, and no matter how much she would have like to, there was nothing she could do for Shizune now. Besides, she had suffered enough; there was no point in prolonging it.

            Soraya seemed to understand, and she led the other women out of the room. Sakura looked at Shizune who was breathing shallowly, coughing up blood, and cleaned her up. She knelt back down beside her, and grasped her bloody hands in her own. Sakura looked down at herself, drenched in Shizune's blood, and started sobbing. This was the end; she knew it had been coming, but it didn't make it any less painful.

            Sakura heard a slam, but didn't care to find out what it was, continuing to sob.

            "Shizune," she cried over and over again. "Shizune."

            Shizune coughed and her eyes opened slightly.

            "Sa...kura... My precious... little... girl..." she rasped.

            "Shizune, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," was all she could think to say.

            She just smiled.

            "I told you.... It was almost time," she said.

            "I know, I'm sorry," Sakura sobbed. "I should have... I should have..."

            "I don't have much time... but I'm glad to see... that you're in good hands," Shizune rasped, looking somewhere behind Sakura.

            Sakura turned, and through tears saw the blurred image of a blonde and a ravenette: Naruto and Sasuke.

            "Sakura," Shizune said a bit more urgently, putting a hand against her cheek. "There's so much... I want to... tell... but, go home."

            "What? What do you m-mean, Shizune?" asked Sakura, wiping her tears with one hand to see clearly, and clasping Shizune's hand with the other.

            "Go... home..." Shizune breathed, and then she breathed no more.

           Shizune's hand slipped from Sakura's cheek, leaving a wet handprint in its place.

            "Shizu-Shizune? Shizune? Shizune!" Sakura cried. "Shizune, wake up! Wake up, please! Shizune!"

            Sakura shook Shizune's shoulders frantically, knowing full well that it wouldn't do any good.

            "PLEASE, MOM!" She screamed. "WAKE UP! wake up...."

            Warm hands grabbed her shoulders gently, but she shook them off, clutching onto Shizune's now lifeless body. Then, cold hands settled on her shoulders firmly, and for some reason, Sakura let herself be pulled away, and turned, wrapping her arms around the person's chest.

            Sakura felt like she might explode any moment from all the emotions she was experiencing. She couldn't breathe. Arms wrapped hesitantly around her s well, and the scent hit her full on just then: ashes and flowers. Sasuke. Her airway liberated, and she sobbed freely into his chest, relishing the comfort his arms around her gave her.

            And so faint was the voice that whispered that it was drowned under Sakura's raging grief: Mate...

Well?! Well??!?!! ;) Did you like it?? I mean... not like the death, but the chapter! Pretty pretty please leave your reactions in the comments! Like and Share as well! See ya next time! Ja ne!