Alternative Ending Part 1

~ Ami POV at death ~I smile up to the clouds, seeing birds flying together in the sky. I smile at my death because there are so many people here that care about me, and that I care about in return. I never had this in the last life, I never had comrades and friends who would go into war alongside me, and I with them. I never had someone I cared so much about that I would die for them.I can rest now, knowing that they will be ok after this war, that Sasuke and Naruto will end this with Kakashi. I close my eyes as I feel the cloudy darkness of death taking over me, taking one last look into all my friends eyes who have gathered around me. I am so thankful to have gotten to know all these wonderful people.Once I know I have died, I look all around me, feeling a difference in the darkness. It's not the stillness of darkness I was just in, this one is alive, moving, and has a strong presence. I remember this darkness. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the different appearance of the darkness after being in an animated world for so long."Death?" I call out sadly, looking for the floating entity. They appear before me, just as they had the first time. "I died again, didn't I?" I ask plainly, not ready to accept the truth. My emotions start to bubble up, the realization that I can't see my friends again, can't be with my brother again, all is starting to hit me."Yes, you did." Death says, their voice once again emanating from everywhere around me, yet also inside of my head. "Your soul this time is stronger than last. I can see it, you learned the true importance of friends." I sob at that, the finality of it all hitting me. I try to reign it in after a few minutes of silent tears, answering Death's unasked question."Yes, I did. It's not the people who are near you by association or convenience, it's the ones who will go into a war with you, and fight with you. True friends are those who will match the distance you are willing to go for them. Friends are those who don't give up on you, no matter your traits, who accept you for who you are." I say, and feel myself tearing up again. "I'm not going back to them, am I?" I ask in sorrow, already knowing the answer."Your time there is not yet done.." Death says after a moment, and I look up at their hooded face, trying not to feel the hope started to grow inside of me. "Perhaps... there is more your soul can learn from that world. When next we meet again, you will tell me all you have learned, and I shall judge if your soul is revitalized enough.""I'm going back?" I ask in a disbelieving whisper. Death doesn't answer, they simply start to fade away into their realm. A glow of green forms behind me, and I can feel the darkness and presence of the realm I am in start to change, until all I can see is a bright, animated, green glow surrounding me. I gasp and shoot my eyes open when I feel myself back in my body, my eyes being blinded by the bright sky above me as I lay in someone's arms, alive and unharmed."Ami!" Neji's voice pulls my shocked focus to him, seeing he is the one holding my body currently."Nii-san?" I ask in confusion. "How am I here? I died.""You were brought back." He answers, and I can see more green orbs flying through the sky before abruptly ending. I throw my arms around Neji's neck and cry into his shoulder, feeling him wrap his arms tightly around my shoulders and holding me to him, his body shaking with a sob sounding from his throat. "You died. Ami, you died for me. How could you take that risk? What would I have done without you?" Neji says in broken sobs, and I just hold him tighter against me."I couldn't let you die." I respond in a whisper. "You mean the world to me, I couldn't watch you die. Not again.""Again?" He pulls away in confusion, looking into my eyes and I just take in his appearance. He's bruised, beaten, and tired, but he's alive. Before I can answer, I can hear my name being called out by someone running towards me."Ami!" Sasuke calls out, dropping down onto the ground next to us."Sasuke." I smile broadly at him, feeling Neji release me just as I throw my arms around Sasuke's neck, him pulling me into a desperate hug."You came back." He cries out, and I feel tears coming from him and pouring onto my shoulder, but I don't care, I'm so elated to be back to life."I came back." I reassure him, and he pulls back slightly to look into my face. His hand reaches up to cup my cheek, relief etched into his features as he wipes away the tears falling from my eyes. I smile softly at him, and he smiles so genuinely at me it fills my heart with warmth, fresh happy tears falling from my eyes."I love you, Ami. I'm coming home to you. I won't wait one more second to tell you this, I love you." He confesses out with heartfelt honestly, his thumb stroking away the fresh tears."Sasuke. Oh Sasuke, I love you too." I confess, and know that it's true. Sasuke was