Hellooooo everyone! I'm soooo sooo sooo sorry that I've been gone so long, but despite it being summer break I apparently have to work. Who knew this summer would be like this, but it's ok I'll make it work. Thank you all for waiting so patiently and for all the comments saying they needed this chapter because they motivated me to write this! So sorry for the wait! Oh! And thank you so much for 11K, guys!! I never thought I would make it this far, especially when the story is not even halfway done! So thank you guys so much, I could not have done it without you! So here is chapter 29!

            Her words echoed in his mind: I have to live to be with you, don't I? She had said it with such a soft smile and such a loving gaze, both directed at him and him alone. Since she'd said those words, he'd realized that ever since meeting her, his sole motivation, his sole desire to live was to be with her, and to know that they now shared that same drive ignited a spark within him that he thought would stay dormant forever.

            Oh my, his inner whispered.

            Oh my is correct.

            "Let's go beat their asses, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

            "YEAH!" everyone gathered cried; even Gaara.

            The new Team 7 flew back into the battlefield, their will to protect their home ignited anew. The Zetsus may have been numerous, but now, though it pained Sasuke to say it, Sakura's blood allowed them the advantage of holding out long enough to push them outside the borders, and then the Raikage's forces would enact a barrier. Sasuke had been through countless battles, so it wouldn't be a problem for him to endure, but Sakura had never been in a battle before. Yes, she was strong, as he had born witness to firsthand, but would she have enough stamina to endure a long arduous battle?

            He glanced to the side to look at his mate. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant shade of green, and he could practically feel the power emanating off of her. Pride swelled in him, but worry also bloomed alongside it.

            That's why we'll protect her, his inner said.

            What if we can't?

            We will, he said firmly. Because if we don't, we lose everything.

            Team 7 had made their way across the city towards the northern portion of the wall that had apparently began to fall under heavy attack. Sasuke estimated that it was around three and a half in the morning. His muscles ached with every move he made, and his legs felt like lead. Naruto had reduced back to his human form and was breathing heavily at his back. Sakura seemed to be in the worst shape though. Her eyes flickered on and off quite frequently, and when she wasn't fighting, she tottered on her feet. At least it seemed that they were making headway. Zetsu corpses littered the streets around them; there were even piles of their bodies strewn here and there. Seeing them created an eerie sensation of satisfaction inside of him: the disgusting satisfaction born from years of war.

            "Hey, ...let's take... a short break," Naruto panted.

            Sasuke looked at him like he was crazy. Naruto was not the type to just stop in the middle of a fight, especially when his home was at stake. The blonde nodded to the pinkette with her hands on her knees and he understood and was grateful. He took a quick look around, his sharingan straining to catch any sign of danger, but there was not a whisper of movement. His body relaxed, and apparently so did Sakura's, because her back suddenly slumped against his. He immediately swiveled to catch her.

            "S-Sorry, Sasuke-kun," she panted, her eyes flickering out.

            "It's fine, take a rest," Sasuke said, sitting down himself. His body ached with every movement, and his eyes burned from having used his sharingan for so long.

            "But we have to push them out," she said, trying to push herself back up.

            "It's fine, Sakura-chan. We've cleared the way this far, and there are no Zetsus around. No one can go on fighting continuously. We need a break," Naruto said, easing himself onto the ground beside him, resting his back against the Uchiha's. Sasuke pulled Sakura back down so that all three of them were back to back.

            "This is crazy. You guys do this all the time?" Sakura asked.

            "Well not all the time," Naruto chuckled.

            "All the time," Sasuke immediately said.

            "Hey, there are times when we're not fighting!" Naruto protested, his voice echoing into the back of Sasuke's head.

            "Really? When?" Sasuke scoffed.

            "Whenever your brother and Mina had the time to get pregnant," he retorted.

            Touché, his inner said.

            Sakura's laugh reverberated in his skull, warming his very being. He closed his eyes. Wow, he'd never felt so relaxed in the middle of war. The power of the mate bond was scary.

            But it's so wonderrrrful, his inner purred.

            You're disgusting, shut up.

            I'm you.

            ... Touché.

            Fingers interwove with his and gave his hand a squeeze. The three of them stayed silent for a long time. They couldn't sleep because of the adrenaline coursing through their veins. Sasuke was currently distracting himself by rubbing his thumb across Sakura's knuckles, which for some reason was mesmerizing. He yet again found himself regretting how long it had taken him to accept her. He could have had many more moments and memories with her than he currently did if he had.

           AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?? His inner yelled.

           Geez! I get it! I know! I'm sorry!

            ... did you just... apologize to me? He asked incredulously.

            Don't get used to it!

            "Okay, I think it's time to get up now," Naruto said, interrupting his mental battle. He pushed himself up and groaned, a red cloak of chakra already spreading across his body, though much slower than usual.

            "Mmmm, okaaaay," Sakura drawled, slowly disentangling her fingers from his in obvious reluctance.

            She stood up, swaying slightly on her feet before regaining her balance. Her dress from the party was ripped, which was unfortunate because he had wanted to be the one to rip it off of her. Her hair was in complete disarray and had small chunks of rubble stuck in it. Her makeup was completely smeared across her face, and dust clung to her body, but the glint of the leaf headband in her hair and the fierce look in her eyes made her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

            She stretched her arms up in the air and looked down at him expectantly.

            "Come on. We still have some asses to kick, don't we, Sasuke-kun?" she smiled.

            He snorted and reached his arm up to grab her hand, but their palms never met.

            Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Naruto barely yelled a warning before he was suddenly taken down by a slew of white arms. Suddenly Zetsus were around every corner and bearing in on him. Sasuke attempted to launch himself towards Sakura, screaming her name, but a pale arm snaked around her waist, pulling her away from him. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her hand was still outstretched towards him before she disappeared in the oncoming onslaught of white bodies.

            He couldn't move as the Zetsus clawed at him, dragging him down to the floor. For a moment, he couldn't even remember how to breathe, and his lungs burned. The Zetsus bodies on top of him obscured everything; there was only a small opening through which the stars shone in the night sky. He felt like he was drowning.

            GO AFTER HER, YOU MORON! His inner screeched.

            The blood rushed in his ears, and his lungs expanded painfully. Power surged through him as he shoved the Zetsus on top of him roughly. He gained enough space to grab his sword from his sheath and started swinging wildly. He jumped to his feet, baring his fangs and swinging his sword. His vision had gone red. He tore through Zetsu after Zetsu as he followed Sakura's sweet scent that was rapidly getting farther and farther away from him, causing his heart to beat faster and faster as it did. He had absolutely no idea where Naruto was, but in that moment he could care less. That blonde idiot could take care of himself.

            They were almost to the wall now. Sasuke could smell her and he needed to get to her before they got past the wall. He sped up, flying through the air. A flash of pink entered his vision, and he angled in that direction.

            A loud pop sounded and Sasuke glanced up to see a flare coming from the East side of the Village. Which meant they'd cleared that area of Zetsus. He looked back ahead of him as he could now make out Sakura's face. Two Zetsus were carrying her in their arms, moving at an alarming speed. Her hair obscured her face. She wasn't moving.

            Rage propelled him forward. Another flare went off to the west. He was forty feet away from her now. A roar sounded in the distance that he barely registered as Naruto's.

            Faster!

            His legs burned.

            Faster!

            Pop! A flare sounded from the south

            Twenty feet away. The wall was in sight now. The Zetsus carrying Sakura were only fifteen feet away from it.

            FASTER!

            Ten feet away.

            Please! Make it!

            He didn't hear the roars in the background anymore, nor the sounds of fighting. All that mattered was Sakura. Sakura. Sakura. Sakura.

            The Zetsus jumped up, scaling the ruined wall. Sasuke followed suit, his sword flashing red with blood as he drew it forwards. He slashed it in an arc, cutting into one of the Zetsu's back. The other lost his balance because of the attack on his companion and swayed on the edge of the wall. Sasuke flung his sword away, reaching his hand out to grab Sakura before she fell over the edge.

            Pop!

            Electricity coursed through his hand, and his body was hurled backwards, away from Sakura. The barrier had been enacted.

            Her pink hair fluttered into the sky for a moment as she fell, before it disappeared completely over the wall. His body thudded to the floor, his back arching with pain. His chest heaved in an effort to draw breath as tears pricked his eyes.

            He'd lost her once again.

Hahahahahahaha, did I kill your feels? Sorry not sorry. This was planned since the beginning of the conception of this story, so it had to happen sooner or later. Leave your thoughts in the comments, and as always please vote and share! I hope not to keep you guys waiting too long for the next chapter. The story is now moving into the second half so be prepared.  Love you guys! Ja ne!