my first friend who wasn't my twin, my best friend I formed my personality to and ability to make friends around. He helped me branch out, to see there are more people in my previously small, closed off world. He was my key to becoming who I am in this world, my foundation.Sasuke beamed at my reciprocating his feelings, his smile softening as he learned forward and closed the distance between us. I met him halfway, and our lips met in a kiss so full of love, passion, and happiness that I ceased to be aware of my surroundings anymore. I poured my feelings into it, and felt his in return. I know he has cared for me this way longer than I have for him, but these feelings were growing in me for some time now. And he said it himself, he's coming home now. He's coming home to me. Just as I came back home to him, and all my other friends. Finally when we parted, breathless from our kiss, I took a look around me, and saw we were surrounded by all of our friends. Sasuke noticed this too while he helped me stand back up, a faint blush formed on his cheeks as his brother gave him a smirk."Itachi!?" I call out in shock when I noticed him standing there alive. "It actually worked?!" I notice his eyes are normal, and there's no traces of reanimation on him anywhere."It worked, and it seems I have you to thank for me having a second chance at life now." Itachi says softly. "Thank you, Ami Hyuga." He bows to me sincerely, and I smile softly at him, bowing n acceptance of his gratitude."You didn't deserve what happened to you, and I'm just glad that Sasuke can have a member of his family with him again." I say genuinely to him."Ami!" I hear two voices yell out before I'm ripped from Sasuke's arms into a tight embrace. All I can see is green, but I know these two so much that all I can do is burst into happy laughter, also into elation when I see that Sensei isn't injured."Lee! Guy Sensei!" I say happily, hugging them also in return before gently pushing them off me. "Wait, what's going on now? What happened with the war? And Madara?" I ask urgently once I remember why Sensei was supposed to be injured."The war is over." Kakashi says, walking casually over to us. "And the Rinnegan was used to bring back over half the souls who died today. Madara was sealed by Sai after Itachi, Sasuke, and Neji fought him together with the First."I look over at my brother and grinned at him proudly. He was busy giving Sasuke the stink eye though, but once he noticed my smile, he softly returned one of his own. "I'm proud of you, Neji." I say to him, then think about what Kakashi just said and turned back to him. "Wait, half the souls?""Obito... died before he could bring them all back." Kakashi answered stoically, though I could hear the sadness. "There wasn't enough energy, even with Naruto and the Fourth giving him chakra. But that's over 25,000 shinobi who are going back to their homes today that otherwise would not have. You did good work, Ami."I felt a familiar crawling on the back of my hand and saw a bug, and my head whipped around and my eyes finally landed on my friend, alive and well. "Shirotsu!" I called out, running over as best I can in my tired state, pulling him into a tight hug which he returns. "You're alive! I watched you die!""I am alive, and thank you for not killing my insect this time, I don't have many left. And thanks for not throwing a knife." Shirotsu chuckles into my ear, and I pull away and smirk at him."You get one pass." I say cheekily to him. I feel eyes drilling into the back of my head though, and turn and spot Sasuke glaring at Shirotsu, jealousy on his face. I grin at him and walk back over to him, allowing him to pull me into a possessive hug then. "You're cute when you're jealous.""Hn." Sasuke hums out, and then has to catch my wrist that has a kunai in it, ready to stab him. He smirks at me as I glare at him. Rather than correct his own lame non-sentence like he usually does when I stab him, he just kisses me again. I roll my eyes at him as I step away, smiling apologetically to everyone. I glance at Shirotsu, and while I notice his shoulders slump, he also gives me a soft smile and a small nod of understanding. I return a soft smile to him, knowing he had developed some feelings for me, but knowing he always knew about Sasuke and his importance in my life.4"Naruto?" I call out to the blonde who finally joined us, likely off saying goodbye to his dad. "Did the members of HQ come back? Are all the Kage ok?""The Kage are fine, and yeah, I felt the HQ members all fine a little while ago. When we released the tree, I could feel where they were. They never died." Naruto says while grinning boldly. I return the grin with a bright one of my own, glad everyone is ok.I step forward and take Neji's hand once more, him squeezing my own tightly as I look out and see everyone alive and well. "Let's go home." I say to Neji, Sasuke coming and taking my other hand gently.